Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Shahar Ziv teaches students & employees to ace their personal finances Not all borrowers should consolidate student loans in 2025.

A Direct Student Loan is another name for a federally issued student loan in the United States. If you borrowed money from the U.S. Department of Education, you likely took out a Direct Loan. Since ...

Federal Direct Loans are originated by the federal government and don’t come with credit criteria. Federal student loan rates for 2025-2026 range from 6.39% to 8.94%. Consider maxing out federal ...

The total U.S. student loan debt is nearly $1.8 trillion, according to the Education Data Initiative. This breaks down to an estimated $41,618 in total average student loan debt. If you have student ...

If you have a variety of different types of debt, you may be wondering which can be combined. Most people will consolidate one or a combination of the following four types of debt: credit cards, ...

Discover the financial risks of Direct PLUS Loans for parents, including large borrowing limits, no grace period, and limited ...

Student loans are a major financial concern for millions of Americans, often impacting everything from career choices to homeownership. With total student loan debt in the U.S. reaching over $1.77 ...