Can you please help me understand my school loans? Boring numbers and interest rates within. I'm embarrassed that I don't understand this stuff but I guess it's better to ask and learn... I have two loans, a private loan and a Federal loan (which I consolidated several years back from Federal loans with higher interest rates). I have enough money to pay off one in entirety, but I'm not sure which one to do so to save the most money. Loan details below: Private Loan Original principal balance: $12,632 Outstanding principal balance: $5,297 Interest rate: 5.0%