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Trying to figure out ways to lower your student loan interest rates?

The process may seem impossible to understand. Consolidation, refinancing, federal vs. private student loans, variable vs. fixed rates—what do these terms even mean?

The lingo isn’t as scary as it sounds. And snagging a lower student loan rate may not be as difficult as you think.

Granted, there are a lot of moving parts, between understanding average student loans rates and learning the difference between federal and private loans.

Don’t worry, though — we’ve done some homework for you. Once you get the hang of how rates work, you may be able to better determine whether you’re getting a good deal.

Who Sets Student Loan Rates for Federal and Private Loans

Federal student loan rates are set by Congress (through legislation). Your student loan servicer, or the company in charge of your loan repayment plan, doesn’t have any power to change your federal student loan interest rates.

Private lenders set their own interest rates, and each of those lenders may have multiple loan packages offering different rate and term options. The rate can depend on several factors, such as the lender’s underwriting criteria, and the borrower’s credit history, employment history, and income.

Average Student Loan Rates for Federal Loans

For the 2019–2020 school year, the interest rate on undergraduate Direct Loans taken out after July 1, 2019, is 4.53%. And for graduate Direct Loans, it’s 6.08%.

Direct PLUS loans, which are federal loans available to graduate students or to parents of undergrads, have an interest rate of 7.08% as of July 2019.

To break this down a little further, let’s say your debt is $31,172 , which is the average amount of student debt per person in the U.S. as of 2019.

Using SoFi’s Student Loan Calculator for an estimate, if you are paying an interest rate of approximately 4.53% over a 10-year term, your monthly payment would come to around $323.51 and the interest charge would be approximately $7,650, for a total debt of $38.822.

While these numbers may seem high, federal rates are actually down. Rates on federal student loans had been steadily rising for the past two years, but they dropped from 5.05% for the 2018–2019 school year to 4.53% for the 2019-2020 school year.

Federal student loan rates have been reset annually (in July) since a 2013 law that tied loan rates to market conditions and placed a cap on rates. Because of this law, federal student loan rates are based on the yield, or return on investment, of 10-year Treasury notes. These notes are sold at Treasury auctions held annually in May. A lower yield at the Treasury auctions prompts lower student loan rates.

If you’re a parent expecting more than one child to attend college in the coming years, remember that federal rates currently change annually. This means that your second or third child’s rate could be different from the rate of your student starting school in 2020. .

However, if rates rise, you can take comfort in knowing that a higher yield at the Treasury is also seen as a signal of investor confidence in U.S. economic growth—and though there’s obviously no guarantee of where the economy is headed, a strong economy is just the kind of thing you want when your child enters the job market after college.

Average Rates for Private Student Loans

Private lenders each set their own fees, interest rates, terms, and APRs. An APR (or annual percentage rate) combines the interest rate over a year with the fees to reflect the total cost of the loan and make it easier to compare lenders.

As of this writing, APRs on private student loans range from around just under 3% (for variable rate loans) to just under 14% . This range is similar to 2019, but can (and does frequently) fluctuate. Many lenders offer repayment terms of five, 10, or 15 years, and some will offer even more repayment options, like eight-year terms.

Even for a single lender, rates offered can differ depending on factors like the borrower’s credit history, employment, whether they have a cosigner, and the specific loan package chosen.

Lenders typically offer fixed rate loans, meaning the rate doesn’t change over time, or a variable rate loan, meaning the rate could go up or down during the debt repayment term depending on market factors.

Lowering Student Loan Payments by Consolidating or Refinancing

Whether you have one student loan or several, you might be able to get better rates or terms by either refinancing or consolidating your loans.

When you initially took out your student loan(s), you agreed to certain conditions, like fees, length of loan repayment, and, of course, interest rate. But better loan conditions might become available after you’ve agreed to your loan terms.

Maybe there’s a student loan option that better fits your needs but didn’t exist before, or there’s a new financial institution that’s arrived on the scene.

Or maybe your own financial situation has changed and you have a better-paying job or an improved credit score. Or perhaps you’ve chosen to work for a non-profit or for a government agency to give back to underserved communities.

In these cases, among others, consolidating or refinancing could be a game-changer. These two options are similar but have some important differences.

Lowering Monthly Payments by Consolidating Student Loans

If you have multiple federal loans, you could consider consolidating them with a Direct Consolidation Loan. When you consolidate federal student loans, you lump the loans you have chosen to consolidate into just one loan.

