Sallie Mae - best way to kick-start after Ch 7?

[viking64]

My Sallie Mae student loans went into a 1 year deferment March '09 until March '10. I filed Ch 7 in 10/09 and will be discharged 2/16/10.

After reading posts, I'm uncertain as to what will happened. I had assumed I'd just be billed starting 3/10 until I discovered I lost online access (it actually took them a month or so after filing to take it away) and started reading here.

What is the best way to jump start the process to make sure I can start paying again and to make sure I don't miss a payment? I'm going to be out of the country for three months starting March 1. I had just planned to process payments online. Now, if it's done through mail, I won't even see anything until May.

Now that I have money, I want to get them paid off!

I'm sure I should talk to them before hand, but I'd like to know what others' experiences are so I know what to ask or expect.

Thanks

[jribe]

until you're discharged- they likely won't give you online access. Try calling them and let them know the situation. You can still set up payments through your own online banking (through your bank)- most let you set up payments for a whole year. So you could go in and set up the payments to go to sallie mae, 3/1, 4/1, 5/1, 6/1 etc..
Good luck

My Sallie Mae student loans went into a 1 year deferment March '09 until March '10. I filed Ch 7 in 10/09 and will be discharged 2/16/10.

After reading posts, I'm uncertain as to what will happened. I had assumed I'd just be billed starting 3/10 until I discovered I lost online access (it actually took them a month or so after filing to take it away) and started reading here.

What is the best way to jump start the process to make sure I can start paying again and to make sure I don't miss a payment? I'm going to be out of the country for three months starting March 1. I had just planned to process payments online. Now, if it's done through mail, I won't even see anything until May.

Now that I have money, I want to get them paid off!

I'm sure I should talk to them before hand, but I'd like to know what others' experiences are so I know what to ask or expect.

Thanks

[viking64]

until you're discharged- they likely won't give you online access. Try calling them and let them know the situation. You can still set up payments through your own online banking (through your bank)- most let you set up payments for a whole year. So you could go in and set up the payments to go to sallie mae, 3/1, 4/1, 5/1, 6/1 etc..
Good luck

I hadn't thought of online banking. D'oh. I usually pay through creditors' websites so that didn't occur to me. Thanks.

But I've also read things about payments not being accepted (though I would be discharged by the time the first is due) and loans being sold off. That's what makes me nervous. In my case, I paid them up until I got the deferment and then went into and will go out of bankruptcy during deferment so they haven't lost anything on me.

Sounds like I might be over-thinking this and just need to make a phonecall to see what they'll let me do.

[SPalin]

I'm in a similar situation... filed in Nov. 3, Sallie took my Nov. payment, but didn't in Dec. and also lost my online access then. I have set up a bill pay for Sallie with my bank, but have not used it as I haven't been discharged yet. I should be 1st of Fe. or sooner, but since my payment is due on the 16th of the month, looks like Feb. will be the restart. I'm going to contact Sallie once my discharge is posted on PACER. Once I contact them I'll post the outcome.

[viking64]

Thanks.

I'll hopefully be auto-discharged on 2/16. Do you think it's necessary to wait to talk to them until after discharge? Or do they refuse to talk to you until discharge?

It's so crazy since the debit is non-dischargeable! The US Treasury and state Departement of Revenue have no issues speaking with my about my tax debt, arranging payment plans, sending me statements, and taking my money!! (Which is exactly what I want.)

[backtoschool]

Thanks.

I'll hopefully be auto-discharged on 2/16. Do you think it's necessary to wait to talk to them until after discharge? Or do they refuse to talk to you until discharge?

It's so crazy since the debit is non-dischargeable! The US Treasury and state Departement of Revenue have no issues speaking with my about my tax debt, arranging payment plans, sending me statements, and taking my money!! (Which is exactly what I want.)

Sallie Mae has an address where you have to pay manually via snail mail while your bankruptcy is open. Online payments of any kind are stopped during bankruptcy.

[SPalin]

Checked out Sallie-Mae online today and I got my online access back and made my 1st payment since being discharged! Funny thing is my payment due is like $30.00 lower than before? So, I just paid my old payment amount plus $20.00 and see what happens... just as long as it posts! Only Experian shows as current and balance the other two shows IIb and zero balance... may have to fix that. So glad to gain access to the site again, to many horror stories of people being locked out and unable to make payments, then into collections. I was never late on my student loan so that should help with some credit history, we'll see.

[SPalin]

Checked out Sallie-Mae online today and I got my online access back and made my 1st payment since being discharged! Funny thing is my payment due is like $30.00 lower than before? So, I just paid my old payment amount plus $20.00 and see what happens... just as long as it posts! Only Experian shows as current and balance the other two shows IIb and zero balance... may have to fix that. So glad to gain access to the site again, to many horror stories of people being locked out and unable to make payments, then into collections. I was never late on my student loan so that should help with some credit history, we'll see.

*Update* Sallie Mae is reporting correctly to all three CR and shows "paid as agreed" with my current balance, helped lift my credit score, too.

[c24h44o22]

Did you pay on your student loan during the BK process? Or started paying them again once you were discharged?

[SPalin]

Only paid after discharge, I didn't have access on-line and didn't have the full account number to send it through my bank.