Guide to Private Student Loan Consolidation

Private Student Education Loans
    Private education loan consolidation means private loans cannot be comingled with Federal education loans. If you borrowed money with a private education loan, you will need a private education loan consolidation. By doing this you will reset the terms of the loan which may reduce your monthly payments. Usually the interest is not reduced. But if your credit score has improved since you originally applied for the first loan, you may qualify for a reduced interest rate. This may be the case now that you have graduated and gotten a job in your chose profession. You may now be a doctor making a good income and if you've been paying your bills on time your scores may have improved 100 points or more, which would definitely qualify you for a better credit score and lower interest rate.

Check with your existing bank to see if your current loans can be consolidated into a lower interest rate loan before you take it to another bank. They may be willing to help you rather than lose your business. If they are not helpful, shop around and find another lender who is willing to give you a private education loan consolidation. When shopping for a private student loan consolidation check to see if the loan is fixed or variable. What are the fees, origination fees, etc? And are there prepayment penalties? You should be able to pay an extra amount that is applied to your balance after collection costs; late charges outstanding interest and principal have been deducted from the payment. Any additional money left is considered prepayment and will be applied to the loan balance. There should be no extra fees associated with prepayment in the original loan. You will have to determine if the private student loan consolidation has fees of this nature.

Private education loan Consolidation Lenders

The Higher Education Act of 1965, The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 and the amended Truth in Lending Act banned fees or penalties for early repayment of private education loans. The competitive institution did not charge prepayment penalties to keep the playing field even for all private lenders. Prepayment can provide a significant savings for the student. The total interest paid can be reduced by the extra payments being applied to the balance first and then the interest, ultimately saving thousand of dollars over the lifetime of a private student loan consolidation.

An EdSucceed Private student loan Consolidation through cuStudentLoans.org will provide loan consolidation for undergraduate students with debt of $7500 to $100,000 and graduate degree recipients with debt of up to $150,000 a 15-year loan. They have a 1.00% origination fee and a variable rate based on prime plus 1.5% to prime plus 4%. Your rate is based on credit and whether or not you select ACH payments. If you have a cosigner, you can release them after the first 12 year of on-time payments if other credit criteria are satisfied.

The student loan Network offers private college loan consolidation for a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $300,000. The repayment term ranges from 20-year for $40,000 or less to 30-year for above $40,000. The interest rate is based on 3-month LIBOR plus 5% to 3-month LIBOR plus 8.5%. The origination fee is also a range of 1% to 5%. There are no prepayment penalties and the cosigner is released after 4 years of timely payments and is based on the primary borrower's credit improving.

Wells Fargo offers private education loan consolidation. They will consolidate a minimum of $5000 and up to $40,000 or up to $100,000 depending on the borrower's credit. A 15-year term is provided with a variable rate. The interest ranges from prime plus 1% to prime plus 5.75%. The base rate is 3.25%. There is no origination fee associated with this loan. The rate is reduced.5% for automatic debit payments and the rate is reduced further for making 48 payments on time consecutively.

Currently, both Chase and Next Student have temporarily suspended their private student loan consolidation programs. Private student loan consolidations that are variable rate should be compared to a home equity loan with a fixed rate. If the comparison makes a home equity loan more attractive, and you own a home with enough equity in it to finance such a maneuver, this may be a better option than a variable rate loan.

Private Student College Loans And Federal College loans

The primary difference in private student loan consolidation and federal loan consolidation is private loan rates are higher than federal loans even in consolidation. Federal loans and private loans cannot be mixed into the same consolidation loan. A loan that mixes several loans together often reduces the rate of one or two of the loans and reduces the payment giving the borrower more years to pay. This cannot be done when the loans come from different sources. Guaranteed Student education loans or federal loans with much lower interest rates cannot be mixed with private non-guaranteed loans with much higher interest rates in a private education loan consolidation.

