How to Qualify for a College Application Fee Waiver

When applying for college, there are a lot of details to consider. Once the SAT scores are in, the essay is written, and the envelopes are addressed, there’s one more step: paying the college application fee.

If a student is applying to more than one school, those fees can really add up.

Luckily there is a way to get out of paying for the privilege of applying to a school: a college application fee waiver.

Here’s more intel for students and their parents about application fees and waivers.

The 411 on Application Fees

Many colleges and grad schools require applicants to pay a fee.

U.S. News looked at 953 ranked colleges and found that the average application fee was $44. It noted that 19 schools charged prices exceeding $75. Stanford University in California had the highest application fee, at $90.

If a student is applying to more than one school (or even just one, for that matter), this cost can not only add up but also be prohibitive for some.

While there is no set standard for how many schools a student should apply to, some experts say it’s a good idea to apply to between six and eight colleges—two to three to act as safety schools, two as target schools, and two “reach” schools.

At $44 per college, on average, that could add up to $264 to $352. There are, however, ways to get around the fees.

Ask the College for a Waiver

Many colleges and universities allow students to directly ask for an application fee waiver.

Typically, the application will have a field that students or parents can fill out asking for the application fee to be waived.

If there is no space on the application, students or parents could simply call the school’s registrar office and ask what options may be available to them.

Getting Help From Nonprofits

National Association for College Admission Counseling

The National Association for College Admission Counseling offers a request for an application fee waiver that can be filled out online and submitted with each application.

To fill out the form, the student simply writes the name of the college on the top line, and then fills out the “Student” section and checks the appropriate boxes in the “Economic Need” section. If none apply, an applicant can click “Other Request” and explain the financial need for the fee waiver.

Then, a school counselor, postsecondary support person, or principal at the student’s school, or a person from a community-based organization needs to complete the Authorized Official section to verify economic eligibility.

Students send the completed form directly to the university’s admissions office. College applicants may want to check with the office if they do not hear back about an approval status within a month.

Common Application

The Common Application is a generic application used by 600 schools.

Using the application makes it easy for students to apply for more schools at once. And, within the application, students can request a fee waiver in the profile section. According to the Common Application, students can qualify for a fee waiver for a variety of reasons.

Those include if they are enrolled in or eligible to participate in the federal free or reduced-price lunch program, annual family income falls within the Income eligibility guidelines set by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, and if they are enrolled in a federal, state, or local program that aids students from low-income families.

Students can also qualify if their family receives public assistance or if they live in federally subsidized public housing or a foster home, or are homeless. Students who are wards of the state or can provide a supporting statement on economic need from a school official can also apply for a waiver.

The Common Application fee waiver is also available for international applicants. It’s important to note that it is still up to each school if it accepts a fee waiver request.

College Board

Students aiming for college will likely have to take a standardized test, presumably either the ACT or the SAT, as part of their application. The SAT costs $47.50 for each standard SAT a student takes, and each ACT is $50.50. (There is an additional cost if a student wants to take the essay portion of the tests.)

Eligible students can get fee waivers for up to two of each standardized test. Typically, they qualify if they live in a foster home or public housing or receive free or reduced-price lunches. Family income can also be a qualifier. Students will have to speak to a school administrator to receive the waiver, as each testing company allocates a specific number of waivers to each school.

So, how can this help with the college application fee? By qualifying for the SAT or ACT waiver, a student also gets to waive the application costs for four colleges. Those who are eligible for an SAT waiver will receive application waivers via the College Board, making it easy to streamline the process.

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Apply for School Online

Some colleges offer the option of applying for school entirely online, and a few waive their application fees for students who decide to go that route.

This is offered at schools like College of Southern Idaho, Wesleyan College, and Washington & Jefferson College.

Of course, students can still choose to apply via the old-fashioned route of mailing in their applications, but that could entail fees.

Students should check with their choice schools to find out if applying online will save them application fees.

Attend a College Fair or Visit the School

Some colleges and universities may be willing to hand out application fee waivers to students who take a tour or visit one of their booths during a college fair.

For example, the University of Pittsburgh offers an application fee waiver to those who attend an online event during a specific period throughout the year. There is no need to show financial need for the waiver.

Most schools do not actively advertise these specials, so students are encouraged to dig deeply into their choice school’s website to find out if this may be an option.

How to Find Colleges With No Application Fees

There are a number of colleges out there that don’t require an application fee at all.

Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana Denison University in Granville, Ohio, and Alabama State University in Montgomery are just a few of the many schools that don’t require an application fee.

The College Board maintains a list of schools that do not require an application fee, consider making it free to apply for in-state students, or have special instructions for submitting an application fee waiver.

Paying for College

Getting past the application is just the beginning. From there, students will have to navigate the cost of housing, tuition, books, and more. For many, that means taking out loans.

Students can fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the FAFSA® in short, to see if they are eligible for student aid from the federal government. Colleges may then use the information provided to determine specific aid needs.

Aspiring collegians can discuss loan options directly with their schools of choice or consider a loan agreement with a friend or family member.

Students may also choose to look into private student loans. To qualify, students fill out a loan application alone or with a co-signer. The amount of money and interest rate usually depend on credit scores and income.

