Articles & guides
Guides, tips, and plain-English explainers about the Android apps we publish — written to be practical and easy to follow.
How to Check Whether a Zimbabwean Microfinance Lender Is Actually Registered
Check the lender against the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, which supervises microfinance institutions and publishes which ones are registered…
The PM-Vidyalaxmi Credit Guarantee: What the 75 Per Cent Covers, and What It Does Not
The credit guarantee on a PM-Vidyalaxmi loan covers 75% of the amount in default on loans up to Rs 7.5 lakh, and it pays the bank, not you…
Paying a Private Student Loan While You Are Still in School: The Three Options
Private student lenders typically offer three in-school choices: pay nothing until after you leave, pay the interest each month, or pay a…
Fixed or Variable Rate on a Private Student Loan: Which Should You Take?
A fixed rate on a private student loan never changes, while a variable rate is an index plus a margin and moves with the index for the life…
A Flat 20 Percent for a Fortnight: What That Actually Costs Over a Year
A flat 20 percent for a fortnight is not 20 percent a year: with a 10 percent fee taken off the top it costs about 33 percent of the cash…
The PM-Vidyalaxmi Moratorium and Interest Subvention: What Builds Up While You Study
A moratorium pauses your instalments, not your interest: interest keeps accruing through the course and the extra year after it, and…
Cosigning a Private Student Loan: What It Commits You To, and How Release Works
A cosigner on a private student loan is equally and fully liable for the whole balance, and the debt sits on their credit file from the day…
What Loan Recovery Agents Can and Cannot Do in India, and Where to Complain
A recovery agent in India may remind you of a due amount, by phone or in person, during reasonable hours and with civility. Threats, abuse…
Why a Zimbabwe Salary Advance Pays Out Less Than You Owe: The Fee Taken Off the Top
A salary advance in Zimbabwe commonly pays out less than the amount approved, because the administration fee is deducted before the money…
PM-Vidyalaxmi Eligibility: Who Qualifies, and Which QHEI Institutions Count
PM-Vidyalaxmi eligibility is decided by your institution first and your income second: you need merit-based admission to a Quality Higher…
Is Forgiven Student Loan Debt Taxable? The Tax Side of Forgiveness and Discharge
Cancelled debt is treated as taxable income under federal law unless a specific exclusion applies, and student loan relief has moved in and…
Disability and Closed School Discharge: How to Cancel a Federal Student Loan
A discharge cancels a federal student loan because of your circumstances rather than years of payments, and the two most used grounds are…