Get ready to uncover the myths, master the rewards, and smartly amplify your spending power — all while keeping your finances sharp and your debt strategy on point. Whether you're looking to squeeze every last benefit out of your credit card points, contemplating the right card for your business expenses, or simply looking to use your cards more strategically, this episode is a goldmine. Listen in as Meagan McGuire, ChFC®, CSLP®, and Mary Rush, CFP®, CSLP®, talk tricks, tips, and savvy spending with every swipe. Discover how to make every dollar and every point work harder for you.

In today’s episode, you'll find out:

• How to leverage credit cards and credit card rewards to your advantage
• About the benefits Meagan and Mary have personally enjoyed from credit card rewards programs
• Why the common belief that carrying a balance improves your credit score is wrong
• How maintaining a low credit utilization rate can benefit your financial health
• When and how to utilize 0% balance transfer cards to manage debt effectively
  strategies for using credit cards as budgeting tools, including how to use statement balances
• The perks of cashback vs. niche-specific credit cards and which is best for you
• Why credit cards provide better fraud and travel protection than debit cards
• Mary's strategy for maximizing rewards with travel and cashback credit cards
• Meagan's experience with using a credit card for business and the rewards she missed from not using a personal card
• Details on point conversions of airline miles, cashback and reward points
• Tips to utilize credit cards for significant expenses like weddings, home improvements or even paying taxes

Like the show? There are several ways you can help!

• Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Amazon Music
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Feeling helpless when it comes to your student loans?

• Try our free student loan calculator
• Check out our refinancing bonuses we negotiated
• Book your custom student loan plan
• Get profession-specific financial planning

Do you have a question about student loans? Leave us a voicemail here or email us at help@studentloanplanner.com and we might feature it in an upcoming show!

A timely discussion of what happens as we face down the expiration of the IDR waiver. Will the administration extend it at the last second? We don't know (as of the time of the recording). But one thing is sure: Borrowers can expect seismic shifts as the IDR waiver ends. It's been key to unlocking the forgiveness gates for many, but its flexible counting of nearly any kind of payment toward forgiveness expires at the end of April. We'll recap the IDR waiver and its benefits and explore what happens after the IDR waiver ends. Get clarity about your next steps and the implications of these changes on your student loan repayment journey.

In today’s episode, you'll find out:

• How the end of the IDR waiver impacts borrowers who've been in forbearance or deferment
• Changes borrowers should prepare for after the IDR waiver expires
• How borrowers with older loans will suffer the biggest consequences as this program ends
• Options for maximizing qualifying payment count when consolidating loans
• Consequences borrowers will face when Pay As You Earn (PAYE) applications close
• What the precedent of moving borrowers from REPAYE to the SAVE plan means for the future of IDR programs
• How to calculate the cost-benefit of married filing separately for taxes
• Tips to navigate the PSLF pause during the transition from MOHELA to the Department of Education
• What “consolidation Death Valley" is and why it could impact you in May-June 2024
• Best practices for dealing with the coming uncertainty of student loans

Links mentioned:
StudentAid.gov

Like the show? There are several ways you can help!

• Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Amazon Music
• Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe to the newsletter

Feeling helpless when it comes to your student loans?

• Try our free student loan calculator
• Check out our refinancing bonuses we negotiated
• Book your custom student loan plan
• Get profession-specific financial planning

Do you have a question about student loans? Leave us a voicemail here or email us at help@studentloanplanner.com and we might feature it in an upcoming show!

Roth IRAs are a highly recommended retirement savings option but it’s not all smooth sailing. Student loan repayment, income limitations, and tax filing status can lead you to treacherous waters. Learn the missteps to avoid and how to correct mistakes before they escalate into hefty fines and taxes. Join student loan advisors Meagan McGuire, ChFC®, CSLP®, Sim Terwilliger, CFP®, CSLP®, and Sam Silberstein, CFP®, CSLP®, and explore contribution deadlines, the pro-rata rule, form 8606, the impact of being in a community property state, and how dual-income households should strategize their student loans and retirement savings. If you’re tired of cookie-cutter advice, you don’t want to miss this episode.

In today’s episode, you'll find out:

• Why lack of profession-specific planning is the biggest mistake you can make in your financial journey
• The impact of the pro-rata rule when converting traditional IRA funds to Roth IRAs
• When to contribute to your Roth IRA to maximize your retirement savings
• Why high-earners might want to contribute to a Roth IRA despite income limits
• How to fix backdoor Roth IRA issues, including tactics for zeroing out accounts
• The importance of prioritizing pre-tax savings when you’ve got student loans
• How community property states complicate Roth IRAs and what to do about it
• Dodging extra taxes and penalties is possible if you contributed to a Roth by mistake
• How side hustlers and independent contractors can leverage Solo 401(k) plans
• Why income projections are critical to nail the right contributions and keep the IRS happy

Like the show? There are several ways you can help!

• Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Amazon Music
• Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe to the newsletter

Feeling helpless when it comes to your student loans?

• Try our free student loan calculator
• Check out our refinancing bonuses we negotiated
• Book your custom student loan plan
• Get profession-specific financial planning

Do you have a question about student loans? Leave us a voicemail here or email us at help@studentloanplanner.com and we might feature it in an upcoming show!