Consolidating student loans can be confusing, this guide will show you four key secrets to consolidating a large loan into a much more manageable payment.

1. Financial aid officers may not give you the information that will help you most. In fact, many financial offices have a standard private provider they pre-choose for their loan process, while it never hurts to consullt a loan officer, be aware that theyre choice of loan companies may not be the best choice for you.

2. Loan companies offering all of the following are your best bet:

Private Student Loans

PLUS Loans

Federal Stafford Loans

Student Loan Consolidation

Private Consolidation Loans

Check with the company you plan to use to see which of these services they offer, remember, the more diversity, the better.

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3. Always try to go for a fixed rate instead of a changing rate, without a fixed rate your interest will fluxuate up or down, which ultimately is a big gamble. With a fixed rate you can calculate your loan rate instead of being subjected to changing rates.

4. Avoid loan consolidation if your student loan is almost paid off, consolidating loans later on can mean "resetting" the loan process, meaning you'll pay more interest.

Now you know the four main secrets of student loan consolidation, with this knowledge you should be able to reduce your student loan payments to a more sizeable amount.

Ben Davis is the owner of the leading student loan consolidation blog