Ryan is a writer at NerdWallet covering student loans. He previously spent more than a decade at the national nonprofit American Student Assistance, and his work has been featured by The Associated Press and in U.S. News & World Report’s Student Loan Ranger blog. When not helping borrowers, Ryan loves spending time with his wife and two young kids. You can reach him at rlane@nerdwallet.com.
The phrase “income-based repayment” sounds descriptive enough — payment amounts are based on your income. But many factors may affect how servicers calculate payments under Income-Based Repayment and the other…
The federal government offers four income-driven repayment plans that can lower your monthly bills based on your income and family size. Switching to one of these plans is usually right…
Forty percent of students who enroll in a four-year college don’t graduate within six years, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. These students miss the benefits of a…
Little is free when it comes to student loans. But some private lenders offer complimentary benefits like career coaching and academic help. While federal student loans don’t have those features,…
The standard repayment plan is the basic plan for repaying student loans. You’re automatically placed in this plan when you start repayment, unless you select a different option. Here are…
Extended graduated student loan repayment is a variation of the extended repayment plan. Both extended plans lower payments by lengthening your repayment term, but extended graduated repayment also initially decreases…
The graduated repayment plan for student loans lowers monthly payments — potentially to as little as the interest accruing on your loans — and then increases the amount you pay…
If you prefer to refinance student loans with a credit union, Alliant makes it easy to pay off your loan quickly, but it also has fewer flexible repayment options for…
Student loan settlement is possible, but you’re at the mercy of your lender to accept less than you owe. Don’t expect to negotiate a settlement unless: Your loans are in…
You should refinance private student loans if you qualify for a better interest rate. Refinance lenders don’t typically charge upfront costs, so a lower rate can allow you to pay…
