What to Do Before Your Student Loan Payment Jumps to $900

If you've been parked in SAVE plan limbo for the last two years, the waiting is over, and the letter that starts your 90-day clock is either already in your inbox or on its way. Today, Nicole breaks down what happened to SAVE, why doing nothing could send your payment from $0 to $900 overnight, and exactly what to do before that clock runs out.

Nicole walks through RAP, the new Repayment Assistance Plan replacing SAVE, how it calculates your payment off your income, and the upside most people miss: your balance can't grow even if your payment doesn't cover the interest. She also covers why studentaid.gov is about to get slammed, whether you should let the government pull your income data from the IRS, and how to avoid accidentally landing in a plan that doesn't count toward forgiveness.

Then, Nicole flags two things you don't want to miss: a quadrupled autopay discount worth locking in before September 30th, and a little-known Secure 2.0 rule that lets your employer match your student loan payments straight into your 401(k). If you're already in default, she also breaks down what's coming this fall as wage garnishment turns back on, and the two ways out. Finally, today's tip you can take straight to the bank: a tax-filing move married borrowers should run the numbers on before their next RAP payment is calculated.

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Here's what Nicole covers today: 

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab? 

00:16 SAVE Is Officially Dead 

01:29 What Happens If You Do Nothing 

02:12 Check Your Real Balance (Interest Never Stopped) 

02:37 Meet RAP: The New Repayment Assistance Plan 

03:24 Get Ahead of the Studentaid.gov Stampede 

04:40 The 401(k) Match You Didn't Know You Had 

05:21 If You're in Default: What's Coming This Fall 

06:35 Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank

This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor or tax professional before making any financial decisions.