The College Investor Audio Show

A federal appeals court heard arguments on Friday over whether the Education Department can further delay a court-approved settlement that promises loan discharges, payment refunds, and credit report corrections to more than 200,000 student loan borrowers who say they were defrauded by their colleges.The case, Sweet v. McMahon, has been working through the courts since 2019 (as a result, the case has changed names a few times: Sweet v. DeVos and Sweet v. Cardona). The settlement, valued at up to $12 billion, set firm deadlines for the Department to process borrower defense to repayment applications. The Department has missed those deadlines and asked for extensions multiple times. So far, those requests have been denied.During Friday’s hearing before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw offered a blunt assessment: “The time for negotiating is over. You missed your deadline.”The court is now considering the Department’s motion to stay the settlement while it appeals.

The Department of Education and the U.S. Treasury Department announced a new interagency agreement on March 19, 2026, that will shift operational control of defaulted federal student loan collections from Education to Treasury. This comes as nearly 7.7 million student loan borrowers holding $180 billion in student loans are in default.The move, which the administration has branded the “Federal Student Assistance Partnership,” marks a big step forward in dismantling the Education Department in what officials described as the equivalent of the “fifth-largest commercial bank in the United States.”Under the agreement, Treasury will immediately take over collecting on defaulted student loan debt, using private collection agencies to help borrowers in default enroll in rehabilitation programs or return to good standing. Treasury will also absorb the operations of FSA’s Default Resolution Group, which manages the Default Management and Collections System (DMCS). In future phases, Treasury would expand to managing non-defaulted loans and potentially other FSA functions, including FAFSA administration.It's important to realize that Treasury already played a large role in collections, but this is now administrative control of the bigger program.

Hundreds of thousands of college students are enrolled in degree and certificate programs that, under new federal law, may soon be cut off from federal student loans. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, requires colleges to prove their programs actually improve graduates’ earning power, and those that don't risk losing access to federal student loan programs.The framework, informally called “Do No Harm,” sets a new standard: if a program’s graduates earn less than comparable workers who never attended college at all, the program can no longer receive federal loan funding.The Department of Education has already released preliminary data on nearly 50,000 programs, and the results reveal a clear pattern of which fields are at risk — including some where a college credential is legally required to work in the profession at all.Remember: It's not just about the degree (like B.S. Business). It's about the program and school (such as University of Vermont, Bachelor's of Science in Plant Sciences). It's individual programs and degrees granted by individual colleges that are at risk.

Federal Student Aid released its latest quarterly data update, and the numbers paint a stark picture: 7.7 million borrowers with $180 billion in outstanding federal student loans are now in default as of December 2025.The quarter ending in December marked the first time many borrower accounts could the threshold for default following the end of the pandemic-era payment pause and the subsequent on-ramp protection period.While the number is large, FSA noted that it mirrors the default count from December 2019, when 7.7 million recipients with approximately $168 billion in federal student loans were in default. The $12 billion increase in default balances reflects the growth in the overall portfolio during the intervening years.However, the Department of Education has still continued to pause some collections efforts in light of all the major student loan changes happening.

The tax deadline is almost here! Here are some last minute tax reminders if you're still working on filing your taxes.Although it might not be the most enjoyable financial task, it's a necessary obligation that we each undertake every year. And if you use great tax software, filing taxes doesn’t take as much time as you may dread.But tax filing time isn’t only about filing returns. There are things you can do today to help you save money on your tax bill, and help you save time on filing.Here are the best last-minute tax tips to consider this season.

The Department of Education’s income-driven repayment application backlog has dropped to its lowest point on record, according to a new court filing submitted March 16 (PDF File).But that progress is overshadowed by a continued delays on IDR loan forgiveness and a growing queue of public servants waiting for PSLF buyback decisions.The data comes from the latest status report filed in American Federation of Teachers v. U.S. Department of Education, a federal lawsuit spearheaded by the teacher's union that requires the Department to provide monthly updates on its loan servicing operations.

