Getting Your Home Office Setup Off the Ground

An increasing number of workers in the United States are telecommuting, ranging from those who are self-employed entrepreneurs to those employed by companies that permit, endorse, or even require telecommuting.

Telecommuting advantages are numerous. Remote workers don’t have a long commute to the office (no commute at all, actually), which allows them to get to work quickly and easily. When they arrive, they won’t get distracted by water cooler gossip, and they can work with the sniffles without infecting anyone else. Because they don’t need to drive to work, they use less gas, which helps the environment and is a money saver.

This arrangement can work well across generations. Millennials have been called the driving force behind telecommuting, but it’s an ideal arrangement for older workers who need more flexibility in their schedules but aren’t yet ready to retire.

Overall, remote workers can focus on the job at hand in a quiet space, set up in a way that allows them to be as productive as possible.

Simple Home Office Room Ideas

Here’s the beauty of telecommuting: home office organization can be arranged according to your needs and preferences. While your coworkers have to deal with the noisy plight of open-office floor plans, you have the flexibility to organize your home workspace in a way that suits you.

Start by choosing the best room in your home for your office. Options range from transforming a spare bedroom to using a section of the basement—some even construct a separate outbuilding. What about an attic remodel to create private office space that’s separate from the rest of your house? You can even add your own office bathroom.

After you’ve decided where you’ll put your office, determine the big-picture layout. You’ll want to include a desk, for sure. How about a couch? A physical board where you can post calendars and documents? Built-in cabinets? If you will regularly (or even occasionally) have clients come to your home office, where will they sit? What will make them feel comfortable?

Strategically determine how and where to place lighting. “Poor lighting,” notes an article in The Spruce , “can reduce your energy, dampen morale, produce eyestrain and headaches, and ultimately impair your ability to work effectively.” This isn’t an area where it makes sense to skimp, so ensure you’re getting enough light in a way that doesn’t produce glare. The article notes how natural light adds unique benefits. How would adding extra windows—or even a skylight—transform your home office?

Heating and cooling is crucial, because you need to be comfortable to work at your best. And again, if you will be seeing clients there, even sporadically, appropriate heating and cooling is doubly important.

Since you’re going to be spending a good portion of your day in your office, you’ll want to make it look attractive. Should you wallpaper? Or paint and add eye-catching borders? Install plush carpeting or hardwood flooring? Add hardwood cabinets that are functional and beautiful? What pictures would add just the right finishing touches?

Making Your Home Office Comfortable

Ergonomic design can help to prevent stress and strain, and this includes how and where you put your computer, printer, keyboard, mouse and any other equipment you’ll have around your office and on your desk. The Mayo Clinic offers ergonomic office room ideas, including ensuring there is clearance room for your knees beneath your desk. If the desk is too low and you can’t adjust its height, put sturdy blocks beneath the desk legs. Too high? Raise your chair. You can even pad any hard edges on your desk.

The Mayo Clinic also advises readers to keep your mouse within easy reach, on the same surface as your keyboard. Adjust mouse sensitivity so only a light touch is needed. Don’t forget to find the perfect desk chair. Make sure the chair you select offers the support you might need, feels comfortable, and comes with a decent warranty.

Cost of a New Home Office Setup

How much will your new office cost? It depends on a few factors, including the square footage of the space, whether you’ll need to add a new wall to create dedicated office space, whether your wiring is sufficient for the added lighting and equipment, whether your heating and cooling system in your home is sufficient, and so forth.

An article on HomeStratosphere.com offers some general guidance on what you might expect to pay. Here are a few of their 2018 pricing estimates:

•  New wall and accompanying insulation: $1,500
•  Single room rewiring cost: $1,400
•  Flooring:
      •  $2 to $5 per square foot for carpeting
      •  $3 to $18 per square foot for hardwood flooring
•  Skylight: $2,500
•  New fireplace: $,3000

Homeadvisor.com points out how the “success of modern home offices, especially in high-tech industries, depends on your electronic devices.” And, really, how many jobs today don’t rely to some degree on electronic devices? Very few.

In fact, one of the technologies that makes telecommuting possible is videoconferencing. So a fast and effective computer network is typically at the heart of today’s home offices. HomeAdvisor.com shares that the national average for installing this network in a home office is $370.

