In this example, once your monthly payment hits $1133, youre breaking even with interest and nothing is forgiven (for a single physician, this corresponds to an annual income of around $153,500, so very much in the realm of some academic jobs). Income-driven repayment plans, student loan forgiveness and the student loan forbearance period, for example, would no longer be an option. Thanks! Assuming your recertification is in the summer/fall, you would file the 2019 taxes this spring as married filing separately. The bottom line is that you absolutely can switch out of REPAYEyou just have to be a little bit thoughtful on when you want to switch out to not miss the window. I just accepted a job starting in July for 300k/year to start. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. Assuming youve considered household/spousal income and they dont apply, the simple way as I mentioned above is to compare the private rate with the effective REPAYE rate. So even if your salary as an attending is huge, your monthly payments couldonly rise so much (often referred to as the Doctors Loophole due to the big salary jump at attendinghood with only a subdued concomitant rise in loan payments). Lets assume I'm switching from REPAYE to PAYE after X amount of years. However, a representative from my loan servicer told me that the subsidy applies to the amount of interest not covered by whatever payment I make each month, thereby reducing the amount of interest the government pays in the event I make a payment that exceeds the minimum. How does this impact my next moves? You should switch when your taxes are for your fellow salary and not as an attening, so at your next recertification should be fine. Our loans reporters and editors focus on the points consumers care about most the different types of lending options, the best rates, the best lenders, how to pay off debt and more so you can feel confident when investing your money. IBR and PAYE have a pretty simple mechanism in place to avoid a "marriage penalty" for student loan borrowers. Depends on if youre planning for PSLF or not. I have found this thread to be very informative. Loans around $300,000. There are definitely attendings who will continue to earn a REPAYE interest subsidy, particularly heavy borrowers. Thinking About Switching from RePAYE While in PSLF? Think Again! $265,000 in loans with interest rates averaging around 6%. 2) RePAYE/PSLF for full 10 yrs to have leftover loan amount forgivable The people at Fedloans were worthless and misleading. Discretionary income is defined as the part of a borrower's earnings that exceeds 125% of the poverty . Choose the best home insurance company for you. Youll also sometimes have your accounts placed in an administrative forbearance for a month during the switch, which can delay your PSLF a bit as well. (Technically, many people could do it even once out in practice; it all depends on how much you borrowed versus how much you/your family makes per year. Based on my calculations I would save ~$2250 a year, at least initially until my salary went up and/or annual interest accrued goes down. So Ive settled on changing over to REPAYE, taking advantage of the subsidy (making minimum payments), and instead of putting 1k/mo into my loans, Ill pretty much max out the wifes and my Roth IRA. Educating yourself and doing it yourself is really the best option. 3. What are our options at this point if we cant get in? Because they should be wrong. Since both PAYE and IBR calculations are greater than the 10-Year Standard Repayment Plan, you cannot switch to either plan. In most cases, thats correct. Income-contingent repayment (ICR) is the oldest of the income-driven repayment plans, and it also may be the most expensive. My student loans book is now completely free, I recommend you check it out. For example, if you were in residency for three years, and thus made 36 qualifying payments towards PSLF, and switched to PAYE, would you need to make 120 payments with PAYE? Your average accountant is not typically well versed. Thats a personal opinion, but the services arent known for their skill and acumen. 1. I need to know if, and so when, I should switch from REPAYE to IBR to ensure I stay on a PSLF qualifying plan once my income increases. Ill be sure to give them a call and ask what the deal is, but Im glad you told me it doesnt really make a difference if I pay it now or later. Still, if you have a parent PLUS loan, income-contingent repayment. Its 120 total payments made while in any qualifying plan(s). Currently, she is a teacher for a public school system. So, whether youre reading an article or a review, you can trust that youre getting credible and dependable information. The extra $ up front it will cost me (about $9000/year) for IBR will be a much higher percentage of my income than the extra it may cost me to stay in REPAYE