If a private student loan seems like a good fit, add SoFi private student loans to your college finances search.

Worried about fees? Don’t be. SoFi private student loans come with no origination fees, late fees, or insufficient-fund fees. And, hey, there’s no application fee.

SoFi private student loans aren’t just for undergrads either. There are options for graduate students, law and MBA students, and parent loans.

Learn more about private student loans with SoFi today.



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Please borrow responsibly. SoFi Private Student Loans are not a substitute for federal loans, grants, and work-study programs. You should exhaust all your federal student aid options before you consider any private loans, including ours. Read our FAQs. SoFi Private Student Loans are subject to program terms and restrictions, and applicants must meet SoFi’s eligibility and underwriting requirements. See SoFi.com/eligibility-criteria for more information. To view payment examples, click here. SoFi reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria at any time. This information is subject to change. SoFi Bank, N.A. and its lending products are not endorsed by or directly affiliated with any college or university unless otherwise disclosed.

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How to Study for the LSATs

Getting accepted into law school is competitive. In addition to a stellar college GPA and job or internship experience, an applicant’s score on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) can be a major determining factor for many programs.

Everyone’s life situation and learning style is unique, but for many students, studying for the LSAT requires some level of planning and regimented routine.

According to the Law School Admission Council, the acceptance rate at ABA-approved law programs dropped from 75.5% in 2016 to 70.2% in 2019.

As the number of applications continues to grow, a solid LSAT score becomes increasingly important to earn a J.D. from any of the accredited law schools.

High LSAT scores can potentially increase a student’s scholarship and other funding opportunities to pay for law school.

This guide will break down how to study for the LSATs from start to finish, as well as provide some helpful study tips, test-taking strategies, and key dates to remember.

What Does the LSAT Cover?

The LSAT is administered in two distinct sections. One section is a multiple choice exam that is divided into categories including logical reasoning, analytical reasoning, and reading comprehension.

There is also a writing section that is administered separately from the multiple choice portion of the LSAT. Test takers are allotted 35 minutes for each of the six sections required for the exam. These sections are:

•   Logical reasoning (2)
•   Analytical reasoning (1)
•   Reading comprehension (1)
•   Experimental section (1)
•   Writing (1) – This section is administered separately from the multiple choice portion of the exam, but test takers will still be limited to 35 minutes.

Logical reasoning sections include 24-28 multiple choice questions. Meanwhile, analytical reasoning involves logic games with corresponding multiple choice questions and reading comprehension has multiple choice questions related to several passages.

The writing section gives test takers a prompt to articulate a stance on. The written section is available to test takers eight days prior to their testing date.

It can be taken at any time during this testing window and is proctored online using secure software. Although this section is not used to calculate the score, it is still sent to law schools and used to some degree for admissions.

The experimental portion of the exam is also unscored. This section is used internally for measuring the difficulty and effectiveness of LSAT questions. However, test takers will not be aware of which section is experimental.

Beginning in May 2020 as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) offered the LSAT-Flex as an alternative to the traditional LSAT.

The LSAT-Flex taken online and is proctored remotely so students can continue taking their exams through the pandemic. While this version of the LSAT is just three-sections, it includes the same types of questions as the traditional LSAT. Test takers are still required to complete the writing section of the exam as well.

Taking Official LSAT Prep™Tests

Preparing for the LSAT has become a full-fledged industry, with a slew of specialized tutors, study guides, and courses offering their services.

Before diving into the thick of it, one option to consider is taking an official LSAT Prep™Test—an actual LSAT that was administered previously—to get a baseline score.

The Law School Admission Council has made the June 2007 LSAT available online for free, while more than 70 old tests are available with an Official LSAT Prep PlusSM membership through LawHub.

Completing the official Prep™Test without prior studying may feel daunting, but it can give you a clearer picture of where you stand score-wise for each section.

Also, it provides direct exposure to the LSAT’s unique style of questioning, which test takers may find less intuitive than other standardized tests like the SAT and GRE.

LSAT scores range between 120-180. A score of 150 or higher could be enough to gain admission to some law schools. However, some top law schools all report a median LSAT score of 160 or higher. Those students aiming for the most competitive tier of law schools, may need to score 170 or higher.

Tailoring a Study Plan To Your Needs and Goals

Following your first pretest, you now have a starting point to build from to reach your target score. In some cases, you may excel in one section and struggle in another.

Does reading comprehension have you stumped? Brushing up on vocabulary and dedicating more time to related practice questions could be a better use of your time if you already have a knack for logic games.

If your GPA is on the lower end of the spectrum, you might want to set a goal for scoring higher than a law school’s median LSAT score to help improve your candidacy.

Making a LSAT Study Schedule That Works For You

The amount of time you plan to study for the LSAT may be influenced by how much you’d like to improve your score, based on the pretest.

A general bare minimum baseline is around 120 hours. Those that are interested in a significant score boost or other factors may require more time.

Kaplan Test Prep generally recommends that students spend between 150 and 300 hours, spread out in 20 to 25 hour weekly increments, preparing and studying for the LSAT.

Many LSAT takers are also juggling other responsibilities, like finishing an undergraduate degree, working, and taking care of family.