Installing new phone jacks and associated wiring costs, on average: $164. This site also points out the value of having built-in bookshelves to give your home office a touch of sophistication. For that, figure a potential cost of about $2,293 .

Understanding the Home Office Tax Write Off

First and foremost, you’ll want to talk to your accountant before taking advantage of any home office deductions. In advance of meeting with your accountant, you can find some information about home office write offs at MileIQ.com , including possible ways you might be eligible to deduct a portion of your mortgage payment or rent for some renovations, along with other home-related expenses.

MileIQ explains that your home office needs to be a dedicated workspace—separate from your bedroom and living space—and used exclusively for business purposes to potentially qualify for a home office tax write off.

If you’re interested in deducting home office expenses, it’s important that you keep detailed records, including how much mortgage (or rent) you pay for your home office. (If you do rent, you may want to have a copy of your lease handy when you go see your accountant.)

Also, it’s probably a good idea to keep proof of any property tax amounts you’ve paid, along with your utility payment costs, relevant insurance payments, and any other expenses that may play a role in your home office deductions.

And you can always go to the source and see what the IRS has to say about home office deductions for the current tax year.

Funding Your Home Office Setup

If you don’t have savings to invest in a setup right away, a personal loan can be a great way to fund home renovations for an office space. If one qualifies, personal loans can be used to renovate and create a new office in your home.

If you qualify for a low interest personal loan, it could be a much more attractive option than using high-interest credit cards to fund your home office setup (or continuing to pay bills and manage your finances from your couch).

Plus, when you take out a personal loan, your home is not used as collateral—unlike a home equity line of credit. Because a personal loan is not a lien on your home, you also can get the funds in a lump sum and pay your contractors as various aspects of your home renovation are completed.

The sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll be enjoying the comforts of your home office. A personal loan from SoFi.com can help fund many home renovations—and it takes two minutes to find your rate!


The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.
SoFi does not render tax or legal advice. Individual circumstances are unique and we recommend that you consult with a qualified tax advisor for your specific needs.
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What to Know About the Parent PLUS Loan Program

Parent PLUS loans can be an important tool when it comes to funding your child’s college degree. When your child has gotten back his or her financial aid offer and counted their Stafford loans and Pell Grants, you might find you fall a little short. After all, the Department of Education’s budget doesn’t always account for skyrocketing college fees. That’s why the Parent PLUS loan program has gained popularity over the last 30 years. In 2017, there were around 3.5 million Parent PLUS borrowers ; the average Parent PLUS package is around $15,880 a year. Stafford loans may not cover the total cost of college; Parent PLUS loans can help fill in the gaps.

So what exactly are Parent PLUS loans? They are simply loans issued by the federal government for graduate students or parents of undergraduates. What makes them different from any other type of federal student loans? Unless you’re applying for them as a grad student, these loans are issued in the parent’s name, not the student’s. Financial responsibility, therefore, lies solely with the parent and any cosigners, not the child.

The nitty-gritty details can be a lot to handle. That’s why we made you this Parent PLUS loans guide—we’ll take you through how to apply, how much you could receive, and how much you could pay in interest.

What are Parent PLUS loans?

Parent PLUS loans (also known as Direct PLUS loans) are federal loans offered to parents of undergraduate students. Graduate students are also eligible for Direct PLUS loans, although in the case of grad students, the students themselves who apply for the loan. The interest rate for Parent PLUS loans is set once a year, and because these are fixed-rate loans, the interest rate doesn’t change throughout the life of the loan.

At the moment, the interest rate for Parent PLUS loans is about 7.6% . There is also a loan fee on all Direct PLUS Loans; as of October 1, 2018 that fee will be nearly 4.25% of the loan amount (which is deducted from each loan disbursement proportionately).

How much can I borrow?

The maximum amount you can borrow for a Parent PLUS loan is simply the cost of attendance (as determined by your child’s school), minus any grants or scholarships (or any other financial aid) your child may have received.

How do I get a PLUS loan?

Before applying for a PLUS loan, you will need to fill out and submit a FAFSA® to see what additional aid your child may qualify for. After that, the financial aid process really depends on the school in question. You may want to call the financial aid office of your child’s school before you apply for a PLUS loan, since different schools require different information. Many colleges will require you to fill out the application online. Note: This application takes about 20 minutes to fill out, and it will include a credit check.