and have my income jump substantially. Thats the one downside. Im currently on REPAYE finishing up fellowship in 6/2022, which would give me 5 years of qualifying payment towards a $250k loan. This was very helpful. I got married this summer my spouse is working (non-medicine), has no student loans and makes slightly less than my resident salary. Your understanding is correct and the servicer representative is wrong. Thanks for the great tips and insights. Also see: https://www.benwhite.com/finance/how-why-to-consolidate-federal-student-loans-when-you-graduate-medical-school/. Under PAYE and IBR, if your spouse made big bucks, you could file taxes separately, thus calculating your loan payments for your debt based solely on your (lower) income. Annual interest paid: $3,240 (270*12) This process is often opaque and not necessarily feasible to do Keep in mind that married filing separately is pretty bad for a whole host of reasons, not the least of which is that it doesn't use the same tax brackets as you'd have if you were both single. The long term plan in part dictates what the right choice is to optimize. We still havent got into the IBR program since we submitted the application back in August 2021. After investment and if I still have extra funds, then I will go ahead and use that to student loan to prevent interest amount accrued. IBR Income Based Repayment (REPAYE) Payments capped at 10-15% of income Most Direct and FFEL Loans are eligible (except Parent PLUS Loans and Consolidation loans that repaid Parent PLUS Loans) Cancellation after 20-25 years More About IBR PAYE Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Payments capped at 10% of income My wife is a OBGYN who has been a attending since August 2020 out of residency. She has made 43/120 qualifying payments towards SLF so far. | ben white, https://www.benwhite.com/finance/yes-you-can-switch-back-from-repaye-to-ibr-or-paye/, https://www.benwhite.com/finance/how-why-to-consolidate-federal-student-loans-when-you-graduate-medical-school/, Switching from REPAYE to PAYE after residency | ben white, The Student Loan Resource Page - Physician on FIRE, Resident Refinance: Laurel Road vs LinkCapital vs SoFi vs Splash vs REPAYE | ben white. Thanks for this great post and the easy to follow-along examples. Hi Ben, Thanks for the reply and the link to the book. The Education Department's proposed rules would revise one of its existing income-driven repayment plans known as REPAYE in which borrowers' monthly payments are tied to their income and. Obviously, I will have much lower effective rate under REPAYE for the first three years of PGYs. It is around the same amount as I would have had if I started in PAYE from the beginning. Id have to get to over 500k AGI for it to cost $10k more a year in REPAYE, which may not happen. 1) Confirm with your servicer that theyll honor you timing the subsidy that way. The first question is whats your long-term plan. Are you sure it would capitalize if I switched back? Switching from REPAYE TO PAYE | Student Doctor Network I will rather be on RePAYE to get the benefit of subsidy amount just during my residency. I will set up the Direct Debit only to my minimum monthly payment under REPAYE. So, no big victory there. I hope I am understanding this all correctly. The REPAYE plan will have saved me half my interest for 3 years (roughly 8k a year, 24k total) but then my unpaid interest will capitalize. Would they ask for paystub instead to deny me? 1) Dont forget, youre going to get your next job before your training ends. Making payments on outstanding student loans has become increasingly difficult. I was feeling somewhat pressured to cover interest each month. What is actually used for payment calculations is not your gross income but your discretionary income: your adjusted gross income minus 150% of the federal poverty line for your family size (e.g. Personally, I would consider making the switch at or near your annual certification time using the last set of taxes that make that a possibility. Since Im not relying on paying towards PSLF, Im having trouble deciding between the pros and cons of REPAYE vs PAYE. If I enroll in REPAYE and subsequently marry a millionaire, my payments would go up higher than theyd be under the standard 10-year repayment plan. Well probably know more next month, and people will have time to switch back before the changes take effect to be sure. The other choice is a financial planner. Either way, I cover this in detail in my book. If this is the case, should I be enrolled in REPAYE to decrease interest while in residency and then just refinance my loans as an attending? It will keep you best positioned if your situation changes in the future. Federal vs. private student loans: Whats the difference? If your calculated payment under REPAYE is less than the accruing interest, then you get a