Consider all of your responsibilities and demands on your time as you build your study schedule. The goal is to set a schedule that will help you prepare effectively and prevent burnout.

Bridging a narrower gap between your initial score and target score may require less study time to achieve, but individuals with higher LSAT scores may be more likely to secure scholarships to help pay for school.

If you’re still in undergrad, think about taking an elective course that is geared towards the LSAT, such as logic, to simultaneously help stay on track for graduation and preparing for the LSAT.

Simulating Actual LSAT Testing Conditions

While day-to-day studying can be broken down into shorter segments to work on logic games, vocabulary, and mastering concepts, it may be helpful to take several LSAT PrepTests in full.

Creating realistic testing conditions is as simple as following the 35-minute time limit per section, sitting at a desk, and getting up on a Saturday morning to take it. Not only could this approach provide a more accurate LSAT score sampling, but also build endurance and time management skills in a test environment.

In between practice tests, allowing time for review and doing more practice problems can also help gauge growth and identify which section needs the most improvement.

LSAT Test-Taking Tips

As much as the LSAT is about mastering logic and thinking analytically, test takers can also benefit from an in-depth understanding of the LSAT itself. On top of studying and completing practice tests, these test-taking tips could be helpful.

Answering Every Question

Unlike the SAT, the LSAT does not deduct points for incorrect answers. Since leaving questions blank could potentially result in losing out on coveted points, it may be worth allotting the last 30 seconds of the section to fill in an answer bubble for remaining questions.

If you’re stumped by a difficult question, you might benefit from scribbling in your best guess and moving on to dedicate time and effort to questions you feel more confident answering.

Keep in mind that once a section ends, you are not permitted to go back and answer questions or correct responses.

Using Process of Elimination

Multiple-choice questions on the LSAT can contain similar answers that can trip up test takers, especially when rushing.

Given the test’s emphasis on logic and analytical thinking, employing a process of elimination strategy can help get rid of flawed answers one-by-one and avoid choosing a well-crafted, misleading answer.

Relax… It’s Okay to Retake the LSAT

Given the importance the LSAT plays in law school acceptance, it may come as no surprise that many people retake the test.

Of the 133,178 LSATs administered during the 2019-2020 testing year (June 2019 – May 2020), just 53.9% represented first-time test takers.

If you’re worried about your nerves getting the best of you, planning to take the LSAT well-ahead of admission deadlines could help alleviate some stress since you’ll have another chance or two to retest if needed.

There are limits to the number of times the LSAT can be taken within certain timeframes, including three times in a single testing year, five times in a five-year window, and seven tests in a lifetime.

Important LSAT Dates

When figuring out how to start studying for the LSAT, it might be helpful to map out a timeline of test dates and law school admission schedules. There are multiple options and locations for testing dates, as well as application deadlines to be aware of.

If you’re hoping to pursue your J.D. within a year or two, it may be easier to work backwards from when you actually need to apply to law school. For the most part, law schools have rolling admissions starting sometime between late August and early October.

The application period at some schools can run into late February, but law schools will often start admitting students and building waitlists prior to the end of the application period. Applying in the fall, before the holiday season, is generally recommended.

Some students may choose to apply for early decision at their top choice law school to improve their likelihood of acceptance.

Deadlines for early decision are generally in November or December, but depending on the school may be later. Applicants may be notified of the decision in the next month or so.

Some test takers may decide to take the exam in June to allow time for retesting on the September/October test date, if desired. Scores are generally sent a few weeks after the exam on a pre-specified release date.

Keep in mind that the number of times the LSAT is offered has changed in recent years. In 2018 and 2019, the LSAT was offered six and seven times, respectively.

Also, take note that there may be different schedules for testing regions outside the United States.

Paying for Law School

Education is an investment—both in time and money. Typically, law school spans three academic years, and the rigorous schedule can make it challenging to work outside of summer internships.

While the payoff can be considerable for legal professionals, the upfront cost can be a heavy lift. For the 2019-2020 academic year, the average in-state tuition for public universities was $28,264, while the average for private universities reached $49,548.

When scholarships and financial aid are not enough, students can take out federal or private student loans to help pay the difference for law school.

Although private student loans may not have loan forbearance or other borrower protections like federal loans, they may still have customized repayment plans and low interest rates, depending on the potential borrower’s qualifications.

Coming up with a plan to pay for law school early could help put you on track to tackling law school debt and focusing on your budding law career.

Students or graduates still paying for their law school (and potentially undergraduate) student loans could opt to refinance and combine payment under one loan.

If you’re putting your degree to work and earning a steady income, refinancing student loans with SoFi could be an option. Refinancing federal student loans eliminates them from federal borrower protections, so it won’t be the right choice for everyone.

Refinancing has the potential to simplify repayment, and lower interest rates for qualifying borrowers.

Ready to get a handle on your law school debt? Check out how refinancing with SoFi could help.



Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.
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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.

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.
Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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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.

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What Is the QQQ ETF?

The Invesco QQQ ETF, formerly known as the PowerShares ETF, is an exchange-traded fund that tracks the Nasdaq 100 index.