Consolidating your loans won’t necessarily land you a lower rate, first because the outstanding interest on the loans you’re consolidating is added to the principal balance on your new Direct Consolidation Loan..

In addition, to determine your new interest rate with a Direct Consolidation Loan, figure out the weighted average of all your original loans’ rates, then round up to the nearest eighth of a percent. You may want to play with the mix of loans you are thinking about consolidating to view different weighted averages.

In some cases, your monthly payments may decrease when you consolidate your loans, but it’s usually because you end up paying back your loans over a longer period of time—which means paying more for your loans overall.

Consolidation could be an ideal solution, especially if you’re seeking to take advantage of income-driven repayment or Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), but you might not save much on interest in the long run. However, some borrowers still prefer to consolidate. One reason may be because making one monthly payment is simpler than making several, so it can be easier to keep up.

Lowering Rates by Refinancing Student Loans

If you have private student loans (or a combination of federal and private student loans), you may benefit from refinancing. Essentially, refinancing is taking out a new loan with new terms to pay off an older debt.

How can refinancing lower your interest rate? When you refinance, the lender looks at your financial situation now as opposed to your finances from when you originally took out your loans.

Depending upon market conditions and if your credit has improved or you earn more money now, you could possibly qualify for a lower rate or more favorable terms on a new loan. If you qualify for a better interest rate, refinancing could mean saving thousands of dollars over the life of the loan. And the earlier you refinance into a lower student loan interest rate, the more you could possibly save.

Student loan refinancing into a longer term also could be a great way for working graduates with high-interest loans to save money without having to cut other expenses. Although, just as it is with the Direct Consolidation Loan, lower monthly payments are usually achieved by having a longer repayment term, which likely means paying more interest over the life of the refinance loan.

When refinancing, you can typically choose between fixed or variable interest rates. If a rate is fixed, your monthly payments will stay the same until you pay off the entire loan. When the rate is variable, it can change as economic conditions change.

As of this writing, fixed rates for private refinance loans range anywhere from around 4% to around 13%, and variable rates range between just under 3% to around 13% (but these rates can, and do, change frequently ).

Before you choose between a fixed or variable rate, you might want to talk with your chosen lender and if you are considering a variable rate, check out the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) movement to view how the LIBOR index is directly tied and can move in tandem with economic conditions and the fed funds rate. Refinancing is always done through a private lender. Many private lenders handle only private loans, but SoFi refinances both private and federal loans. This makes it possible to have only one monthly payment, even if you have both federal and private loans.

This way, you’ll no longer have to deal with the hassle of keeping track of multiple student loan payments that may have different lenders, terms, or interest rates.

SoFi doesn’t charge application fees, origination fees, or prepayment penalties. As a SoFi member, you are also eligible to gain complimentary access to features like career services, exclusive member events, , and live online customer support.

Before refinancing, keep one thing in mind: Refinancing government loans could mean losing out on federal benefits such as student loan forgiveness programs and income-driven repayment options, so it is worth considering this tradeoff before making any decisions.

Ready to refinance your student loans? Find your rate online with SoFi!

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SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

SoFi Student Loan Refinance
If you are looking to refinance federal student loans, please be aware that the White House has announced up to $20,000 of student loan forgiveness for Pell Grant recipients and $10,000 for qualifying borrowers whose student loans are federally held. Additionally, the federal student loan payment pause and interest holiday has been extended beyond December 31, 2022. Please carefully consider these changes before refinancing federally held loans with SoFi, since the amount or portion of your federal student debt that you refinance will no longer qualify for the federal loan payment suspension, interest waiver, or any other current or future benefits applicable to federal loans. If you qualify for federal student loan forgiveness and still wish to refinance, leave unrefinanced the amount you expect to be forgiven to receive your federal benefit.

CLICK HERE for more information.

Notice: SoFi refinance loans are private loans and do not have the same repayment options that the federal loan program offers such as Income-Driven Repayment plans, including Income-Contingent Repayment or PAYE. SoFi always recommends that you consult a qualified financial advisor to discuss what is best for your unique situation.

External Websites: 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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You remember how psyched you were when you got to sign the lease for your current apartment. Especially in a huge city where finding a place that meets your specifications can be like searching for the holy grail, once you find that perfect spot, you hold on tight.

