Student Loan Planner

Having six figures of student debt to pay off can often make you feel like you're in bad shape, and for good reason. But as SLP consultants Rob Bertman, CFA, CFP®, and Lauryn Williams, CFP®, CSLP®, explain, you may be doing better than you think. Listen in for a positive, upbeat message and learn how to change your paradigm around your student loans and the various opportunities available right no...

Just announced! President Biden extends the pause on student loan payments to May 1, 2022. 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

I reflect on how my wife and I would have approached her student loan strategy differently if given a second chance. Listen as I pick apart a 2015-version of me (who had just started dating my then-girlfriend-now-wife) and the conversations we had around her $124,000 med school loan, and how a seemingly straight path to forgiveness led to a string of complications. Then, I dive into my thoughts on...

From the PSLF Waiver to the EICR plan to the debt mindset, there's a lot we need to cover regarding student loans and loan forgiveness in 2022 and beyond. Join me as I answer a few listener questions you asked us via our podcast voicemail! I talk about recertification, why it's so hard for undergrads to get student loan forgiveness, how to not feel so trapped by your debt, and more. Let's all take...

Join Student Loan Planner consultants Lauryn Williams, CFP®, CSLP®, and Meagan Landress, CSLP®, to discover what's new and exciting about the PSLF Waiver and the servicer changes. They're sharing what they're seeing "on the ground" with real-life scenarios of the PSLF Waiver and servicer changes happening for borrowers. In today's episode, you'll find out: What's happening to PSLF folks that have...

Inflation is the hot topic of the day. Is it here to stay? And does inflation mean income-driven repayment programs are a bad idea? Listen in as I unpack the inflation conundrum as well as the latest news around the PSLF waiver along with updated guidance from the Department of Education. In today's episode, you'll find out: How inflation impacts student loan borrowers The gold standard, inflation...

The Department of Education recently forgave around $700 million in student loans in a single day. I talk about how the new PSLF Waiver played into that, what it means for student loan forgiveness, and what it means for you and your finances. I also sit down with Ben Martinek, EA, CSLP®, CFP®, of Student Loan Tax Experts. He shares his experience helping student loan borrowers with their taxes and...

We could see a new student loan repayment plan for borrowers. The old IBR and the new IBR have been around for a while — now, the Biden administration is poised to create a new new IBR tentatively called The Expanded Income-Contingent Repayment (EICR) Plan. Confused? You're not alone. A lot is happening in the world of student loans, and a lot more will continue to happen come 2022 and beyond. Lis...

Today, I'm joined by Chad Carson, aka Coach Carson. He's a husband, father of two, real estate investor, and world traveler. His message is threefold: Invest in real estate. Retire early. Do what matters. Listen in as Chad and I talk about his best practices for building a robust real estate portfolio and achieving financial independence. In today's episode, you'll find out: Coach Carson's "unusua...

There's a lot going on in the world of student loans, from the recent overhaul of the PSLF program to the Federal Reserve's "tapering" of bond purchases and its impact on interest rates. Travis takes on seven listener questions spanning today's big issues. He then goes into the latest on the student loan servicer Navient. In today's episode, you'll find out: How and why to track your PSLF credit f...

The PSLF expansion took borrowers by surprise. The Biden administration's big announcement of a total overhaul to the PSLF program is a big deal. For a variety of reasons, many borrowers counting on PSLF had payments or loans that previously did not qualify for forgiveness because they could not meet the stringent requirements. The Department of Education effectively wiped out many of the hurdles...

Today's conversation is for the parents out there who are currently navigating the challenges of paying down student loans all while preparing their own kids' future. Do you actually have a solid plan to protect your kids from the massive debt burden you left school with? Listen in as our consultants Molly Laughter, MBA CFA, CFP®, and Lauryn Williams, CFP®, CSLP®, offer actionable strategies and t...

