What happens when forgiven student debt becomes taxable income again? That’s the “tax bomb” we’re breaking down this week — why it’s coming back, who could get caught by surprise and what you can actually do about it (even if Congress keeps punting the ball down the road). We’ll get into 20- and 25-year forgiveness for private-sector folks, insolvency exclusions and why the whole mess falls hardest on servicers and borrowers.

We also talk about the real-world impact of recent rule changes, state-level quirks and my predictions for what might (and might not) change after 2026.

Key moments:

(00:42) Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) stays tax-free

(02:59) Who needs to worry about the tax bomb

(13:12) Using insolvency exclusions to lower (or wipe out) your student loan tax bill

(16:15) Why we expect Congress to make student loan forgiveness permanently tax-free in the future

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
• Join SLP Insiders for student loan loopholes, SLP app and member community

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!

Mentioned in this episode:

Want more? Check out our other podcast

Starting to think beyond your student loans? Check out our other show, Financially Free Era. It's about what comes next, investing, building wealth, and designing a life you actually want. Find "Financially Free Era by SLP Wealth" in your podcast app.

Tips I Can't Share Publicly

Getting our free newsletter? Upgrade your experience and discover student loan loopholes so good, they might get repealed if I talk about them publicly. Find out my very best thought leadership that I really just can't be open about anymore, unfortunately. If you want to get our very best tips, not just the ones that I can share for free. Go to studentloanplanner.com/insider to get a special discount for your year membership.

A candid look at what our student loan experts are seeing in real-time consultations. The throughline: borrowers need to pull their heads out of the sand because too many are sitting on consolidation deadlines, surprise recertifications, and PSLF misconceptions that could cost them years of credit. The conversation moves from urgent Parent PLUS deadlines to PSLF edge cases, then to disability planning and ABLE accounts — every topic drawn from patterns the team is seeing across recent consults.

Key moments:

(03:47) Parent PLUS borrowers must consolidate before July 1 to preserve IDR access

(08:09) Servicers are pulling tax data months early — revoke IRS consent to control your recertification

(22:29) Big Beautiful Bill removes IBR's hardship test, reopening PSLF for high earners

(36:13) Disability creates two tracks: IDR recalculation for income drops, or Total and Permanent Disability Discharge

(42:07) ABLE accounts let families save for disability expenses with tax-free growth, and 529 funds can roll in

Resources mentioned:

• StudentAid.gov - official Federal Student Aid site for IDR, consolidation, PSLF, disability discharge, and more

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
• Join SLP Insiders for student loan loopholes, SLP app and member community

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!

Mentioned in this episode:

The SLP YouTube Channel

If you're more of a visual learner or you like seeing charts, breakdowns, and exploring other topics, check out https://youtube.com/studentloanplanner

Free Student Loan newsletter

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Graduate and professional school just got a lot trickier to finance. With the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act slashing federal loan limits in 2026, figuring out how much you should borrow and whether private loans make sense is a whole different ballgame.

We examine old vs. new borrowing math, which degrees might justify taking out private loans, where the ROI completely falls apart, and how the profession you choose could make or break your financial future.

Key moments:

(01:13) Why borrowing used to function like a 10% “income tax”

(04:50) Who benefits from the old system vs. new 2026 rules

(06:40) Careers where high borrowing still makes financial sense

(10:08) Professions where private loans require careful planning

(22:02) Fields where private loans can seriously hurt your finances

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
• Join SLP Insiders for student loan loopholes, SLP app and member community

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!

Mentioned in this episode:

Want more? Check out our other podcast

Starting to think beyond your student loans? Check out our other show, Financially Free Era. It's about what comes next, investing, building wealth, and designing a life you actually want. Find "Financially Free Era by SLP Wealth" in your podcast app.

Tips I Can't Share Publicly

Getting our free newsletter? Upgrade your experience and discover student loan loopholes so good, they might get repealed if I talk about them publicly. Find out my very best thought leadership that I really just can't be open about anymore, unfortunately. If you want to get our very best tips, not just the ones that I can share for free. Go to studentloanplanner.com/insider to get a special discount for your year membership.