The cost of higher education has ballooned exponentially in recent years. The days of being able to put yourself through a big university on a part-time or full-time job are mostly gone. Today, financial aid and student loans are almost as much a part of college as attending class. As a result, many students graduate Read more >
Q. I have the regular student loans, and I have graduated. I’m married filing jointly and about to make my first standard payment of my student loan, but I am interested in applying for an income-based repayment (IBR) plan. My husband doesn’t have any student loans. My husband wants to apply for a mortgage in Read more >
If you are among those who have been asked to wait out the shutdown on the sidelines or continue reporting to work without pay, you are all too aware of the mounting financial pressures. Mortgage lenders, credit card companies, utility service providers and others have come forward with temporary hardship programs specifically for furloughed workers, Read more >
“Ask Brianna” is a column from NerdWallet for 20-somethings or anyone else starting out. I’m here to help you manage your money, find a job and pay off student loans — all the real-world stuff no one taught us how to do in college. Send your questions about postgrad life to askbrianna@nerdwallet.com. This week’s question: “I Read more >
When you’re struggling financially, keeping up with your student loan payments might feel like you’re stuck on a runaway train — and student loan forbearance, which allows you to pause these payments temporarily, might look like a soft landing. But watch out: Although forbearance is undeniably quick and easy to set up, its high costs Read more >
Parents are increasingly shouldering the student loan burden and risking their financial health to do it, according to a new report from the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy organization. In its analysis of debt taken on through the federal parent PLUS loan program, Brookings found that: Balances owed by parents have more than tripled over the Read more >
Q. I was reading about the Navient lawsuit but also received a text in regards to it and wanted to understand this better. I’ve been paying this one loan for what seems like forever. And my payments will be going up soon, which will be hard for me. I do pay extra each month. This Read more >
The moment a student takes out a loan is not often the time they think about how to repay them. But, the reality is the moment you sign on the dotted line, you need to figure out how you are going to pay it back. However, for many borrowers this time has already passed. So, Read more >
If college tuition bills are looming and you don’t have nearly enough saved, you have plenty of company. But you also have options for making it more affordable. Four out of 10 families who hope to send kids to college aren’t saving for that goal, according to student loan company Sallie Mae. Among those who Read more >
“Ask Brianna” is a column from NerdWallet for 20-somethings or anyone else starting out. I’m here to help you manage your money, find a job and pay off student loans — all the real-world stuff no one taught us how to do in college. Send your questions about postgrad life to askbrianna@nerdwallet.com. Student loans aren’t Read more >
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