We've all heard the term "new normal" being used to describe life as we move toward life after the pandemic. But what exactly does that mean for you? How ready are you to seize upcoming opportunities to thrive personally and professionally once the world reopens? Listen in as consultants Lauryn Williams, CFP®, CSLP®, and Dan Rooker, CFP®, CSLP®, do a deep dive into measuring your new financial nor...

It's been quite a week for student loans. Navient and FedLoan, two of the biggest student loan servicers have thrown up their hands and said, "We're out." Listen in as I explain what's happening with student loans right now. I'll also talk about the timeline for the servicer transitions and what it might mean for you. I'm excited about what some of these changes can mean for our clients, but I'm a...

No one should be forced to keep a job where burnout, stress, and overwork have become the norm. Jessica Medina is a lawyer and Accredited Financial Counselor who helps her clients "build the money habits they need to actually build wealth." Listen in as Jessica shares her own experience leaving a series of prestigious roles in Big Law that she felt trapped in, and her journey to becoming an advoca...

Student loan loopholes aren't always a good thing. While many loopholes can benefit borrowers by helping them pay less on their student loans, some can end up doing more harm than good. Listen in as I dismantle eight loopholes that actually aren't loopholes, from rolling your student loan into a mortgage or practice loan to borrowing from your parents to relying on your spouse's ability to pay for...

In this episode's consultant takeover, Molly Laughter, MBA CFA, CFP®, and Meagan Landress, CSLP®, dive deep into the student loan repayment loopholes that are available for borrowers — depending on certain factors such as family situation and where they live. Molly and Meagan also discuss tax implications, including those for individuals or families who live in a community property state versus th...

There's a lot of talk around the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. In the last several months, we saw new developments unfold, and there's no doubt we'll see more changes in the years to come. I'm diving in and giving my thoughts on the current state of PSLF and what we could expect come election season in 2024 and beyond. In today's episode, you'll find out: Why very few borrowers qualifie...

Was your decision to take out a student loan the right decision? In this episode, I make the case that student debt isn't only the right decision, but a fantastic one. It can feel like a burden, but it's also a massive opportunity to gain access to high-income skills that you can use to maximize your potential and leave a lasting impact. In today's episode, you'll find out: Why I think student loa...

If you've ever been told the average student loan debt for your program or degree, this episode is for you. Join me for a Q&A followed by a discussion on why focusing on median and average student loan debt statistics is a waste of time, and why those statistics cause all kinds of problems when it comes to higher education policy. In today's episode, you'll find out: Listener questions about recen...

Senior Consultant Rob Bertman, CFA, CFP®, joins me in this episode as we take a deep dive into the current state of the housing market. With so many people on the fence about buying a new home this year, Rob and I tackle the most important things to consider before making that all-important decision. Listen in as we discuss how to navigate unpredictable supply chains and fluctuating material costs...

Many people feel like they need to make a higher income or invest more to advance to the next level of the economic ladder… but do you? Is it worth striving to become an upper middle class American? Join me as I discuss the various things you need to do at each income level (lower class through upper middle class) to break through to the next level and achieve financial security and wealth. In tod...

More important than what kind of student loan plan you have is knowing how to invest. Listen in as I talk to you about investing in this current economy amid red-hot inflation and a booming housing market. I'll also explain that, while 2021 continues to hold a lot of opportunities, it's also a dangerous time to be investing now that everyone is in the game. Plus, get a discount code for our Six-Fi...

In this episode, I'm joined by Josh Mitchell, a Wall Street Journal reporter and the author of the book The Debt Trap: How Student Loans Became a National Catastrophe to reflect on his observations in the higher education space and how the student crisis came to be. Listen in as Josh explains why the process of taking out a loan is more "opaque" than that of every other credit product and the disr...

Moving is really stressful. I'd know, having just moved my family and me across the country! Now that the economy is starting to reopen, new opportunities mean that more people are moving to different states. In today's episode, I discuss the factors that student loan borrowers should consider when making the decision to move states, whether for a job or to buy a house. In today's episode, you'll...