Tax Season Student Loan Tips & Big Mistakes We See

Figuring out how to pay for grad school is about to get a lot trickier—and the fate of student loan forgiveness hangs in the balance. We break down what the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act means for new grads, why programs like PSLF and SAVE are under the microscope, and how upcoming changes will shift federal loan limits and forgiveness options. We tackle real listener questions on recertifying your income during a dental residency, PSLF processing times, loan capitalization, and married filing strategies. Key moments: (02:29) The new rules after July 2026: federal loan limits and the RAP plan for grad/professional students (03:32) Whether you can avoid in-school deferment to earn IDR credit during residency (06:14) How recertifying income before forgiveness can impact your spouse's payment under IDR (07:41) Why PSLF buyback is moving at a glacial pace, but traditional PSLF is still processing (13:12) Who will still benefit from forgiveness after the OBBB Act   Resource mentioned:  studentloanplanner.com/voicemail – submit questions to the show   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 Join SLP Insiders for student loan loopholes, SLP app and member community 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!  

If you've been coasting since COVID without recertifying your income-driven repayment plan, that grace period is officially over. We break down what recertification actually looks like right now and talk about recalculation, payment caps, the kinds of forbearances that help (or hurt) your progress toward forgiveness, and a weird glitch flagging people as Parent PLUS borrowers when they're not. You'll learn where to find your recert date, what to do when your loan servicer fumbles your file, and how to avoid common mistakes in a system that seems designed to trip you up, all while staying on track for PSLF or long-term forgiveness. Key moments: (04:02) Servicers pulling income 4 months before recertification dates — and sometimes applying new payments early (06:49) How to choose whether to recalculate, switch plans, or manually recertify in the IDR recertification portal (14:59) 626,000 pending IDR applications, and what to do if yours has been sitting for months (21:01) Payment caps and why denial letters aren't always bad (24:19) The Parent PLUS glitch making recertification impossible for some, and how to fix it   Resources mentioned:  StudentAid.gov for up-to-date recertification information and account access 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 Join SLP Insiders for student loan loopholes, SLP app and member community 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!  

The One Big Beautiful Bill didn't kill PSLF outright, but once you run the numbers on the new borrowing limits and the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), the financial incentive for Public Service Loan Forgiveness essentially evaporates for future borrowers. I walk through exactly how this plays out for physicians, PAs, NPs, teachers, lawyers, and other professions — and why existing borrowers are grandfathered in but should still pay attention. I also break down what the new math means for private universities, which degrees still pencil out financially, and a critical deadline for Parent PLUS borrowers that could affect your ability to retire. Key moments: (03:57) How the new $50K/year loan cap makes PSLF nearly worthless for physicians entering med school this fall (07:51) Second-year students are grandfathered in and can borrow Grad PLUS to finish their program (09:18) How lower borrowing limits gut PSLF for NPs, PAs, teachers, and lawyers (16:09) The Parent PLUS consolidation deadline before July 2026, and why waiting too long could make income-based repayment permanently inaccessible   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 Join SLP Insiders for student loan loopholes, SLP app and member community 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!  

Timing your tax filing can mean serious savings on your monthly payments, especially if you're on an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan and aiming for forgiveness. We break down scenarios for when it makes sense to file right away, when to wait, and how married couples or borrowers with irregular income can play their cards for the biggest advantage. If you've ever wondered how your AGI or recertification date could influence your student loan bills, this episode gives you straightforward strategies you can use right now. Key moments: (07:48) Why when you file your tax return directly affects your IDR payment amount (10:59) Filing a tax extension is free, but if you owe taxes, you must pay by April 15 (18:13) When filing early (or on time) makes more sense than filing an extension (21:39) SAVE borrowers can lock in the ideal recertification date by switching plans between April 15 and October 15   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 Join SLP Insiders for student loan loopholes, SLP app and member community 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!  

Things are not "calm and predictable" in student loan land right now. Hear real stories from recent consultations and learn what actions matter most before the June 30th, 2026, consolidation deadline. We dig into what's happening with PSLF case reviews, consolidation risks, tax season strategies, and what Parent PLUS borrowers need to know now that double consolidation is gone. Even if you feel lost or overwhelmed, you'll finish this episode with a checklist of things to act on now to protect your strategy before small mistakes turn into expensive ones. Key moments: (02:22) Why PSLF payment histories are missing and how to file a complaint with StudentAid.gov (08:49) Consolidate after June 30, 2026, and you could add 10 years to forgiveness (18:37) Smart strategies for tax returns and loan recertification (26:42) Double consolidation is over for Parent PLUS borrowers — here's what to do now Resources mentioned:  File a StudentAid.gov complaint File a CFPB complaint   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 Join SLP Insiders for student loan loopholes, SLP app and member community 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!  