Tax refunds are running more than 10% larger this filing season, the IRS reported, with the average individual refund reaching $3,742. That's up from $3,382 at roughly the same point in 2025.The increase is being driven in part by new deductions signed into law by President Donald Trump that are appearing on returns for the first time.The IRS released its cumulative filing season statistics through Feb. 27, 2026, comparing them to the same period in 2025. The data covers roughly 51.5 million individual returns received out of approximately 164 million expected before the April 15 deadline.

The federal government quietly stopped independently checking whether student loan servicers are keeping accurate borrower records (and stopped monitoring the quality of calls with borrowers) in February 2025. More than a year later, it still has not resumed those reviews, according to a new report released by the Government Accountability Office.The findings come at a precarious moment for the nearly 43 million Americans with federal student loans. Major repayment plan changes are underway, millions of borrowers are in or approaching default, and the very oversight designed to catch servicer errors has gone dark.For an administration that is allegedly focused on reducing waste and fraud, it's concerning that government contractors overseeing a trillion dollar portfolio of loans impacting 43 million Americans are not being closely monitored or held accountable.

The SAVE student loan repayment plan is dead — and a federal appeals court just made that official.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled on March 9, 2026 (PDF File) that a lower court wrongly dismissed the Republican states’ lawsuit against the plan, directing the district court to enter a December 2025 settlement agreement that permanently bans the Biden-era income-driven repayment program. The request to force the joint settlement was one of the alternatives presented in the GOP appeal to the 8th Circuit Court.Here's what borrowers need to know.

Senators Elizabeth Warren and Jeff Merkley accused the U.S. Department of Education of obstructing congressional oversight of federal student loan servicers. In a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon (PDF File), the senators wrote that the department “appears to have progressed to active obstruction” of lawmakers’ efforts to obtain servicer performance data.The dispute centers on basic service metrics: how long borrowers wait on hold, how often calls are dropped, how quickly written inquiries are answered, and how satisfied borrowers report being.For families navigating student loan repayment (especially with all the changes), those details can mean the difference between staying current and slipping into delinquency.With more than 42 million Americans holding federal student loans totaling over $1.81 trillion, even slight declines in servicing quality can ripple across household budgets.

A new federal court filing (PDF File) shows that borrowers seeking Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) credit through the buyback process could face waits approaching three years under current processing speeds.The latest status report from the U.S. Department of Education reveals that 86,520 PSLF Buyback applications were still pending as of January 31, 2026. During January, only 2,430 buyback applications were decided.At that pace (and assuming no new applications were submitted) clearing the existing backlog alone would take roughly 35 months. In reality, new requests continue to arrive each month and processing times have varied month-to-month - meaning the wait time could be longer.For public service workers who have already reached or are near 120 qualifying payments, the numbers suggest a long period of uncertainty.

A new report from the Pew Research Center offers one of the most detailed looks at how educational attainment differs across religious groups in America.The findings come from Pew’s 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, a survey of 36,908 U.S. adults. Because of its large sample size, researchers were able to analyze not only broad religious categories, but also specific denominations within Protestantism and other traditions.The headline finding: Hindus and Jews stand apart by a wide margin.

A federal judge on Friday dismissed the central lawsuit challenging the Biden-era SAVE student loan repayment plan — not because the court endorsed it, but because there is no longer a dispute to decide.The ruling clarifies the legal posture of the case but does not immediately end the administrative forbearance for the roughly 7 million borrowers enrolled in SAVE.The decision (PDF FIle), issued by Judge John A. Ross of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, ends the case State of Missouri v. Trump without prejudice and rejects a joint request from the parties to vacate the SAVE rule outright.The judge notes "that clarity must come from the Department of Education, and not from this Court, which is no longer empowered to weigh the merits of a case that is now moot."

The U.S. Department of Education has announced two new interagency agreements, handing off selected responsibilities to the Departments of State and Health and Human Services. The stated goal: break up federal education bureaucracy, improve efficiency, and return education to the states.As someone who believes deeply in higher education (and in the value of federal student aid programs that expand opportunity), I also believe in an efficient government where tax dollars are spent purposefully to achieve specific goals. That’s why these interagency agreements deserve a closer look.Shifting programs from one federal agency to another does not necessarily make government smaller. It makes it more complex. And if we’re not careful, it may reduce accountability while ignoring the structural reforms that education policy actually needs.

