The College Investor Audio Show

Spousal Consolidation student loans were offered until 2009 - when Congress finally realized this is actually a terrible idea. As of today, there are less than 1,000 spousal student loan consolidation victims left. I’m going to briefly outline what spousal student loan consolidation is, why you might want to do it, why you might want to avoid it, and ways to change it if you have this kind of loan...

Parenthood is full of ups and downs, but throughout it all there is the hope that you’re raising your children right. That comes with a desire to help set your child up for a successful future. When it comes to college, that may mean taking out Parent PLUS loans to help cover the high costs of higher education. Taking on PLUS loans is a big decision. With high interest rates and essentially no bor...

If you’ve ever started a new job and wondered why you fill out one form in January and receive another the following January, you’re not alone. The W-4 form and W-2 form are two of the most common IRS documents employees handle, and they’re closely related. The W-4 controls how much tax is taken out of each paycheck. The W-2 summarizes those details at year’s end so you can report your income and...

YNAB , an acronym for You Need A Budget, is an app that “gives every dollar a job” so that you can make each dollar work for you. Just fill out the categories, and you’re ready to go! Think you DON’T need a budget? Think again. According The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 66% of Americans would have trouble coming up with $1,000 for an unexpected expense because they don...

To get or not to get: Hulu versus Hulu Plus? Do you even need it? Well strictly speaking you don’t necessarily “need” TV but it sure is nice to be able to enjoy some good entertainment from our homes. Hulu is an online television service that has been around for just under a decade. When Hulu started out, it was called Fancast and you could watch replays of your favorite television shows online if...

If you’re listening to this, you probably either have student loan debt or you’re about to incur student loan debt and you're looking for ways to minimize your student loans. With student loan debt balances on the rise, your best bet is to pay off your student loan debt as quickly as possible, or better yet, stop the debt from piling up by taking the preventative measures. Many graduates have to p...

Understanding the difference between a 401k and 403b.

Student loan consolidation is a specific federal government program for your student loans. The word "consolidation" is different than the English meaning of many to one. So separate that in your mind as we discuss student loan consolidation. Getting rid of student debt is high on the radars of everyone who has it. Especially so when you have your loans scattered between different student loan ser...

FreeTaxUSA is one of the best tax software options to file your tax return. In fact, we think it’s so good for the price that we’re naming it the best overall tax software for 2026, for the second year in a row. Are you a bargain hunter looking to save money while filing taxes? If so, FreeTaxUSA features one of the lowest-cost DIY tax software products available today. It offers free federal tax f...

Like most people in the US, you probably feel like you pay tons of taxes without ever seeing a refund. Especially if you live in one of those "high tax" states - like California or New York. Do you ever wonder how your state stacks up against other states? Did you know that if you make under $50,000 per year, you're probably paying more taxes in Alabama than in California... Taxes matter, but most...

Are you tired of waiting in long lines, and dealing with too many fees and minimum requirements? Opening a checking account with an online bank could be your solution. Today, almost every bank offers online banking options, but did you know that there are banks that solely operate online, with no actual branch locations? These banks offer most of the products you find at traditional banks- checkin...

Our parents used to say “ money doesn't grow on trees ” and “ there is nothing that is free ”. But is this entirely true? NO! In fact, there are several ways that you can get free money online or free money from the government! The first is looking for unclaimed money that might be rightfully yours, and the second is to find companies that are giving away free money as incentives. If this sounds u...

Life insurance is a necessity for any young family. Have you ever wondered what would happen to your family if you weren’t there to provide an income? Their life would change completely. The current style of living they know would vanish in an instant. You might be thinking that life insurance is another expense you can’t afford. However, you’ll be surprised at the cost of life insurance offered b...

For student loan borrowers repaying their college loans , the student loan interest deduction remains one of the easiest tax benefits available to claim. It allows eligible taxpayers to subtract up to $2,500 in interest paid on qualified student loans from their taxable income. This deduction is known as an "above-the-line" adjustment , which means it can be claimed without itemizing deductions ....

A brief summary of this episode

A brief summary of this episode

A brief summary of this episode

A brief summary of this episode

For anyone getting a refund , tax season is the best time of year. But for those who have defaulted on their federal student loans, their potential joy can be seized by the IRS to pay down the federal debt. This is called a tax offset. It may not currently be tax season, but it’s never too early to start preparing to secure that refund. Specifically, if you have federal student loans that you’re b...

Aspire Student Loan Servicing is a federal and private student loan servicer. They may be your loan servicer or maybe they used to be your loan servicer. They currently service private student loans and some FFEL loans . Despite what they describe as high customer satisfaction ratings as reported from their Department of Education evaluation, they could not accumulate enough accounts to warrant th...

Ibotta is an app that allows you to earn rebates for your shopping. Wouldn’t it be great if you could earn cash back on everyday necessary items without having to clip coupons? One of easiest way to make money on everyday purchases is to use Ibotta, a free app that makes it easy to save money. Grocery store rebates are some of the easiest ways to earn cash back with this program, and it just takes...

How to compare Amazon Prime vs Netflix for college students.

How to compare Lenda online mortgage lending.

How to compare Hulu vs. Netflix vs. Amazon Prime Video for college students.

If you’re looking for a new rewards credit card, there are countless options to choose from. As a result, it can be tough to figure out which card is best for you. While there’s no single credit card out there that’s objectively better than the rest, there are some important features to look for in a card that can help you compare different offers. And depending on the type of card you’re looking...