If your student loan payment is tied to your income, your tax return isn't just paperwork — it's part of your repayment strategy. Listen to a live tax webinar we did with Sim Terwilliger, CFP®, CSLP®, Director of Tax at SLP Wealth, as we share the biggest mistakes we're seeing this season, especially around married filing separately, community property states, and backdoor Roth IRAs — plus when filing an extension can legitimately save you real money on income-driven repayment. If you're navigating forgiveness, IDR, or just trying not to overpay Uncle Sam, this one's for you. Key moments: (02:09) Married filing separate vs. joint: when it lowers payments (08:29) The top mistake: Backdoor Roth errors that trigger penalties (20:37) Niche tax savings under RAP plan, managing AirBnbs, and passive income (35:31) The new SALT cap changes and who benefits   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 Join SLP Insiders for student loan loopholes, SLP app and member community 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!  

Fall 2026 is shaping up to be a financial aid cliff. If you're a grad student, parent of a college student, or a current professional school attendee, the shifts in borrowing limits, repayment plans, and the fate of Grad PLUS loans could seriously affect your finances and your future. Listen in as I answer listener questions and then pivot to the big question: what happens if you (or your kid) take out even one new federal loan after July 2026? Key moments: (00:42) PSLF Buyback: Which tax years might determine your payment? (05:48) The tax-extension strategy to keep a lower IDR payment for another year (11:53) Taking out just one loan after July 2026 blocks you from everything but the RAP plan (15:18) Parents borrowing on behalf of a child face especially bad news (18:23) Should you gamble your financial future? The "retire with defaulted Parent PLUS loans" strategy   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 Join SLP Insiders for student loan loopholes, SLP app and member community 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!  

We're taking an early look at the new student loan rules released in January 2026 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Find out why borrowers, especially Parent PLUS families, need to pay close attention. We'll explain which degrees are most affected, how professional and graduate programs are changing for loan purposes, how the RAP plan will impact repayment, and whether private lenders can keep up with demand. Key moments: (02:18) Why these regulations were rushed and what's coming next (04:40) Parent PLUS borrowers face confusing deadlines and inconsistent official guidance (11:57) Who counts as a "professional student" under new loan caps (17:47) The surprising good news on consolidation and forgiveness credit   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 Join SLP Insiders for student loan loopholes, SLP app and member community 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!  

If you feel like student loan policy is stuck in limbo right now, you're not wrong. In this episode, I walk through the mountain of regulations the Department of Education still has to publish very soon if the new repayment system is going to function by July 1. We talk about why schools are scrambling, why borrowers are stuck waiting and how political timing is making everything messier. If you're trying to plan your finances while the rules are still being written, this episode explains what's missing and what's coming. Key moments: (03:06) Degree borrowing limits are creating chaos for schools and students (05:26) Democratic senators demand answers from the Department of Education (12:34) A lot of rules still don't exist for implementing the plan changes (14:01) Why students, schools, and policymakers are all "gambling" right now   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 Join SLP Insiders for student loan loopholes, SLP app and member community 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!  

Parent PLUS loans are about to get a lot more complicated, and most families have no idea what's coming. In this episode, senior student loan advisor Lauryn Williams, CFP®, CSLP®, AFC®, sits down with student loan expert Janna McKay, AFC®, CSLP®, to break down the biggest changes affecting Parent PLUS borrowers. You'll learn about the end of double consolidation, new repayment access rules, and what the July 2026 deadline really means for forgiveness and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). If you're a parent helping kids through college, this episode could save you from a costly mistake. Key moments: (06:38) Why double consolidation is officially dead (and what replaces it) (08:10) Quick clarification for borrowers who don't have Parent PLUS loans (13:38) Real client cases where consolidation mistakes caused major problems (22:43) Why borrowing after July 2026 could permanently block PSLF for parent borrowers (33:18) Legacy provisions for borrowing before July 1, 2026 vs. borrowing after     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 Join SLP Insiders for student loan loopholes, SLP app and member community 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!