What happens if I get rejected?

If your PLUS loan application is rejected based on what they call “adverse credit history,” you may still have options. You can seek out an endorser—which is someone who qualifies and who will agree to pay the loan back in the event that you are unable to. In addition, if you don’t qualify for a PLUS loan on your own, you will be required to go through PLUS credit counseling .

If there are extenuating circumstances impacting your credit history, you can submit documentation to support your appeal to the Department of Education (they provide a list of extenuating circumstances they will recognize if you’re having trouble getting approved for a Parent PLUS loan.)

If you continue to get rejected, your child may be eligible for other unsubsidized federal loans as a result. Consult with a qualified financial aid advisor for details.

When do I have to start repaying?

As a Parent PLUS loan borrower, you will have to start paying back the loan as soon as the entire amount is disbursed. You can, however, request to defer payment while your child is in school—as long as they are enrolled at least part-time. You can even request a six-month grace period once your child finishes school or drops below part-time enrollment. But remember, interest accrues even while payment is deferred.

What happens if I lose my job?

In the event of unemployment, borrowers can contact the Department of Education to request forbearance on the loan. If you are permitted to enter forbearance, you won’t have to make monthly payments for up to three years. However, interest still accrue during forbearance, so your debt will likely increase by pausing payments.

Pros and Cons of Parent PLUS

Pros of a PLUS loan

Parent PLUS loans are federal loans, which means they enjoy most benefits that come with federal loans. For one thing, interest rates are fixed for the life of the loan, so your interest rate will not change or go up from the time your loan is first disbursed. Under certain circumstances, federal loans may be forgiven, cancelled, or discharged.

Cons of a PLUS loan

If federal loans are taken out in the parents’ name(s), the parents assume total financial responsibility for the loan—they cannot transfer responsibility for paying off the Parent PLUS loan back to their child. As parents near retirement and their child becomes capable of paying back his or her loans, it might make more sense to refinance their Parent PLUS loan and transfer the debt into the child’s name.

Are Parent PLUS loans holding you back? Check out SoFi’s Parent PLUS loan refinancing!


Notice: SoFi refinance loans are private loans and do not have the same repayment options that the federal loan program offers such as Income Based Repayment or Income Contingent Repayment or PAYE. SoFi always recommends that you consult a qualified financial advisor to discuss what is best for your unique situation.
Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website on credit .
The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.
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When to Prepay Student Loans—and Why

You may be wondering whether it makes sense to prepay student loans. The answer, not surprisingly, is that it depends. It depends upon your current financial situation, as well as your projected one. In general, there are three main issues you may want to consider:

•   Your cash reserves
•   The cost of your debt
•   The expected return on any investments

Your cash reserves are simple to understand and can be broadly summarized by your answers to the following questions:

•   Do you have enough cash saved up for unexpected bills? A commonplace goal is to hold six to 12 months in cash or very liquid, safe securities for an “emergency fund.”
•   If you lost your job, would you have enough cash reserves to find another one that you wanted?

If the answers are “no,” then building up sufficient savings before considering early student loan repayment is probably a smart idea. For the sake of this post, though, let’s assume you are okay with your cash reserves. The rest of this post can help you analyze those two key bullet points, as well as help you determine benefits of paying student loans early—and the life stages at which it might make good sense to do so.

Calculating the Cost of Your Debt

To determine the true cost of your debt, you’ll need to know what the real rate of interest is on your loans. With a credit card, it’s your annual percentage rate (APR). With student loans, the net cost of the loan is the rate you pay, adjusted for any tax benefit .

You may be eligible to deduct up to $2,500 in interest expense on your qualifying federal student loan. However, you only get this full deduction if you are making under $80,000/year ($165,000 for married filing jointly).

Calculating the Expected Return on Investments

Next, you need to determine what your expected return on investment could be for any cash that you’ve freed up and made available for investment purposes. It’s probably wise to consider the risk involved in each investment.

You can find basic information about common types of investments, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds and alternative investments in our blog post titled, “How Investments Make Money.” This post also shares information about typical levels of risk for various investment vehicles to help you decide your personal investment risk tolerance (or whether to invest at all).

Consider Your Loan and Investment Options

Armed with all this information, you can now more easily assess your options. If it’s important to you to begin investing for retirement, then it may make sense to keep investing and paying down your loans simultaneously, as opposed to dedicating all your resources to debt pay off.