That makes sense. But even if you’re happy paying rent for your place now and have been for the last several years, you might have moved up in your career since then, or you’re thinking about having a kid and need a place that’s nearer to school districts than bars. Plus, depending on marketing conditions, putting that rent money toward owning a place would likely become a great investment.

In that goal, you’re not alone, According to a 2018 Homebuyer Insights Report , 72% of millennials say that owning a home is a top priority.

It’s an exciting time, for sure, but a major financial decision like buying a home can be daunting—or even terrifying, especially if you have student loans to worry about.

Since you don’t want to be hasty or over-buy and hinder your efforts to reach financial wellness, here a few ways to help you know if you’re ready to take the leap to homeownership.

You’ve Saved for a Down Payment & Homeownership Costs

This is one of the most important steps in the home buying process. According to a 2018 report report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), of the buyers who took out a mortgage, 5% of them made a downpayment worth 6% or less of their home value. So, the traditional 20% down isn’t as common as believed. But, 6% down is still a chunk of change. And, the down payment is just one of the costs associated with buying a home.

It is important to consider other costs such as mortgage payment, closing costs, insurance, taxes, and more. So, when you are thinking about buying a home you should factor in all of these potential costs and make sure you have that saved or a plan of action to pay for these costs.

Double-Check How Much Home You Can Afford

As mentioned above, it’s a good idea to check if you can afford the additional costs that are associated with the home buying process. Use the home affordability calculator below to estimate the cost of purchasing a home and your monthly payment – including additional costs such as property tax, insurance, and closing costs.

You’re a Good Candidate for a Mortgage Loan

Not surprisingly, mortgage lenders pay close attention to job continuity and consistent income.

Another biggie is your debt-to-income ratio, which will give lenders insight into whether you can truly afford mortgage payments (seeing whether or not you have too much debt to buy a house). To determine your ratio, it is a good idea to get prequalified for a mortgage loan to see what you would qualify for.

Then, you would take that estimated housing payment which would include principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and HOA (if applicable, along with ongoing monthly debt payments to help you understand what your DTI is.

If you’re at that threshold, but haven’t saved enough for a huge down payment, don’t worry. Some lenders are prepared to help—SoFi, for example, offers flexible down payment options starting at as little as 10% on loans up to $3 million, with competitive rates and no hidden fees.

Remember, there’s a lot of competition among lenders, so shop around to choose the one that offers terms to suit your needs.

You’re Ready to be Your Own Landlord

Are you ready to handle home repairs? If something breaks it is all on you.

A condo can be a good choice if you travel a lot or if you don’t want the responsibility of maintaining a yard. Condos can be a good stepping stone to owning a house as the property is less time consuming because you don’t have any exterior or lawn maintenance to handle.

But you’ll still need to be prepared to make small repairs yourself, hire a pro, and replace big-ticket items, such as major appliances, now and then. So make sure there’s enough money in your reserve fund to cover the routine stuff and the surprises.

A good rule of thumb is to set aside about 1-3% of the home’s value each year. Some years, you might not need to pay that much. But, if you live in your home long enough, you’ll likely shell out for hefty repairs in other years. Once you buy your home you can use SoFi’s Home Improvement Cost Calculator to get an idea of how much your renovation projects will cost.

You’re Ready to Settle Down

It is harder to move cities once you buy a home. You can’t just pick up and leave as you can if you are renting. Buying a home is a big decision, so it is important to make sure you are ready to settle down in that location for a while.

You Know Location is Everything

Ernst and Young’s The Millennial Economy 2018 study reported that 62% of Millennials live outside of the city either in the suburbs, small towns, or in rural areas. The location of your home—whether it’s a big city or on the outskirts—could impact your budget and overall enjoyment as a homeowner.

If you’re serious about buying your first home, you’ve already taken the time to scope out neighborhoods and to understand how to choose a location best fits your lifestyle. You know that the overall feel of a neighborhood, the quality of life it offers, and its proximity to your job matters—a lot.

Preparing to Take the Next Big Step

If you’re definitely ready for homeownership, you’ll need to get your financial ducks in a row. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Getting Out of the Student Loan Debt Shadow

Don’t fret if your student loans aren’t paid off yet. You can Look into refinancing your student loans, which may lower your monthly payments, and/or decrease the loan term, and allow you to save faster for a home down payment.