The Consequences Of Default

Private college loan consolidation is there to provide more manageable debt repayments, preventing default or reducing incidences of default. Defaulting on a student loan could result in the IRS offsetting or keeping your federal or state tax refunds and wage garnishments. If you are a federal employee, they can offset 15% of your pay to repay Education loans. You may have to pay additional collection costs, legal action may be taken against you and the credit bureaus will be notified and your credit rating will suffer. Bankruptcy is no longer an option. Student education loans cannot be included in a bankruptcy filing. The only option for reducing payments of a private education loan is a private college loan consolidation. Your total loan term may be extended, lessening your monthly payments.

Check with your loan holder to determine if a private student loan consolidation is the answer to your budget woes.
READ MORE

How to Borrow Student Loans Responsibly - Five Ways to Do it Right

http://www.loandentist.com/?c=214594
Research has revealed that Student loans make up 54 percent of aid for college tuition, making them the largest form of loans awarded to students. With the increase in student loans, the rate of defaults are on the rise, this could be the attributed to the high-unemployment rate or other financial factors. Money student loans continue to be an albatross around the neck of many students, every year there is a marked increase in student borrowers. The rise in the increase of students loans coupled with the overall expenses for college has grown faster than inflation. Why is this? Experts contend that more and more students are increasingly taking out a series of student loans, thus compounding the debt ratio. Taking on new student loans only increases your debt, thereby, sinking you further and further into financial crisis. It is straightforward, the more debt you incur, the deeper the debt spiral.

Student loans will always be with us, unfortunately, borrowing to achieve a higher education is the only way the majority of Americans will reach their goal of earning a college degree. Because we know that borrowing to attend college is not going away, steps to offset the bite of borrowing to attend college should be taken as far in advance as possible to reduce and manage your debt. Here are some steps to you can take to ensure you are borrowing responsibly.

1. Avoid Falling into The Loan Trap - If at all possible, avoid borrowing; however, if you are like most students attending college, you have no other choice but to do so. When it comes time to borrow, do not be tempted to borrow the full sum available to you personally on the loan, loan, of the loan, doing so can give you a false sense of financial security. Often when you get the maximum amount of a student loan, it is usually more than you can afford to repay. This usually happens when students take out a need-based loan. These loans are easy to get, and no repayment is required until after you leave school. If you borrow responsibly in the beginning of your student loan process, the back-end repayment period will be manageable.

2. Know Exactly How Much You Need to Borrow - Know before you go is my motto! When you receive your loan award letter, and the maximum amount it states because you will know in advance exactly how much you need for a given school semester. If you participate in the student work study program or maybe you work full time during the summer. The salary earned from your part time work can be used to repay a little money on the loan.. Also, consider setting aside some of your earnings to pay for the next semester, thus avoiding the need to borrow as much.

3. Only Consider Student Loans with The Best Terms - Remember, the lower the interest rates the lower the loan, which means the less you have to repay: Federal Perkins Loans, Stafford Loans: Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELD) and Federal Direct Student Loan Program (FDSLP), Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), The Federal Parent PLUS Loans for Undergraduates Students (PLUS) Program, Graduate and Professional Student PLUS Loans (PLUS).

4. Scholarships and Grants - Undergraduate scholarship and graduate fellowships are excellent aids to assist students in paying for their education. Unlike loans, scholarships and fellowships can be considered free money since it does not have to be repaid. Thousands of scholarships and fellowships from thousands of sponsors give out every year. Here are some resources to get you started: FastWeb Scholarship Search, College Board Fund Finder, Scholarships.com LLC, and Scholarship Search Sites Owned by Education Lenders, scholarship central, Award Database, Next Student Scholarship Experts, Broke Scholar, College Data, Wintergreen/Orchard House Scholarship Database, College NET Mach25 and College View scholarship directory.

5. Military Student Aid is another valuable resource that offers exceptional scholarship opportunities: US Armed Forces Recruiting Programs, Financial Aid for Veterans and their Dependents, Veterans and the FAFSA, HEROES Act of 2003, Books about Military Scholarships and Financial Aid for Veterans. Additional information can be found in the Education section of the Military.com web site.

