It looks like the last two weeks have unintentionally turned in to the “Student Loan Hour” here at the Financial Aid Finder. Earlier this week, I covered the New York Times piece on student loan debt. Five experts sounded off on the question, “How much student loan debt is too much?” (Did you answer that question for our student debt poll on Tuesday? Please do that now if you haven’t already!) You might also want to check out the Times’ follow-up to their student debt piece, appropriately titled Student Debt, Fool’s Gold? There are hundreds of reader comments that painfully, at times, illustrate the naivety with which so many students take out tens of thousands of dollars in student loans. If nothing else, it’s an eye opening read. *** I ha...

With fixed interest rates hovering around a thirty-year low, loan consolidation is on the tip of every borrower’s tongue. Even if you have not already consolidated your student loans, you’ve probably got a few friends who have and you’re likely considering it for yourself. Before you leap to refinance, though, take a look at this Guide to Loan Consolidation. The Basics of Loan Consolidation A student consolidation loan allows you to combine your existing variable-rate loans into one fixed-rate loan. Consolidating when interest rates are low, as they are now, may offer substantial savings in the lifetime costs of your loans. You can consolidate your loan with any authorized lender – i.e. you are not obligated to stay with the lender who originally made your loan....