Hitting the Homebuyer Books

Download The SoFi Guide to First Time Home Buying to learn some essential steps to take, the types of mortgages available, and common real estate terms.

Keeping Track of Your Credit Blemishes

Your credit score is one factor that will help a lender determine if you qualify for the loan; if it’s high enough, you could possibly snag better terms on your mortgage loan.

Follow a step-by-step plan for paying down debt so you can work toward boosting your credit rating. Buying a home with a significant other or a spouse is a huge personal accomplishment and major financial milestone.

Talk to a SoFi Home Loans member specialists to discover convenient loan options to help you continue on the path to homeownership.

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Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.
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
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Terms, conditions, and state restrictions apply. Not all products are available in all states. See SoFi.com/eligibility for more information.

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According to Priceline’s Work-Life Balance Report , more than half of American employees have unused vacation days. In fact, in 2019, nearly 44 million working Americans have 7+ vacation days that remain unused.

The big question here is—why? Why aren’t we all taking more vacations?

According to a joint survey by Project: Time Off and GfK Public Affairs and Corporate Communications, one of the biggest reasons is money. Or rather, a lack thereof. As the survey results showed, 33% of respondents said their “inability to afford taking time off” hindered their plans.

But, money doesn’t have to stop you from heading off on the journey of a lifetime—so long as you’re up for a little bit of planning. Here are a few tried and true tips and tricks people use when saving up for a vacation, so you can get away without feeling the pinch.

The Importance of Emergency Savings

While we’d love to say everyone should just pick up and go on the vacation of their dreams right now, that simply isn’t a reality for everyone. Before you think about saving for a vacation you should consider saving for life’s emergencies first. And a prime way to do that is by establishing a healthy emergency fund.

To build an emergency fund, a general rule of thumb is to have at least three to six months of expenses put away. It’s totally okay to start off with a small fund and build your way up over time. This account may be for a true emergency, such as a car breaking down, an unexpected move, paying rent after being laid off, or a visit to the emergency room.

Beyond emergency funds, it may be a good idea to ensure you’ve paid off any high-interest debt before allocating your money toward a vacation.

Starting a Separate Account for Travel

Once your emergency reserves are on good footing, you can take the first step in saving for a vacation by opening a separate account earmarked for travel. Keeping it in the same bank as the rest of your money could allow you to easily keep track of how much you’ve saved, and make it a bit simpler to transfer extra cash into your vacation account.

Pro tip: Many financial institutions will let you name the account, which is seriously worth doing. It might be harder to be motivated to contribute to account XXX924 than your “Valentine’s Day in Paris” Fund. Go ahead and give it a good name so you know what you’re working towards.

If you want to level up, you could also set up automatic deposits into this account each week or month, depending on your pay cycle and what you’re comfortable with. You could even allocate a specific amount to be auto deposited right from your paycheck. That way, it’s like you never even had the money for anything else, and won’t see it until you’re ready to go on vacation.

Doing Some Research on Your Dream Vacation

Now, it’s time to do the fun part—start researching your trip. Decide what kind of vacation you want to have—be it a surf, snow, hiking, adventure, leisure, city, or country escape — then start looking into destinations that suit your desires. (Need a little help picking a spot? Here are a few budget-friendly spring break destinations that may work for you.)

Once you pick a spot, you can look at things like average hotel pricing, average food cost, transportation costs (including the flight, drive, boat, or train there as well as a car rental, taxi, or ridesharing service for when you’re there), average excursion cost, and add in a bit extra for entertainment expenses.

This way you have at least a rough idea of how much you’ll need to save to have a great time. Just don’t forget to budget for hidden fees, such as resort fees, rental fees, and taxes. You may want to call the hotel’s concierge to get those numbers if they aren’t displayed, as they can add up rather quickly. Also, you may want to ensure your number crunching includes an “extra” slush fund for those “just in case” moments.

If hotels look to be a bit too pricey in your intended destination, you could always look for cost-cutting accommodations. There are always hostels, but there are also places around the world that will let you stay for free in exchange for services.

You could try signing up on websites like Rover to offer free dog sitting services in exchange for free place to stay. Websites like Mind My House also bring together people looking for house sitters and those looking for accommodations. Check out the listings and see if any fit your vacation needs.

