Student Loan Planner

Join me and special guest Christie Arkovich who has specialized in helping clients get through financial hardships since 1995. Christie was a champion of the student loan system working for Sallie Mae during the early stages of her career but came to realize that the system is broken. We talk about her work for Sallie Mae and why she “switched sides” to help borrowers navigate the many complexities of the student loan industry. In today’s episode, you'll find out: How student loans used to work with government-guaranteed private lenders A brief history of FFEL loans and why they’re so profitable for lenders Why Direct Loans are the only ones getting government protection under the CARES Act What a student loan stimulus package might include What to expect on student loan forgiveness within the current administration How loan rehabilitation via the CARES Act could be a historic opportunity How COVID has accelerated total and permanent disability applications for student loans How to spot student loan forgiveness scams Why you need a student loan advocate on your side to navigate forgiveness of student loans Possible negative consequences for graduates of nonprofit schools applying for borrower defense to repayment What you need to know about statute of limitations and private student loans Who could benefit from the services of a student loan attorney like Christie Will forgiveness for income-based repayment programs eventually be tax-free Like the show? There are several ways you can help! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts  Follow on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn   Feeling helpless when it comes to your student loans? Try our free student loan calculator Check out our refinancing bonuses we negotiated Book your custom student loan plan  

If you’re someone with a lot of student loan debt, you’re probably more familiar with the negatives around interest rates. But borrowing money isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and interest rates are a much more interesting and important topic than you might think. I’ll break down what interest rates are, why they’ve been rising steadily in recent months, and give you some guidance on making big decisions that will impact your financial future. In today’s episode, you'll find out: How interest rates are set in the economy The different between term premium and credit premium Why borrowing money costs more than paying with cash When it makes sense to borrow instead of saving and paying with cash Why student loans cost more than mortgages How pawn shops and payday lenders prey on the poor Why student loan interest rates are usually lower if you refinance Why interest rates don’t matter if you’re pursing PSLF or long-term forgiveness Why the government might focus on cancellation vs. lowering student loan interest rates My prediction on student loan interest rates for 2021 and 2022   Like the show? There are several ways you can help! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts  Follow on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn   Feeling helpless when it comes to your student loans? Try our free student loan calculator Check out our refinancing bonuses we negotiated Book your custom student loan plan

With so much conflicting information out there about the student loan crisis, it literally pays to have some healthy skepticism when asking for guidance on your specific situation. Listen in as I share the five types of groups who you should be slow to trust when it comes to their advice on your student debt. In today’s episode, you'll find out: Why some businesses don’t prioritize finding you the best strategy When it pays to make things a little more complicated When double debt rules and double consolidation makes sense Five types of groups with hidden agendas in the student loan industry The reason servicers don’t give accurate or good advice on student loans Why Reddit isn’t the best place for student loan advice How to see past misleading talking points made by brands What happens if you refinance and you shouldn’t have Why a lot of debt-free advice doesn’t apply to student loans Why free information is rarely ever the best information Why you should be beware what even nonprofits and schools tell you about your debt   Like the show? There are several ways you can help! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts  Follow on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn   Feeling helpless when it comes to your student loans? Try our free student loan calculator Check out our refinancing bonuses we negotiated Book your custom student loan plan

The American Rescue Plan, signed into law on March 11, makes student loan forgiveness tax-free until the end of 2025. That’s a big deal for borrowers on long-term forgiveness. I talk about the implications of this game-changing provision and addresses several potential questions and concerns from our listeners.   In today’s episode, you'll find out: What to know about the American Rescue Plan as it pertains to student loan debt Who is eligible for tax-free student loan forgiveness under this new law? What’s behind the misleading headline showing only 32 people qualified for forgiveness What this most likely temporary provision means for borrowers in the long-term The positives of eliminating taxes on student loan forgiveness Whether borrowers should expect tax-free forgiveness When is the right time to refinance your student loan Like the show? There are several ways you can help! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts  Follow on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn   Feeling helpless when it comes to your student loans? Try our free student loan calculator Check out our refinancing bonuses we negotiated Book your custom student loan plan

Wondering what’s going on with the financial markets? I’m joined by consultants Rob Bertman CFA, CFP® and one of our newest consultants, Molly Laughter MBA, CFA, CFP® to examine whether we’re in a bubble. The three of us have a variety of experiences handling billions of investment dollars. We’re doing a technical deep dive into what is going on with the financial markets and what the investment landscape in general is currently like. And most importantly, talking about what it all means for investors and student loan borrowers. In today’s episode, you'll find out: Are we in a bubble? And if so, why should you be thrilled Why tech have been killing it in the stock market What is a “special purpose acquisition company” (SPAC) How an automatic investment plan is a great antidote to fears of a bubble Is buying bonds dumb right now Our thoughts on robo-investing and Robinhood Day-trading vs long-term investing When you invest in an index fund, what are you actually buying Valuation and why it matters… or doesn’t Why deleveraging is always a good plan Should you refinance federal student loans this year?   Like the show? There are several ways you can help! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts  Follow on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn   Feeling helpless when it comes to your student loans? Try our free student loan calculator Check out our refinancing bonuses we negotiated Book your custom student loan plan

