Apr
21
2015
SoFi Blog
Tips and news—
for your financial moves.
Apr
21
2015
SoFi CEO & Co-Founder Mike Cagney Named LendIt 2015 Innovator of the Year
Recognized for Innovation in Mortgage, Including First-of-its-Kind Mobile Mortgage Experience
SAN FRANCISCO – April 15, 2015 – Mike Cagney, CEO and Co-Founder of SoFi, a leading marketplace lender, today was named Innovator of the Year by LendIt, the largest conference series dedicated to connecting the global online lending community. Cagney was recognized for his innovative work redefining the mortgage experience including a first-of-its-kind mobile experience that provides real rate quotes to qualified applicants in under one minute.
The Innovator of the Year award recognizes a company that has helped advance peer-to-peer and online lending through the launch of a new product, service or program. Presented to SoFi at the LendIt USA conference in New York, more than 2,400 institutional investors, private wealth managers, family offices, individual investors and industry participants were in attendance.
In recognizing SoFi, Peter Renton, co-founder of LendIt and Founder of Lend Academy said, “The LendIt Innovator of the Year Award honors the company that has done the most in the past year to move our industry forward. The LendIt team unanimously chose SoFi for providing real innovation in the home mortgage market.” He continued, “SoFi has by far broken the most ground by introducing mortgage products that have never been seen before in our industry. Just as importantly, they are making a meaningful and lasting impact on consumers.”
Building on its success with student loan refinancing, SoFi offers innovative mortgage options for high quality borrowers seeking both high and low down payment purchase and refinancing options. Highlights include:
- Competitive rates for purchasing or refinancing your home.
- More for your money – as little as 10% down on loans up to $5M.
- Greater flexibility – rates for up to 50% down on loans up to $5M.
- Painless prequalification – find your rate online instantly at SoFi.com
- Fast financing – loans generally close within 21 days.
- No application or origination fees.
“We thank LendIt for the honor,” said Mike Cagney, SoFi CEO. “It’s no secret that the mortgage industry is long overdue for improvement. It’s time that borrowers, particularly Millennials and Gen Xer’s, have access to a mortgage experience that includes great rates, flexible options and simple online tools. We’re excited to be at the forefront of this disruption – it’s just the beginning.”
Since launching mortgages in October 2014, SoFi has more than tripled its presence to 22 states and the District of Columbia. Current states include Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.[1]
Also today, SoFi was announced as one of Forbes magazine “Next Billion Dollar Startups.” The recognition comes on the heels of the Wall Street Journal ranking SoFi in its “Billion Dollar Start Up Club” earlier this quarter.
About SoFi
SoFi is a leader in marketplace lending and the largest provider of student loan refinancing, with over $73 billion+ billion dollars in loans funded. We’re transforming financial services for early stage professionals with student loan refinancing, mortgages, personal loans, and MBA loans. Unlike traditional lenders, our proprietary underwriting approach takes into account merit and employment history to offer unique credit products our members won’t find elsewhere. We offer individual and institutional investors the ability to create positive social impact on the communities they care about while earning compelling rates of return. For more information, visit SoFi.com.
[1]For more information on SoFi mortgages, visit sofi.com/mortgage. All loans funded by SoFi Lending Corp. NMLS # 1121636.
Read more
Apr
17
2015
SoFi Startup Stories: How NOT to Negotiate With Bigger Partners
We recently announced the newest members SoFi Entrepreneur Program, a group of promising SoFi members who are starting businesses while also paying off student loans. As they progress through the program, we’ve asked each member to share important lessons they’ve learned on their road to startup success.
Read moreApr
16
2015
SoFi Refi 0.125% rate discount | SoFi
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REFINANCE STUDENT LOANS
Fixed interest rates start at 4.115%
APR
1
,
2
(with all discounts).
Refinancing your student loans could save you thousands. Just be sure to apply through this page to enjoy the 0.125% rate discount2 exclusively available to you as a SoFi partner.
View your rate
✓ Checking your rate will not affect your credit score.†
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Why choose SoFi?
Since 2011, we’ve helped over 515,000 members refinance their student loan debt. Here’s just a bit of what they enjoy:
-
Serious savings.
Zero fees required.
