You Got a Sweet Deal on Student Loans From Biden

Quick Answer: Biden’s administration has approved $25 billion in student loan forgiveness and announced up to $20,000 in debt cancellation per borrower. The new income-based repayment plan requires only 5% of income over $33,000, with borrowers expected to repay just 50 cents per dollar borrowed on average.College debtors definitely have a friend in President Biden.  …

Read more

Federal Student Loans Are Broken: Myth vs Reality

Quick Answer: Federal student loans are indeed broken, as confirmed by a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report documenting widespread mismanagement. Key issues include colleges withholding transcripts from indebted students and loan servicers improperly kicking borrowers out of income-driven repayment plans due to administrative errors.The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines snafu as “a situation marked by errors or confusion.” The …

Read more

Federal Student Loan Balance Rising on IBR?

Quick Answer: Federal student loan balances can rise significantly on Income-Based Repayment plans when payments don’t cover interest, as demonstrated by this borrower whose $58k loan grew to $150k. Borrowers facing increased IBR payments should explore alternative Income-Driven Repayment options like REPAYE, PAYE, or ICR plans through the Department of Education’s online calculator.Question:Dear Steve,Owe approx …

Read more

Student Loan Forbearance Advice: Myth vs Reality

Quick Answer: Student loan forbearance is poor advice compared to income-driven repayment plans, as forbearance allows interest to accumulate while income-based programs offer loan forgiveness. This borrower’s debt grew from $14,000 to $35,000 over 20 years due to forbearance, when income-contingent repayment (available since 1995) or IBR (since 2007) would have provided forgiveness after 25 …

Read more