The QQQ is widely considered to be one of the safer ETFs on the market and has received positive performance rankings from analysts. The fund enjoys high liquidity, being the second-most-traded ETF in the United States as of mid-2020.

The QQQ only holds companies that are included in the Nasdaq 100 and have been listed on the Nasdaq exchange for a minimum of two years. As of August 2020, the ETF contained 104 holdings.

The QQQ exists as a unit investment trust. A UIT is an investment company offering a fixed portfolio through a single security that can be bought and sold by investors as individual shares.

An investment company of this type doesn’t actively trade stocks, meaning shares of its investments aren’t bought or sold unless there’s an extraordinary event like a bankruptcy or corporate merger.

So investors can know that when they own shares in a holding offered by this type of investment company, the underlying assets will mostly stay the same. Not all funds are like this; in fact, some ETFs are actively traded and sometimes have portfolio managers altering the underlying assets daily.

In many ways, the QQQ might be an attractive option for inclusion in a long-term investment portfolio for some investors. The ETF provides cost-efficient exposure to many large companies with high levels of innovation. Investors don’t have to be burdened with picking specific stocks or being limited to a technology-only fund (although the QQQ is heavily weighted toward tech, but it also invests in other sectors).

What is the QQQ? To answer that question, first we must look at the Nasdaq 100.

What Is the Nasdaq 100?

The Nasdaq exchange is the second-largest stock exchange in the world, based on market cap.

In addition to hosting the stocks of some of the world’s largest companies, the exchange has had several notable accomplishments over the years. It was the first to offer electronic trading, the first to keep records in cloud storage, and the first to launch a website.

The Nasdaq 100 consists of the 100 largest companies (by market capitalization) listed on the Nasdaq exchange, except for financial companies.

Part of what makes the Nasdaq 100 index unique is that it uses something called a modified capitalization methodology. The goal of this method is to stop the index from becoming too heavily influenced by any of its super large companies.

That way, if a tech giant like Apple, for example, were to see a big selloff one day, the Nasdaq 100 shouldn’t see as steep a decline, assuming the other 99 companies aren’t also going down.

Stocks in the Nasdaq can be more volatile and riskier than average. But the returns can also be above average.

As of July 2020, the Nasdaq 100 index had achieved a 426% return on investment over a 10-year period. (Note: This refers to the cumulative return of all 100 companies in the index over that amount of time. The index itself has no single way for investors to purchase it, which is why things like the QQQ exist.)

Each quarter, Nasdaq looks at the composition of the index and adjusts weightings as needed to try to achieve this goal of a more equitable performance.

According to the Nasdaq website, there are over 490 investment products tied to the Nasdaq 100. The Invesco QQQ ETF is included.

What Is in the QQQ ETF?

The Invesco QQQ ETF is one of the many ways for investors to gain exposure to the Nasdaq 100.

Most of the QQQ involves large international and United States-based companies in sectors like telecommunications, health care, industrial matters, and technology.

Tech giants like Tesla, Intel, Apple, and Google make up a large portion of the ETF, as the Nasdaq tends to include many tech and growth-oriented stocks.

In fact, as of October 2020, stocks in the technology sector made up almost half of the QQQ ETF, at 48.2%. Other notable sectors included communications services at 19.1%, consumer discretionary at 18.9%, health care at 6.7%, and consumer staples at 4.7%.

The QQQ is rebalanced each quarter (every three months), meaning its managers try to balance the investments in a way that will not give too much influence to any one stock. The ETF is also reconstituted annually, meaning its managers consider which securities to buy, sell, or hold throughout the coming year.

Now that we’ve looked at what is in the QQQ ETF, let’s look at some pros and cons of investing in it.

Pros and Cons of the QQQ ETF

The QQQ has its benefits and drawbacks like any other investment choice.

ETFs come with something called an expense ratio, which represents the amount of fees paid to the company that manages the fund. The fees cover the expenses of operating and maintaining the fund.

Expense ratios are expressed as percentages that will be taken from the fund’s assets before paying investors. If a fund has an expense ratio of 0.5% and the fund sees a return of 4.5% on the year, investors will see a return of 4% after expenses.

Expense ratios are important to consider for any ETF because they can have a big influence on returns, especially for long-term investors.

Pros

One of the pros of the QQQ is that it comes with a very low expense ratio, coming in at just 0.2%, or 20 cents for every $100 invested. This low cost of holding the fund only amplifies its returns over time.

Outsized returns are another pro for this ETF. Though past performance doesn’t always indicate future results, the QQQ has provided higher returns than the S&P 500 for much of recent history. Ten of the last 12 years have seen the QQQ outperform the S&P 500.

Cons

One of the negatives of the QQQ is a relative lack of diversification. While the fund may be more diversified than an ETF that invests exclusively in technology, it’s still less diversified than many similar securities.

The Nasdaq 100 has stocks from eight sectors, but as we saw earlier, the tech sector alone makes up more than 60% of the entire index.

Due in part to this lack of diversification and focus on tech and communications, the QQQ can see above-average volatility. This can make it riskier in the short term, although the fund is still seen as a relatively safe investment.

While the QQQ could see wild swings from time to time, those swings will likely be much less severe than holding the individual stocks in the fund.