Borrowers who were a part of a years-long legal battle over student loan servicing practices are now seeing tangible results: compensation checks arriving in their mailboxes.According to the CFPB’s website, a third-party administrator began issuing payments on or about February 13, 2026, from a $100 million fund tied to a 2024 enforcement settlement with Navient, one of the nation’s largest former federal student loan servicers. The case accused the company of steering borrowers into repeated forbearances (temporary pauses on payments) even when they qualified for more affordable income-driven repayment plans.For affected borrowers, some of whom report receiving checks in the thousands of dollars, the payments represent long-awaited financial relief.

When voters think of student loan forgiveness, they often picture executive actions and legal battles. Under President Biden, student loan debt relief efforts dominated headlines, particularly after the Supreme Court struck down his broad cancellation proposal.But what you may not realize: The Trump administration could be on track to oversee one of the largest dollar amounts of student loan forgiveness in U.S. history, largely because of repayment programs already written into law.This projection is not about a new sweeping forgiveness plan. Instead, it reflects the mechanics of existing federal student loan programs (some dating back decades) that are now reaching maturity.

The Trump administration is once again weighing whether to sell off parts of the federal government’s $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio to private investors — a move that could reshape the nation’s higher education finance system and affect more than 45 million borrowers.According to reports, senior officials at the Education Department and Treasury Department have been exploring how to offload “high-performing” federal loans to the private market. The discussions, which have allegedly involved finance industry executives and potential buyers, reflect the administration’s broader goal of shrinking the government’s role in student lending and reviving private-sector competition.This comes after reports earlier this year that Trump wanted the Small Business Administration to take over the student loan portfolio.The administration is looking at whether privatization could help reduce administrative costs and improve portfolio performance. However, the move could borrower protections, including income-driven repayment options, loan forgiveness programs, and the government’s unique ability to offer flexible hardship relief.This isn’t the first time the idea has surfaced. The Department of Education chapter in the Project 2025 document proposes reviving the old Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program to “privatize all lending programs, including subsidized, unsubsidized, and PLUS loans (both Grad and Parent).”So what exactly would it mean if federal student loans were sold to private lenders and could it really happen this time? Let’s unpack the latest proposals, political motivations, and potential consequences for borrowers.

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Harvard University, arguing that the university has unlawfully withheld admissions records needed for a federal civil rights compliance review.The complaint (PDF File), filed February 13, 2026, in federal court in Massachusetts, seeks declaratory and injunctive relief to compel Harvard to provide applicant-level admissions data and internal communications related to race and diversity policies . The government is not seeking monetary damages or revocation of federal funds.At the center of the dispute is compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race in programs receiving federal financial assistance.

Student loan borrowers in the SAVE forbearance may be getting some relief. Borrowers are reporting that when they login to their online accounts there is a new message: “Your Account Balance was Adjusted.”The notices, now appearing in some borrowers' portals, state that loan servicers recently conducted a review and made changes based on SAVE administrative forbearance and a 0% interest period. For many, the message comes after nearly a year of confusion and concern over balances that appeared to grow despite federal guidance that interest was paused.Yet even as the notices roll out, some borrowers say the corrections have not fully appeared in their accounts.

Headlines warning that Social Security is “running out” have sparked fresh anxiety among younger investors. Some stories highlight a potential $460 monthly benefit cut. Others suggest the system may collapse entirely.The reality is more complex.According to the 2025 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Federal Disability Insurance Trust Funds (PDF File), the program is facing a structural shortfall. But that does not mean Social Security is disappearing. And for workers in their 20s, 30s and early 40s, the most important questions are different from the ones driving today’s headlines.Here’s what actually matters.

When you’re unemployed, it’s hard enough getting out of bed in the morning, let alone searching for a job. Add to that the stress of dealing with your student loans and it’s a wonder you can get out of bed at all. Student loan debt and unemployment is not a fun combination.We wish we could snap our fingers and make your student loans disappear when you can’t pay them (and even when you can). Instead, we’ll have to settle by giving you some advice on how to deal with them while you’re unemployed.Before we go into it, the first thing you should do when unemployed is apply for unemployment benefits, if you’re eligible. Any income is a step in the right direction when you have bills you need to pay. Look up your state’s unemployment requirements to see if you’re eligible and how much you can get.After that, you need to make sure your budget is in order and you're still handling your student loan debt.Here's our advice that will hopefully get you on the right path so you can focus on your job search.

