With retail interest rates set for another bump following the Federal Reserve’s expected half-point hike this week, student loans are coming into even sharper focus. The historic low interest rates of recent years may soon become a thing of the past. The question is: How soon?
Related: Quiz: Should I refinance my student loans?
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Why the Federal Reserve May Be Kicking Up Its Rate Increases
To battle inflation, the Fed raised interest rates in March by 0.25%, the first rate increase since 2018. At the time, economists said the Fed could raise interest rates another six times, aiming for a rate of 1.9% by the end of the year.
It’s been described as the most aggressive pace in 15 years, but the Fed may be turning up the heat even more, increasing the next bump to 50 basis points. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said ahead of the May 3-4 meeting, that the half point hike would be on the table, as “it is appropriate to be moving a little more quickly” to fight inflation.
Powell added that investors who are anticipating a series of half-point increases were not over-reacting, indicating that by the end of the year, the Fed rate could be even higher than 1.9%.
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Refinancing Student Loans Will Likely Get More Expensive
It’s this low-interest environment that has made student loan refinancing a money-saving move. When loan holders refinanced, they were often able to secure a lower interest rate than the rate on their federal loans. (For example, the federal student loan rate for undergraduate Direct Subsidized loans was 6.8% from July 2006 through June 2008, while refinancing rates were sub-3% as recently as last year.)
Rates are off their lows now, but still not as high as they were in 2006. But with the Fed raising its rates faster than indicated earlier this year, the window for refinancing student loans at a comparatively low rate may be closing a lot sooner than anticipated.
Recommended: Student Loan Refinancing Calculator
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Timing Refinancing Your Student Loans
Of course, if you have federal student loans, you know that the current interest rate is 0% and is scheduled to stay that way through Aug. 31. No doubt, that’s a rate that can’t be beat.
However, if you are waiting for the payment pause to end before refinancing your federal student loans, you may find yourself looking at much higher interest rates by fall. Depending on what your current interest rate is and how much you have borrowed, you could see bigger savings by not waiting.
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Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Refinance
And if you are thinking of refinancing private student loans, you may not want to delay at all, since rates are unlikely to go lower right now.
That said, federal student loan borrowers should keep in mind that refinancing means you are replacing your federal loan with a private one, and as a result, you will no longer be eligible for federal repayment or forgiveness programs or other protections.
Recommended: Top 5 Tips for Refinancing Student Loans in 2022
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The Takeaway
A series of expected increases from an inflation-fighting Federal Reserve means that the interest rates on student loan refinancing are rising – and possibly rising fast. Since getting the lowest possible interest rate is the goal for refinancing, it may not pay to delay any longer.
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This article originally appeared on SoFi.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
SoFi Student Loan Refinance
IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO REFINANCE FEDERAL STUDENT LOANS, PLEASE BE AWARE OF RECENT LEGISLATIVE CHANGES THAT HAVE SUSPENDED ALL FEDERAL STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS AND WAIVED INTEREST CHARGES ON FEDERALLY HELD LOANS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1, 2022 DUE TO COVID-19. PLEASE CAREFULLY CONSIDER THESE CHANGES BEFORE REFINANCING FEDERALLY HELD LOANS WITH SOFI, SINCE IN DOING SO YOU WILL NO LONGER QUALIFY FOR THE FEDERAL LOAN PAYMENT SUSPENSION, INTEREST WAIVER, OR ANY OTHER CURRENT OR FUTURE BENEFITS APPLICABLE TO FEDERAL LOANS. 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.
SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC), and by SoFi Lending Corp. NMLS #1121636 , a lender licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Financing Law (License # 6054612) and by other states. For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal.
Checking Your Rates: To check the rates and terms you may qualify for, SoFi conducts a soft credit pull that will not affect your credit score. A hard credit pull, which may impact your credit score, is required if you apply for a SoFi product after being pre-qualified.
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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