2023-10-15 16:48:52
“Jongeren zijn geschrokken”, merkt Karin Radstaak van budgetvoorlichter Nibud. “Ze komen uit een periode dat de rente op studieschulden nul of bijna nul was.” Volgens Radstaak is het logisch dat studenten er niet altijd bij stilstonden dat de rente op hun geleende geld zou kunnen oplopen. “Op je achttiende kijk je niet zo ver vooruit.”
“Ook een studielening blijft een lening, maar wel met iets gunstigere voorwaarden. Zo mag je lang doen over aflossen. Al kan dat ook betekenen dat je die schuld 35 jaar met je mee kan zeulen.”
Je kunt ook sneller aflossen dan de Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO) van je verlangt. Is dat ook slim? Je studieschuld wordt door inflatie na verloop van tijd minder waard. Zeker als je meer gaat verdienen, dan kan later pas veel aflossen makkelijker lijken.
‘Rente van de toekomst blijft een gok’
“Toen de rente nul was, hebben we ook gewaarschuwd dat zo traag mogelijk aflossen misschien voordelig lijkt”, zegt Radstaak. “Maar elke vijf jaar wordt voor jou de rente opnieuw vastgesteld. Je hebt geen idee waar het over vijf jaar heengaat. Misschien is de rente dan nog hoger. Dat blijft toch een grote gok.”
According to Radstaak, what matters most is how you feel. “Do you experience your student debt as a burden? By paying it off more quickly, you can ensure that you pay a lower monthly amount. If you can spare money now, this will save you in a more expensive phase of life in which you have a family, for example.”
The Nibud spokesperson does advise once morest completely emptying your savings account in order to pay off your student debt quickly. “Always keep a buffer for unforeseen expenses. Otherwise, you will have to turn to your bank or parents if you suddenly need money for a new washing machine.”
‘Fast repayment is more than just a calculation’
Some make a calculation to determine the ideal amount to repay. For example, if you can earn more by investing than by repaying, or how much more mortgage you can get without student debt.
“It’s regarding much more than that,” says Maaike Wind, author of the book Fuck that student debt. She wrote regarding how, at the age of 37, she was so fed up with her student debt that she paid it off completely in two years by living frugally.
“I was burdened by my student debt and wanted to get rid of that dark cloud. So I calculated how much faster I would be able to repay it if I spent as much as possible on repayment instead of the lowest possible amount. As a result, I was not on my way. I was 48 years old, but I had already finished repaying my payments at the age of 39. That made the step of being frugal for two years much easier.”
‘Make a list of how much faster you can finish’
Wind advises others to also compare these scenarios. “If you can finish three years faster by living more frugally and you don’t think it’s worth it, then don’t do it. You can also try living frugally for a month. Then you can see how you like it.”
She herself had expected to face two dark years of frugality. “But it actually turned out to be quite fun. So I went to the forest instead of spending money in the catering industry.”
“And then I became aware of how much life is focused on earning as much money as possible in order to be able to spend a lot. Now I know that living more frugally also gives you more freedom. This means, for example, that you can work shorter hours or retire earlier. to work.”
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