How to Invest in the QQQ ETF

Let’s review all this briefly.

The Nasdaq is one of the largest stock exchanges in the world.

The Nasdaq 100 is an index that tracks the top 100 largest stocks in the Nasdaq.

The QQQ ETF is a popular fund that tracks the Nasdaq 100.

After understanding some of the basics about what is in the QQQ ETF, let’s assume an investor wants to gain exposure.

What’s the best way to invest in the QQQ?

Investors will have to answer this question for themselves, but here are a few potential ways to go about it.

•  Search for the ticker “QQQ” and buy shares of the ETF directly in a brokerage account. When wanting to invest large sums, consider dollar-cost averaging.
•  Look into leveraged ETFs that track indexes on a 2:1 or 3:1 basis. These are riskier. Leveraged funds might be more for short-term traders. Examples are QLD or TQQQ.

The Takeaway

The Invesco QQQ ETF is a popular exchange-traded fund that tracks the Nasdaq 100 index. Like any investment choice, the QQQ has pros and cons. One of the easiest ways to invest in an ETF like the QQQ might be to buy shares on an exchange like SoFi’s.

SoFi offers all the tools that both beginning and experienced investors need to accomplish their monetary goals. SoFi Invest® offers educational content as well as access to financial planners. The Active Investing platform lets investors choose from an array of stocks, ETFs or fractional shares. For a limited time, funding an account gives you the opportunity to win up to $1,000 in the stock of your choice. All you have to do is open and fund a SoFi Invest account.

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What Is LIBOR?

This month’s to-do list may include submitting a student loan application for a child starting college next year, shopping for a used car now that the old one is making that sputtering sound again, paying a mortgage bill, and paying a credit card statement balance. (Plus a little extra because there weren’t enough funds last month to pay off the statement balance.)

These are fairly run-of-the-mill chores for any adult’s to-do list. But there’s something out there that affects each of those four tasks. It’s called the LIBOR.

Every item on that list—a student loan, car loan, mortgage payment, and credit card bill—comes with an interest rate. The London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR, affects interest rates across the globe.

Chances are, the LIBOR rate has affected almost every American today, either directly or indirectly. So, what is this LIBOR rate that is affecting everyone’s finances?

LIBOR is the interest rate that serves as a reference point for major international banks. Just as average joes might take out loans that carry interest rates, banks loan each other money at an interest rate. This rate is the LIBOR.

The LIBOR rate is recalculated every day and published by the Intercontinental Exchange, aka ICE, an American financial market company.

The LIBOR rate should not be confused with the US prime rate. The LIBOR rate is floating, meaning it changes every day. The US prime rate is another benchmark interest rate, but it stays fixed for an extended period of time.

The LIBOR is an international rate, so it’s based on five currencies: the American dollar, British pound, European Union euro, Swiss franc, and Japanese yen.

It also serves seven maturities, or lengths of time: overnight (also referred to as “spot next”), one week, one month, two months, three months, six months, and one year.

The combination of five currencies and seven maturities results in 35 separate LIBOR rates each day. Borrowers might hear about the one-week Japanese yen rate or six-month British pound rate, for example.

The most common LIBOR rate is the three-month U.S. dollar rate. When people talk about the current LIBOR rate, they’re most likely referring to the three-month U.S. dollar LIBOR.

Every day, ICE polls a group of prominent international banks. The banks tell ICE the rate at which they would charge fellow banks for short-term loans, which are loans that will be paid back within one year.

ICE takes the banks’ highest and lowest interest rates out of the equation then finds the mean of the numbers that are left. This method is known as the “trimmed mean approach,” or “trimmed average approach,” because ICE trims off the highest and lowest rates.

The resulting trimmed mean is the LIBOR rate. After calculating the LIBOR, ICE publishes the rate every London business day at 11:55 a.m. London time, or 6:55 a.m. in New York.

How LIBOR Is Calculated

So far, we know that a group of international banks submits interest rates to ICE, and ICE calculates the trimmed mean to find the LIBOR rate. But there’s more to it than that. Which banks are involved, and how do the banks decide what rates to submit?

ICE selects a panel of 11 to 16 banks from the countries of each of its five currencies: The United Kingdom, United States, European Union, Switzerland, and Japan. This group of banks is redetermined every year, so banks may come and go from the panel.

The chosen banks must have a significant impact on the London market to be selected. (The L in LIBOR does stand for London, after all.) Some of the current US banks are HSBC, Bank of America, and UBS, just to name a few.

The banks have a pretty complex way of determining their rates called the “Waterfall Methodology.” There are three levels to the waterfall. In a perfect world, every bank from the panel would be able to provide sufficient information in Level 1, and that would be that. But if a bank can’t provide adequate rates for Level 1, it moves on to Level 2; if it doesn’t have submissions for Level 2, it moves on to Level 3.

•   Level 1: Transaction-based. A bank determines rates by looking at eligible transactions that have taken place close to 11 a.m. London time.

•   Level 2: Transaction-derived. If a bank doesn’t have rates based on actual transactions, they provide information that’s been derived from reliable data, such as previous eligible transactions.

