The article states he would be richer if he had invested in an index fund then post a graph showing if he invested in an index fund when he received the money he would have less than every estimate of his net worth. It then goes to cherry pick dates inwhich he invests his money in the 80s. The logical fallacy of the article is alarming.
I'm curious, what where the fees for refinancing your student loans with sofi? I'm paying 6.8% on some of my loans and although I have cash to pay it off, I prefer investing it while I pay it down slowly. A lower interest rate would help that, but at what cost?
There are no hidden fees in refinancing with Sofi. Once they approve you, you pick between a 5, 10, or 15 year payment plan at a lower interest rate. The shorter the term of repayment, the lower the interest rate. They cut a check to your current servicer and you start making payments the following month.
The downside to refinancing is that you lose certain loan forgiveness eligibility (no public service loan forgiveness, IBR, Payee, and the loans are not forgiven if something were to happen to you).
That said, if you have a ways to go and are paying 6.8%, I would recommend either refinancing or even better paying it off because 6.8% is a relatively steep interest rate.
I shared more on my experience refinancing in this thread:
http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/my-experience-refinancing-my-student-loans/Feel free to ask any questions there as its more likely to grab my attention.