Amidst the economic recession and the global financial crisis being experienced on a global scale, there is still hope for those who want to get a student consolidation loan. To add to the good news, interest rates on federally subsidized student loans are dropping, so it’s best to catch the momentum to get yourself consolidated for even lower rates.

Understanding Student Consolidation Loan

Consolidation works in this manner: you get a larger loan to cover a set of other student loans so you get a longer repayment period. When that happens, you can either pay the lower monthly bills or try your best to pay the whole debt in a shorter period of time.

The shorter the period of time, the lower the sum would be. The longer it takes to pay it off, the bigger the sum will be. A student consolidation loan works like other loans, but the beauty of the approach is that you can indeed get a lower interest rate.

For example, if you have a Stafford loan at 8.25%, the interest rate will be reduced to 7% upon consolidation. Instead of paying more than $500 a month, you can choose to pay about $350 or less. If the consolidation gives you an ever-lower rate, because rates from Sallie Mae are dropping, you get an even lower fixed rate.

According to Steve Cocks, a spokesperson for the Parent Plus program at Sallie Mae, explains the beauty of getting a loan for financial black holes:

“This will help families when looking at how to finance the next academic year, as tuition bills start coming due, families are wondering how to put the final pieces together, and when they learn of the new interest rates they will realize [loans are] a very attractive financing vehicle for education.”

Why Loans Work?

Loans allow a person to continue with his education even if the financial clout is not present, at least not yet. Financial aids (such as scholarship and other grants) do not cover everything. Say a grant covers the tuition fees, it will not grant lodging, food and transportation. Higher education is not hinged on just formal matriculation but on dozens of other expenses that come about during a four or five year period.

This is why people often end up with debts of upwards $50,000. Some even have the misfortune of having spent more than $100,000 during their college days. The immediate problem after graduation is how to pay off the whole thing without going hungry. Bankruptcy is not the answer – options like student loan consolidation are.

The Benefits of Student Consolidation Loan

The benefits of a student consolidation loan, according to Greg Stringer, the senior vice president of education finance at National City Bank:

“Any loan that is a variable-rate loan will benefit from the fact that we’re at record low interest rates right now. But the real bargain happens to be for students who are extending their repayments by taking advantage of the consolidation program.”

Low rates coupled with beneficial consolidation can extend the life of loans and can prevent a person from defaulting or filing for bankruptcy.

The global financial crisis has made it quite difficult for companies, especially small businesses, to get business loans. Ironically, it is also in this situation that smaller companies often need additional capital infusion to boost income. You may need to get small business loans to acquire a better business location, construct a new building, renovate your premises, pay for new equipment, fixtures or furniture or increase inventory and working capital.

Most Small Business Loans Require Collateral

To get business loans, even small business loans, is a major challenge.

First you need to identify which among the many types of small business loans you need. Small business loans ranging from $5,000.00 to $35,000.00 are called micro loans. For larger needs, such as for the acquisition of land, buildings and other major fixed assets, development financing is what you should find. There are also import export loans as well as franchise financing. Do your research to find out if you are qualified for small business loans guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration or SBA.

Any of these small business loans will require extensive preparations and paperwork. As a small business owner, you will need to prove your credit worthiness through a personal credit history report. Lenders will also require a business plan which includes your credentials as the business owner, your company financial statements, business assets and an analysis of your market. All of these should be packaged in a professional loan proposal which presents how the loaned amount will be used to strengthen the business and how you intend to repay the loan. Most of all, you need to present your loan collateral – the assets you will put up to secure the loan.  

Quick and Easy Small Business Loans with No Collateral

For smaller acquisitions or day to day business needs, there is a way for entrepreneurs to get small business loans easily and quickly with no collateral. This is through merchant services.

Merchant services provide credit card services to businesses. This enables them to accept and process payments through credit cards or debit cards either through face to face purchases, online transactions, or even by phone or fax. Merchant service providers supply terminal equipment for card swiping, as well as the necessary software and high speed IP solutions.

Most businesses need credit card services since consumers routinely pay for goods and services through credit cards and debit cards these days. If your business has not taken this step yet, you may have been missing out on more than half of your income potential.

These same merchant services also provide the solution for your small business loans. Collateral-free loans can be availed of through their cash advances, with the loan amount computation based on the monthly credit card revenue your business generates. Credit card sales requirements may be as low as $3,000.00 a month. You will not be asked for collateral since your future revenue is your collateral.  

The best types of merchant cash advances do not require fixed monthly payments nor do they impose deadlines on loan payment. A certain percentage is instead deducted automatically from your credit card revenue each month to go towards loan payment. This way, you never have to worry about loan amortization.

Once your cash advance has been fully paid, you may apply for another one. It is like having a revolving credit line. Make sure that you compare the terms of several merchant service providers, though, and read the fine print on contracts. There are so many merchant service providers competing for your business that you’ll surely find one that fits your needs.