FirstMark Student Loans Servicer Review (a Complete Guide)

Firstmark Student Loan Servicer Review: What You Should Know

Firstmark Student Loans Service is a payment and service partner for many student loan lenders.  For college graduates with private student loans, Firstmark may become their monthly payment and service partner.  Federal loans don’t always cover the entire cost of a college education.  As a result, many students are forced to take out private student loans to cover the difference. And, instead of collecting student loan payments themselves, many private lenders hire third-party loan servicers to handle that task. If you have federal student loans, you may already be familiar with Firstmark’s parent company, Nelnet.  They service the Federal student loans of more than 5 million borrowers.  But there’s a key difference — unlike Nelnet, Firstmark only handles private student loans.

You see, many private lenders prefer to focus on lending money rather than handling payments and providing customer service.  So, they partner with servicers like Firstmark to handle all of the customer interactions.  If your lender uses Firstmark to collect your payments, here’s what you need to know.

Firstmark Student Loans – Services for Borrowers

The first thing to keep in mind is that Firstmark is not a lender.  It did not issue of your student loan.  Your lender determines the terms of your loan — your interest rate, repayment plan, and repayment terms.  Firstmark can actually be thought of more as a partner.  They have a responsibility to you, the borrower on behalf of the lender.  Their responsibilities include

• Providing the best method for you to conveniently repay your debt in a timely manner
• Collect your payments and keep proper records
• Be your first line of assistance if and when questions or problems arise

If you have any doubt whether Firstmark is your private student loan servicer, you should check immediately.  You can review a recent student loan statement or contact your lender and ask them. You can also check your credit report to see who services your student loan.  Once you are certain that Firstmark is your student loan servicer, you should contact them.  They should become your first contact when you have any questions about paying back your student loans.  Consider Firstmark to be an intermediary that connects you to your student loan lender.  Their job is to help you to pay the debt off as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Setting up your account with Firstmark

Firstmark gives customers multiple ways to reach them. You can get in touch with a member of customer service via telephone, email or written correspondence.  By far, the most convenient way to make your loan payments is online.  As a borrower, you can easily set up an online account:

How to pay off your student loans faster 

Many people want to pay off their student loans as soon as possible.  This reduces the total amount of interest that has to be paid by shortening the life of the loan.  The more you know about the repayment process, the more strategic you can be about paying off your loans.  You may find yourself with extra money from time to time.  You can put extra funds toward your student loans.  It will have the greatest financial impact if you  focus on high-interest loans first.

Many borrowers end up with multiple private loans with different interest rates.  Begin by paying off the one with the highest interest rate first. Keep in mind that when you make a payment, that payment is typically divided between all your loans. But if you pay more than the minimum due, the extra payment amount will automatically go toward the loan with the highest interest rate.  So, you can include extra funds whenever they are available.  This strategy will save you money over time.

Here are some other tips to help:

• Budget Surplus: When you set up your daily spending budget, cut some expenses, such as cable or your daily coffee fix, to come up with extra money to go toward your student loans.
• Extra Income: Explore other creative ways to raise cash that can go toward your student loan debt. For example, driving for Uber, doing freelance work or selling items on eBay could provide enough money to make a dent in your balance.
• Pay more than the Minimum: Even if you can only put an additional $25 toward your student loan debt each month, it can make a difference over time.
• Let Windfalls Pay Down Your Loans: Use bonuses and tax refunds to help you wipe away those student loans.

What Happens if you can’t make your Student Loan Payment? 

It’s very important that you make your monthly student loan payments on time. Late payments cost you money in late fees.  Additionally, late payments can negatively impact your credit score. The lower your score, the more difficult it will be for you to be approved for a car loan or a mortgage in the future.  Even if you get approved for a loan, a low credit score could lead to a higher interest rate.  This means you will pay more for your futuer loans.  One way to avoid making late payments is to sign up for Auto Debit. With Firstmark, you can arrange to have your payments automatically withdrawn from your checking account so you don’t have to even think about it.

Some people make late payments because the due date falls right before payday. If you run into this situation, you can request a change to your due date as long as your account is current.  Life has its ups and downs, and there may be times when you face challenges paying off your private student loans. The worst thing you can do in this situation is to put your head in the sand. You want to work with your loan servicer to see if there may be a solution that can make both parties happy.  If you are in danger of making late payments because you don’t have the money, contact Firstmark immediately and let them know your situation. They will let you know if your lender offers an option that will help.

What Co-signers should know about Firstmark 

Private Student Loan Lenders consider your credit history when considering you for loan approval. Unfortunately, many students entering college have a limited credit history.  In general, the better the credit history, the better the interest rate you can qualify for.  With no credit history, it helps to add a co-signer.  This is someone who has a solid credit history.  Adding them to the loan can help the primary borrower qualify for better rates.  Essentially, the co-signer promises to pay back the loan if the student is unable to pay it.

Often, a parent or a relative will act as a co-signer for a college student on a private student loan. Firstmark allows the co-signer to also set up an account.  This is so they can have access to all information about the loans they co-sign.  This is an important feature for a co-signer. If a borrower fails to pay back the student loan, not only will the co-signer be obligated to pay, but their credit score will take a hit as well.

