Posted on Monday, June 11, 2018

Becoming a Veterinarian—is it a Sound Financial Decision?

by Jeannie Burlowski

Most of my articles are for parents of students age 12—26. This article is for parents, yes, but it’s also for any student thinking of becoming a veterinarian.

One of my clients at GetIntoMedSchool.com wrote me this week, asking my advice for a friend who’s thinking of becoming a veterinarian. My client wanted to know if I thought that right now, in 2018, vet school would be a good idea.

My thoughts on becoming a veterinarian might surprise you.

“My grave worry,” I told my client, “is that that vet school is so expensive—some veterinary students run up so much debt that they can’t repay it on a veterinarian’s salary. Anyone hoping to become a vet needs to use superstar strategies for doing it debt-free.”

Here are the steps to take.

Considering becoming a veterinarian? Do a quick salary study first.

Posted on Monday, April 16, 2018

Grisham NAILS IT in this Novel About Law School Debt

by Jeannie Burlowski

In March of 2018, I spent 12 days on vacation with my family. On the plane and on the beach, I read a fantastic John Grisham novel that contained a surprise for me that made my hair stand on end. What was it? The principal characters were all coping with horrific law school debt.

I’ve spent my entire professional life getting college students and grad students to careers they excel at and love with zero student loan debt. I spent years researching and writing a book on this subject. I can tell you, Grisham’s research on this topic is right on the money. He nails it.

BEWARE. Law school debt has the potential to destroy your kid’s life.

I am not overstating this. Students who attend law school are at frightening risk of not being able to earn enough afterward to pay even the required minimums on their law school debt and interest. Law students from elite law schools who land the “big time” jobs will still struggle to pay—many times while working grueling 80+ hour workweeks that can feel more like indentured servitude than a great, fulfilling career.

Don’t fool yourself. It’s possible to get a great, fulfilling, high-paying professional career while avoiding law school.

Pages 133–151 of my book explains exactly how parents can use three career assessments to figure out what that great, fulfilling, well-paying career might be for their teen or 20something.

Posted on Monday, March 12, 2018

Oh, No — I’m MARRIED to Student Loan Debt

What to Know When Your "I do" Includes "I Do Intend to Pay."

by Jeannie Burlowski

If your spouse has student loan debt, what does that mean for you and for your financial future?

What can you do now that will keep you safe throughout the decades ahead, even if something bad happens?

Immediately address the biggest thing you must worry about when your spouse has student loan debt.

Think, for just a minute, of the unthinkable. What if your spouse dies, leaving you with a mountain of student loan debt that you have to pay off? Are you doomed? Or is there something you can do now to get out of paying thousands back all by yourself later?

To understand what your risks are and what you can do now to protect yourself and your family, be sure you’ve read the article I’ve written entitled “What Happens to Student Loan Debt When You Die?”

Take all the safe, legal steps you can to free yourself from your spouse’s student loan debt now.

You don’t have to get a divorce in order to accomplish this. Just do the following six things as soon as you can:

Posted on Monday, March 5, 2018

What Happens to Student Loan Debt After You Die?

by Jeannie Burlowski

No parent wants to consider this — but what happens if one of your children runs up $80,000 in student loan debt, and then perishes in a car accident or dies of cancer? Will your grief be compounded by having to make years (decades!) of student loan payments, until the student loan obligation is paid in full? Every parent needs to be clear on the answer to this question: “What happens to student loan debt after you die?”

The answer is scary, but — there’s great hope for those who can plan ahead just a bit.

What happens to student loan debt after you die?

First, the good news, then the bad news.

Posted on Monday, January 8, 2018

4 Amazingly Easy Steps To Get Out Of Debt

by Jeannie Burlowski

If you as a parent are out of debt by the day your kid starts college, you’ll have more cash on hand to help with college bills. If you start the process of getting out of debt years before your kid starts college, you’ll have more cash on hand to save for college.

Either way, you’ll dramatically increase the chances that your child will graduate from college and begin adult life debt-free.

Today I’m featuring four amazingly easy steps to get out of debt, from best-selling author Dave Ramsey. These steps to get out of debt are so easy, you can fit them on a post-it note.