Front-loading of financial aid like grants and scholarships is a form of bait-and-switch, where a college gives a better financial aid offer to freshmen than to sophomores, juniors and seniors.When a college practices front-loading of financial aid, the average grant per recipient decreases after the first year and/or the percentage of students receiving grants decreases.This means students get smaller grants and/or fewer students get grants. Even if a college keeps the grants unchanged, the net price will increase as college costs increase.Front-loading of grants causes the mix of grants vs. loans to become less favorable after the freshman year. The family’s share of college costs increases significantly for upperclassmen, even if their ability to pay for college remains unchanged.

Almost 50% of students borrow student loans for community college.It's no secret that the cost of going to college and debt from student loans have significantly increased over the past several decades. Although wages have also gone up, the cost of higher education has increased more than inflation. The average cost of tuition for a four-year private college is $43,775 and $28,238 for public. And what's even scarier is that the most expensive colleges cost over $60,000 per year!Many potential college students explore community college because it offers cheaper tuition than traditional four-year colleges. In 2024, the average tuition for public community colleges is approximately $5,184 per year for in-state students and $8,806 for out-of-state students. So while going to a community college is more affordable than other forms of higher education, you still may need to explore student loans for community college to cover the cost.

There are many benefits to 529 college savings plans. They provide tax and financial aid advantages to families who save for college. However, the 529 plan does impact your financial aid and you likely need to report it on your FAFSA.Saving for college reduces student loan debt at graduation and increases college choice. But it can also affect eligibility for need-based financial aid.Depending on who owns the 529 plan account, a 529 college savings plan may affect either the income or the assets reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In this guide, we'll explore how a 529 plan can affect your FAFSA and financial aid eligibility.

Robert joined Lacy Langford on the MILMO® Show to discuss everything that's happening with student loans right now - from changes to repayment plans, new borrowing limits, and loan forgiveness.Check out the MILMO® Show here to learn more.

Workforce Pell is a new legal pathway within the Pell Grant program that’s intended to cover short-term workforce training - the kinds of programs that historically have fallen outside Pell rules because they were too short.Under the new rules, eligible programs generally must run at least 8 weeks but fewer than 15 weeks, and include 150 to 599 clock hours (or certain credit-hour equivalents).The Department of Education has emphasized that Workforce Pell awards are still Pell Grants - but with a different set of program eligibility rules, not a totally separate pot of money. That matters because it ties Workforce Pell to Pell’s broader budget pressures and to how Pell eligibility is tracked over a student’s lifetime.How big could the program be? Federal officials have cautioned that it’s hard to estimate because many short-term programs aren’t well captured in federal datasets today. In a Department of Education slide deck (PDF File), ED suggested the number of eligible programs could range from “several hundred to a few thousand,” depending on state decisions and how the final rules land.

Major changes to Parent PLUS loans are coming in 2026, and for many families, the timing could not be more complicated. Parents with students starting college this year or next (or already have kids in college), need to make plans for how they will pay for school.For decades, Parent PLUS loans acted as a backstop. When grants, scholarships, and student loans fell short, parents could borrow the rest without limits. Beginning July 1, 2026, that changes. Borrowing caps take effect, and repayment options shrink.The result: more families will need to rely on parent PLUS loan alternatives.This article explains what is changing, how private loans compare to Parent PLUS loans, and what families paying for college right now should be thinking about.

There are many different ways to invest in the stock market—some people prefer to buy and hold, while others trade stocks on a more frequent basis. Day traders and other stock investors have a lot of different indicators to measure performance and provide insights on when and how to invest. There are also a lot of weird indicators for stocks and other odd hypotheses when it comes to stock market performance over time. I thought it would be fun to share a few that have actually been pretty successful over time (there are, of course, thousands of others that are not as successful).Who knows, maybe there is some subliminal fate driving the performance of the markets.