•   Level 3: Expert judgment. A bank only gets to Level 3 if it can’t come up with transaction-based or transaction-derived rates. In this case, its bankers submit the rates they believe the bank could afford to charge other banks by 11 a.m. London time.

Seems complicated, doesn’t it? And bankers from every bank on the panel go through the Waterfall Methodology every business day.

After the ICE Benchmark Administration (IBA) receives all the banks’ rates, they cut the lowest and highest numbers and use the remaining data to find the “trimmed mean,” and—tada!—that’s the LIBOR for the day.

Why LIBOR Matters

Wondering why people should care about LIBOR? If they don’t work at a bank, who cares? Well, LIBOR actually affects almost every person who borrows money. Many lines of credit, including credit cards, mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and more, are tied to LIBOR.

All federal student loans come with fixed interest rates. Once the government sets interest rates, that rate remains fixed regardless of what happens with LIBOR because it’s based on the 10-year Treasury note instead.

When it comes to things like private student loans and mortgages, however, Americans can choose between fixed-rate loans and variable-rate loans. With variable-rate loans, the borrower’s rate may increase or decrease along with the LIBOR rate.

That may seem like a scary way to determine rates. What if the LIBOR rate increases to, say, 10%? Many lenders place a rate cap on loans so variable-rate loans can’t become expensive to the point that many borrowers may feel they have no choice but to default on their loans.

So while the LIBOR does affect many variable-rate loans, borrowers shouldn’t worry about rates spiraling out of control.

When the LIBOR rate is low, it could be a good time for consumers to take some steps toward achieving financial goals.

They might consider consolidating or refinancing their loans, or even taking out a personal loan. If their income is steady and credit score is good, a low LIBOR rate could help them land a competitive interest rate.

Someone with no debt or a fixed-rate loan might think, “Phew! It looks like the LIBOR doesn’t affect me.” Actually, LIBOR affects everyone. When the LIBOR rate continues to increase, borrowing can become so expensive that many Americans can’t afford to borrow money anymore.

When people stop taking out loans or using their credit cards, the economy slows down and the unemployment rate could rise as a result. After a while, this could lead to a recession.

Remember the financial crisis of 2008? LIBOR played a big part in that tumultuous time for America.

Subprime mortgages started defaulting, and the Federal Reserve had to bail out insurance companies and banks that didn’t have enough cash. Banks were afraid to lend to each other, so the LIBOR rate surged and investors panicked, leading the Dow to drop by 14%.

And think about what is currently going on in the economy right now. Because of the coronavirus pandemic unemployment rates have skyrocketed and interest rates have dropped dramatically.

But, interest rates will no longer be tied to LIBOR in the near future. 2021 has been set as a deadline for financial firms to move away from using LIBOR. Financial firms are looking to tie to other rates, such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), instead.

The History of LIBOR

How LIBOR Began

Why does LIBOR exist in the first place? Well, in the 1960s and 1970s, demand for interest rate-based goods such as derivatives started to increase.

The British Bankers’ Association (BBA) represented London’s financial services industry at the time, and the association decided there should be a consistent way to determine rates as demand grew. This led to the creation of the BBA LIBOR in 1986.

The BBA doesn’t control LIBOR anymore. In fact, the BBA doesn’t even exist. The association merged with UK Finance a few years ago. After some struggles and scandals took place on the BBA’s watch, ICE took over LIBOR in 2014. The BBA LIBOR is now the ICE LIBOR.

LIBOR Scandals

Bankers in ICE’s group of banks have been found guilty of reporting falsely low LIBOR rates. In some cases, these lies benefited traders who held securities tied to the LIBOR rate.

In other instances, the banks raked in the dough by keeping LIBOR rates low. People tend to borrow more money from banks when rates are low, so by deceiving the public, banks conducted more business.

In 2012, a judge found Barclays Bank to be guilty of reporting false LIBOR rates from 2005 to 2009, and the CEO, Bob Diamond, stepped down. Diamond claimed other bankers did the exact same thing, and a London court found three more bankers guilty of reporting false LIBOR rates.

After the 2008 financial crisis and 2012 scandal, it became clear that there were some flaws in how LIBOR was determined.

The Financial Conduct Authority of the United Kingdom started overseeing LIBOR, and in 2014, the ICE Benchmark Administration (IBA) took over LIBOR and started changing how things were done.

How LIBOR Is Changing

LIBOR has gone through a lot of changes since 1986. In 1998, the bankers were told to change the question they asked themselves each morning before reporting their rates. Bankers used to base rates on the question, “At what rate do you think interbank term deposits will be offered by one prime bank to another prime bank for a reasonable market size today at 11 a.m.?”

Now they should ask themselves, “At what rate could you borrow funds, were you to do so by asking for and then accepting interbank offers in a reasonable market size just prior to 11 a.m.?” The questions may seem similar, but the change in wording showed that the BBA was trying to keep them honest.

In 2017, the IBA held a three-month test period of LIBOR standards in an attempt to limit further scandal.

LIBOR has changed currencies over the years. There used to be more than the remaining five currencies and more than the seven maturities, but some were added and removed after the financial crisis of 2008.

But despite all the attempts at improvements over the years, CEO of the FCA Andrew Bailey has announced that he hopes to stop using LIBOR by the end of 2021.