6. Lastly, Private Loans or Alternative Loans - These loans should be your last resort and if at all possible choose another source. You will find loads of information when you start your research, the key is not to let it frustrate and make you give up. Stay focused, persevere and follow through with the mountains of paperwork in a timely manner. If you wait until the last minute, you might find you have to put your dreams on hold until the next semester, and I am sure you do not want that to happen. Make these resources your primary go to for information and you will always up-to-date-information at your fingertips: FastWeb Scholarship Search, Local Public Library and your local College's Aid Office.
READ MORE

Student Loan Debt Relief: The Student Loan Documentary

It may shock you to know just how many people have not taken advantage of federal student loan debt relief programs. With about 20 million Americans attending college every year, is estimated that at least 60% of students use some sort of loan to afford college costs. There are about 37 million Americans with outstanding student loan debt and at least 14% of these people have one or more loan payments past due.

Since federal student loans are accompanied with payment benefits, it is important to spread the word and motivate people to apply for debt relief programs. It's tough enough to manage everyday living costs, but when there is added college debt; budgets are failing to keep up with on-time payments. If you or someone close to you is in this financial position, it is important to get student relief in motion.

People have default debt for different reasons. Some are unemployed or underemployed; some are barely making ends meet while others contribute their troubles to debt beyond home mortgages. It's time to get these people into Income-Based Repayment programs. In these federal student loan relief programs, monthly payments are calculated based on income and family size. A small percentage of their discretionary income is all it will take to keep these loans up to date.

If you have college debt in default status, it isn't too late to turn it around. Federal student debt is very forgiving once on-time payments are back in play. Place your debt into relief programs and make the change. Once loans are back on track, credit can rebuild and federal benefits will once again be an option.

Some people will continue to ignore their debt and find out the hard way that these loans are not typical debt. Government controlled loans have more options in order to regain outstanding debt. As a debtor, you will face more than just collectors. The government can have your employer garnish your wages. It is safe to say that amount garnished would be more than 15% of your discretionary income (the amount used to calculate IBR payments). There will be more hardships to handle when debt reaches this point. There is also the opportunity the government has to offset your tax return. That's right, the money you count on each year to help pay down debt, pay property taxes or save for emergencies could instead be withheld to use as payment towards your outstanding debt.

It is always better to tackle a problem head on rather than ignore it and/or suffer worse consequences later on. Student loan debt is no longer a problem you have to tackle on your own. There are services like available to help find you an affordable way to take care of college debt. Similar to tax services, these student loan debt services will process your loans into eligible federal benefits. Whether you just need more time to get on your financial feet through deferment or would like to find an IBR to make the monthly costs fit into your current budget find a way to take advantage of the benefits provided for your federal student loan debt.

If you are looking for student loan help, National Student Loan Relief (NSLR) is the right place to start. We work hand-in-hand with the Department of Education to efficiently relieve Federal student loan debt. Visit National Student Loan Relief at http://www.cash-advance-loans for more information.

READ MORE

Money Talks For Students

http://www.cashloansmutual.com/?c=214495
It does not matter what walk of life you come from... Money Talks For Students. If you are moving into a new neighborhood, starting a new job or meeting people just about anywhere, they are all interested in what you work as and really, how much money you have. There are idealists all over the world who would claim otherwise, but even they would have to admit, that in the majority of circumstances this is the case.

Not everybody feels that the amount of money or material goods that you have is important. Those who do not worry about the way that other people view them with regard to money will no doubt still accept that they are in the minority. Imagine moving in to a new house and getting to know the neighbors. If you arrive with a battered old car and a few old belongings, you will soon be viewed as being not very well off. Some people will feel sympathy for you and some will put you on a lower social rung of the ladder than themselves. This could make you feel excluded from neighborhood life and make you feel inadequate. When it comes to first impressions, money talks louder than ever.

