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.

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