Author Topic: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)  (Read 41025 times)

minimos

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #50 on: February 24, 2017, 11:33:53 PM »
Last February payment made ...  keep on chugging, keep on chugging.

Loan1a - $41,537 @2.73%
Loan3 - $6,025 @2.5%
Loan5 - $32,989 @2.5%

Total: $80,551

Goal at start of the year was to pay down 40,00 -- we are at 23% of goal.

seventytimes7

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #51 on: February 27, 2017, 07:49:30 AM »
Jan 2017 - 47,697
Feb 2017 - 47,245

I finally knocked out my CC debt. Now to knock out the Student Loans.

sweetkerryline

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #52 on: February 27, 2017, 09:32:42 AM »
Everyone in here is doing great this year!

I am glad to see so many folks throwing any extra dollars (no matter how many) at their goal to be debt free.

Let's keep up the momentum into March.

Jim Fiction

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #53 on: February 28, 2017, 06:37:47 PM »
I'll be jumping in on the challenge this year.

Loan 1: $1,050 @ 0.40%
Loan 2: $3,900 @ 2.15%
Loan 3: $13,225 @ 4.50%
Loan 4: $15,050 @ 4.78%

Total: $33,225

Loan 4 must die in 2017. Should I finish early (doubtful), I will start working on loan 3.

Best of luck to everyone!

Update for Post February Payments:

Loan 1: $1,000 950 @ 0.40%
Loan 2: $3,817  3,728@ 2.15%
Loan 3: $13,170 $13,119 @ 4.50%
Loan 4: $13,770 $12,572 @ 4.78%

Total: $31,757 $30,375

Made the minimum payments for Loans 1 through 3. Minimum payment on Loan 4 is $318, which I made but I threw an addition $1,000 on top. Progress!


Another month, another extra $1k towards loan 4! Next month I might forego making such a large payment, due to a higher than anticipated income tax bill (bad tax accountant!), but we'll see how the rest of the month shakes out.

Extra motivation: the topic of student loans came up with one of my co-workers and I mentioned that I was shelling out over $1,500 a month in payments in an effort to get them paid off as quick as possible. He was flabbergasted that I could afford to put in that much!

Cezil

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #54 on: March 02, 2017, 06:49:49 AM »
1/2016:
Loan 1: $0 (paid off 9/30/2014, started at $8,500 @ 6.8%)
Loan 2: $3,008 (1.95%, original amount: $13,000)
Loan 3: $6,213 (2.5%, original amount: $13,500)

3/2016:
Loan 1: $0 (paid off 9/30/2014, started at $8,500 @ 6.8%)
Loan 2: $942 (2.20%, original amount: $13,000)
Loan 3: $6,091 (2.75%, original amount: $13,500)

12/2016:
Loan 1: $0 (paid off 9/30/2014, started at $8,500 @ 6.8%)
Loan 2: $0 (paid off 4/7/2016, started at $13,000 @ variable rate, from 8% at start and 2.2% at end)
Loan 3: $5,537 (2.75%, original amount: $13,500)
Loan 4: $9,886 (2.49%, original amount: $9,886, car loan)

2/2017:
Loan 1: $0 (paid off 9/30/2014, started at $8,500 @ 6.8%)
Loan 2: $0 (paid off 4/7/2016, started at $13,000 @ variable rate, 2.2% at end)
Loan 3: $5,427 (3.00%, original amount: $13,500)
Loan 4: $9,430 (2.49%, original amount: $9,886, car loan)

briesas

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #55 on: March 02, 2017, 07:32:49 PM »
Beginning of year
 
Loan 1(unsubsidized consolidation loan) 9,586
Loan 2 (subsidized consolidation loan) 18,902
Total: 28,488

1/19/2017
Loan 1 (Unsubsidized Consolidation Loan) $8,880.23
Loan 2 (Sunsidized Consolidation Loan) $18,755.11
Total $27,635.34

Posting to keep my motivation up. Teaching a class this spring which should bring me about 5k extra, in addition my normal take home of about 2900 per month. The goal is to knock out Loan 1 by the end of May!

end of Feb:
Loan 1: 7,488.04
Loan 2: 18,644.33
Total: 26,132.67

SquashingDebt

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #56 on: March 03, 2017, 01:02:12 PM »

May 2015 (at the end of grad school):  $85,002
January 2016:  $73,593
January 2017:  $47,501 ($37,853 @5.49% + $4,814 @5% + $2,774 @2.65% + $2,060 @2.65%)

Goal for January 2018:  $17,125 ($8,500 @5.49% + $4,350 @5% + $2,450 @2.65% + $1,825 @2.65%)


March check-in: 

5.49% - $37,853 $36,071 $34,236
5.00% - $4,814   $4,775   $4,737
2.65% - $2,774   $2,748   $2,019
2.65% - $2,060   $2,040   $2,730

Total -    $47,501 $45,635 $43,723

Paid a total of $1,896.50 towards my loans and knocked $1,912 off the principal.  **I don't know why the principal is lowered more than I paid, according to my numbers.  I did just notice that the interest amounts/new balance can be slow to update on the loan provider's website, so that's probably what introduced an error somewhere.  The balance is moving in the right direction, at least!