Here are a few more things to consider: First, paying down any loans will generally help improve your FICO® score. That could be important to you if you are considering a large purchase in the future, like buying a home, which takes your credit score into account. Second, when measuring investments against debt, keep in mind whether you can afford to be wrong. What if that great stock tip tanks? Are you in any financial danger having not paid off your loans and put money toward riskier stocks instead?

If you’ve decided it’s time to invest more strategically, then check out an investment account with SoFi Invest®, where you get the combined benefits of automated-investing algorithms and advice from experienced human professionals. And, if student loan prepayment intrigues you, read on, keeping in mind that advice given in this post is shared on the assumption that you have sufficient emergency savings and isn’t intended to be financial or investment advice.

Potential Benefits of Paying Student Loans Early

Paying your student loans off early can make excellent sense because you’ll pay less interest during the life of the loan—sometimes significantly less. Money you would have paid in interest can be spent elsewhere, perhaps contributing to the down payment of your dream home or invested towards your retirement, as just two examples. Just make sure you let your lender know where to apply those prepayments and that you aren’t advancing your due date!

Here’s another possible benefit: If you’re buying a house or making another purchase of significance, lenders typically want to see that your total monthly payments will fit under a certain percentage of gross monthly income, often 43%. This is typically called your debt-to-income ratio. By paying off student loans early, you can reduce your debt-to-income ratio because the size of your debt might decrease once your student loans are out of the picture.

And, let’s face it—paying off debt provides a sense of relief, perhaps even of accomplishment. So, another potential benefit of paying your student loans early is peace of mind, which is priceless.
When It Might Make Sense to Prepay Student Loans

There are some stages in life that make it easier to prepay student loans than others. Times when it often makes sense to pay early include when you don’t have many other debts of significance, when you get a nice bonus at work, or when you get a raise. In fact, any time you discover extra wiggle room in your cash flow or have an unexpected windfall, consider whether it makes sense to pay more on your student loan balance.

Warning: Loan Prepayment Penalties

While student loans do not come with prepayment penalties, other loans sometimes do. If you’re paying off a personal loan early, for example, you may be hit with prepayment penalties. So be sure to check the loan notes you signed to see whether this type of penalty is included in the terms and conditions of your loans.

If there is a prepayment penalty included in one or more of them, this generally means the lender requires you to pay a certain amount of interest before you can pay off your loan. If you pay it off before you’ve fulfilled the minimum interest requirements, you can be charged a penalty.

Different lenders calculate prepayment penalties differently so, if this situation applies to you, find out how yours would be calculated. Some, for example, may charge you a year’s worth of interest as a penalty, while another may use a percentage of remaining principal to calculate the fees. Still others have a flat fee you pay, no matter how early the prepayment or how much you owe.

Check to see if your loan allows a partial payoff without penalty. In that case, you may be able to pay your loan down faster without having a penalty attached. Also, check to see if conditions of your prepayment penalty lessen over the years. Remember, it never hurts to talk to your lender to see if there are ways to sidestep or at least reduce the penalty.

Plus, here’s a piece of information to protect you in the future: Because of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), personal loan lenders must provide you with a document that lists any fees they will or can charge, including prepayment penalties. Armed with that knowledge, you can shop around for lenders that don’t charge them—such as SoFi.

Refinancing Student Loans with SoFi

SoFi is the leading student loan refinancing provider, with $18 billion in refinanced student loans from more than 250,000 members. Refinancing your student loans can allow you to shorten your term length, lower the interest rate on your loans, or lower your monthly payment by extending your loan term.

If you have unsubsidized federal loans, interest will begin to accrue during your six-month grace period. However, for those who qualify, you can refinance with SoFi during this period, and we will honor the first six months of any existing student loan grace period.

Ready to get started with refinancing your student loans? SoFi offers a convenient application process that takes just two minutes!