In the last few years, rising college costs have been at least partially blamed on a simple and provocative idea: administrative bloat. The claim is easy to repeat and hard to forget. Some versions suggest that elite colleges employ one administrator for every two students, or even several staff members per student. These figures have even made it to Congressional policy debates, opinion pieces, and social media posts, often presented as self-evident proof that colleges have lost control of their staffing.But when these claims are checked against federal data, they fall apart.Using enrollment and staffing figures from the National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, a much different picture emerges.Across U.S. colleges, and even at Ivy League institutions, students outnumber staff by wide margins. Faculty account for a significant share of employees, and many institutions appear staff-heavy only because they operate hospitals, medical schools, or large research enterprises that serve the public far beyond their student bodies (and usually fund themselves).Let's dive into the data and see how these rumors fall apart.

Yale University will allow students from households earning up to $200,000 a year to attend tuition-free beginning in fall 2026, the university confirmed this week, expanding a financial aid policy that has been in place for several years. The threshold had previously been set at $150,000.Under the updated policy, families earning up to $100,000 annually will continue to pay nothing at all — covering tuition, housing, meals, and other required costs. Families earning between $100,000 and $200,000 will no longer be charged tuition, though they may still have to pay for room and board.

For years, income-driven repayment has been a dividing line between federal and private student loans. Federal borrowers could tie monthly payments to income but historically, private borrowers could not.That line is starting to blur.RISLA (Rhode Island Student Loan Authority), a nonprofit student loan lender based in Rhode Island, has introduced an income-based repayment (IBR) option for borrowers who refinance student loans through the organization. The plan borrows heavily from the "old" IBR framework created in 2009, offering payment flexibility during periods of lower income and forgiveness after decades of repayment.It is a small but notable shift in a private lending market that has traditionally emphasized fixed monthly payments and faster payoff schedules. As federal student loan policies continue to change, the question is whether other lenders will follow and whether borrowers should welcome them if they do.

The U.S. Departments of Education and Treasury released new details on the Education Freedom Tax Credit, a centerpiece of President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts Act.Administration officials describe it as the largest expansion of education choice to date, with the potential to steer billions of dollars toward private scholarships and education services outside traditional public school funding streams.Unlike past education tax benefits aimed directly at families, this credit works by encouraging taxpayers to contribute to nonprofit Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs), which then distribute aid to eligible students.The design is complex and a bit confusing, the rollout will take time, and its impact will vary sharply by state. For families, the key question is not whether the credit exists, but whether and how it will be available where they live.

The idea of saving money in college might sound impossible - but it's totally doable! For most college students, this is the first time really having to budget and manage money on your own. You might not know all the tips and tricks to make your money last. That's what this list is for.Here's some of the best ideas on how to manage your money and save money in college. These all come from experience. If you have more ideas or suggestions, want to share your hack, or want to tell us how silly these ideas are, leave a comment below!Let's dive in on the best ways to save money in college!

Looking for the best ways to save your tax refunds? We have seven ideas that can help you build wealth with your tax refund.The April 15th tax filing deadline may bring dread to taxpayers everywhere, but the storm cloud comes with a silver (or dollar-covered) lining.Last year, nearly 100 million taxpayers received a refund, with the average refund being $3,138. This sizable payday could be the cash you need to set yourself up for financial stability and a growing net worth.Here are the best ways to save your tax refund.

Audit protection is a service most tax preparation companies advertise as an upsell to help you if you get a notice from the IRS. These services can involve responding to IRS letters, representing you when speaking with the IRS, or even reimbursing you if the tax prep company made a mistake.I hate dealing with bureaucrats. The thought of spending time in line at the DMV is so repulsive that I tried to pay someone to wait in line for me (the person didn’t show up, so I eventually had to go).If the DMV causes me this much pain, you can imagine how bad I would feel getting audited by the IRS. I know this is hyperbolic, but being audited sounds like death by 1,000 paper cuts. Which brings me to the crux of this post. Should you get audit protection for your taxes - which is a big upsell of most of the major tax software products out there.Personally, I put my extra money towards bookkeeping software. I think that’s the better use of the dollar.However, the peace of mind factor may ultimately push you towards buying audit protection. In that case, I recommend being as smart as possible. Or use H&R Block software to get the most protection for the least cost.Should you (or I) pay for audit protection for your taxes. You may be surprised that in most cases, I think the answer is no.

