How to Get Out of Student Loan Default in 2026
Two ways out of federal student loan default: rehabilitation, which erases the default from your credit history, and consolidation, which is faster. What each costs and how to choose.
Parent PLUS Loans in 2026: The Consolidation Door Closed, and the June 2028 Deadline That Still Matters
Parent PLUS consolidation closed July 1, 2026. Clients who consolidated in time have until June 30, 2028 to enroll in income-contingent repayment and lock in IBR access.
How Long Until Student Loans Are Forgiven?
Federal student loans are forgiven after 20, 25, or 30 years of qualifying payments, depending on your plan. Here is the 2026 timeline for IBR, RAP, ICR, and PSLF.
The Student Loan Interest Deduction in 2026: What Your Clients Can Still Claim
The 2026 student loan interest deduction, plain: the $2,500 cap, the new income limits, and the one filing choice that erases it. What advisors should flag.
9 Million Borrowers Are in Default. Your Clients Are in That Number.
Federal defaults just hit a record 9 million borrowers. Why it is happening, why it is an advisor moment, and the one move to make this quarter.
RAP Payments by Income: The Full Table, and the Cliffs Your Clients Will Hit
The complete Repayment Assistance Plan payment schedule by income, plus the bracket cliffs where a small AGI change raises a client’s monthly payment by hundreds.
Why RAP Balances Go Down: The Interest Waiver and the $50 Principal Match
Under RAP, on-time payers stop watching their balance grow. Here is how the interest waiver and the $50 monthly principal match work, with the numbers advisors can show clients.
How to Apply for RAP: Enrolling in the Repayment Assistance Plan (2026)
You apply for RAP through the IDR application at studentaid.gov, and you do not need to wait for a notification. What you need, the steps, and the traps to avoid.
Should I Consolidate My Student Loans?
For most borrowers, no. Consolidation will not lower your rate, and it no longer resets your forgiveness clock. But consolidating a Parent PLUS loan permanently locks you out of RAP.
Your Pipeline Is Full of Parents Whose Kids Went to College and Still Live at Home
Look at your book. A large share of your clients are parents, and a large share of those parents have an adult child who did everything right. Finished school, went to college, took on the debt everyone said was the smart bet, and still ended up back in their childhood bedroom. At the peak of […]