Poll Results - August 2003

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Poll Results for the following Question:

How long did it take you to pay off your student loans?

Results:

Less than two years
14.5%
Between two and three years
1.7%
Between three and four years
2.6%
Between four and five years
2.6%
Between five and six years
3.4%
Between six and seven years
4.3%
More than seven years
70.9%

Total Respondents: 117

Comments:

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They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling.

Anonymous
Less than two years

Anonymous
More than seven years I was paying off my loan rather comfortably until the clinic I worked for had their BCBS providership terminated because of unscrupulous billing practices. This was all with out my knowledge but I was also held responsible. I lost my practice and have been struggling to get a cash practice going which has been very challenging. My advice: never let anyone else do your billing for you. I learned the hard way. Now I can barely pay my monthly payment.
Also, I know new grads who are getting out of school with $80,000 debt. I certainly wouldn't want to be in their shoes.

Anonymous
More than seven years Student Loan Advice:

It is common that student loan lenders will buy and sell your student loan over the years you pay it back. WATCH CAREFULLY your loan balance. If necessary, pay a bookkeeper or CPA to track your student loan payoff. Reason: The student loan companies often make many mistakes in applying your monies on payback. You may end up with THOUSANDS of dollars of student loan debt and interest debt that you did not create. This happened to me. My student loan has been bought and sold in the last twenty years by 5 different lenders. The records and account balances were in errror many, many times over the years. Simple clerical error in keyboard imput on my account. Most important: Keep a spiral notebook log account of your balance and every payment you make, including the check number and date. AUTO DEBIT WITHDRAW FROM YOUR ACCOUNT: I don't recommend it. Reason: No physical record of payment. In ten years, if the computers glitch, you are out of luck. Also, these creditors will often double draw on your account in one month-even when they are not supposed to do this. This can run you out of money when you least expect it. Keep records. Track your student loan. You will do a better job of this or your bookkeeper will than they will. Protect yourself from this huge corporate threat to your income and credit rating.

debjeano@aol.com
I don't have any student loans. I paid my schooling by credit card each month/quarter and received frequent flyer miles for each dollar I charged. I paid off the credit card monthly. I realize not many students can do that but it.

Anonymous
Less than two years At the time I was so concerned about having to pay back student loans while starting a new practice that I continued working a forty plus hour high stress job for the three years that I was in school. So hopefully the stress that I had during school counteracted the stress that I didn't have paying back loans after school.

carey@temecula.com
More than seven years It will take the rest of my life, my childrens life and maybe my Great Grand Children. HA HA HA

Anonymous
More than seven years If the rate is low pay it slow.

Anonymous
More than seven years I am still paying, and paying, and paying...ha ha ha!
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