As we grow older, we often become more confident in who we have become. Unless we have been particularly unlucky, we have usually had the chance to orchestrate our lives to a degree and will hopefully be fairly pleased with where we have reached. As children and teenagers, however, this is not always the case. Often you will find a youngster, and teenage years seem to be worst for this, who feels the need to compete in a materialistic way with their peers. This peer group pressure is often financially biased. It may show itself through clothing and wearing the acceptable designer clothes and shoes. In an adolescents world money talks as it is believed that being able to afford the latest in clothes and gadgets will bring friendships and thus happiness. Often they are correct in their thinking, if only these friendships could last! All too often relationships that are based on financial success can dwindle as soon as the finances dwindle. True friendships would outlast any hardship which meant you having to wear a slightly more economic brand of jeans!

This is quite normal and natural behavior in an adolescent. However, if this continues into adulthood it may bring with it a host of problems. Although money talks, it can sometimes say things that we do not want overheard. If you are unusually wealthy within a social group you may find that you suffer from being distanced by some of the members of the society. Some people find money difficult to accept in others and you may come across some resentment. Money can be the root of much evil and jealousy and envy are very strong personality traits which often bring outspoken feelings. Even if you have worked hard to earn the financial security which you are now enjoying, if it is considerably greater than that of others in your social circle, you may find yourself alienated.

Money talks, it is true. It is up to you to make sure that it talks quietly and thoughtfully and does not shout to much!
READ MORE

How Can You Describe 'Financing Based on Revenue'?

Having a foundation in the form of future revenue of the company, business owners are provided with capital for financing based on revenue. The 'cap', which is a multiple that is already agreed upon, is added to the total payment i.e. the principal.

Paperwork in this case is very less or nil because what is wanted to be reviewed to satisfy the approval factor, is the bank statement. In addition, the merchant statements possessed by you may also be required. The approval of funds may take around one day to materialize.

The basic idea behind all this financing refers to the cash flow and revenue that the company generates. This is an actual and a superior indicator with reference to the overall financial health of the company. The ability of the company to repay the borrowed amount is also exposed by the revenue generated and the cash flow.

When do we see the Financing Based on Revenue perform better?

One can get this revenue amount if the business succeeds and generates a high profit margin every time. Also, a company showing rapid growth produces a good revenue amount as well.

How Does This Type of Financing Benefit?

1. For the purpose of obtaining a loan, there is no need to produce any type of collateral.

2. There is no requirement of a Personal Credit.

3. There is no need or requirement of a Personal Guarantee either.

4. Suppleness: financing like this differs from the typical bank loan wherein only a fixed sum of money is needed to be paid off by the borrower each month. As a matter of fact, in this case of business financing, the financing company as well as your company finds the interests linked. This is because, as and when the revenue grows, growth can be observed in both the parties; whereas when there is a lower generation of revenue, both of them suffer.

5. The loan speed is more when you compare it with a bank loan. After a speedy process of approval, the amount gets directly transferred into the bank account. As quick as it seems, the money can be fully accessed within a short period of seven days.

6. Only a few bank statements of the previous months are required here.

Concluding Remarks:

The restrictive and stringent rules carried by bank loans make them difficult to obtain. Financing that is based on revenue can be considered as a good option with reference to business that calls for working capital quickly to begin and flourish.
READ MORE

Being jealous of my husband... Confessions of a stay-at-home mom

Can I just be real for a minute?

I've learned something in the past couple of weeks that I am so afraid to admit that the thought of typing my next sentence makes me sweat...

(cue sweating... ugh! I HATE to sweat!!)

I am jealous of my husband.

(Deep breath...)

I am jealous of my husband.

My name is Lindsay... and I am jealous of my husband.

Joey got a raise last week. Like... a big one. I am SO proud of him! He deserves every word of encouragement from his boss and every penny he works so hard to earn.

I was super excited for him ... for about 5 minutes.

And then I got jealous... of my husband.

I found myself wondering where MY boss was... the one who could encourage ME and give ME a list of things I do well and things I could work on in my every day role. I wondered when MY company handed out bonuses... first quarter or last? When can I expect a raise? Where would I get a promotion? How could I work MY way up in the company? When is it ok to brag about the amazing things I'VE accomplished in my job? 

