What we look at in this category
Refinancing can cut your rate or stretch your payments, but it can also strip protections you may need later. Compare these private lenders on total repayment cost, hardship options, and what happens to your federal benefits.
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| APR and total cost on the same balance | 30% |
| Payment flexibility | 20% |
| Hardship and borrower protections | 20% |
| Who qualifies | 15% |
| Service record | 10% |
| Clarity of terms | 5% |
Questions every profile has to answer
- What will I have paid in total by the last payment?
- What are my options if I lose my job?
- Which federal protections disappear if I refinance?
Collect evidence you can compare
For each company we identify the legal entity and official site, collect written pricing and terms, check the relevant registrations, and note the date and source of every fact that matters. When pricing depends on the customer, we compare on an identical scenario.
Anything a company says about itself is labeled as the company’s claim. On its own it doesn’t prove quality, service, or results.
Show the upside and the catch together
Every profile should tell you who the service suits, what it costs, and when another option fits better. If we couldn’t verify something, we say so instead of counting it for or against the company.
Score only when the evidence is there
Our model is a 100-point rubric with weights set per category. Each criterion gets a documented 0 to 5 rating, multiplied by its weight and divided by five. No company gets a published number until the evidence is complete and a reviewer has signed off.
Identity, availability, core costs, and material terms are mandatory. Contradictions get resolved before anything is scored. Customer ratings, our editorial score, and a company’s position on the page are three different things.
Keep the record correctable
We go back to the source when a fee, product, restriction, or company status changes. Readers and companies use the same correction form.
Send a correction