getting out of debt

The volatility of foreign currency alone may place these stocks outside your comfort zone. In the Asian collapse of 1997-1998, most currencies declined by more than 50 percent and many stock markets collapsed by 50 percent in local currencies, leaving U.S. investors with 75 percent and greater dollar losses.

The range of loss is greater than in the United States. But the speed is also faster. The worst one-day loss in the overall U.S. market was 22 percent. Emerging markets have lost half their value in a single day. Some have closed and never reopened, essentially wiping out all values. If you find volatility disturbing, stocks, especially foreign and emerging market stocks, are outside your comfort zone.

In many non-U.S. markets, corporate employees and insiders have less respect for outside shareholders than they do here. If U.S. shareholders get too irritated, they can band together and oust management and other employees who are siphoning off all the earnings. In many overseas markets, insiders cannot be ousted, while minority shareholders may find their stock canceled or redeemed.

Few emerging markets have effective stock market regulation. In the United States and many developed countries, stocks cannot be bought and sold on the basis of secret corporate information. In emerging markets, this is common, even if it is technically illegal. It is also difficult in many emerging markets to cash out of profits when they do occur. In the United States, stock sales are settled in three days. In emerging markets, settlement dates and procedures can be vague and money is lost along the way. The level of unmanageability is much higher with emerging markets than in the United States.

Foreign and emerging market stocks

You can buy stock in developed countries such as Germany and the United States. Many emerging markets such as Venezuela and Thailand also have stock markets. You can buy their stocks individually on the U.S. markets or through a foreign brokerage account. You can also buy U.S. mutual funds that specialize in foreign and emerging stocks. There are also CEFs and ETFs that own non-U.S. stocks.

Non-U.S. stocks have all the emotional content of U.S. stocks. Herd psychosis, powerlessness, issues with brokers and mutual funds, overconfidence, and all the rest are common in foreign investing. Foreign stocks also have additional traps we rarely encounter with local companies.Foreign stocks are bought and sold in foreign currencies. Foreign companies make profits and losses in foreign currencies. Because you spend U.S. dollars, foreign stock prices must be translated into U.S. dollars before you can determine if you have any gains or losses. This adds volatility to foreign stock prices. If the Euro sinks by 15 percent and your German auto stock declines in Euros by 15 percent, you lose 30 percent in dollars. If the Euro rises by 15 percent and the auto stock rises by 15 percent, you gain 30 percent in dollars. A similar U.S. auto stock would only swing up and down 15 percent.

Unable to make a payment of your loan?

Borrowers who have an outstanding loan balance on at least one loan that was made before July 1, 1993 are eligible for other types of deferment. Visit www.ogslp.org for more information or to download the appropriate deferment form.

If you’re unable to make your scheduled payments but in¬tend to repay your loan, you may request a forbearance to:

Note: During forbearance, interest charges continue to accrue. The capitalized interest charges add unpaid interest to your principal bal¬ance, increasing both the total amount to be repaid and the monthly payment amount. You have the option to make interest payments to keep your principal balance from increasing due to capitalization.

Student Loan Repayment Schedules

The monthly repayment amount and time period are determined by your loan amount and schedule of repayment. Loan holders offer four repayment schedules to accommodate your needs.
1. StandardRepayment Schedule
- This plan is the most financially effective way to pay off your student loan while minimizing interest costs.
- Payments are due monthly, excluding periods of deferment or forbearance.
- This schedule has a 10-year repayment term.
2. GraduatedRepayment Schedule
- This plan is ideal if you have limited income but expect to have higher earnings in the future; however, total interest costs are typically higher over the life of the loan.
- Monthly payments are lower at the beginning of the repayment period and increase over time.
- This schedule has a 10-year repayment term.

Loan Cancellation and Forgiveness

It’s your responsibility as a borrower to repay the total amount of your loan, plus any interest that has accrued. However, there are some programs that allow your student loan debt to be forgiven.

TeacherLoanForgiveness (TLF) Program. All or a portion of your Stafford loan debt may be forgiven if you’re eligible for TLF. You must have received a Federal Stafford loan after October 1, 1998, teach certain high-demand subjects for five consecutive complete years, and meet all other participation re¬quirements. For more information about TLF, visit www.ogslp.org.

Disability. Your student loan debt may be conditionally discharged and later canceled if you become totally and permanently disabled. The appropriate documentation verifying your permanent and total disability must be certified by your doctor and accepted by your loan holder. If your loans are conditionally discharged, they’ll be permanently assigned to the U.S. Department of Education for a three-year period,
beginning on the date your doctor certifies the discharge application, before your debt is completely canceled.

How to deal with loan repayment problems

Your loan holder is generally not required to grant a forbearance and may require you to provide rationale for the request in addition to other information. However, your loan holder is required to grant a forbearance in certain circumstances, including if:

Federal Consolidation Loans

Consolidation allows you to combine all your federal education loans into a single, more manageable loan, make one monthly payment to a single loan holder and extend your repayment period to a maximum of up to 30 years depending on the consolidated loan amount.

The following repayment schedules are available for consolidation loans:

Standard repayment schedule.
Graduated repayment schedule.
Income-sensitive repayment schedule.
Extended repayment schedule (if applicable).

Note: Consolidation loans aren’t for everyone. Research the advantages and disadvantages to determine if a consolidation loan is best for you; more information is available at www.ogslp.org. If you wish to apply for a consolidation loan, contact your current loan holder.

Extended Loan Repayment Schedules

Income-Sensitive Repayment Schedule
- This plan is appropriate if your income fluctuates, you have substantial loan balances or you need smaller monthly payments; however, total interest costs are typically higher over the life of the loan.
- Monthly payments are adjusted based on gross monthly income.
- Payments must cover accruing interest.
- The plan must be renewed annually.
ExtendedRepayment Schedule
- This plan is only available if you have Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) loans totaling more
than $30,000.
- You may choose either the standard or graduated repayment schedule.
- The repayment term for this schedule can be up to 25 years.

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