Most Americans who go to college today borrow money to earn their degree. The average amount of debt per student has climbed to $33,000 - a number that continues to grow. 1 After graduation, many people find themselves overwhelmed by the burden of repaying their student loans. Monthly payments are often high and can absorb a good chunk of your paycheck leaving you with very little left over to plan for the future - forget about having any fun. But student loan debt shouldn't make you put your life on hold. Thankfully there is Credible, a free service that allows you to compare personalized prequalified rates from multiple lenders to find the best options for refinancing student loan debt. Here's how Credible helped these graduates ease the weight of their student loan debt.
How Emily Cut Her Interest Rates with Credible and Saved $11,000
Emily Pritchard didn't need an accounting degree to tell her that $100,000 in student loan debt was a tall mountain to climb, but she set her sights on paying off her student loan debt before she was 30. It wasn't until she was halfway through college that she realized the gravity of the debt she'd been accumulating.
"Halfway through, I almost transferred to another school because of the cost," Pritchard recalls. Undeterred, she completed her degree and made it her mission to educate herself on how best to repay her student loans. "When I graduated in 2012, the interest rate on one of my loans was 11 percent, which is outrageous." She tried many options, and eventually found the Credible marketplace to be the perfect solution for her.
After graduating, options for refinancing were limited. "Because I work in financial services, you are hearing about interest rates all the time," she recalls. "I started Googling, 'Who does student loan refinancing? What is the process?'" The first time she refinanced, she went through a credit union which gave her a 6.5% variable interest rate. Knowing she could do better, she found Credible and was able to refinance again into a loan with a 4.75% fixed interest rate and a shorter repayment term. With these new terms, she estimates she's able to save an additional $11,000 over the life of her loan. On top of that, her loans haven't put her life on hold. While there's still a journey ahead toward repayment, her financial discipline and commitment to paying off her loans has put her on a path to a better future.
How Refinancing Through Credible Saved Stephanie $23,000
In 2007, Stephanie White graduated with two bachelor's degrees and $55,000 in loans to repay. Working two and sometimes three jobs but barely paying off her loan principal, she wanted to boost her earning potential and become a nurse practitioner. By getting an accelerated bachelor's in nursing and working in an ER while earning her master's, she was certified as a nurse practitioner. But she now found herself $85,000 in debt.
"Suddenly, I have a lucrative career as a family nurse practitioner, but I'm paying more than $1,000 a month on my student loans," says White. "They say, 'You're a high earner,' but I had no disposable income." With her loan payments being consumed by interest, she believed she'd be stuck in debt until her 40s. White needed a better solution, and that's when she went through Credible.
She's used Credible twice to help refinance her loans.
"The first time, I just refinanced my higher, 6.8 percent interest rate loan," she recalls. "I was skeptical, but it saved me a ton of money. I realized there were no loopholes and refinanced three more loans." She expects to save $23,000 over the life of her loan by reducing her interest rates to 3.5%. Thanks to Credible, she's able to spend less time worrying about her debt and now uses her disposable income on things she actually enjoys.
The Credible marketplacecan save borrowers money by showing them real rates they're prequalified for with multiple lenders. Fill out a short form, and Credible's integrations with lenders and credit bureaus provide eligible borrowers with personalized rates in minutes, without affecting their credit score. Best of all, Credible's services are free -- there are no hidden fees, origination fees, or prepayment penalties when refinancing student loans. And because your personal information isn't shared unless you see an option you'd like to proceed with, you won't be bombarded with marketing materials just because you checked your rates.
Whether your goal is to pay off your loans early, reduce your monthly payments, ordecrease the total lifetime repayment costsof your loan, Credible is an ideal resource.
Every time payday rolls around, I’m on top of the world. Jeff Bezos-level rich - even though I’m anything but. And then somehow the very next day, rent is due.
The cycle continues. The next payday, bills for my apartment. I find myself without a surplus of savings since I just moved and newly-furnished my apartment completely.
Even more terrifying is the looming presence of the holiday season. Halloween’s officially over and before we know it, hello Thanksgiving…and then there’s Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s. It’s insane.
I’ve been feeling very British lately. Not in a Union-Jack-obsessed, “Keep Calm and Carry-On” way. I went through that phase in 2012 with everyone else… no thank you. And it’s not even a surge of patriotism catalyzed by the Queen dying — I’m firmly team Diana and team Meghan.
Now that fall is officially here, the holidays will sweep in and I’ll have to contend with the fact that I won’t be spending them with my family in the UK. I went home to London earlier this year, so there’s not much left in my travel budget for another trip across the pond. A few domestic jaunts might be in my future, but the closest I’ll get to England this winter is watching Love Island and Love, Actually.
So in that spirit, I’ve been filling my days with content from my favorite Brits. I’m listening to all the old British rock bands I grew up listening to, patiently awaiting the new Arctic Monkeys album, and rewatching anything with Michaela Coel in it. I even shipped myself an order of British Baked Beans, so you know it’s dire.