subsidy. WaterDragon I am also a current intern in a very similar situation 200k in debt, anesthesiology and and I want to aggressively pay back my loans. You wont be switching from a 300k salary to something; youll be switching in anticipation of that bigger job. Id contact them asap. If money is tight, thats one thing, but those loans arent going to pay themselves. Further Facets of Income-Driven Repayment | Ben White Thanks! And of course theres the potentially deal-breaking issue of spousal income. Both federal and private loans are eligible for private refinancing (such as with DRB and LinkCapital). The issue that your servicer was likely referring to is that most attendings no longer have a partial financial hardship and thus no longer qualify for IBR. REPAYE payment as a resident making $50,000: $270/month If youre scared and dont plan on PSLF, then do it now. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. I figure it would be better to have a consolidated 9.5k loan at around 5+-% weighted average vs a 17k loan at 6.7+-% right? We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. There are a lot of comments here about the number of payments you already made towards PSLF being maintained when you switch, but what about none PSLF forgiveness? I'm currently locked into PAYE for my student loans, roughly 250k in debt currently, and have 5 years of residency +/- a 1 year fellowship. Also, I need to figure out whether it is better for her to consolidate the FFELP 7k at 6.8% loan with the little $1500 loan at 3.2% vs a bigger 10k at a similar interest rate of 6.5%. Biden's New SAVE Plan Replaces REPAYE When Student Loan Payments Resume. I think this is wrong, and on the PSLF employer verification form it doesnt say anything abotu this, but it freaked me out nonetheless. Generally you would want to switch at the last time your taxes will still give your a partial financial hardship. Were transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Make PAYE payments above the minimum payment as often as possible, so as to minimize the difference with REPAYE while still maintaining financial flexibility. This could be a big deal, particularly if you have a fair amount of residency left. Here's an explanation for how we make money Compared with both IBR and PAYE, theres the new unpaid interest subsidy. The only person I recommend is my internet-friend, Travis Hornsby, the Student Loan Planner. I have asked a few people about this and havent been able to get a straight answer: For REPAYE, do payments made during the 6 month grace period count against the unpaid-interest subsidy? Here are the main features of the REPAYE program (contrasted with PAYE and IBR as applicable) and how it may affect switching: Monthly payments are calculated at 10% of discretionary income (adjusted gross income minus the poverty line). With fair amount of radiology salary, it may be better off to pay off on my own rather than depending on PSLF option. While the stakes seem high, Id still strongly recommend doing it yourself if you can. I currently am enrolled in PAYE with approx. Overall, the REPAYE interest subsidy is the clear winner for most borrowers. PGY6: AGI = $94,000; Required monthly payment = $635; 50% subsidy = $258; interest rate = 4.67%. If youre having a hard time making your federal student loan payments, an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan like Pay As You Earn (PAYE) or Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE) can help. Estimated monthly REPAYE with a household income of $450k is around $3500. Question: Your Federal Student Loans Just Got Easier to REPAYE Especially when thinking about loan forgiveness 20 years and 240 payments later, the fewer number of data points the fewer chances for a mistake. I would personally not plan to account for insolvency 20 years in the future, but if one were truly insolvent and the feds agreed, then the capitalized amount would not matter. Should I switch to PAYE or standard 10 year plan? Plus, if you marry during residency later with a partner with her/his income, you are likely to pay beyond the cap monthly amount under REPAYE/PSLF. You can start with REPAYE filing together then switch to PAYE filing separately if you need the cashflow. Borrowers who are repaying graduate loans under REPAYE have a 25-year term. The only thing Im not really sure on is if I contribute more than the 10% each month and more than the accrued interest for that month will the extra payment go towards interest or the principle of the loan? If you switch from REPAYE to PAYE do your existing PSLF payments still Michelle Lambright Black is a credit expert with over 19 years of experience, a freelance writer and a certified credit expert witness. See take home points below. Incoming PGY1. Hi Ben, I have $200K in direct loans, Im currently on IBR, and I am 5 years along in the PSLF