In its final days in office, the Obama administration sued Navient, one of the nation’s largest student loan servicers(and formally part of Sallie Mae), for misleading borrowers and engaging in fraudulent practices. In light of the allegations, the New York Times gave six tips for avoiding loan repayment traps.
- KNOW YOUR LOANS:Â How much do you owe, and to whom?
- INCOME-DRIVEN PAYMENTS: Match your payments to your income.
- STAY ENROLLED:Â Income-driven plans require annual documentation. Keep up with it.
- NO FORBEARANCE (IF POSSIBLE): Forbearance is a bad choice as interest continues to accrue. See what other options are available to you.
- DROPPING A CO-SIGNER:Â Banks will often allow you to do this after a set number of consecutive payments. Make sure they are tracking this properly.
- CHECK YOUR CREDIT (AGAIN):Â Make sure you know what people are saying about you.. and that it’s accurate.