Did someone say “tax party?” I’m joined by Lauryn, Meagan and Dan, one of our newest consultants, on the podcast to discuss taxes. We talk about 2020 taxes and things to keep in mind as 2021 unfolds, including the student loan interest deduction, best practices for your traditional or Roth IRA in 2021, how to make full use of the small business deduction, what you need to know about married filing separately versus married filing jointly and much more.   In today’s episode, you'll find out: Challenges presented by this year’s student loan interest deduction New guidance on how lump sum payments by employers might qualify for certain forgiveness programs What you can do with your traditional or Roth IRA before the end of the year The worst-case scenario if you screw up your taxes How to take advantage of the small business deduction What to know about income-driven repayment plans The strategy behind married filing separately versus married filing jointly How amended returns can potentially save you money   Like the show? There are several ways you can help! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts  Follow on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn   Feeling helpless when it comes to your student loans? Try our free student loan calculator Check out our refinancing bonuses we negotiated Book your custom student loan plan

When President Biden was asked at his first town hall whether he would forgive at least $50,000 of student loan debt, he quickly responded, “I will not make that happen.” The president is in support of canceling $10k for borrowers, but there’s a catch. Student Loan Planner Consultant Meagan Landress joins me to unpack why the president said what he did, what it means and what borrowers might expect in the next four years. In today’s episode, you'll find out: How President Biden addresses the question of student debt Why President Biden isn’t behind canceling $50k of student loan debt How it would cost to cancel $10,000 of student loan debt for every borrower Who would be able to avail of student debt forgiveness under President Biden’s terms Why might President Biden support 0% interest rates permanently Why this talk around student loan reform is treating the symptoms and not the root cause Will your student debt be cancelled? Why or why not? What you can expect as an alternative if student loans are not canceled When it makes sense for borrowers to refinance Like the show? There are several ways you can help! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts  Follow on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn   Feeling helpless when it comes to your student loans? Try our free student loan calculator Check out our refinancing bonuses we negotiated Book your custom student loan plan

Do you wonder if you made the right decision to go into the field you did? After investing years of time and effort, along with hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loan debt, do you ask yourself “is the grass greener on the other side?” Join me as I take a deep dive into what peak happiness might look like, how to deal with job regret and the perfect income to achieve maximum happiness as a student loan borrower. In today’s episode, you'll find out: What is “the grass is greener syndrome” Pros and cons of physician mortgage (or doctor mortgage) loans How to pay down your student loan using gains from stock market training Whether to double-dip on the federal poverty line deduction when filing taxes separately The perfect income you need to earn to reach peak happiness Why your level of engagement at work is a huge factor in attaining your perfect income How to calculate your perfect income depending on your current student debt How to deal with job regret Ways to overcome unhappiness with your profession   Like the show? There are several ways you can help! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts  Follow on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn   Feeling helpless when it comes to your student loans? Try our free student loan calculator Check out our refinancing bonuses we negotiated Book your custom student loan plan

A big focus of our podcast is maximizing loan forgiveness when you owe a lot more than you earn in student loans. But what if your income grew to a point where it would cost more if you stuck with forgiveness? Should you abandon student loan forgiveness? Join me as I discuss all you need to consider when making the decision to pay off your loan and abandon forgiveness. In today’s episode, you'll find out: How much money you need to make to consider abandoning loan forgiveness Why you should not abandon PSLF if you have accumulated qualifying credit towards forgiveness Why staying on forgiveness might be the best decision even when you can pay off the loan The circumstances that might force you to abandon forgiveness and pay off your loan The revised debt to income ratio for when it makes sense to pay off your loan How to know when forgiveness is no longer a good option Why you shouldn’t take a job just because it offers student loan forgiveness What would be the effect of a new PAYE plan with no tax bomb Why you might be unlikely to get student loan forgiveness Why your savings rate is the most important thing when thinking about abandoning forgiveness The reason why you should take the 20-year REPAYE plan if you go for repayment Why Biden’s student debt cancellation promise might not happen   Full show notes at: http://studentloanplanner.com/116   Like the show? There are several ways you can help! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts  Follow on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn   Feeling helpless when it comes to your student loans? Try our free student loan calculator Check out our refinancing bonuses we negotiated Book your custom student loan plan

What do student loans have in common with the Budweiser Clydesdales? You know, those massive and powerful bay-colored draught horses that you see in Bud advertisements? Forgive the analogy, but you are a Clydesdale. You have more power than you think to steer your professional and, yes, financial destiny. Join me as I make the case that you may be underestimating your ability to handle the load of student loan debt by discussing why our student loan system is, literally, an income tax you can buy your way out of. In today’s episode, you'll find out: When to certify your income for forgiveness Why you should consider amending tax returns if you’re married The best time to apply for the PSLF benefit The definition of full-time work for PSLF purposes Why the best time to get student loan help is as soon as possible What to do if married couples with student loans can’t afford to file tax returns separately Looking at federal student loans as an income tax that you can buy your way out of Why moving from California to Nevada can practically cancel your student loans Why the student loan payment and interest pause is unnecessary for 95% of grad students Full show notes at: http://studentloanplanner.com/115   Like the show? There are several ways you can help! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts  Follow on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn   Feeling helpless when it comes to your student loans? Try our free student loan calculator Check out our refinancing bonuses we negotiated Book your custom student loan plan