Student Loan Planner – Details, episodes & analysis

From mounting credit card and auto loan debt to the less obvious pitfalls of inflation and misguided investment choices, Meagan McGuire and Sim Terwilliger unpack the five financial traps they see student loan borrowers falling into.

In today’s episode:

01:41 Credit card debt, average balances by generation, and the best defense against growing balances
11:02 Car payments, average loan terms, and the pros and cons of buying vs. leasing
23:14 Unchecked consumerism, the lure of rage-baiting, and the dangers of chasing the status quo
33:32 Inflation and why investing is crucial to staying ahead
38:14 Student loans and the high price of not having the right repayment plan in place

Like the show? There are several ways you can help!

• Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Amazon Music
• Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts 
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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
• Get profession-specific financial planning

Do you have a question about student loans? Leave us a voicemail here or email us at [email protected] and we might feature it in an upcoming show!

As legal battles unfold, student loan borrowers face a wave of uncertainty. In this episode, I’ll break down the latest developments from the 8th Circuit Court and explore how their recent rulings could impact the future of student loan forgiveness plans like Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE).

In today’s episode:

02:33 The 8th Circuit Court's decision to halt the 400-page SAVE plan
05:04 My take on why the court may view the Biden administration's actions as illegal
06:58 Could the court challenge the legality of the ICR statute?
13:38 Student loan workarounds and strategies from tax filing tips to PSLF buyback

Like the show? There are several ways you can help!

• Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Amazon Music
• Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts 
• Subscribe to the newsletter

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
• Get profession-specific financial planning

Do you have a question about student loans? Leave us a voicemail here or email us at [email protected] and we might feature it in an upcoming show!

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) has been on pause since May while servicing transitions away from MOHELA, causing waves. Student Loan Advisors Sim Terwilliger and Sam Silberstein dissect what these shifts mean for borrowers. Learn the new processes for submitting and tracking PSLF forms through StudentAid.gov, the impacts of administrative forbearance, and the long-term outlook for PSLF. 

In today’s episode:

• 06:23 How the pause in submissions during May and June affect processing

• 08:43 When forbearance counts for PSLF forgiveness, and when it doesn’t

• 14:50 Avoid complications by submitting employment certification annually

• 20:15 Borrowers can audit student loan payment counts

Links mentioned:

• PSLF Help Tool

• StudentAid.gov

Like the show? There are several ways you can help!

• Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Amazon Music
• Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts 
• Subscribe to the newsletter

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
• Get profession-specific financial planning

Do you have a question about student loans? Leave us a voicemail here or email us at [email protected] and we might feature it in an upcoming show!

Why the PSLF waiver (that expired last month) isn’t really over and the confusing extension to the student loan payment pause are just two recent developments that continue to unfold around student loans. Senior Student Loan Advisors Rob Bertman, CFA, CFP®, and Meagan McGuire (Landress), CSLP®, as well as Student Loan Advisor Sim Terwilliger, CFP®, CSLP®, will walk you through the latest updates that can make or break your student loan repayment plan. 

In today’s episode, you'll find out:

• Why the PSLF waiver isn’t really over
• The latest extension to the payment freeze
• What it means to extend the payment pause to 60 days after relief is granted
• How the delayed payments impact federal student loans
• How the IDR waiver came about
• PSLF eligibility under the IDR waiver
• How to know if you qualify for longer-term forgiveness
• What to expect in July 2023 for PSLF
• The PSLF changes that take effect July 1, 2023, and why there’s no retroactive credit
• The impact of consolidating direct loans when working in public service
• How the weight average payment count will be calculated
• Why the payment pause is coming at the perfect time

Like the show? There are several ways you can help!

• Follow 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 have a question about student loans? Leave us a voicemail here or email us at [email protected] and we might feature it in an upcoming show!

Since March 2020, the student loan pause started a trend of more generosity for borrowers — more generous programs, IDR plans, waivers, PSLF rules and more. But the past couple of weeks have seen judges strike back against many of the student loan initiatives. Learn how a federal judge in Texas struck down the entire student loan cancellation program, how borrowers can benefit from some of the options still out there for student loans, and student loan changes we might see in 2023.

In today’s episode, you'll find out:

• How a federal judge in Texas struck down the entire student loan cancellation program
• What fueled the attack in the Texas cancellation case
• The major questions doctrine and how it applies here
• The impact of the Texas ruling on the student loan payment pause
• Why student loan payments might not resume in January
• New rules for bankruptcy and student loans

Like the show? There are several ways you can help!

• Follow 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 have a question about student loans? Leave us a voicemail here or email us at [email protected] and we might feature it in an upcoming show!

A Texas judge blocked student loan cancellation, effectively stopping it in its tracks. Plus, the midterm elections will have an enormous impact on student loans going forward. Between these two events, you could feel the effects even if you wouldn’t benefit from cancellation specifically. I’m diving into the student loan lawsuits, the temporary pause on student loan cancellation, and what will happen when student loan payments resume. 