Saving Consistently

If you have an estimate of how much it will cost, now you just have to save. You could make sure you’re saving toward your travel goals by scheduling automatic transfers concurrent with your paychecks. It might also help to determine how much you need to save each month to hit your magic vacation number.

Using Windfalls to Your Advantage

While working toward your vacation, you could use any financial windfalls to your advantage. Say, for example, you get a hefty tax return, receive a bonus from work, are given a raise, or otherwise come across some extra income—instead of blowing the money immediately, you could put it toward your vacation fund and reach your goal sooner.

Adding a Side Hustle to Your Routine

You could always create a windfall for yourself by taking on a side hustle as you save for your vacation.

Working a side job or taking on freelance work you have the skillset for could help you save money faster to get the vacation show on the road. And the best part is, if you save using your side gig money, you won’t even need to touch your savings or primary paycheck.

Not sure which freelance job may be right for you? You might want to start by thinking about what you’re after—something that will help your career in the long-term, or perhaps something that will simply earn you a bit of quick cash.

If you’re hoping it could help your career growth, you could try tackling a side job that’s connected to your goals. For example, if you’re hoping to be a writer, scout article writing or copywriting gigs. Want to be a photographer? Build a website and offer your services.

Next, think about exactly how much time you have to devote to your side job and just how quickly you need to make extra money for your vacation. If you’re hoping to save a little cash in just a few weeks, try something with a bit of consistency like charging those portable scooters, or doing odd-jobs through various appson TaskRabbit. If you have a bit more time, you may be able to build a viable side business with your skills.

Finally, you may want to decide how much you’re willing to put into a side hustle. Often, side gigs require you to work before or after your regular nine-to-five, which could mean giving up your nights and weekends. But, again, all that extra work could pay off for either your career or your short-term goals.

Making a Little Extra Cash While on Vacation

You could always try putting your assets to work for you while you’re away to help pay for your vacation. If you own your home or apartment, or your landlord is fine with it, try renting your space on websites like Airbnb , VRBO , or HomeAway . You may be able to earn a hefty sum. Have a car? That can be rented out on websites like Turo, too.

Bringing SoFi Checking and Savings on Your Trip to Save Along the Way

Looking for an account to house your travel fund in? Try a SoFi Checking and Savings® account. With SoFi Checking and Savings you can easily create vaults within your account, each for its own purpose. For example you can create a vault for your upcoming vacation.

You’ll be able to easily keep track of progress on each of your vaults and money can be moved in and out of these vaults on a regular basis. It is an easy way to separate your money for different purposes and goals (like a travel fund!

And when you are ready to go on your trip, opening a SoFi Checking and Savings account means your cash goes where you go. SoFi Checking and Savings allows you to save, spend, and earn all in one checking and savings account.

And no matter where you go, use any ATM within the Allpoint® Network and you won’t get charged a fee (subject to change).

This way you can save money and make day-to-day withdrawals from your checking and savings account—even while abroad. Now, all you need to do is go enjoy that vacation you’ve worked so hard for.

Planning on finally using up some of those vacation days? Take SoFi Checking and Savings with you.

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SoFi members with direct deposit can earn up to 4.00% annual percentage yield (APY) interest on Savings account balances (including Vaults) and up to 1.20% APY on Checking account balances. There is no minimum direct deposit amount required to qualify for these rates. Members without direct deposit will earn 1.20% APY on all account balances in Checking and Savings (including Vaults). Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 3/17/2023. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet
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The flights are booked, bags are packed, and your itinerary is full of adventurous activities, exciting excursions, and delicious cafés and restaurants.

You’ve used all the best travel hacks to score cheap deals on a luxury hotel, used credit card rewards to book air travel, and strategically organized your transportation to make the most of your vacation budget. You’re ready to finally lean into some well-earned rest and relaxation.

But before you completely sign off, one thing you should consider if you are traveling internationally is how to avoid foreign transaction fees. International ATM fees and other additional transaction costs can add up quickly and cut into your vacation budget while you are on your international adventure.

Don’t let international ATM fees limit your fun. These tips can help you avoid foreign transaction fees so you can make the most of your vacation and enjoy your globe-trotting adventure—with more money for you and less money sent back to the bank.

What Are Foreign Transaction Fees?

A foreign transaction fee is a surcharge that credit card companies add onto transactions that process foreign currency or pass through foreign banks. The most common foreign transaction fee is around 3% of the transaction amount.

