Student Loan Planner

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

President Biden extended the student loan interest and payment freeze for federal student loans on the first day of his presidency. Find out what the freeze means and how you may be affected by it. I’ll also talk about the long- and short-term implications of refinancing your student loans in this environment and if you should take advantage of the low interest rates and break down the student loan legislation we might see from the Biden administration in the future. In today’s episode, you'll find out: When your next student loan payment might be do How long the student loan interest and payment freeze will last What I think it means for the Biden administration’s stance on student loans What the post-election path forward looks like for Republicans The fate of the eviction moratorium Details about President Biden’s February infrastructure bill What you need to know about Biden’s student loan interest payment suspension Why I don’t think Biden will cancel more than $10,000 of student loan debt Which loans got left out of the student loan interest freeze How much the interest freeze will cost When refinancing your student loans makes sense The implications of refinancing student loans in the current environment Student loan legislation and future bills and reform we might see Full show notes at: http://studentloanplanner.com/114   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

After navigating the system and successfully applying for financial aid, New York Times columnist, personal finance expert and author, Ron Lieber made it his life’s mission to demystify the complexity and help students and their families discover smart ways that they can “beat the system” to get the best value at a reasonable cost. We also discuss his book, The Price You Pay for College, that was released today. In today’s episode, you'll find out: How colleges financially take advantage of incoming college students The one hack Lieber says you need to pay less for college How to ask for a financial aid appeal to get more money for college How financial aid is disproportionately disadvantages low-income students and people of color What is merit aid and how did it become so popular at colleges Why state universities have honors colleges Whether an honors college is worth it Why using adjuncts and non-tenured positions don’t lower tuition costs What is ‘administrative blot’ and why it’s good for students How college choice impacts the person your marry Why Lieber doesn't think the tax bomb is going to be as big as you think The reason Lieber thinks raising federal borrowing limits can help borrowers Why you should assume your servicer will screw up the reinstatement of your loan payment What Lieber predicts will happen to student loans in a Biden administration Where to get a copy of Lieber’s new book, The Price You Pay for College Full show notes at: http://studentloanplanner.com/113   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

It’s no secret that student loan debt affects people’s lives — and not in a good way. The ever-increasing student loan debt is a major cause of frustration and stress for many college graduates in America. Why is that? Who benefits from student loan complexity? Join me as I discuss why you need to know the complexity behind student loans and who are the biggest beneficiaries. In today’s episode, you'll find out: Why you need to know the complexity behind student loans How student loan complexity can benefit borrowers Why student loans are as complex as they are When the student loan interest rate is irrelevant How borrowers overestimate the accumulated interest Why student loan interest isn’t the real problem - and what is How knowing the rules can give you control over your student debt The myth that says you can’t control your own future How your student loan balance grows with capitalized interest How forbearance can double your student loan balance every 10 years The one-step plan to making sure your debt doesn’t stress you out anymore Why student loan debt cancellation will never happen How dental service organizations profit off the high cost of education The way banks profit off the system by offering private student loans The role of loan servicers in student loan complexity Why student loans don’t have to be scary or frustrating and what to do about it   Full show notes at: http://studentloanplanner.com/112   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