The Professional Student Degree Act, introduced by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and several other House Republicans, would expand the list of degrees considered “professional” under federal law. If enacted, the change would allow students in dozens of graduate programs to borrow up to $200,000 in federal Direct Loans - double the cap that would otherwise apply.The proposal comes amidst criticism from industry trade groups and students about the upcoming loan caps. Under last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Grad PLUS loans will be eliminated for new borrowers starting July 1, 2026. In place of the uncapped borrowing for grad school, there will be new limits on Graduate Direct Loans. Those caps depend entirely on whether a program is classified as “graduate” or “professional.”

As federal student loan borrowers weigh their repayment options in 2026, confusion around the SAVE income-driven repayment plan has grown. Data from the loan servicers is showing backlogs, but the reality is much different for borrowers at this moment. The repayment plan processing backlog is generally overblown and outdated because of applications from last year.Persistent myths that do not reflect how the system is actually working right now, and what borrowers should be doing. The result is that several widely shared assumptions about leaving the SAVE plan are simply wrong - and it could be costing you money!Here are three of the most common myths and what borrowers should understand before making a decision.

For many families, the cost of college feels unknowable until the bills arrive. Sticker prices climb past $70,000 a year at some private colleges, while headlines spotlight rare “full-ride” scholarships. The reality for most households sits somewhere in between — and it looks far different from the prices advertised on college websites.Based on an analysis of federal education data, scholarship data, and student loan statistics, most families are paying tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket over the course of a degree - which can come in the form of savings, cash flow, and student loans. Very few families pay nothing for college.

There are many benefits to receiving one or more private scholarships. It eases the financial burden of getting a college degree and minimizes the need for student loans. And it allows you to focus on your studies while at school. But scholarship applicants can face several potential pitfalls along the way. The odds of winning scholarships are often low, and you must be mindful of scholarship scams, displacement, and scholarship taxes. By learning how to anticipate and respond to these scholarship gotchas, you can increase your chances of scholarship success. This article guides you through the many considerations you need to make before applying for scholarships, so you can feel more confident throughout the process.

A tuition payment plan is a lesser-known way to pay for college as you go. It breaks your tuition bill up into smaller payments, allowing you to pay in installments over time. Remember, how you decide to finance your college education is going to be one of the most important decisions you make in your life.While a lot of students opt for student loans or financial aid packages, that isn’t the only way to pay for college. In this article we’ll dive into how tuition payment plans work, how much they cost, and some things you’ll want to be aware of before you enroll in one.

If you are thinking about diversifying your income, you may be asking yourself, “How do I diversify my income?” It's actually pretty straight forward, and many of us have already created multiple streams of income, we just don’t realize it.The goal of creating multiple income streams should be to maximize your potential in each category available to you. If you are just starting out, it really isn’t reasonable to expect you to generate tons of rental income.However, if you start maximizing your income generating potential through your primary salary, you will find yourself having excess income that you can reinvest to generate additional income streams use different buckets of assets.Remember, the average millionaire has 7 different income streams. Seven! Here are the most common ones.

The debt snowball and debt avalanche are two of the most popular methods for paying off debt.When you first start paying off debt, the most important thing is to have a plan. Without a plan, paying off debt can seem like a daunting task, which will quickly deflate any motivation you have to, you know, actually pay off debt.Having a plan can help you realize that debt is not forever and that it's possible to be debt free. So often, debt feels like a lifetime sentence, but it doesn’t have to be.As you explore the different types of debt pay-off plans, the debate between the debt snowball vs. debt avalanche is bound to come into play. Each side of the debate makes strong points for their favorite debt repayment strategy. But, which is the best debt payoff method? Let’s take a closer look at how these two strategies compare.

It’s that time of year when we look back on what we have and haven’t accomplished and decide what to tackle in the second half of the year. Even though we're in extraordinary times, most people will still have getting out of debt and building wealth as top goals.If eliminating some of your debt while simultaneously improving other parts of your financial life are among your goals, this post is for you. It’s time to take back control and kick your debt to the curb.It can sound like paying off large amounts of debt in a short period of time is impossible - but it's not! You can even pay off $10,000 in debt in just one year. Whether you have student loan debt or credit card debt, there are options.Here’s how you can pay off $10,000 in debt in one year.