The foreign transaction fee is composed of two parts, the fee charged by the credit card network (e.g., Visa, Mastercard) and the fee imposed by the issuer (e.g., Citibank). Some credit card companies charge a fee on top of the network fee, others will absorb the network fee so that you don’t have to pay anything.

Unless a credit card has no foreign transaction fees, issuers don’t usually advertise this information. You will usually have to check the fine print in the terms and conditions when you open an account to see if this fee will be charged and how much it is. It will usually be listed in the “Fees” section, so be sure to review the policies before you open a new credit card.

Foreign transaction fees are usually listed as a separate charge on your credit card statement. Say you spend the equivalent of $100 dining at a restaurant. If your credit card charges a 3% foreign transaction fee, there will be an additional charge of $3.

While that may seem like small change, it can really add up over your trek through Europe or your two-week backpacking trip through Southeast Asia. It’s also worth noting that if you have a rewards credit card, you usually don’t earn any rewards on the foreign transaction fees.

In addition to foreign transaction fees, you’ll also want to keep international ATM fees on your radar as well. Banks will often charge 1% to 3% on ATM withdrawals or debit card purchases.

Here are some great tips for avoiding foreign transaction fees on your credit card and at the ATM.

Recommended: Can I Open a Bank Account While Living in Another Country?

Eliminate ATM Foreign Transaction Fees

You’ve saved up your cash to spend on memorable experiences on your trip, so why give that money to banks in ATM fees? If you can eliminate ATM fees from your vacation budget, you’ll have more money to spend on excursions, sightseeing, food, and souvenirs.

First thing on your list should be to check and see if your bank has any affiliate banks in the country or countries you plan to visit. If so, confirm that the same benefits apply at the partner bank and you should be able to withdraw money from the ATM with no additional fees.

Next, check in with your bank and see what their policy is on fee-free withdrawals. More and more banks and credit unions are offering fee reimbursement or are not charging ATM fees, so see what your account offers.

Exchange Currency Before Traveling

Another way to avoid paying international ATM fees is to exchange currency before you leave the country. Create a budget for your trip and estimate how much money you plan to spend and how much cash you will need.

Your bank or credit union may be able to sell you foreign currency without requiring you to pay additional fees. This is one of the best ways to get foreign currency at a decent exchange rate. Avoid using a prepaid debit card, which could end up costing you extra in fees.

Avoid ATMs in Touristy Places

Avoid exchanging currency at ATMs in airports, hotels, hostels, local 7-Elevens, or other similar places. It may seem convenient to exchange money there, but you’ll pay for that convenience with high ATM fees and poor exchange rates.

Choose Local Currency

When you’re shopping internationally you sometimes have the opportunity to check out in either local currency or U.S. dollars. It may seem convenient to choose dollars since you are more familiar with the currency, but it could cost you.

When you pay with U.S. dollars the merchant chooses the exchange rate to convert the cost of the item—this is called dynamic currency conversion . And, even though you’re paying in dollars, the credit card company may still charge you with a foreign transaction fee.

Researching Your Bank’s Foreign Partner

Many large banks and financial institutions have a partnership or alliance with a bank abroad. Make sure you check with your bank before leaving to learn the names of the banks they partner with. In many cases you won’t be charged any fees with you withdrawing money from those specific ATMs.

Getting a Credit Card Without Foreign Transaction Fees

Another way to help avoid paying for foreign transaction fees when you travel: Get a credit card that has lower fees or no fees at all.

Credit cards often get the best exchange rates, and a credit card without foreign transaction fees could end up saving you money even when you aren’t traveling (you could be charged a foreign transaction fee when you are shopping domestically if the merchant who processes your transaction is based in a different country).

Opening an Account With No Foreign Fees

Similar to above, another option for avoiding foreign transaction fees is choosing an account that offers a debit card with no fees. There are a few accounts out there (like SoFi Checking and Savings) that don’t charge you for withdrawing money or making purchases abroad.

Smart Money Management With SoFi Checking and Savings

Shop around for a better online bank account, like SoFi Checking and Savings®.

SoFi Checking and Savings allows you to spend, save, and earn all in one product. Plus, SoFi Checking and Savings has no account fees. And withdrawing cash is fee-free at 55,000+ ATMs worldwide. That being said, our fee structure is subject to change at any time.