The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.
Notice: SoFi refinance loans are private loans and do not have the same repayment options that the federal loan program offers such as Income Based Repayment or Income Contingent Repayment or PAYE. SoFi always recommends that you consult a qualified financial advisor to discuss what is best for your unique situation.
SoFi does not render tax or legal advice. Individual circumstances are unique and we recommend that you consult with a qualified tax advisor for your specific needs.
The information provided is not meant to provide investment or financial advice. Investment decisions should be based on an individual’s specific financial needs, goals and risk profile. Advisory services offered through SoFi Wealth, LLC. SoFi Securities, LLC, member FINRA / SIPC .
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Grace Period Ending? Create a Student Loan Repayment Strategy to Be Thankful For

During this time, many Americans are taking time to reflect on the things they’re grateful for. But for some people, the season of giving thanks actually represents something that they aren’t all that thankful for—student debt. November and December mark the end of many student loan grace periods, which means this is the time of year when recent grads have to start paying back student loans.

If you fall into this category, here’s something you can be thankful for: a smart student loan repayment strategy.

Because make no mistake—paying back student loans does require a strategy, particularly for the average graduate, law or medical school grad shouldering six figures of student loan debt .

You might think it’s as simple as choosing a student loan repayment plan and writing that first check. But variables like your monthly payment amount, the interest rates on your loans, and how long you take to pay everything off can all have a big impact on your bottom line. A smart strategy optimizes these factors for your specific situation, so that you don’t spend a penny more than you have to when paying back student loans.

You can’t do anything about your grace period ending, but you can take steps to help put your repayment strategy on the right track. Here are a few tips on how you might do just that:

Know What you Owe

Chances are you haven’t looked at your loans since you signed on the dotted line, so the first thing you’ll want to do is survey the damage. You can find your federal loans on the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). For private loans, try gathering up your statements or checking in with your school’s financial aid administrator. If you’re really at a loss, you can pull your credit report and all of your loans should be listed there.

Once you’ve tracked everything down, make a list of your loans and their important details: the type (e.g., subsidized, unsubsidized, Grad PLUS, private), the amount and the interest rate on each one. This information will be key to determining your strategy.

Read the Fine Print

Now it’s time to familiarize yourself with the features of each loan type. A general rule of thumb is that federal loans tend to offer more hardship-based benefits than private loans—things like forbearance, potential student loan forgiveness, and income-based repayment plans. It’s important to understand whether any of these benefits apply to you before determining your repayment strategy—you’ll learn why in a moment.

Private loans don’t typically offer these same types of programs, but some of them do provide forbearance and other valuable benefits—you’ll simply have to call your lender to find out.

Do the Math

Remember when we said that various factors (such as interest rate, monthly payment amount and loan term) make a difference in your loan’s bottom line? This is the part where you discover just how much. Federal loans offer different student loan repayment options, potentially allowing some flexibility around monthly payment amount and length of repayment term (e.g., 10 years vs. 20 years).

While it may be tempting to just choose the option with the lowest monthly payments, the long-term repercussions can potentially be costly. (Meaning, lower payments typically mean longer terms, which can increase the total amount you pay overall.) You can use tools like our student loan payoff calculator to discover how long it can take to pay off your loans using different interest rates and monthly payment combinations.

Consider your Options

You may also be wondering whether to consolidate or refinance student loans. Broadly, consolidating means combining two or more loans into one loan, while refinancing student loans entails applying for a new loan at a (hopefully) lower interest rate and a new term, then using that new loan to pay off your old loans.

If you consolidate student loans through the Direct Loan Consolidation program, only federal loans are
eligible, and a primary benefit is that you can reduce the number of different loans you have to pay each month and you may get a lower monthly payment.

Direct Loan Consolidation typically won’t save you money, since the resulting interest rate is a weighted average of the original loans’ rates, rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of one percent.

So you can lower monthly payments by extending the payment term at this new fixed interest rate, but be aware that this usually means you’ll spend more on total interest over time.

You may also be able to consolidate student loans through the refinance process, and some lenders will refinance both private and federal student loans. More importantly, refinancing may potentially save you money.

In order to qualify for a lower rate, you typically need a solid income and positive history of dealing with debt. Before refinancing federal loans, you’ll probably want to determine whether any of the federal benefits mentioned above apply to you—they won’t transfer to a private lender through the refinance process. But if saving money is your top priority, refinancing may be a great option for you.

Clearly, there’s no “one-size-fits-all” approach to determining a student loan repayment strategy. But if you take the time to understand all of your repayment options, you can create a strategy that works best for your situation and potentially saves you money over the long term. And that allows you to focus on being thankful for your education rather than resenting your debt.

