The College Investor Audio Show

Latest Episodes:

The Best Student Loans To Pay For Your MBA Mar 16, 2018

Show notes

The best MBA student loans are federal loans, followed by private. But student loans aren't the only way (or best way) to pay for business school.

The truth is: getting an MBA is expensive. The Masters of Business Administration degree could be a way to bolster your business skills - but it does come at a price. And is it worth it?

According to a recent Investopedia article, the average cost of tuition alone for a 2 year MBA program is $80,000. And that's just tuition alone.

When you factor in the other expenses like books, room and board, and more, you could start seeing the price climb to between $100,000 and $200,000. And for a full time program, the opportunity cost of lost wages could be huge.

Whether you're looking at a part-time MBA program or a full-time MBA program, you're likely going to need student loans as one part of your financial aid pie. Here's what you need to know about paying for your MBA program, including the best student loan options to pay for your MBA.

Roofstock Review Mar 15, 2018

Show notes

Roofstock is an investment platform that allows you to invest in single-family rental properties.

Savvy stock market investors know that transaction fees can kill market gains.

Thankfully, technology has brought transaction costs close to zero for most stock market investors. Unfortunately, real estate investors haven’t had the same luck.

Over the course of five years, I’ve purchased three rental properties (and sold one). My average selling cost for each of these was $4,000. Plus, as a buyer I paid hundreds for inspection fees and due diligence fees.

As far as I know, the only company successfully lowering prices for rental real estate investors is Roofstock.com. Roofstock is an online marketplace for tenant-occupied real estate. Looking to become a real estate investor? Here's why you might want to consider looking for properties on Roofstock.

Why The Debt Snowball Is Bad For Student Loan Borrowers Mar 14, 2018

Show notes

The debt snowball is a popular debt payoff strategy made famous by Dave Ramsey, but it might not be the best strategy for student loans.

In general, it can provide just the right amount of mental oomph to help people keep paying down their debt in hopes of one day being debt free.

But is the debt snowball best for those with students loans that have varying interest rates? As it turns out, the debt snowball is actually best for certain types of people. Others will see through it and choose a different route.

In this article, you’ll learn who the debt snowball is for and who may want to avoid it.

If you're looking to lower the interest rate on your student loans, check out Credible. We love Credible because it allows you to shop for lower rates on your student loans in 2 minutes with NO credit check. Plus, College Investor readers can get up to a $1,000 bonus when they refinance! Check out Credible here.

The Best Student Loans To Pay For Medical School Mar 12, 2018

Show notes

It's complicated to pay for medical school. Medical school student loans play a large part for most doctors.

Medical school is expensive. There no way around that. However, doctors (in general) also earn significant salaries after graduation to potentially justify the high costs.

The average student loan debt of graduating doctors is $202,000. And then you still have years of residency (where you're only going to earn about $60,000 per year) before you get to really earning significant income.

As such, you need to know the options for how to pay for medical school and your medical degree in the most effective way possible. It can sound daunting to take out $200,000 in student loans, have years before you can start repayment, only for the hope of earning more in the future.

But you're going to be a doctor! You're going to save lives! Let's talk about how to keep your money in order and how to find the best loans to pay for medical school!

Parent PLUS Loans: How They Work, Loan Forgiveness, And More Mar 09, 2018

Show notes

This is one of the most common questions I get almost everyday - I can't afford my Parent PLUS Loans, what do I do?

I'm a firm believer that parents should NOT be taking out loans to pay for their children's' education. There are a lot of reasons why it's a bad idea, and I cover most of them in my Forbes column.

The fact is, though, if you're reading this article, it's too late. You've already borrowed and now you're struggling to pay it back. And the most common way that parents borrow money to pay for college is through Parent PLUS Loans.

They sound like a good idea - parents can get Federal loans with all the great benefits that students get. The trouble is, that's wrong. In fact, Parent PLUS Loans taken out after July 1, 2026 don't offer any type of income-based repayment plan nor do they qualify any type of student loan forgiveness programs (well, once again, this is nuanced as well and we discuss below).

In fact, the options are extremely limited with Parent PLUS Loans. You have a few workarounds, but typically student loan refinancing or working together as a family are your best bets. If you're considering refinancing, we recommend Credible. There are some lenders that will allow you to even refinance your Parent PLUS loan into your child's name. Check out Credible here, and if you do refinance, get up to a $1,000 bonus!

When Does It make Sense To Have A Pro Review Your Taxes Mar 08, 2018

Show notes

Over the past several years, we’ve seen a boom in tax software companies offering tax return review or 'second look' promotions.

These 'Second Look' tax return review programs allow filers to have a tax professional examine their tax return before it's submitted.

While these programs could be useful in some cases, they're often just marketing gimmicks designed to get nervous filers to pay more. Here’s what you need to know about them.

Side Note: Many CPAs and CFPs will offer a review of past tax returns when onboarding new clients. This is a great time to have a conversation about past taxes and finances, as well as potentially catch things missed. This is different than the traditional marketing you may be seeing during tax season of a "second look".

Splash Financial Student Loans Review: Pros And Cons Mar 07, 2018

Show notes

Splash Financial has made a "splash" in the student loan market by offering some of the best rates and best student loan bonuses available.

They started out focusing on medical school loan refinancing, but they now have expanded and offer a marketplace of general student loans to anyone with an associates degree or higher.

Check out our review of Splash Financial and see why we list them on our Best Places To Refinance Student Loans guide.

Splash is currently offering College Investor readers a $500 bonus if you refinance at least $50,000⁴. That's a great bonus, and you can apply here to get started.

How Do Employee Stock Purchase Plans Work (ESPPs) Mar 02, 2018

Show notes

An ESPP, or Employee Stock Purchase Plan, allows employees of a company to purchase stock in the company - usually at a discount.

At first glance, you might think your employee stock purchase plan is just a matter of contributing money to it each month. But once you start peeling back the layers, there’s far more to it.

There are three main areas to be aware of in ESPPs: Company match, purchase period, and look back.

“Once you have those three key pieces of information, it becomes very evident whether it makes sense to participate,” Emily Cervino, a vice president in Fidelity’s stock plan services group, told Forbes.

This guide will help you to get the most out of your ESPP and navigate the various language common to these plans.

Student Loan Debt Movement Kick-Off Mar 01, 2018

Show notes

Kicking off the student loan debt movement!

How Investing In Crowdfunded Real Estate Impacts Your Taxes Feb 28, 2018

Show notes

A brief summary of this episode