Why you shouldn't rush to pay off student loans?

Asked by: Andreanne Jerde  |  Last update: December 11, 2025
Score: 5/5 (46 votes)

Paying student loans means accumulating higher-interest debt It usually doesn't make sense to prioritize student loans over higher-interest debt, such as credit card debt. The same is true if you're accumulating more credit card debt to pay off student loans early.

Why is it bad to pay off student loans?

Cons of Student Loans: Debt Burden: Student loans can lead to significant debt, which may take years or decades to pay off. Interest Rates: Depending on the type of loan, interest can accumulate quickly, increasing the total amount owed.

What is the 7 year rule for student loans?

Both federal and private student loans fall off your credit report about seven years after your last payment or date of default. You default after nine months of nonpayment for federal student loans, and you're not in deferment or forbearance.

Is it worth it to pay off my student loan early?

By paying off your student loan quicker than necessary, rather than saving, you may find yourself replacing it in a few months or years with a much more expensive commercial loan. After all, even a mortgage over the long run costs more than a student loan.

Is there a downside to paying off a loan early?

If you pay off the personal loan earlier than your loan term, your credit report will reflect a shorter account lifetime. Your credit history length accounts for 15% of your FICO score and is calculated as the average age of all of your accounts.

MY DEBT FREE JOURNEY | How I paid off over $42K in Student Loans & Credit Card Debt!

18 related questions found

Does paying off a student loan early hurt credit?

When you pay off a student loan, it's possible that your credit score will go down temporarily. That said, it'll typically recover and may continue to increase over time as you use credit responsibly.

Do millionaires pay off debt or invest?

They stay away from debt.

Car payments, student loans, same-as-cash financing plans—these just aren't part of their vocabulary. That's why they win with money. They don't owe anything to the bank, so every dollar they earn stays with them to spend, save and give! Debt is the biggest obstacle to building wealth.

Is it better to aggressively pay off student loans?

Paying off student loans early can benefit you financially, but it should typically come second to building your emergency fund and retirement savings. People with private student loans or without other debt tend to benefit more from paying off student loans early.

How long does it take to pay off 30k student loans?

For example, if you had $30,000 in student loans at 7% interest and a 10-year loan term, your monthly payment would be $348. Over the life of your loan, you'd repay a total of $41,799; interest charges would cause your balance to grow by over $11,000.

Is it smart to pay off student loans right away?

Getting ahead of your student loan debt is generally a smart move. But, if it meansavoiding higher-interest debt or delaying an important financial goal, paying your student loans off ahead of schedule may not be worth it in the long run.

At what age do student loans get written off?

At what age do student loans get written off? There is no specific age when students get their loans written off in the United States, but federal undergraduate loans are forgiven after 20 years, and federal graduate school loans are forgiven after 25 years.

How to get 100% student loan forgiveness?

If you work full time for a government or nonprofit organization, you may qualify for forgiveness of the entire remaining balance of your Direct Loans after you've made 120 qualifying payments—i.e., at least 10 years of payments. To benefit from PSLF, you need to repay your federal student loans under an IDR plan.

What happens if you never pay off student loans?

If you default on your student loan, that status will be reported to national credit reporting agencies. This reporting may damage your credit rating and future borrowing ability. Also, the government can collect on your loans by taking funds from your wages, tax refunds, and other government payments.

Who holds the most student debt?

Student Debt vs Income by Age Groups

Among the age groups, adults between the ages of 18 and 29 are the most likely to have student loan debt. Meanwhile, adults between the ages of 35 and 49 years old on average owe the most student loan debt.

How fast do most people pay off student loans?

The time it takes to repay student loans typically ranges from 20 to 30 years, depending on factors such as the degree attained, the chosen repayment plan, and the borrower's financial situation. Standard repayment plans usually take about 10-30 years, while income-driven repayment plans can extend up to 25 years.

How much is the monthly payment on a $30,000 student loan?

A $30,000 private student loan can cost approximately $159.51 per month to $737.38 per month, depending on your interest rate and the term you choose.

Do student loans affect credit scores?

How student loans affect your credit score. Student loans are a type of installment loan, similar to a car loan, personal loan, or mortgage. They are part of your credit report, and can impact your payment history, length of your credit history and credit mix. Paying on time could help your score.

Is $80,000 a lot of student debt?

As of March 2020, 45% of the outstanding federal education loan debt was held by the 10% of borrowers owing $80,000 or more. Student loan debt is the second largest debt, aside from a mortgage, in a household. 83% of borrowers have a loan balance of $50,000 or less.

What is the tax bomb on student loans?

But student loan forgiveness tax consequences could lead to surprise bills — sometimes called the student loan tax bomb — when borrowers submit their tax returns. The IRS considers canceled debt, including most forms of student loan debt forgiveness or student loan discharge, to be taxable income.

Why is paying off student loans so hard?

Your interest charges will be added to the amount you owe, causing your loan to grow over time. This can occur if you are in a deferment for an unsubsidized loan or if you have an income-based repayment (IBR) plan and your payments are not large enough to cover the monthly accruing interest.

What loopholes do the rich use?

Others will object to taxing the wealthy unless they actually use their gains, but many of the wealthiest actually do use their gains through the borrowing loophole: They get rich, borrow against those gains, consume the borrowing, and do not pay any tax.

Do 90% of millionaires make over $100,000 a year?

Ninety-three percent of millionaires said they got their wealth because they worked hard, not because they had big salaries. Only 31% averaged $100,000 a year over the course of their career, and one-third never made six figures in any single working year of their career.

What is a silent millionaire?

The people who have all the money often go by unnoticed, dressing well, but without flash, driving used cars and living in the first house they bought in a modest neighbourhood. The authors called them the quiet millionaires. They often work in, or own, unglamourous businesses that spin off steady streams of cash.