Sara Routhier

Sr. Director of Content

Sara Routhier, Managing Editor and Outreach Director, has professional experience as an educator, SEO specialist, and content marketer. She has over five years of experience in the insurance industry. As a researcher, data nerd, writer, and editor she strives to curate educational, enlightening articles that provide you with the must-know facts and best-kept secrets within the overwhelming world o...

Sr. Director of Content

Joel Ohman

Founder, CFP®

Joel Ohman is the CEO of a private equity-backed digital media company. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, author, angel investor, and serial entrepreneur who loves creating new things, whether books or businesses. He has also previously served as the founder and resident CFP® of a national insurance agency, Real Time Health Quotes. He also has an MBA from the University of South Florida. ...

Founder, CFP®

UPDATED: Aug 3, 2021

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Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident loan decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one loan provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider. Our partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.

Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about loans. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything loan related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by experts.

UPDATED: Aug 3, 2021

Advertiser Disclosure

Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident loan decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one loan provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider. Our partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.

UPDATED: Aug 3, 2021Fact Checked

The Illinois attorney general, Lisa Madigan, has filed suit against Westwood College. The for-profit higher education institution, which has four Chicago-area campuses, has drawn the attorney general’s ire as a result of misleading students and offering “false promises.” With tuition for a criminal justice degree at Westwood costing $71,610 compared to $12,672 at the College of DuPage, Westwood students took out student loans costing five times as much as they would have at local community colleges. Students claim they were pursued very aggressively by Westwood recruiters, often getting multiple calls a day until the student agreed to come in for a tour. Additionally, there are claims that the schools misrepresented its accreditation, job-placement rates, and job opportunities.

“Many Illinois students who tried to better themselves through a criminal justice education at Westwood now find themselves saddled with more than $50,000 in student loans, and no way to pursue a law enforcement job because their Westwood education was not regionally accredited and therefore was not recognized by other regionally accredited colleges or lawn enforcement employers, such as the Chicago Police Department, the Illinois State Police and many suburban police departments,” said the attorney general’s office in a summary of the suit, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Fifteen students have come together to file this complaint with the attorney general. Several of these students made an appearance at a public hearing with the attorney general where they described their each claiming to have upwards of $60,000 in student loans remaining, and a degree from an unaccredited institution that is not being accepted as valid with any employers.

“We continue to cooperate with the Illinois [attorney general] to resolve any outstanding issues,” Westwood responded in a statement. “We are proud of our legacy of helping students obtain their educational goals. We have hundreds of graduates working in the private and public criminal justice field throughout the state of Illinois.”

The lawsuit is seeking a complete reimbursement from Westwood to Illinois students who participated in their criminal justice program. The attorney general is also seeking to revoke, forfeit or suspend the criminal justice program and assess a civic penalty of $50,000 per violation of the state’s Consumer Fraud Act, reports the Chicago Tribune.

Before applying for a loan, make sure it’s the best idea for you. Ask questions like, “how large of a loan can I get based off of my monthly income?” “Will my credit score effect my eligibility to get a loan?” “Can I make monthly payments on a loan?” and “What’s the minimum payment on my loan?”

Remember to save money for your extra payments as well. Such as your rent, student loan payments, and property taxes. You might also have other monthly expenses, such as homeowners insurance and other personal loan payments.

Make sure you work with a mortgage lender that is understanding of you and your needs. Make sure they answer your questions and are will to help.

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Sara Routhier

Sr. Director of Content

Sara Routhier, Managing Editor and Outreach Director, has professional experience as an educator, SEO specialist, and content marketer. She has over five years of experience in the insurance industry. As a researcher, data nerd, writer, and editor she strives to curate educational, enlightening articles that provide you with the must-know facts and best-kept secrets within the overwhelming world o...

Sr. Director of Content

Joel Ohman

Founder, CFP®

Joel Ohman is the CEO of a private equity-backed digital media company. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, author, angel investor, and serial entrepreneur who loves creating new things, whether books or businesses. He has also previously served as the founder and resident CFP® of a national insurance agency, Real Time Health Quotes. He also has an MBA from the University of South Florida. ...

Founder, CFP®

Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about loans. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything loan related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by experts.