Some say LIBOR is becoming less reliable as banks make fewer transactions that depend on its rate. The Federal Reserve is proposing American banks use alternative benchmark rates, one option being an index called the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) .

Competitive Interest Rates With SoFi

It’s difficult to know what will happen with the LIBOR rate next week, next month, or even at the end of 2021. But one thing’s for sure: benchmark rates continue to affect the US economy and consumers’ loan interest rates.

When members apply for a loan through SoFi, borrowers can choose between variable rates (which would be more directly affected by fluctuations in benchmark rates) or fixed rates on a variety of loan products.

SoFi offers variable-rate or fixed-rate mortgage, variable rate or fixed rate private student loans, or fixed rate personal loans. They may also be able to refinance their student loans or mortgages for more competitive rates if they qualify.

SoFi members can receive other discounts when they borrow through SoFi. For example, when student loan borrowers set up automatic payments, they are eligible to receive a reduction on their interest rate.

Whatever happens with LIBOR, SoFi members can benefit from perks like unemployment protection, exclusive member events, and member discounts.

Searching for a loan with competitive rates? SoFi offers home loans, student loans, and personal loans, as well as refinancing.



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.

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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.


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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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Please borrow responsibly. SoFi Private Student Loans are not a substitute for federal loans, grants, and work-study programs. You should exhaust all your federal student aid options before you consider any private loans, including ours. Read our FAQs. SoFi Private Student Loans are subject to program terms and restrictions, and applicants must meet SoFi’s eligibility and underwriting requirements. See SoFi.com/eligibility-criteria for more information. To view payment examples, click here. SoFi reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria at any time. This information is subject to change.

SoFi Private Student Loans
Please borrow responsibly. SoFi Private Student Loans are not a substitute for federal loans, grants, and work-study programs. You should exhaust all your federal student aid options before you consider any private loans, including ours. Read our FAQs. SoFi Private Student Loans are subject to program terms and restrictions, and applicants must meet SoFi’s eligibility and underwriting requirements. See SoFi.com/eligibility-criteria for more information. To view payment examples, click here. SoFi reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria at any time. This information is subject to change. SoFi Bank, N.A. and its lending products are not endorsed by or directly affiliated with any college or university unless otherwise disclosed.

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Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.
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Tips for Reducing Credit Card Debt

Americans are carrying more credit card debt than ever, and when the average credit card annual percentage rate (APR) for purchases hovers around 20% as of this writing, the interest on debt can be as crushing as the balance alone.

On top of a high APR, credit card companies generally charge what is referred to as compounding interest, a calculation that can make them even more challenging to pay off. Compounding interest means interest on a card that is charged not on the outstanding balance alone, but also the interest accrued.

In addition to compounding interest, forgetting to pay at least the minimum by the statement due date could result in a late fee penalty, which in most caseso is also added to the balance accruing interest. Forgetting to pay on time twice in a row, could result in a higher rate of interest charged on the account referred to as a higher penalty rate.

With all the above considered, a small debt could balloon quickly if a person isn’t paying attention to terms and due dates—or simply making only minimum payments.

The ever-increasing bottom line of credit card debt can be enough to keep some persons awake at night. But, working to reduce debt can help alleviate that burden, and could result in things like paying cards off sooner, saving money, a good night’s sleep, improved finances and more, in the process.

Read on for some tips on how different methods might help a person reduce credit card debt.

Start by Creating A Budget

If eliminating credit card debt is the destination, creating a budget is like the road map that gets a person there. About a third of Americans say they have no budget at all, but implementing even a simple budget might help make managing money easier, and could help bring a goal like reducing credit card debt to a more attainable level.

When creating a budget, it’s recommended to start simple. Budgeters can start small with these simple steps:

  1. Gathering financials. It might be a little painful to comb through bills and account statements, but the more information a person has from the start, the more empowered they are to budget accordingly. For example, consider collecting your most recent monthly statements either digitally or physically. These may include, but are not limited to:

◦  Mortgage/Rent

◦  Utilities (water, gas, heat, internet, cable, HOA, etc)

◦  Pay stubs

◦  Credit card or auto loan statements

◦  Student loans or other miscellaneous recurring loans and bills

◦  Subscription services (Amazon, Netflix, Spotify, etc)

Taking the time to gather these documents could help give a person a clearer picture of what they’re spending month over month, but also might serve to highlight recurring or duplicate charges that should be eliminated (like when someone forgets to end their gym memberships months after they’ve stopped going).

  2. Determining expenses vs. income. Once financials are all laid out, a person may have enough information to determine current expenses versus income each month. Using the information you have gathered, such as a recent pay stub, could help a person determine their exact monthly income, post-tax–that’s the net amount they actually take home after taxes, health insurance, and other deductions. After calculating net income, try tallying up monthly expenses you identified (from the documents above) to help determine the average monthly expenses. Hopefully, the amount a person spends is less than they take home for income each month.

  3. Implementing budgeting guidelines. Calculating the above two steps could result in an actual budget creation. There are various ways to perform this task, from spreadsheets to apps; there’s seemingly limitless ways to help create a budget. One good idea is tailoring the budget to the person. One size usually doesn’t fit all when it comes to income and living expenses.

