Credit Card Hardship Programs: What Happens When You Finally Answer the Bank’s Call
The bank keeps calling about your credit card. Here is what a hardship program actually is: a lower fixed rate, one payment, and a real payoff date. On $30,000, it can mean paying $4,799 in interest instead of $66,300.
Should Medical Students File Taxes? Why a $0 Return Can Mean $0 Loan Payments
Most medical students skip filing taxes because they owe nothing. That skipped return can be the difference between $0 loan payments in residency and hundreds a month.
Does Married Filing Separately Still Lower Student Loan Payments Under RAP?
Yes. Under RAP, filing taxes separately keeps a spouse’s income out of the payment. See a parity-verified table and when the lower payment actually costs more.
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.