Student Loans have entered the chat.
this post was submitted on 26 Dec 2023
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And medical debt.
In my country that isn't a thing. Everybody has to have private insurance and if they can't afford it, the State subsidizes it.
And if somehow you get something done that isn't covered by the insurance, they can't pursue you for that debt and it doesn't show up when doing things like getting a lease.
It's not perfect (insurance costs a ton and keeps rising) but at least it's not some dystopian nightmare where people can't afford to get care in one of the World's top economies.
What is student loans?
Money you have to take out for college and then pay back at 10% interest.
I'm sorry is this an I-love-getting-fucked-in-the-ass thing that I'm too Scottish to understand?
Yes.
See, Americans dont have an England to fuck over its citizens, so we have to do it all by ourselves.
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I'm sorry is this an I-love-getting-fucked-in-the-ass thing that I'm not USA enough to understand?
FiFY, now the entire world can use it
[Laughs in English]
Whilst it would be lovely if us Englishmen didn’t have student loans, they could be a whole lot worse. We only pay them once we earn over a certain threshold, and they’ll disappear after 30 years. Plus our unis are funded in large part by international students (which has its own issues), so Brits’ course fees are slightly subsidised.
Not good, but hey at least it’s not the US(!)
You missed the chance to say "At least it's not the US, eh?"
The United States is a free country and freedom to shape your own destiny is one of the hallmarks of being an American. So everyone whining about how hard it is should have thought long and hard about the consequences of their actions when they decided not to be born rich.
/s
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Imagine being inside a month😵💫
🥵
July is hot, what's your problem?
We're inside the month filling the bankruptcy
I got talked into bankruptcy (by a bankruptcy lawyer, surprise surprise). It cleared $12k of credit cards and bank fees but not the then-$50k of student loans and the spending habits that were the real problem. Now I learned my lesson. No credit cards. Save up and pay. Have an emergency fund that can cover your expenses for months and months in the event you lose your job, or your most expensive unplanned repair. That's the real life saver.
Credit cards are fine for people who can control their spending. I never pay interest, so I get my rewards for free and am building my credit. If you cannot control your spending habits, you might consider a card with a low limit.
You mean you never pay interest by paying off the debt before the next billing cycle, right? Or is it fine to get zero interest for whatever amount of months on certain purchases?
We do both... both are fine. As long as you aren't paying fees or interest, there is no disadvantage to using credit cards.
Ah, okay, I always figured the only way to really be responsible with credit was to use credit cards like debit, but if a big purchase came along that I definitely couldn't pay off within the month, I figured it wouldn't hurt to have zero interest but wasn't sure of the impact on my credit.
As long as you have the discipline to actually pay the thing off it's fine. Many people think, "oh I have 0% interest, I'll pay it off later" but never set aside the money to do so and end up accruing interest.
I never buy something on them I couldn't immediately pay off in full when I hit buy. I've bought things in excess of my checking balance, but that's because I had enough in savings (separate from my emergency fund), and my incoming paycheck would put my checking balance well above my credit card balance.
That’s more or less the right way.
Use credit cards for everything for an automatic minimum 2% discount on all purchases (in the form of cashback or rewards depending on how you value them, and more if you optimize category spending…I.e. you have a certain card you use for gas or groceries or eating out because that card has the best rewards for that category). Enjoy sign up bonuses if you can responsibly make the spend requirement. Always pay off statement balance and never close accounts (downgrade/product-change to free cards if the benefits aren’t more valuable than the annual fee).
And enjoy 0% offers but never slip on payment because that’s how they get you. If it’s not paid in full in time or a payment is late they will charge you backdated interest. 0% financing is free money if you can afford it (and can use it) at this inflation rate. I’d been on the fence about replacing my aging appliances but 0% for 24 mos made that a no-brainer. I could afford to have bought those appliances with cash (it’d sting but it’d be doable), but I’d much rather keep that few grand in a CD or bond or mutual fund and pay a 23rd of the balance every month, making me money instead of the bank.
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In France after high school you pay 170€ the first 3 years the 243€ the next two, 100€ more each year if you don't have aides from the government. Some engineering schools (~600€) or private schools are more expensive.
That's a total of 1496€ for a 5y curriculum at most, if you don't have any aides. (810€ for a shorter 3y one)
For reference the monthly minimum wage is 1398.69€ (without tax).
So if you work two months at McDonald's you can literally pay your entire education with enough room to spare if you didn't pass some years.
(Engineering schools is more but it isn't crazy either)
That's without any help, but we have some cheap apartment specifically for students, help to pay the rent. And in addition to this you can get a sizable amount depending on the income of the parents, sometimes enough to live on.
So why in the hell would you pay 50k. That's 33 times as much, guys just come to France, or the EU and your set lol
Everything you've said only stands for public university (which is better than private schools however). In the private world, you're looking at ~10000€ a year.
So why in the hell would you pay 50k. That's 33 times as much, guys just come to France
I believe it's more expensive for foreigners to study in France now. You're looking at ~3000€ per year IIRC.
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Around 3-5% is spent on textbooks alone
Your textbook is enough to pay for all of our education.
Did no one thought about having a library for that lmao.
P.S. Or more seriously on putting the material online.
I’m sure some people thought of it. But then everybody else thought “wait, but money!”
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The real cost is in living expenses though. A lot of kids still end up with 20-40k of loans after 3-5 years in school living on their own.
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How has bankruptcy affected you when you've gone to apply for things? Has there been any real long term effects when you apply for like a house or car loan?
After 7 years the bankruptcy disappears from your credit report. After that it's like it didn't happen.
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"I declare BANKRUPTCY!!!!"
filling for bankruptcy
inside a month
Go back to school
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