adventure. But: The Department also proposes to sunset new student borrower enrollment in the PAYE and original ICR plans. This apparently has been said to refer to stopping people from switching back, and thats what some outlets are reporting, but histoically that typically means new students and not old borrowers switching between plans theyre otherwise eligible for. Monthly interest accrual is $1150 ($13,800/year). I have a question about starting in REPAYE and switching into PAYE. If youre getting an academic job, youll probably have access to a 403b and 457b and maybe even a mandatory contribution to a pension or something analogous, so you could reduce your income by $37k+ right there as well. I have a $174k in loans ($163k principal + $11k interest). I am in a 3 year residency at a for profit hospital (with 2 years left) so I am not eligible for PSLF. Annual int Paid = $9200 As I said, you really need to run your numbers! While your monthly payments wont change, the amount of unpaid interest accumulating will be cut in half. I know it may be a gamble to switch since at 300k income I would be paying about $9000/year more in payments on IBR than REPAYE, but I expect to be up to 400 in a few years and Ill likely get married in there somewhere so REPAYE may burn me in the long run. But for someone with a very large loan and who may never hit that 10-year Standard Repayment Plan cap, it doesnt make sense to switch.. Bankrate follows a strict Many residents should be doing REPAYE. Private student loans: ~$68,000 @ 7.49%. In your case, both borrowers have a partial financial hardship and are thus paying the usual fraction of their income as a percentage as usual. Im currently $233,000 in debt with 5.875% interest However, depending on your interest rate, you still as a couple may be in a negative amortization scenario while in REPAYE, and thus you may actually be leaving a (probably small) unpaid interest subsidy on the table. Excellent post that really covers a lot of important info. How an updated income-driven student debt repayment plan works | The The weighted average takes into account the size of loans. In terms of switching to PAYE, one basically does this for three reasons: Who would know the ins and outs best. 3. The FFELP loan is a subsidized stafford that has been in deferment for many years at $7k 6.8%. So I was wondering if consolidating ALL 9 of her loans in one go will be a mistake vs consolidating the FFELP with just one of the loans and leaving the rest alone. The interest rates are low of course because there is no risk whatsoever (its a savings account after all), but it helps fight against inflation. At the end of 5 years (7%return IRA) , I come out 30k better off vy doing it this way. Since federal loans use simple and not compound interest (and because you cannot directly pay off the principal with extra payments), its better to put extra money temporarily in something that earns interest itself until youve saved enough to make some real progress. Your original belief was what I used to think as well, but the language is pretty clear in that FAQ and elsewhere. Also note that since most people generally use tax-returns and not pay stubs to verify income, there is generally a delay between when your income rises and when your taxes reflect that increase. There is no single right answer. This Q&A from the government states that If you choose to leave [REPAYE], you may change to any other repayment plan for which you are eligible (page 6). The company was shut down by the feds and its CEO charged with fraud. Yeah, its just a savings account you would use to keep the money somewhere safe where you wont spend it. What is your take on this? Pay As You Earn (PAYE) is an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan that caps federal student loan payments at 10% of your discretionary income and forgives your remaining balance after 20 years of. Eligible unsubsidized loans may receive a 50 percent interest subsidy from day one under REPAYE. You can just set up a loan slush found in an online interest-bearing savings account with the money you would be paying and then apply a large payment at some point in the future, say when your subsidy is running out. You would pay less in IBR filing separately per month, yes, and if youre attempting 25-year forgiveness that would result in the most forgiven. Amount forgiven: $5,180 (half of unpaid) Pay As You Earn is an income-driven repayment plan that generally bases your monthly payment on 10 percent of your discretionary income, though your payments cannot exceed what you would pay. You could be an attending as of July 2016, but when you resubmit income verification in the fall of 2016 for REPAYE, youll be submitting your 2015 taxes, which is a combination of your last two PGY years of training.
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