Tax season is underway. This year’s income tax return is due on April 15. Many of you may have already filed your taxes or are in the process of filing them. You may have undergone some major life changes in the past year like being financially impacted from the coronavirus pandemic, moving for a new job, saving for retirement or education, or juggling a new business.

Before you submit your tax return, you’ll want to consider if those lifestyle changes make you eligible for one of several credits or deductions.

Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs)

Contributed to a retirement fund? In…

Paying back student loans may feel overwhelming but creating a balanced financial plan can help you easily tackle your loans and become paid in full sooner than you think.

If you’re just starting this process, you should know that the vast majority of student loan borrowers successfully repay their loans, and you can too.

So, you’re interested in an income-driven repayment plan for your federal student loans. If you read part one of our two-part series, you already have the answer to three top questions:

1. What is IDR and is there a fee to enroll?

2. How will enrollment in an IDR plan affect my outstanding balance and the amount of time it will take to pay back my loan?

3. Which plan is best for me and how do I enroll?

In this second article, we discuss how you can enroll in an IDR plan if you are behind on payments, what…

The following is part one of a two-part series detailing the most important information federal student loan borrowers should know about income-driven repayment plans.

If you’re repaying federal student loans or will soon enter repayment and need a lower monthly payment, here is what you need to know about the federal student loan repayment plans that set your monthly payment as a percentage of your discretionary income.

Unless you’ve chosen otherwise, your federal student loans are automatically enrolled in the “standard” repayment plan — a fixed monthly payment paid over the course of 10 years. If the standard repayment plan…

Have you ever heard of a no-spend weekend?

It’s a weekend where you can put your frugality to the test.

No-spend weekends help me keep my monthly spending in check. This year, I scheduled my no-spend weekends in advance, so I had time to research free or low-cost happenings across my city.

If you’re looking to cut extra expenses out of your budget or to quickly pay down debts, no-spend weekends may put you closer to your financial goals too.

Navient customer Kristal B. says creating a basic budget will help assign your dollars. “Don’t be afraid of a budget…

As a father of two college students attending schools roughly two hours away in different directions, I’ve learned to appreciate the value of those long drives.

Before dropping my daughter or son off — like I just did recently — the time in the car together is good for hearing all about their lives on campus — what their class schedule is like, which professors they like, what their friends are doing, what they’re thinking about their futures and so on.

And on the way back, the drive is especially good for thinking about their eventual transitions from college student…

Six years ago, I embarked on my higher education journey as a first-generation college student. As part of my research, every other weekend I would drag my parents across North Carolina to tour college campuses. A few weeks ago, I relived those very moments with a group of 20 high school students from Wilmington, Delaware preparing for their own college journey.

On Easter Sunday, the group of college hopefuls began their first leg of a week-long college tour. We toured 15 schools in South and North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. …

After choosing and attending a school, deciding how to finance your education, and finishing your degree, you might encounter one more important decision as you begin repayment: whether to consolidate or refinance your student loans. While these terms are often used interchangeably, they’re different. If you’re exploring these options, here’s what you need to know.

Let’s start with this question: What is the difference?

Student loan consolidation usually refers to a program for federal loans only. It’s a government program through the U.S. Department of Education that allows you to combine one or multiple federal student loans into a single…