I’ve also been watching British YouTubers like Grace Beverley — my favorite. Generally, I only go on YouTube to watch Vogue Beauty Secrets and AD Open Door videos. But I’m so glad I stumbled on Grace. Her content is a mix of London lifestyle (what lured me in), relatable entrepreneurship, and mindful productivity. I’m not a hustle-and-grind-girlboss, but as a creative person in a 9-to-5, I need all the help I can get to stay plugged in. So, the video “how to be really really really productive without getting overwhelmed” changed my approach to WFH.
Grace outlines her own productivity method: the to-do table. Instead of making a simple to-do list, she divides her tasks into a table that anyone can follow. As someone who’s survived with to-do lists for years, I recently implemented Grace’s method, and it’s revolutionized my workdays.
how to be really really really productive without getting overwhelmedwww.youtube.com
I follow her routine to a tee. Here’s how it works:
Essentially, she divides her daily responsibilities into four categories: quick ticks, tasks, projects, and non-negotiables.
- Quick Ticks: Actions that take less than 5-minutes
- Tasks: To-do’s that take up to 30-minutes. Probably don’t take too much brain energy.
- Projects: Long-term list items. These help guide your priorities, even if you’re not crossing them off in one day.
- Non-negotiables: Pick 3 things each day that you must get done. This is how you’ll truly measure success.
With everything written down and sorted, next address your schedule. Meetings, deadlines, and time blocks — whatever works best for you. Write it down. Then make a pact with yourself to stick to them.
This way of categorization provides a roadmap for prioritizing your day — making you far more productive. Have you ever spent the entire day on small tasks and then suddenly realized you hadn’t moved the needle on any task? Or do you spend way too much time on tasks that aren’t a priority? No more. With your non-negotiables laid out, you know what to laser-focus on and what to dedicate energy towards.
Also, it pays to know your working style. I’m not a morning person. Yet, I have to be up and at ‘em super early. So, first thing in the morning, I march through my Quick Ticks to warm me up. I set a time limit, so I can knock out some easy wins which is totally inspiring. Then I move on to bigger things without lingering on emails or admin. For others, it might be more helpful to tackle the big things with all that early-in-the-day brain power earlier.
Grace has great tips on avoiding overwhelm and burnout. My favorite is taking more intentional breaks rather than scrolling through social media. I call this scrolling “productive” because I’m “coming up with pitches.” Oh, the lies we tell ourselves. It’s more productive in the long run to giving my brain a break with non-screen related stimuli.
Grace’s solution? Set a timer to read a real, an actual book. I’ve never thought of this. It’s a genius way to check off some books on my TBR and kickstart my creativity. After reading a good book, I’m completely inspired to write. So having books near my desk helps me step away from the computer during my lunch break for an actual reset. (And yes, the current books I’m reading are by British authors: Assembly by Natasha Brown, and Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalolu.)
In my pursuit of switching out my WFH set-up and getting my life together, I’ve engineered my workstation for success. With my new WFH essentials and Grace’s productivity technique, I’m revitalized for work — despite the fall blues and my melancholy about the pending holidays.
Here are the things getting me hyped for work and helping me crush my Grace Beverley-inspired to-do tables — no lists in sight:
Southwest Airlines Sale 2022
Pack your bags — Southwest Airlines is having a major sale! Fares are as low as $59 one-way if you book by October 3rd.
This end-of-summer super sale is a game-changer for your travel plans through the end of the year. Summertime travel gets all the glory. But why not take advantage of your long weekends, holidays, and PTO this fall. You’ll be surprised at how much travel you can fit in. Keep the fall/winter season exciting with domestic trips that give you all the excitement without breaking the bank. All thanks to Southwest.
Here’s the breakdown:
Where can you go?
You’ll find discounted tickets to and from most airports. Sale fares apply to cross country travel, and even Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean! Whether you’re visiting a new city or revisiting your last beach vacation, this sale has fares to make your travel dreams come true.
What do the fares cover?
Southwest Airlines has multiple fare tiers, each with various benefits. Wanna Get Away fares start at $59, while Wanna Get Away Plus fares start at $89. You can also find great deals on Anytime fares, which offer priority boarding and express lanes. Then there’s Business Select tickets for a luxe experience at an affordable price point.
Do you have to be a Southwest Rapid Rewards member?
You may think these sale fares are too good to be true. Is there a catch? Do you have to be a Southwest Rapid Rewards member to access them? You’re in luck — anyone can attain these fares for a limited time.
But, insider tip, you should consider signing up for Southwest Rapid Rewards. With a free sign up, you earn points and miles with each trip you take. And with this sale, each dollar you spend on these discounted tix can stretch super far until you eventually earn free travel. The only thing better than a sale is free stuff.
So pack your bags and brace yourself for those chaotic airport lines. Everyone’s hopping on this deal so get on it. Don’t miss out — grab your sale tickets by October 3rd!
I’ve been browsing the Southwest Airlines site, checking out flights and dreaming.