Plus, when you open a SoFi Checking and Savings account and become a SoFi member, you’ll benefit from perks like complimentary access to career coaches, credentialed financial planners, and exclusive events.

SoFi Checking and Savings makes it easy to track your money and save for short-term goals, like your next trip, and you can access your account via online portals from anywhere in the world.

SoFi Checking and Savings offers access to your money anywhere, so there is zero hassle when you travel. Learn whether SoFi Checking and Savings could be right for you.

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SOMN18130

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You had a long day—there was a crisis at work, you have a major school assignment, or one of your kids has a cold. Exhausted, you’re finally plumping up your pillow, ready to catch some Zs. But sleep won’t come. Why? Because you’re stressing out about your credit card debt.

You aren’t alone. Americans are carrying more credit card debt than they ever have before, and as of January 2020, the average credit card APR, or annual percentage rate, on new offers is 17.30% (and has been hovering around 17% and 18% for the last six months).

When it comes to debt, credit card debt is sometimes classified as “bad debt,” while student loans or a mortgage may be categorized as “good debt.” This is because student loans or a mortgage loan imply that your debt is an investment in something—whether in a house that could appreciate in value or an education that can boost your income. In contrast, credit card debt is rarely an investment. And because of the way credit card interest is charged, it can end up costing you a lot.

Not only can credit card debt mount quickly, but a large credit card balance may adversely impact your credit score. And a credit score plays a big role in our lives in terms of qualifying for mortgages, car loans, and apartment leases, among other things.

If you feel underwater when it comes to carrying a credit card balance, it’s good to know that there are tools you can use to help get out of high interest credit card debt.

Unfortunately, there is no magical quick fix to help you escape credit card debt, but there are actionable steps you can take to reduce and eventually eliminate your credit card debt. It can take some time and effort, but being free of the emotional and financial burden credit card debt can create is often worth it.

The Problem with Carrying Credit Card Debt

Having credit cards is not an inherently bad thing. They help you establish a credit history, which in turn can help you towards owning a car, a home, or your own business. But on the other hand, it’s not hard to amass a large amount of credit card debt.

This is because for every billing cycle where you’re not able to pay the statement balance in full, you’re charged interest. This might show up on your credit card statement as a “purchase interest charge.”

The interest you’re charged on a credit card compounds. Compound interest means interest is calculated not only on the principal amount owed, but also the accumulated interest from previous pay periods.

Essentially, it means your interest is earning interest. Compound interest can pile up quickly, to the point where it might feel like you’re paying financial catch up month after month.

By the time you pay off your credit card debt, you could not only be paying off your purchases, but you could also be paying every interest charge you’ve incurred on that balance.

Getting Out of High Interest Credit Card Debt

Because interest charges grow your credit card debt, it can be hard to get rid of it once and for all. And as already noted, credit card interest rates run pretty high—averaging between 17% and 18% currently. That is because credit cards are considered to be “unsecured” debt vs a mortgage loan which is recorded as a lien on the home. To put that in perspective, as of January 2020, mortgage interest rates are around 3.84%.

So the interest you’re paying on a credit card is approximately four times as much as the interest you would pay on a mortgage. Reducing your credit card debt comes down to the financial strategies you use. Here are three ways you can potentially manage your credit card debt, and in time, completely pay it off.

There’s no single right way to pay off debt, and certain methods might suit you better than others. While paying off high interest debt is a numbers game, it’s also an emotional one.

The best method may be the one you‘ll likely stick to—the debt repayment method that motivates you. If you want to repay your debt, it may not matter which method you select, as long as it helps you stay on track to repay.

To get an idea of the total amount of interest you are likely to pay on your debt, you can consult our Credit Card Interest Calculator.

1. Using the Snowball Method

The snowball method is a popular debt payoff option—people use the snowball method to pay off their student loans, too. For credit card debt, the snowball method works if you have debt across multiple credit cards. First, you’d make a list of all of your credit card debts and put them in order of the smallest to largest balance.

Then, you would focus on paying off the smallest balance first (while making the minimum payments on your other credit cards). Once you’ve paid your smallest balance, you could focus on the next smallest balance, and so on.

By paying the smallest balance first, you will potentially gain momentum that may motivate you to pay off your other debts. Thus, your effort “snowballs.”