It hit me hard... I am jealous of my husband.

This realization paralyzed me in the kitchen one night... I couldn't move.

How can I be satisfied in the place God has put me if there's even a hint of jealousy in my heart?

I wasn't.

And how can I fully commit myself to my work... to my kids and my family... if I can't find that satisfaction?

I wasn't.

It's not a good place to be...

but it hit me with such an impact that I couldn't just move on... I couldn't just sweep it under the rug and forget it...

so I did what I do...

I closed myself off.

Life is easier that way, after all...

for a while.

And then it creeps in... It wasn't possible for me to speak kindness into my husband's life... I didn't know the words anymore. I couldn't be proud of him or celebrate with him... the ability to share in his success was gone. I didn't want to know about his day and I didn't care about what was going on in his heart.

This worked for me for a couple of days until I realized something else that stopped me in my tracks...

The only common denominator in my choice to take part in the joys of life that my husband wants so badly to share with me or to separate myself from joy entirely...

was me.

I was the problem...

not his success or his job or his raise or his happiness...

it was all me.

All I ever wanted to be growing up was a mommy... it was an 'aspiration' that Joey just didn't understand when we were dating. 

aspiration; the strong desire to achieve something, such as success.

How is staying at home every day, playing with kids an 'aspiration'?

I wanted to be the main influence in our kids' lives like my mom was for us... I wanted to be present in the ups and downs of growing up... I wanted to teach them and be their confidante, their security for as long as they would let me... and selfishly, I wanted to be the one responsible for what they learned and how they use it...

I still want that.... every single day. And I know how incredibly blessed I am that I get to do exactly what I 'aspired' to do my whole life. 

But...

Sometimes changing diapers, cleaning up puke, knowing the bowel movement schedule of every member of my family, being the bad guy, disciplining the same behavior over and over and over and over and over and over and over again gets mundane... it gets boring and dirty and exhausting. And the progress is slow in this job of mine... sometimes it's YEARS before you see the end result of the hard work you've done.

There are days when I long for adult conversation ...or a few hours alone in my car... or a fancy dinner out with colleagues... or to close my office door ... or a hotel bed all to myself... 

or to have my kids run into my arms every night because they missed me all day. I want them to miss me!

 Joey allowed me to close myself off for a couple days ... he knows me and knew I needed some time to process whatever it was that had changed me so quickly.

He cornered me in the kitchen this weekend ...

He's pretty big...

I couldn't get away...

So I confessed...

Without eye contact...

take that you big man!

(but I was super embarrassed and scared to death...)

"I'm jealous of you! I'm so proud of you and am thankful every day for how hard you work so our family can be comfortable and so I can live my dream, but lately I've been jealous of you. I don't have a boss who encourages me and shows me how to improve or tells me what's next in my career if I keep working hard. I don't get raises... ok yes, I get hugs and kisses from the kids and they run to me when they're scared or hurt... but sometimes, most times... that's not enough! I'd love to look forward to every Thursday because that's when I get paid. I need you to encourage me more... and maybe I need to learn how to ask for it.  I'll work on that. Don't get me wrong... YOU are not my boss! You're just the only one who's opinion matters to me when it comes to the job I do and how well I do it... And you do a wonderful job at telling me what a good mom and wife I am... You DO! But... I need to hear from you more. Please."

And then I looked at him... I braced myself for a lecture on how selfish I am and how I need to eat my words and take my own advice and find a job if I'm so unhappy...

 Because my rant deserved all of the above.

But after my rant, when I finally looked at him, his eyes loved me and he simply said...

"Ok."

(And then we made out because, well... That 'ok' was pretty damn sexy!)

(Sorry.)

And it was done.

My jealousy wasn't about his amazing success or raise...

All of my resentment and jealousy and anger toward him was completely misguided... and could have been completely avoided...

If I had simply asked for more.

