As I learned the ropes of personal finance, a money-savvy friend taught me how to tell bad debt from good debt. Bad debt comes in many forms — including credit card balances (especially when tied to high interest rates), car loans and other … [Read more...]
Tuition.io: A Free Site to Organize Your Student Loans
March 1, 2013 by 2 Comments
Whenever I talk to readers or do a survey, repaying student loans tops people’s priority list. It can feel like it’s difficult to get ahead in life until these big balances are behind us. Although I don’t always think that you should make … [Read more...]
Should You Save or Pay Off Student Loans?
March 1, 2013 by 23 Comments
One of the most common questions I get is "should I save or pay off student loans?" Although it can be daunting to start out with a lot of eduction debt, you may want to resist the urge to repay those student loans as fast as possible. Earlier … [Read more...]
Q&A: I Want to Travel Before Starting a Career, But What About my Student Loans?
January 17, 2013 by 8 Comments
Q: I am about to start paying off my $30,000 of student loan debt and am wondering how to approach this. Should I go with the most aggressive [repayment plan] or not? I am a waitress, so I never know what my income is going to be. I do have about … [Read more...]
Welcome to 2013, the Year of Crowdfunding for College
January 11, 2013 by
When the final draft of 2012 in review gets written, it deserves to go down — in personal finance terms — as the Year of Crowdfunding. All sorts of crowdfunding records were set and shattered, with some remarkable stories as a result. In the … [Read more...]
How to Pay Your Student Loan Faster
October 25, 2012 by
There’s no doubt that dealing with student loan debt can seem overwhelming. But before you freak out and start to regret spending all that money on your degree, take a second to breathe and remember this: There are things you can do to help pay … [Read more...]
How to Apply for Private Student Loans: The Nuts and Bolts Made Offensively Simple
September 19, 2012 by
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I think talking about finances can be really stressful. And no finance-related topic has caused as much stress in my life so far as the process of securing a private student loan. Entering my … [Read more...]
Should You Pay Off Student Loans Early?
June 26, 2012 by
If you’ve graduated from college or graduate school in the last decade, I don’t need to tell you that college tuition is rising at an unsustainable level or that we are graduating with monstrous student loan debts—to the point that Americans’ … [Read more...]
Q&A: Should I Take Out Another Student Loan For My PhD?
March 2, 2012 by
Occasionally I publish answers to select readers’ money questions. I welcome your opinion in the comments. Send questions to [email protected] Q: I am 27, married, and my husband and I have a combined student loan debt of about $100,000. … [Read more...]