You could save thousands with a lower interest rate and no fees required.
-
Easy online process
Your time matters. View your
rate in two minutes. -
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Real stories from real grads.
550,000+
SoFi members have refinanced their student loans
$47 billion+
In student loans refinanced
4.3/5 stars
On Trustpilot
4.3/5 star rating based on 9,668 reviews as of July 7, 2025. See trustpilot.com/review/sofi.com for more info.
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How refinancing student loans works at SoFi.
First, we’ll see if you qualify.
You can see some basic eligibility criteria for different loan types. Plus, we’ll consider other factors like your financial history, credit score, and monthly income versus expenses.
Then, you pick a loan with a competitive interest rate.
If you’re approved, you can select from flexible terms that could lower your interest or monthly payments. All with no fees required.
Don’t forget to get a discount.
For example, you could get a 0.25% interest rate discount by enrolling in autopay.1
View your rate
Checking your rate will not affect your credit score.†
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FAQs
Student loan refinancing is a great solution for working graduates who have high-interest, unsubsidized Direct Loans, Graduate PLUS loans, and/or private student loans. Federal student loans do carry some special benefits, for example, public service loan forgiveness and economic hardship programs, that may not be accessible to you after you refinance. Check out this blog post that provides more information: When to Consolidate Federal and Private Loans by Refinancing. Or, call us at 855-456-SOFI (7634) for a free consultation about your particular situation.
The answer to this question depends on your specific financial situation. However, student loan refinancing may be a good option if you can qualify for a lower interest rate and/or a shorter repayment period. By reducing your rate and getting a lower monthly payment term, you’ll owe less interest over the life of the loan and save money in the long run.
Yes, SoFi will consolidate all qualified education loans.
SoFi aims to revolutionize financial services—ultimately improving the system for everyone. Today, we’re able to offer significant savings and flexibility to US citizens or permanent residents who have graduated from a selection of Title IV accredited university or graduate programs, are employed, have a sufficient income from other sources, or hold a job offer with a start date within 90 days, have a responsible financial history, and a strong monthly cash flow.
Student loan consolidation is when you combine multiple loans into one single loan. Student loan refinancing, on the other hand, is when you get a new loan at a new interest rate and/or a new term. You can refinance both federal and private loans. Learn more here.
Fixed rate loans are loans that have an interest rate that does not change over the life of a loan, which means you pay the same amount each month. It also means you know with certainty the total interest that you’ll pay over the life of the loan. Fixed rate is a general term that can apply to different types of loans with a variety of uses, including student loans, mortgages, auto loans, and unsecured personal loans.
Variable rate loans are loans that have an interest rate that will fluctuate over time in line with prevailing interest rates. Sometimes they are also known as floating-rate loans.
Find more info on Fixed vs. Variable Rate Loans.
Deciding how to best handle your student loan refinancing can be an intimidating process. That’s why we’ve put together our Student Loan Help Center to give you guidance on existing student loan payments, refinancing, budgeting, and common terminology so you can feel more confident in your journey to becoming debt free.
To check the rates and terms you qualify for, SoFi conducts a soft credit pull that will not affect your credit score. However, if you choose a product and continue your application, we will request your full credit report from one or more consumer reporting agencies, which is considered a hard credit pull. Learn more here.
When you refinance your federal student loans, you’ll have a new private loan, and private loans are not eligible for federal programs and benefits, but it could be a good option if your goal is to lower your monthly payments or get a lower rate. Once federal loans are refinanced into private loans, they can’t be converted back, so it’s important you consider all your options. Learn more here.
Your interest rate includes the interest percentage you will be charged for taking a loan out, accrued on a daily basis, and does not include any other fees. An APR is the sum of the interest rate plus extra fees and expressed as a percentage.
See all FAQs
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Tips and resources for student loan refinancing.
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Get help from a human.
Ask questions and get help every step of the way from our live customer support team.
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Apr
07
2015
What are standard third-party closing costs?
Closing costs are costs associated with a new mortgage or a refinance of an existing mortgage. Typical closing costs include fees for appraisal, title insurance, title search, transfer taxes, settlement services, property taxes and hazard insurance premiums and government recording fees. These fees vary depending on the transaction type and the geographic location of the property.
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