Say, for example, you have the following loans:

•   $1,200 medical bill with no interest and a $150 monthly payment

•   $11,000 student loan with 5.5% interest and a $235 monthly payment

•   $15,000 credit card balance with 16% interest and a $400 monthly payment

Using the snowball method, you’d work to tackle the medical bill first, while still paying the monthly minimums on the rest of the debt. Once you pay off the medical bill, you could start contributing its monthly payment, plus additional spare funds, towards the student loan, and so forth. The small debt repayment snowballs into the larger debts.

Some argue that the snowball method isn’t the most efficient way to pay off debt, but in some cases it may be the most effective. The snowball method could dictate paying off a small no-interest loan in its entirety even if a high-interest credit card carried a higher balance.

But, for some people, paying off those small debts is a motivating experience, and can help them stay on track. If those small wins make a difference for your mentality, the snowball method could be for you.

2. Tackling the Highest Interest Debt First

If the snowball method doesn’t appeal to you, you can try tackling your highest interest debt first, sometimes called the debt avalanche. This is similar to the snowball method, except you start with your highest interest debt instead.

A good first step might be making a list of all of your credit card debts and their interest rates. Then, you could pay off the credit cards with the highest APR first, while making the minimum payments on your other debts.

When the highest-interest card is paid off, you could tackle the credit card with the second highest APR, and so on—until your credit card debt is completely paid off. If you choose this payoff method, the goal is to reduce how much you spend on interest overall.

So using our earlier example, you have the following loans:

•   $1,200 medical bill with no interest and a $150 monthly payment

•   $11,000 student loan with 5.5% interest and a $235 monthly payment

•   $15,000 credit card balance with 16% interest and a $400 monthly payment

In this case, you’d throw your support towards paying off the credit card balance first. Once it’s paid off, you’d allocate that $400 a month towards the student loan, making the repayment much faster with additional payments each month. Finally, you’d tackle the medical bill.

This method focuses on building momentum, leading to an “avalanche” of repayments once you really get moving. For some, this method can be discouraging, because, unlike the snowball method, you are budgeting for the long game. However, once the wins come, they may avalanche much faster.

3. Consolidating Your Credit Card Debt into a Personal Loan

If you are paying off several credit cards every month, it may be overwhelming. But if you consolidate all your debt into a personal loan, you’re likely only making one payment each month.

Here’s how it works: You’d take out a personal loan, consolidate all your credit card debt with it, and then you pay back the single personal loan.

The best part? Personal loans typically come with a lower interest rate than your credit cards, and you may be able to set more manageable terms with your lender. And since you’ll only have one payment every month, and you can usually choose a fixed interest rate, it may be easier to keep track of.

Using the above example debt profile, you could end up putting your medical bill and credit card debt into one monthly payment, making a simple single transaction for those two debts each month. (You can’t typically use a personal loan to pay for education debt, but you can refinance your student loans or consolidate them, hopefully, for better rates and terms.)

In paying your credit card debts off with a personal loan, you can consolidate into one simple payment, and possibly save money by potentially paying a lower APR.

SoFi offers personal loans—without any fees. You can apply online in just minutes and manage your payments online as well. Additionally, you’ll have access to customer support, 24/7. With a SoFi personal loan, depending upon the terms, you could potentially get out of debt faster and with less stress—setting you up for a better financial future.

Consolidating credit cards with a personal loan can help improve your financial position. Check out SoFi personal loans.

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SoFi Student Loan Refinance
If you are looking to refinance federal student loans, please be aware that the White House has announced up to $20,000 of student loan forgiveness for Pell Grant recipients and $10,000 for qualifying borrowers whose student loans are federally held. Additionally, the federal student loan payment pause and interest holiday has been extended beyond December 31, 2022. Please carefully consider these changes before refinancing federally held loans with SoFi, since the amount or portion of your federal student debt that you refinance will no longer qualify for the federal loan payment suspension, interest waiver, or any other current or future benefits applicable to federal loans. If you qualify for federal student loan forgiveness and still wish to refinance, leave unrefinanced the amount you expect to be forgiven to receive your federal benefit.

CLICK HERE for more information.

Notice: SoFi refinance loans are private loans and do not have the same repayment options that the federal loan program offers such as Income-Driven Repayment plans, including Income-Contingent Repayment or PAYE. SoFi always recommends that you consult a qualified financial advisor to discuss what is best for your unique situation.

PL18146

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