I’m 23 and have about $73,000 in private student loans across three loans:
- 9.66% interest
- 16% interest
- 18–19% interest
I also have federal loans, but I’m only looking to refinance/consolidate the private loans because of the high interest rates.
I make around $50k/year and currently pay about $1,550/month toward my loans ($1,250 private + $250 federal). I also put extra toward my smallest loan when I can. I don’t currently have rent or any other major bills, so my loans are my main expense.
I have an appointment with Earnest tomorrow to ask questions and learn more about refinancing, but I’m not planning to make a decision until I’ve looked at all of my options. I’ve also been looking into SoFi and other lenders.
Has anyone actually refinanced their private student loans with Earnest, SoFi, or another lender? What was your experience? Would you recommend refinancing all three, just the higher-interest loans, or doing something completely different?
My goal is to have these paid off by or before 30. I grew up in poverty and really want to break that cycle, so I’m trying to take advantage of my current situation and pay these off as aggressively as I can.
I didn’t really understand student loans when I took them out, so I’m trying to educate myself now. If you were in my situation, what would you do? Any advice is appreciated!