However, the co-signer is not the only party at risk.  If the co-signer files for bankruptcy, that could impact the borrower. A Firstmark customer service representative can answer any questions you have about your co-signer agreement.  Some lenders allow co-signers to be released from a loan if certain conditions are met. For example, the borrower might have to make a certain number of consecutive loan payments or prove that he or she now has the income and creditworthiness to qualify for the loan. You can contact Firstmark to find out if your lender allows co-signers to be released.  Source: Credible.com

Customer Reviews of Firstmark Student Loan Services 

A good way to get a feel for what a company is like is to see what other customers have to say. If you know someone else who has worked with Firstmark, ask them about the company’s customer service.  You can also learn a lot by checking social media, online reviews and even the Better Business Bureau.

The Better Business Bureau collects complaints about companies.  They give Firstmark Student Loan Services a B+ rating. The website has customer reviews, and not all of them are positive.  The common complaints can shed light on some of the concerns that other Firstmark customers have.

Firstmark Student Loans – Common Complaints

Firstmark Services complaints are numerous. Borrowers can file complaints with the BBB and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). There are three major complaints that seem to be the most common.

1. Mishandled Student Loan Payments

When you make a payment on your student loan, you expect it to go to the right place. Complaints recorded with the CFPB and BBB describe borrowers having trouble with how their payments are handled.

• Two Loans – One borrower with two loans under Firstmark Services reported that the payment toward one loan was split between the two. This caused the loans to then appear delinquent. The borrower emailed and called Firstmark Services many times. They ended up making additional payments and paying $130 in interest for the mistake.
• Lost in Transfer – Some borrowers have had their loans transferred to Firstmark Services. In the transfer process, it’s been reported that previous payments weren’t applied to the account.  Customers have a difficult time retrieving the mishandled payments.
• Interest Rates Changed – In one borrower’s case, it was reported that the loan’s interest rates were changed.  During transfer, the rate was changed from fixed to variable. When the borrower tried to get copies of the promissory notes, they were never sent. Firstmark Services refused to reinstate the fixed interest rate or refund the interest.

Having your loan terms changed is an extreme example of mishandling. This sort of mistake can truly wreck your finances. A Firstmark Services borrower should monitor their account frequently, all the way up to pay off date.

2. Failure to close accounts when “Paid-in-Full”

Paying off a student loan is one of the best feelings — or at least, it should be. Firstmark Services has complaints from borrowers who have difficulty getting their account closed.

A borrower, whose account was paid in full, filed a complaint with the BBB stating, “I have contacted Firstmark every 2-3 business days since the college paid off the balance and I am continually told they are working on closing the account. To date, this account is past due and incurring late fees even though it has been paid in full for almost 45 days.”

In another case reported to the BBB, a borrower paid off their student loan in full. This was recorded on their debit card bank statement. The borrower then tried to buy a home. They requested a “paid in full” letter from Firstmark, as requested by the underwriting department for their mortgage. Firstmark claimed it could not issue a formal letter sooner than 30 days from the last and final payment. It did offer an informal letter, but this was rejected by the mortgage company.

When you pay off an account, it shouldn’t be a struggle to get it documented. It certainly shouldn’t stop a former borrower from buying a home and moving on with their financial future.

3. Terrible customer service and follow-through

The BBB and CFPB Firstmark Services complaints are filled with customer service complaints.

Drop in Credit Score

Bad customer service led to a drop in credit score and threats of being sent to collection for one borrower. They had inquired on a forbearance request before the next payment, due to unemployment.  The customer representative had said the borrower was eligible and promised to send a form via email and U.S. mail. Two weeks went by and no form arrived. So the borrower called Firstmark Services again. The representative said the form was never asked for, but they would put it in a request. Another week passed — still nothing.  Finally, after a months, the borrower received the form. Unfortunately, at this point, they were called multiple times a day for payment on a past-due loan.

Communication Gaps

Communication about payments is a major complaint. One borrower reported that their payments were reversed four times. Firstmark Services only contacted them once during this episode. The rest of the time, the borrower had to log in to check – only to find their account was past due.

Another customer tried to set up automatic payments four times over the course of the loan. Firstmark reported not receiving the requests when the borrower inquired. As a result, the borrower never received notifications from Firstmark Services about the missing payments. Instead, the borrower was contacted by the loan issuer when the account was past due.

Gaps in communication make it near impossible for a borrower to get set a successful payment schedule.  One way to stay on top of the situation is to check online regularly if you have loans with Firstmark. Stay in contact with them and document that you’ve always done your part. For some customers, managing their student loans with Firstmark Services was a bit of a challenge. This may or may not be the case for you.  Source: Studentloanplanner.com

What you can do if you have Firstmark student loans 

If you have loans with Firstmark Services and you’re not happy with it, you have options.  You don’t have to put up with a terrible service provider for the next decade.

• Pay your Loan off  early– One of them is to increase your payments and pay off the loan faster.
• Refinance your private student loan – If you’re serious about refinancing your student loans to avoid Firstmark Services, shop around for a new lender.  Look at the loan terms to ensure you’re getting the same or better interest rate. Make sure you can afford the payments and see if there are additional perks for refinancing with the new lender.

FirstMark Student Loans – Final Words

If you’re not happy with your FirstMmark experience, consider refinancing with a private lender.  Be sure to apply with a lender that uses a different servicer for student loans.  Also, check the online reviews regarding the new service provider before you make the switch.  You could end up worse off than before.