Feeling adrift? There are many tools to choose from but one common type of budgeting method for beginners can be the classic 50/30/20 budget. It doesn’t require complicated spreadsheets, or tricky apps to get started. The 50/30/20 method simply stipulates:

•  Half a person’s take-home pay should go towards “essential spending.” This could mean anything from housing costs and health insurance to groceries and utilities. It can be anything you need to live on a monthly basis.

•  One-third of a person’s post-tax pay should be tagged for “discretionary spending.” This spending is services a person could cut if there were in a pinch, like meals out, monthly streaming service bills, or gym membership.

•  Finally, 20% of post-tax income should be set aside for saving. The rest of a person’s paycheck is ideally reserved for retirement, emergency savings, or in the case of higher interest credit card debt, one idea could be to set aside funds each month to be used in making larger principal payments.

The 50/30/20 budgeting method is common for beginners because of its simplicity and flexibility. Trying to adhere to the percentages can sometimes show budgeters their blind spots, or perhaps highlight areas where they might need to improve. But, it can also be flexible, with percentage points waxing or waning based on an individual’s needs month over month.

The bottom line with budgeting? Something simple can be better than nothing at all. Some may consider that any budgeting structure that helps a person identify things like spending patterns is an improvement from sticking their head in the sand.

Paying More Than The Minimum

When a person has multiple credit card accounts racking up charges and interest, it can sometimes feel overwhelming. They might be unsure of which to prioritize for payoff, if at all, and end up paying the minimum due on every card each month.

But, if a person makes the minimum payment due alone, they might be surprised to learn how much more they may end up paying in interest as the account balance accrues. Paying more than the minimum amount owed each month could lead to saving in the long run since there’s a smaller balance to charge compounded interest on.

It might be tempting to keep paying the minimum balance owed, but a person could end up paying much more for interest charges in the long run because of the compounded interest. Just how much? Check out SoFi’s credit card interest calculator to get a general idea of how much you could possibly save on interest by calculating different repayment options.

Debt Payoff Strategies

Paying off more than the minimum each month is great, but coming up with a payoff strategy could offer a better outcome in the long run. Employing a method that works for your lifestyle could result in things like building momentum, alleviating stress, possibly making it simpler overall to conquer debt.

There are a number of budgetary methods online to help reduce balances on things like credit card debt, but here a few of the most well known are outlined below. Each method generally includes wiggle room in a person’s budget, to help facilitate repayment on outstanding balances.

•  Snowball. Like a snowball rolling down a hill, this method starts with the smallest debt balances first, then builds towards the larger balances. You’d start by determining the balance of debt, from smallest to largest, without considering interest rate. Then, pay the minimum on each bill, with the exception of the smallest—all extra cash is put towards paying off the smallest loan until it’s eliminated. From there, roll that payment amount into the next smallest debt, until it’s gone. Keep the pattern going until all debt is gone.

  Snowball method sometimes gets a bad rap because focusing on small debt balances first could mean paying more interest in the long run. But, the Snowball Method may have a positive psychological effect. Repaying smaller debts faster could lead someone to feel a sense of accomplishment that may then help them power through the rest of the debt repayment process.

•  Avalanche. If small wins off the bat don’t matter much, then some might turn to the Avalanche Method. This strategy starts with paying down the biggest interest rate debt first, paying minimums on all other debts, and contributing all free cash to the bill with the highest interest charges until it’s paid down or off. Continue, paying down debt with the next highest interest rate. Keep going until all debt is gone.

  One benefit of this method could be saving on interest payments over the life of each credit card balance, but the downside could be that it takes longer to see any “wins.” But, once things start moving, it should have an avalanche effect, with each loan toppling.

Consolidating Multiple Debts

If a person’s carrying high-interest debt on multiple credit cards, it can feel overwhelming. Multiple bills, due dates, and accounts could lead to confusion of amounts due, missed payments, and possibly the penalties that can come with missing payments. For some, a credit card consolidation loan might help to cut through the confusion by rolling all their revolving debt into one unsecured personal loan.

How can a personal loan possibly help? If a person has an outstanding amount owed on multiple cards, they may be able to consolidate all the debt into one personal loan with a single fixed rate payment.

What’s more, unsecured personal loans oftentimes come with a fixed interest rate that’s lower than the average credit card rate, which means less interest charges could accrue month over month.

Depending on how quickly a person pays off a personal loan, they could save money on interest over the life of the loan with a lower fixed APR. Streamlining debt might also lead to peace of mind for some—as does a set term with a final payment date, instead of a revolving debt like a credit card. It’s one payment a month, with one rate and a payoff date; instead of multiple open-ended debts of differing amounts with varied APRs.

Unsecured personal loans aren’t for everyone. While their APRs are generally lower than credit cards, not everyone will qualify for the lowest possible rates. And taking out a personal loan is still taking out additional debt, so it’s important to weigh the ramifications of adding a loan to one’s credit history.

Fortunately, applying for a personal loan doesn’t have to be complicated. With SoFi, you can check your personal loan rates online in 1 minute. You can rest easy with, no fees required and a fixed rate and monthly payment.


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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.

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 .
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