Posted on Monday, September 11, 2017

How College Loans Got So Evil (5-Minute Video)

This Adam Conover Video is Hilarious and Frightening

by Jeannie Burlowski

Today I’m featuring a 5-minute video clip from the popular TV show Adam Ruins Everything. This 5-minute clip is titled, “How College Loans Got So Evil.” It’s funny! But then again, it’s not funny at all — because it’s true.

Please share this post with every parent, teacher, guidance counselor, school staff person, government official, and college staff person you know.

Because we all need to know the truth — so we can take evasive action for the kids we love.

*Viewer discretion is advised

For clear, step-by-step help getting your kids through college debt-free, read on.

Posted on Monday, July 24, 2017

Why You Should Never Cosign a Student Loan

And How to Save Yourself If You've Already Done It

by Jeannie Burlowski

Parent, I urge you: DO NOT cosign a student loan for your child.

Today I’m featuring information from an article by nationally syndicated radio host and author Clark Howard. I consider this to be must-read info for every parent. After you read below, you can find articles by Clark Howard, listen to his radio show, view his videos, and sign up to receive his money-saving advice right in your email inbox at ClarkHoward.com.

Are you considering cosigning a loan for an adult child who needs a car, a student loan, or a credit card?

Here are 7 deeply concerning things you need to be aware of before you pick up that pen.

1. If you cosign a student loan, you may unwittingly strain future family relationships.

Nobody likes to think about this, but there’s an almost four in 10 chance that when you cosign a student loan, you will be the one who has to pay off the balance. A CreditCards.com survey found that of the cosigners they surveyed, 38 percent had to pay some or all of the loan balance or credit card bill because the primary borrower did not, 28 percent experienced a drop in their credit score because the person they chose to cosign for paid late or not at all, and 26 percent said the cosigning experience damaged their relationship with the person they cosigned for.

Posted on Monday, January 30, 2017

Social Security Checks Garnished To Pay for College

Elderly Parents in Poverty, Still Paying for Their Kids' College

by Jeannie Burlowski

Could you one day have your social security checks garnished to pay for your kids’ college?

Yes.

You may be in danger of having your social security checks garnished and not even realize it.

Parents duped into taking out Parent PLUS loans to pay for their kids’ college can find themselves on the hook for hundreds or thousands of dollars each month, right at a time of life where they may be wanting to (or worse, needing to) retire.

The Danger of Parent PLUS Loans

Posted on Monday, November 7, 2016

Your Kid’s Under 5? Get Ready for the Kindergarten Windfall.

by Jeannie Burlowski

If you’re parenting a kid who’s not yet in kindergarten, you’re wondering how in the world you ended up reading an article written by a writer who gets kids through college debt-free. Keep reading and I’ll tell you why this blog is the best place for you to be right now.

On the day your baby starts kindergarten, your family is likely to experience an exhilarating financial windfall.

Daycare expenses may suddenly plummet.

A former stay-at-home parent might start working full-time or part-time.

The boost in your income in either of these scenarios is likely to be sudden and remarkable.

During the year before your baby starts kindergarten, sit down and plan how to invest this windfall.

Using the resources and support of someone like Dave Ramsey, start aggressively paying off your own student loan and household debt, and then once you’ve done that — visit a Certified Financial Planner and start planning retirement contributions and bit-by-bit college savings.

Posted on Monday, July 11, 2016

Drowning in Student Loan Debt? Here are 6 Legitimate Ways Out

Part 3 of a 3-Part Series

by Jeannie Burlowski

This article is part 3 of a 3-part series on what students can do if they’ve left college with student loan debt. You can find the first two (very important) articles in this series here and here.

Every year, frightening numbers of students finish college with massive amounts of student loan debt—and then find themselves completely unable to find employment that pays enough to cover their student loan payments.

Many of these 20somethings work as nannies, restaurant servers, and cashiers, jobs that barely pay enough to cover rent and groceries.

What can be done about this? Simply not paying on student loan debt is not an option. (You can read about the scary consequences of student loan debt default here.)

If you’re a former college student and you find yourself in this position, here are 6 strategies that will help.