If your grace period is ending, consider refinancing your student loans with SoFi. Check your rate in two minutes!


The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.
Notice: SoFi refinance loans are private loans and do not have the same repayment options that the federal loan program offers such as Income Based Repayment or Income Contingent Repayment or PAYE. SoFi always recommends that you consult a qualified financial advisor to discuss what is best for your unique situation.

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How to Help Pay Off Student Loans Faster Using Momentum

Paying off student loans fast is all about momentum and resourcefulness. Staying up-to-date on your payments—or ideally getting ahead of them a bit—can give you the motivation you need to tackle and clear your student loan debt as quickly as possible.
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When it comes to student loan repayment, there are two great ways to build momentum: prepaying (or paying more than the monthly minimum) and reducing interest rates (through student loan refinancing).

Here are five tips to help you build momentum, so you can pay back student loans faster and make your debt a distant memory.

#1 Learning the Benefits of Prepaying

When considering how to pay off loans fast, you may want to think about saving money on student loan interest by prepaying. That means to make payments in addition to your regular monthly payment.

Generally, there is no penalty for making extra student loan payments (check with your lender or loan servicer to verify this), and it can help you spend less on interest over the life of the loan.

If you haven’t started paying off your loans yet, you can use our student loan calculator to estimate your monthly payments. Then, you can determine how much you want to pay on top of that each month, to help pay off your student loans faster.

As a bonus, it’s amazing how motivating it can be to see your outstanding balance shrink more quickly than you planned by making more than your minimum payment each month.

An important note: Some lenders may apply the additional money to next month’s payment instead of deducting it from your student loan balance if you don’t specify where you want to apply your prepayments. If your goal is to save money on interest and be done with your loans sooner, ask your loan servicer if they can apply any extra payments to your loan’s principal instead.

#2 Taking Control of Your Spending

Prepaying sounds great, but where are you going to come up with that extra cash? You can start by taking stock of where your money currently goes.

Many of us have “leaks” in our spending that we barely notice—whether we’re springing for frequent takeout dinners or have auto-payments on magazine subscriptions that we keep meaning to cancel.

Try recording your daily spending in the notes app on your smartphone or using an app like Toshl , which can help give you better insights into where your money is going. Sites like Mint offer tools that can help you create a livable budget with room for the occasional splurge.

#3 Using Unexpected Windfalls to Grow your Proverbial Garden

Instead of treating a windfall like “fun money,” use it to get ahead on your debt. Whether you come into money through inheritance, you get a pay out from a stock you’d forgotten you owned, or your boss hands out a surprise bonus, try to put a portion of your surprise cash straight toward your debt.

And don’t just think small—see if you can apply at least 50% of any financial gifts, dividends, bonuses, and raises toward paying down your loans.

#4 Creating Another Income Stream

If your main job isn’t extremely demanding, you might consider adding a side hustle to help pad your debt payments. Sites such as Upwork can connect you with freelance work. If you don’t have the time or inclination to take on another job, you can consider becoming an Airbnb host .

According to recent analysis from SmartAsset , the average host can expect to cover 81% of their rent by listing one room in a two-bedroom apartment on Airbnb.

They also found that, in many cities, it may be possible to pay the entire rent on a two-bedroom apartment with around 20 days of bookings per month. That translates to sizable savings you can put toward your student loans.

#5 Lowering your Interest Rate

If you are a working graduate paying down high-interest student loans, student loan refinancing could be a powerful way to make a dent, if you qualify. For example, securing a lower interest rate can make a big difference in what you have to pay over time.

Bear in mind that if you have federal student loans such as Direct Loans and Graduate PLUS loans, refinancing them with a private lender like SoFi means you will lose certain benefits that come with them, such as access to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and income-based repayment plans.

However, some graduates may find they don’t need these benefits and that the cost-saving benefits—and faster payoffs—that can come with refinancing provide more value.

If you’re ready to make a bigger dent in your student loans, and potentially qualify for a lower interest rate, look into refinancing your loans with SoFi.


The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.
No brands or products mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.
Notice: SoFi refinance loans are private loans and do not have the same repayment options that the federal loan program offers such as Income Based Repayment or Income Contingent Repayment or PAYE. SoFi always recommends that you consult a qualified financial advisor to discuss what is best for your unique situation.

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