Student Loan Planner

Student loan borrowers face enormous mental health challenges. Our mental health survey of student loan borrowers found that 1 out of every 14 borrowers considered suicide because of their student loans. Listen in as Student Loan Advisor and consultant Meagan Landress CSLP® and I tackle the tough topic of mental health burdens that many borrowers experience. We're discussing the results of our sur...

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 complexitie...

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 deci...

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...

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...

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 l...

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...

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 expec...

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 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 f...

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...

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 loa...

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...

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, y...

2020 was a strange and unprecedented year for the entire world. But especially for the United States, it seemed like everything that could go wrong went wrong in 2020. And though we have been thoroughly tested, we remain hopeful for a better future. So how can we invest wisely and create wealth despite the commotion in the world around us? In today's episode, you'll find out: If you would have kno...

More than half of college attendees in the US take out student loans. Imagine saving your kids from the financial burden of student loans without being super-rich. It's possible with a 529 plan. In this episode, I talk about 529 plans, how they work and why they're a smart way to save for you kids' college education. In today's episode, you'll find out: What a 529 plan is The two types of 529 plan...

We've created over 5,000 custom student loan repayment strategies for clients. In this episode, I'm sharing the best repayment tips by occupation. Find out what most borrowers in your profession do with their student loans and how best to pay them off. In today's episode, you'll find out: The one repayment strategy people don't talk about The best student loan tip for physicians How filing taxes c...

One of the most critical decisions you have to make as a student loan borrower is where to live and work. Join me as I talk about how the location you choose greatly influences your income, your costs and the opportunities available to you for paying back your student loans. The key is to optimize your loan plan for what you want and design your student loans around your life goals. In today's epi...

It doesn't matter how good you are with the sword if you are up against an artillery of guns and other munitions. In the same way, you cannot approach your student loan debt the same way your 60-year-old uncle or your parents approached it. Here's how to take advantage of the new weapons in the war on student loan debt. In today's episode, you'll find out: How WWI compares to student loan debt tod...

Lots of topics to cover in this episode - I answer reader questions about student loan repayment and the best strategies for dental specialists. We also dive into what I think about the chance of Biden forgiving student loan debt and what that could mean for your taxes, and we have an interview with Justin Sloan, CFA, CFP, about asset allocation and the best way to save for retirement. In today's...

Your student loan balance at the end of your program can balloon more than you thought you'd end up with. Find out how that happens, why I think America's first $700,000 dental degree is worth it and why your student loan debt doesn't matter as much as you think. In today's episode, you'll find out: The hidden cost of higher education How tuition inflation impacts students How much accrued interes...

If you're facing a potential salary decrease due to decreasing insurance reimbursement rates, you can start to worry about paying your student loans. In this episode, I talk about steps to take to mitigate the impact and what you can do if you're in this situation. I also cover lessons you can learn about managing your student loans from Trump's finances. Find out how to lower your tax liability a...

Each state is working to certify the official election results, but we have an apparent winner in President-Elect Joe Biden. Given the history of Obama-Biden student loan policies, it's likely that we'll see some progressive changes that could affect the future of student loans. Here are seven things that a Biden administration may try to achieve, and my thoughts on how that could affect the treat...

People love retirement accounts. If I had a dollar for every time someone got excited about contributing to their backdoor Roth IRA, I would probably be a millionaire. While it's great energy to have, it's not that important to your long-term financial future. In this episode, I share my thoughts on why your retirement accounts don't matter nearly as much as you think. In today's episode, you'll f...

With the election looming, we're all anxious about what might happen. And with that, a public service announcement: If you haven't voted, please go vote! Regardless of who wins, there are risks to your finances post-election. I'm sharing the five biggest risks that you should pay attention to - and how to overcome them - once the election season is over. In today's episode, you'll find out: How ca...