Both deferment and forbearance allow you to temporarily postpone or reduce your federal student loan payments. The difference has to do with interest accrual (accumulation). During a deferment, interest doesn't accrue on some types of Direct Loans. During a forbearance, interest accrues on all types of Direct Loans.
Deferment or an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan is preferable to forbearance. Forbearance for federal student loans takes two forms: general and mandatory. To avoid default, you must continue making required payments on your student loans until your forbearance application has been approved.
"If interest continues to grow on your loans during deferment, it will increase your total borrowing costs," says Kayikchyan. How much interest a lender charges you during the deferral period depends on several factors, like your annual percentage rate, your outstanding balance and how long your deferment lasts.
Unless your loan servicer specifies otherwise, they will report your mortgage forbearance to the credit bureaus, which can lower your credit score because it shows a period when you weren't making mortgage payments.
Loan forbearance can impact your credit depending on how lenders report relief payments to credit bureaus. If payments are reported as delinquent, forbearance may harm your credit. However, many types of forbearance shouldn't hurt your credit.
Some servicers will extend forbearance for as long as 12 months, or in some cases, even longer. You'll need to speak to the servicer to get approval for a second or extended forbearance period.
Disadvantages of a Deferment Period
During the deferment period, interest is being accrued. The overall loan balance is increased due to accrued interest. In some cases, borrowers are subject to additional fees. The borrower must prove they are experiencing financial hardship.
No, deferred payments generally won't directly hurt your credit. When a creditor defers your payments, it can report your account's new status to the credit bureaus—Experian, TransUnion and Equifax.
Deferred payment plans can be highly beneficial for borrowers. However, they also bring on a level of risk. Borrowers may overestimate their ability to pay back a loan over time or unforeseen circumstances may bring about a tough time repaying a loan.
In most cases, interest will accrue during your period of deferment or forbearance. This means your balance will increase and you'll pay more over the life of your loan. If you're pursuing loan forgiveness, any period of deferment or forbearance may not count toward your forgiveness requirements.
You may be eligible for this deferment if you receive unemployment benefits or you are seeking and unable to find full-time employment. You can receive this deferment for up to three years.
Deferment: Generally better if you have subsidized federal student loans or Perkins loans and you are unemployed or dealing with significant financial hardship. Forbearance: Generally better if you don't qualify for deferment and your financial challenge is temporary.
If you must accept loans, accept the ones with the most favorable terms and conditions. Usually, that means choosing the federal student loans offered to you. If you're considering getting a state loan, school loan, or private student loan, learn about the differences between federal and other loans.
Student loan deferment and forbearance can both postpone your payments, offering immediate financial relief without jeopardizing your account. Deferment also typically pauses your interest, making it a better choice than forbearance.
Disadvantages of a Deferred Payment Agreement
The cost of your care will have to be repaid by you or your estate. As this is a loan, your agreed interest and charges are added to the cost of your care fees.
Bottom line. Personal loan deferment lets you keep your account current while temporarily pausing your payments. It can be an effective personal loan management strategy if you need a short break from payments. That said, this is a short-term solution designed to help you during a time of financial need.
However, there are also risks in the borrower's inability to satisfy the terms of forbearance, negatively impacting their credit score. Additionally, the payment relief period will continue to accrue even more interest that is to be paid after the period is over.
Key takeaways
Deferred interest offers can be beneficial for making large purchases if the balance is paid off in full before the promotional period ends, but they can also be risky and result in high interest charges if the balance is not paid off in time.
Project deferral risk is the potential for a project to be delayed or postponed due to external factors. This type of risk can arise from a variety of sources, including changes in customer requirements, delays in obtaining necessary resources, or unexpected events that require additional time and effort to address.
Sudden financial hardships can occur for many reasons, such as job loss, illness, disability, natural disasters, or divorce. When something affects your ability to make your mortgage payments, a forbearance plan can provide breathing room to get back on track.
It is possible to sell your house during forbearance and buy a new one, but it's not necessarily easy. Although forbearance itself doesn't directly harm your credit score, the circumstances that led to it might have.
With forbearance, you won't have to make a payment, or you can temporarily make a smaller payment. However, you probably won't be making any progress toward forgiveness or paying back your loan. As an alternative, consider income-driven repayment. You have a limited amount of forbearance available.