I have no problem asking for seconds of cake or wine or frozen yogurt or shoes or pedicures...

So why can't I ask for more encouragement, too?

Now ladies... don't give me some lecture on how God is enough and if I would just focus on Him more I would find all of the fulfillment I need.

That's bullshit.

(Sorry.)

And you know it.

My attitude is a direct reflection of my relationship with the Lord... that's true.

But He put us HERE... on Earth... where our lives are molded around some dirty stuff; laundry, puke, mean people, deals gone bad, mortgages, and bowel movement schedules.

That's the truth.

And sometimes ... most times... my relationship with Him is a direct reflection of the mess I've created in my daily life.

So...

My goal this year is to learn how to ask for more...

more encouragement, more 'me' time, more PDA, more help, more date nights, more girls' nights, more play dates, more conversation, more sex, more romance, more honesty, more family nights, more nights away, more surprises, more listening, more wine...

more love.

Just more.

Because all of those things are the good things we have this side of perfection.

And in this dirty life, getting more always means wanting more... but life is so dirty that more of the good things isn't a bad thing, right?!

Asking for it is the hard part.

And I'll do my best to return the favor...

because even though life's not fair and it can get pretty dirty, the very best part is knowing that you've done a little more for someone else, too.

Try both; Ask for more... And then give more. 

Fulfillment.

It works.

READ MORE

A phone call… “He’s tiny, just 2 pounds…” What exists in my memory now is fragmented; Heart… kidneys… liver… brain… lungs… short life… needs a family… tomorrow. So we went… nothing to guide us but blind faith. Some people would call that stupidity. We just felt called.

In my arms, the baby boy we had met only a few weeks earlier; born too soon, stronger than I could ever hope to be, and the one who had turned our world upside down in that short phone call.  Brown hair, wise eyes, easily held in one of my hands. His name always uttered in the same sentences as ‘miracle’ or ‘fighter’. And he was. He was fragile and sick, helpless and damaged to the rest of the world. To us, he was solid and strong, whole, with a life that was full of purpose… no matter how long that life would be.

His footsteps echoed down the hall. A doctor’s shoes sound different than anyone else’s shoes… and they bring with them the power to make or break you. Their faces, too; the stone-cold ability to make anything look and sound okay. But it’s not always going to be okay.

This time, nothing was okay.

Blood work, tests, ultra-sounds and MRI’s… all leading to one short sentence that carried with it his future… and our hearts.

“Your son will die soon. I don’t know how much longer he has or if he will ever make it home but I want you to know now so you can make plans. There’s nothing else that we can do.”

In the haze of heartbreak, questions I couldn’t voice, and with the almost weightless, but living body of my son lying in my arms, one word echoed in my mind… it’s sound was deafening.

Plans.

Panic set in. It was one of those moments when the walls close in, your line of vision narrows, and all you can hear is the screaming in your heart and mind. Plans?! How in the world do you 'plan' for your child to die?! How can I possibly make plans without my baby?!

And in the midst of my panic, the word echoed again. This time, its sound was almost as silent as my son’s body was almost weightless. This time, the word came from somewhere else… from a place so deep inside of me that when it speaks, I know to be still and listen to its wisdom.

Plans.

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

And in the impossible quiet in the far corner of the NICU, my head cleared, my mind hushed, and my heart listened. Our futures, our stories, have already been written... and they weren’t written by a NICU doctor, or the executives at work, or the pastors at church. Our stories were written by the Great Physician, the CEO of our existence, the greatest story-teller and prophet that ever lived. Damage simply cannot be done to God’s plan.

The word swirled around in the narrow haze of darkness until it settled snuggly in a part of my heart that has been forever changed.

Plans.

Rooted in my heart is the knowledge that God’s plan is perfect even amidst our imperfections, amidst the damage that has been done to us… from birth, through tragedy, or by the choices of someone else. In a fleeting moment in time, circumstances and opinions often cloud what our hearts know to be true…

We can always find hope in Him… even in the most hopeless moments of darkness. He won’t harm us... Even when it hurts. We do have a future… and even if it’s physicality is short, it’s eternity is forever.