Can you imagine a life where you didn’t have to work every day? Instead of needing to work you could work because you wanted to or, you could choose not to work because you wanted to. How? By building a passive income that allows you to make $50,000 per year without working!Conventional wisdom tells you that the path you’re supposed to live looks like this:Go to CollegeGet a Good JobGet MarriedTake out a loan for school, your wedding, a car, furniture, a houseWork hard for 30+ years to pay off all the debt you accumulatedMaybe you’ll have enough to retire and then again, maybe notThe truth is that there IS another way to live. You don’t have to go the traditional route. After all, you are the one in control of your life. You can do anything you want.Isn’t that a freeing thought? To know that you’re in the driver’s seat of your own life? For me it is.One thing that has been on my mind a lot, and that I have begun to work toward, is creating passive income so that my limited time isn’t constantly being exchanged for money. And because I’ve always had a fascination with passive income I’ve really been drilling down on it lately and not only learning more, but taking action.I think most people could happily live on $50,000 per year (provided they had no debt) so I thought it would be a good idea for you and I to explore some ways to make $50,000 per year without working.

When your student loans are discharged due to disability, you may be limited in whether you can work or go to school for a period of time. Otherwise, your student loans may be reinstated.This can be an especially difficult issue to navigate if your loans are discharged while you're attending school, or plan to. And it can happen even if you never planned on asking for a disability discharge.Here's what to know about disability discharge, and how to navigate your choices if your loans are automatically forgiven.

The Education Department’s latest court-ordered status update shows some progress on one front of the student loan system — and continued delays on another.In a court filing submitted January 14 (PDF File), the department detailed activity from December 1 through December 31, 2025, offering the clearest picture yet of how repayment and forgiveness systems are functioning after months of disruption tied to litigation and a government shutdown.The report was filed in federal court as part of a lawsuit brought by the American Federation of Teachers, which alleges widespread delays in student loan processing.

As federal student loan collections resume, millions of borrowers who fell behind during the pandemic-era pause are again facing wage garnishment, tax refund seizures, and damaged credit. For borrowers already in default, the path back to good standing matters more than ever.One option stands out for many: student loan rehabilitation, a program that allows borrowers to remove the default from their federal loans (and credit report) after a series of on-time payments. Compared with student loan consolidation, rehabilitation can offer long-term credit benefits, but it also comes with strict rules and timelines that borrowers need to understand before enrolling.

When Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, it changed a central feature of how graduate education in the United States is financed. For nearly two decades, federal policy allowed graduate students to borrow up to the full cost of attendance through the Graduate PLUS loan program. That option will end in June 2026.A new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Consumer Finance Institute (PDF File) offers one of the clearest pictures yet of what that change could mean for students, families, and lenders.The analysis finds that millions of future graduate students may face a new financing gap — and that private lenders may not be ready or willing to fill it.

Curious how to become a billionaire? It's a question that got me thinking...Earlier this year, I was browsing social media and came across an interesting post. Someone asked a pointed question, which seemed particularly relevant as I was in Las Vegas at the time. “What do you need to do to become a billionaire?”With all of my personal finance and business knowledge, I began to ponder what my top advice would be. I came up with two answers pretty quickly. Here are my thoughts on how to become a billionaire.

The thought of going back to business school appeals to those who want to boost their income and advance in their career. However, business school can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $150,000 per year, so it is critical that the benefits of business school will outweigh the costs. Even the average cost of $60,000 is too expensive to "find yourself".If you're thinking about going to business school to get your MBA, you should do so with specific purpose and be working to realize specific benefits. You need to have a specific ROI on the investment in your education.Is going to business school and getting an MBA worth it? Maybe.I received my MBA and I can honestly tell you that it was only worth it because it was partially-paid for by my employer. The true out-of-pocket cost of $80,000 would probably not have been worth it.With that being said, these are the questions that you should answer before pursuing an MBA.