When someone asks whether a certain degree is “worth it,” there’s finally some data to answer that. We analyzed debt-to-income ratios across dozens of professions from our survey of over 8,000 high-income professionals, and the results tell a pretty clear story about who’s managing student debt well — and who’s getting squeezed.

I’ll also share a few thoughts on what these numbers mean in real life, like how income, housing costs, and lifestyle choices play into long-term financial outcomes.

Key moments:

(01:56) Professions with the lowest debt-to-income ratios and why practicality beats prestige

(05:37) The hidden stress gap between generalists and specialists in healthcare and dentistry

(09:05) Why certain degree programs may be setting students up to fail financially

(13:06) Who’s building the most wealth relative to income

(14:47) Spending patterns that separate comfortable from stressed-out professionals

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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!

Feeling anxious about where your career's headed? You're definitely not alone. We surveyed over 8,000 high-income professionals and asked what's keeping them up at night about their profession in 2025. The answers were eye-opening — but also pretty relatable. We’re covering the top 10 fears that come up again and again. If you're a doctor, dentist, lawyer, or another high-earning professional, chances are you'll see yourself in at least a few of these concerns.

Key moments:

(01:26) Rising education costs and massive debt loads are crushing high-income professionals

(09:15) Rural practice bring in more money due to high competition in urban areas

(20:06) Compassion fatigue is burning out professionals at alarming rate

(24:59) Clients may not value a professional’s expertise when free AI seems “good enough”

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!

Ever wondered how your income and student debt stack up against others in your field? We’re dropping the results from our biggest survey yet – over 8,000 high-income professionals spilled the tea on their finances, and some of these numbers are pretty eye-opening. Find out which careers are getting crushed by student loans and which ones are actually coming out ahead. Plus, we discuss the coming changes in student loan borrowing limits and what they mean for your career, your wallet, and even the future of professional education. Want to know where you stack up? Tune in.

Key moments:

(02:24) Naturopathic doctors have the worst debt to income ratio of any profession that we surveyed

(04:44) Dental specialists average $414K in income and $500K in student debt, a debt-to-income ratio of 1.2:1

(07:19) CRNAs and physicians have surprisingly similar average salaries according to our data

(14:18) Schools can't magically replace lost tuition when borrowing limits block enrollment

(19:10) Nonprofit hospitals may struggle to retain doctors under new student loan lending rules

Resources mentioned:

• Ron Lieber's book and course on college merit aid and discounting

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
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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!

Join us for a special live recording from FinCon as we pull back the curtain on what’s happening with student loans right now. We're talking about the current state of federal programs, what's working, what's not, and where things might be headed — especially for those of you dealing with big debt loads from professional and graduate programs. If you're a doctor, lawyer, or other high-earning professional trying to make sense of all the policy changes and figure out your best repayment strategy, this behind-the-scenes conversation will give you some clarity on what to expect and how to navigate your options moving forward.

Key moments:

(01:33) Payment counts will likely be wrong, requiring borrowers to self-advocate for corrections

(03:53) Without SAVE, deciding when to repay student loans vs. going for forgiveness is more complex

(11:52) Confusing times ahead as borrowers navigate between old grandfathered rules and new regulations to figure out which rule sets apply to them

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
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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!

The new 30-year Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) could be the only option for federal student loans after July 2026 — but even current borrowers aren’t safe if they don’t take action. Discover what moves to make to avoid getting stuck with decades of payments. Also, learn about new rules affecting Parent and Grad PLUS loans. If facing 30 years of student loan payments sounds brutal, this episode is for you.

Key moments:

(02:54) The new $200k loan cap means high earners will likely pay off loans before getting forgiveness

(05:44) Education has become a defining fault line between the two political parties

(14:55) Grad schools might start using undergrad-style aid talks for tuition and discounts.

(18:08) A wave of confusion is on the horizon for borrowers, peaking in April 2026

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
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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!

There’s a controversial and urgent topic we have to talk about: the massive upheaval headed for graduate and professional education financing starting in the fall of 2026. With the recent passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” federal borrowing for graduate programs will be drastically limited — meaning schools and students are about to face a world of change.

Learn what these new federal borrowing caps could mean for your finances, your career plans, and the future of higher ed. We’ll discuss the risk of many degree programs closing, and share ways borrowers like you can prepare.

Key moments:

(01:25) Federal loan limits for new med students drop to $50k annual, $200k lifetime

(09:36) Which programs are likely going to be the hardest hit from these federal loan caps

(17:19) RAP doesn’t provide a path to forgiveness for physicians in the private sector at all

(21:26) Lawmakers may rethink the cap when they see the actual economic consequences

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
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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!

The student loan refi ladder is a clever strategy that’ll help you tackle your debt without wrecking your cash flow. We haven’t talked about this much in recent years because of student loan payment and interest pauses, but with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act stripping protections from federal student loan borrowers, now is the time to decide between loan forgiveness and refinancing.

This episode will help you decide if refinancing — and the refi ladder — is right for you, or if forgiveness is the better path.

Key moments:

(07:55) Who should consider refinancing (and who shouldn’t)

(15:14) If you’re convinced that paying off your student loans is best, here’s what to do first

(17:27) Why the refi ladder strategy helps

(25:42) Overly aggressive payments may hurt your chances for a mortgage or other big purchases

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
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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!

Big shifts are coming to student loans starting July 2026. If you’re carrying six figures of debt or even thinking about grad school, you’ll definitely want to hear this one. Unlimited loans are out, so pricey grad programs might not be as easy to join. Sounds scary, right? But this shift could actually work in your favor. Fewer students funneled into certain careers could mean bigger salaries and steadier job security for those who do make it through. Learn what these changes could look like for you, your school, and your paychecks down the road.

Key moments:

(02:49) Loan borrowing caps for students starting grad programs after July 2026

(14:08) We may see grad schools offering discounts, much like undergrad tuition discounting

(17:27) Schools dependent on higher federal loan limits may be forced to close their doors

(18:24) Parent PLUS borrowers must be careful about borrowing before July 2026

(23:27) Affordable in-state and public programs will see a flood of new applications and competition

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!