In today’s episode, you'll find out:

• Why the Texas lawsuit that blocked student loan cancellation caught many by surprise
• What happened with the midterms and how it can change student loans going forward
• Why the Eighth Circuit didn’t rule on the lawsuit before the midterm elections
• How the injunction helped the Texas lawsuit gain traction
• Why there’s a temporary pause on student loan cancellation
• How the lawsuit gained standing to allow the judge to rule on merit
• Why more groups and private entities haven’t sued over the student loan relief measure
• How much will student loan defaults spike when payments resume
• How hard do you go on these programs?
• Different options the Biden Administration is looking at for student loan forgiveness
• What the new IDR plan will look like based on the draft release of the rules
• What’s going on with student loan relief

Like the show? There are several ways you can help!

• Follow 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 have a question about student loans? Leave us a voicemail here or email us at [email protected] and we might feature it in an upcoming show!

The new IBR plan is supposed to be available by July 2023, but it might not happen as promised. I’m diving into what’s causing the delay that could push it out until late 2023 or even July 2024. There are also hot developments going on with student loan cancellation, and I’m sharing new strategies coming down the pipeline based on recent announcements. Plus, I’m taking some listener questions. We’ve got a lot to cover… are you ready?

In today’s episode, you'll find out:

• Why commercially-held FFEL loans don’t qualify for Biden’s cancellation
• The easiest path for someone to sue to block Biden’s student loan cancellation plan
• When you should NOT apply for the $20,000 cancellation
• Why the new IBR plan is being delayed and what it means for borrowers
• When will the new IBR plan be available
• New strategies for residency and fellowship
• Best advice for residents and fellows who are single
• What to do if you’re working for a not-for-profit employer
• How deferment and forbearance can count in certain cases for PSLF
• My thoughts about the lawsuit: Do state attorneys general have standing to sue
• What I think will happen after the election

Like the show? There are several ways you can help!

• Follow 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 have a question about student loans? Leave us a voicemail here or email us at [email protected] and we might feature it in an upcoming show!

A brand-new set of rules came out, and I’m diving into these urgent student loan updates to give you the inside track of how it can benefit you. It impacts a narrow group of people, but if you’re affected, these most recent changes could be life changing. 

In today’s episode, you'll find out:

• The new rules for the PSLF program that benefits contractors working for PSLF-eligible organizations
• How Kaiser Permanente physicians can qualify for PSLF
• What hold-harmless provisions mean for getting credit during deferment or forbearance
• Decisions people in residency and fellowship must consider to maximize student loans
• How to get a second shot at the PSLF waiver
• The importance of consolidating your loans by May 1, 2023
• Why the IDR waiver matters for loans before 2010
• Updates on the student loan cancellation lawsuit
• The strategy being used to block student loan cancellation
• Cancellation lawsuits vs. non-partisan arguments
• What’s the long-term impact of these student loan changes
• Could a future president roll back these changes
• Why you shouldn’t stress if you refinanced your student loan
• Why focusing on growing wealth can help you be excited about your financial future

Like the show? There are several ways you can help!

• Follow 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 have a question about student loans? Leave us a voicemail here or email us at [email protected] and we might feature it in an upcoming show!

You only have until October 31, 2022 to take advantage of the PSLF waiver before it expires. But it isn’t too late to apply and get credit!

Senior Student Loan Advisor Meagan Landress, CSLP®, and I did a webinar very recently on last-minute application tips for the PSLF waiver, and hundreds of borrowers were there with us. In this episode, we’re sharing the top tips from the webinar to help as many borrowers as possible get credit added to their PSLF payment count up until the last possible moment. 

In today’s episode, you'll find out:

• What has changed with the PSLF waiver
• What should you do if you have the wrong kind of loans
• How to consolidate loans for the PSLF waiver
• Do you have to use the PSLF Help Tool
• What to do if you can’t get a signature from your employer
• What’s the timeline for the PSLF waiver
• The student loan cancellation lawsuits and what it means
• Whether time worked in public service before you took out loans counts
• If contract work for the state or government counts towards PSLF
• When you need to update your income for IDR
• What are the benefits of PAYE vs. REPAYE

Links mentioned: 

• StudentAid.gov
• PSLF Help Tool

Like the show? There are several ways you can help!

• Follow 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 student loan lawsuits, specifically the State of Nebraska v. Biden et al. suit against the Department of Education, are poised to slow down or stop student loan cancellation. I will cover what might happen and why it matters for many student loan borrowers out there. I also have a few random business updates to share, including how to join one of our Facebook groups and where to find resources on our site that go beyond student loan planning.

In today’s episode, you'll find out:

• The lawsuit against the Department of Education that could stop loan cancellation
• Why I think getting the hearing in front of the Eastern District of Missouri, one of the most conservative districts in the country was intentional
• The importance of October 23 in student loan debt cancellation
• Why I think we’ll see a super-generous IDR plan if the cancellation is blocked
• How you can still take advantage of the PSLF waiver despite the looming deadline
• How to join one of Student Loan Planner®’s Facebook group for Parent PLUS loan forgiveness, teachers, nurses, and other professions
• Resource update: Qualify for a doctor mortgage and get a quote for disability insurance right from the site

Links mentioned: 

Get help for the PSLF waiver
Qualify for a physician home loan
Get a quote for disability insurance

Like the show? There are several ways you can help!

• Follow 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 have a question about student loans? Leave us a voicemail here or email us at [email protected] and we might feature it in an upcoming show!