It’s never safe to assume that God’s gentle and encouraging whispers will always cover the inevitable panic and chaos that is this life. They creep in and try their hardest to persuade you to yield to the noise and fear. Being still… listening… quieting the turmoil that surrounds you, that tries to convince you that the damage is done… things I’ve had to learn over and over again since the day I sat in the corner of the NICU, crying out to God, holding a life that he created perfectly in my arms.

But that day? The day that started the end of his life? That day was almost 2 years ago. Today, our son, our fighter…. He’s strong and determined and healthy. He’s our walking miracle. The damage that was done to his body is still there but what came next, what’s still coming, is more powerful than any damage that could ever be explained by any doctor…

Healing.

There are days when the damage is done- When life simply can’t hand you anything more because you’re already so broken. Our hope lies in knowing that physical damage is never permanent; totaled cars are recycled for parts, broken bodies are put back together, lies told are always uncovered, shattered souls find hope, lives lost find eternity with Him.

That day … the damage didn’t come in the form of sickness or death and the real damage wasn’t done to our son. The damage was done to our hearts and to our faith and to our purpose, and it was done in the most beautiful and miraculous of ways.  We are forever changed; forever trusting in His plan that is perfection … regardless of whose shoes are walking down the hall, whose face turns the corner, and what tragedy lies ahead. We can try and fail, believe and be disappointed, or dream only to wake up… these things, in this life, in His plan, will be okay. Healing can be found and damage simply can’t be done to God’s plan.

 
READ MORE

Who Qualifies For Legal Financing?

In this world of suits and countersuits, legal financing has slowly but surely carved a foothold for itself. As we all know, court cases are not cheap and having enough money to pay legal fees isn't easy. Financing, therefore, gives us a way out and helps us in our time of need.

There are divided opinions on legal financing with some viewing it with suspicion. It's a type of debt, after all, and none of us like living under the shadow of a loan. The good news is that legal financing has no hidden traps and you're not obligated to repay the amount if you lose the case. You pay only if you win, nothing more.

Because the risk of losing a case is present lending institutions don't freely away their money. There are qualifying factors you must meet and some lenders have stricter rules than others. Here are the general expectations. See if you meet them.

• You need a legal team or a lawyer to represent you. Lenders are taking a risk with your case as even if it seems the verdict will fall in your favor, it may not. As such, they must increase the odds of you winning so that they make their money and you make yours. If you haven't hired anyone to represent you, do so as it's the first aspect lenders will look at. Keep in mind that they can't recommend or provide an attorney for you.

• Ability for the defendant and insurance company to pay. Lending companies make their profit by having clients repay the loan amount plus lending fees and interest. Since they're risking their money, they naturally want to make sure there's a good chance of getting it back. Therefore, defendants are people who have the means to pay compensations and settlements. So if you're suing someone who's broke the odds of you getting legal financing are low.

• Your case should be specific as lending companies cater only to certain types of cases. For example, personal injury cases are popular and lenders regularly finance injured parties. However, they may not do the same with property disputes. You'll have to, therefore, find a company that caters to your unique case.

• Your attorney will need to agree to the financing agreement and sign it. This prevents any misunderstanding later and is indeed beneficial to you as it shows that your lawyer has read and reviewed the terms and has advised you accordingly.

Since there are fine details to be sorted and state laws can vary, always consult your lawyer before deciding to seek legal financing. You may not need it in which case there's no worry. However if you do, the lawsuit may take time to resolve in which case you may end up parting with a considerable sum of money. This is to be expected and if the opposite occurs instead, all the better.

Not everyone has the means to battle a long, tough case. If you're up against someone or a company that has money to burn, you need funds to relieve the financial pressure. Legal financing can help and is the answer to many a plaintiff's money woes. You can finally settle only for the amount you want and not be forced to accept too little which is what happens when you're tapped out of cash.

READ MORE