Slow&Steady

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #57 on: March 06, 2017, 08:07:25 AM »
I am currently taking graduate classes on a "life paced" basis so when I am taking a class my loan is in deferment (0% interest).  For every 3-4 months there is usually 1 month in there that the loan is not in deferment.  My interest rate when not in deferment is 7.5%.

Total: 2/18/16 = $16,505.16
        12/27/16 = $10,578.68
         12/2017 = $9,000 - Goal

Goals:  We are probably not going to attack this loan too much this year.  We are planning baby #2 and will be putting all extra money into maternity leave savings, we are a one income family where Dad stays at home.  After we save up enough to not have to worry (or touch other savings) while on leave we will probably put extra into an investment property.

They really need to get those deferment papers processed, this interest sucks!  Just paying minimum payments for now, $125/month.  Hoping that DH's side business starts bringing in some income soon.  We also are not pregnant yet so I am really tempted to divert maternity leave savings to this SL until we get a positive test, we will see.

Total: 2/18/16 = $16,505.16 (7.5% when not in deferment)
        12/27/16 = $10,578.68
        01/09/17 = $10,572.09
        02/03/17 = $10,520.53
        03/06/17 = $10,449.82

         12/2017 = $9,000 - Goal

K-12FI

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #58 on: March 07, 2017, 07:37:38 AM »
In the process of training for new teacher certification; if all goes well, I'll destroy my commute and be able to walk (currently 30 mi), get a $5k increase, and be eligible for an additional 17.5K forgiven.

Math test, here I come!

palebluedot

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #59 on: March 07, 2017, 09:59:58 PM »

Sent an extra $700 to the first loan listed. I hope to eliminate it by year's end but it will tight. My company is moving to a new building this upcoming March and I need to start looking for a new place to live. The new office will be 40 miles each way from where I currently live which I have no desire to commute. I will start saving up for moving costs.

November 14 2016
PER24A                   $1,200.00    5.00%   $0.00    5/13/2016
DLUNST 09/15/2014   $4,288.00    4.41%   $1,562.49    
DLSTFD 09/15/2014   $5,500.00    4.41%   $5,038.47    
DLSTFD 08/29/2013   $2,250.00    3.61%   $2,093.54    
DLSTFD 08/30/2012   $3,496.00    3.15%   $3,239.80    
DLSTFD 05/24/2012   $2,750.00    3.15%   $2,506.14    
DLSTFD 02/29/2012   $2,750.00    3.15%   $2,506.14    
Total                           $22,234.00               $16,946.58

Just finishing paying off the unsubsidized loan yesterday. I have made a plan to pay this off by December 2018. I will need to send a minimum of $700/month starting in April. You guys are doing great!

Loan                                Original Balance   Interest   Current Balance   Date Paid Off
PER24A                         $1,200.00    5.00%            $0.00                     5/13/2016
DLUNST 09/15/2014         $4,288.00            4.41%            $0.00                     3/6/2017

DLSTFD 09/15/2014         $5,500.00            4.41%            $4,881.16    
DLSTFD 08/29/2013         $2,250.00            3.61%            $2,025.90    
DLSTFD 08/30/2012         $3,496.00            3.15%            $3,133.08    
DLSTFD 05/24/2012         $2,750.00            3.15%            $2,423.56    
DLSTFD 02/29/2012         $2,750.00            3.15%            $2,423.56    
Total                                 $22,234.00                      $14,887.26

ontheroaderic

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #60 on: March 08, 2017, 11:22:12 AM »
3/5/15: $74,618.23 at 5.625% {Starting Balance}
3/5/15: $72,613.01 (- 2005.22)
3/7/15: $72,650.18  (-271.44)
3/9/15: $72,219.94  (-177.6)
4/9/15: $69,889.41 (-2600.00)
5/7/15: $67,086.58 (-3100.00)
6/12/15: $64,281.49 (-3100.00)
7/7/15: $61,917.04 (-2600)
8/7/15: $59,610.78 (-2600)
9/7/15: $57,385.37 (-2600)
10/7/15: $54,931.48 (-2600)
11/13/15: $52,325.25 (-2900)
12/9/15: $49,975.41 (-2600)
1/11/16: $47,557.16 (-2600)
2/7/16: $47,557.16 (-376.81)
3/7/16: $47,451.50 (-376.81)
4/7/16: $45,531.28 (-1941.73)
5/16/16: $$43,161.09  (-2600)
6/8/16: $40,746.42 (-2600)
7/8/16: $38,328.00 (-2600)
8/10/16: $36,104.98 (-2600)
9/8/16 $33,652.74 (-2600)
10/10/16 $29,609.78 (-4038.67)
11/9/16 $27,145.46 (-2600)
12/9/16 $24,662.23 (-2600)
1/13/16 $22,203.78 (-2600)
2/8/17 $19,691.71 (-2600)
3/8/17 $19,463.69  (-312.98)

We are making some contributions to our 2016 IRAs this month and next so had to cut back the size of my payment to the minimum. Bummer to not see a big dent in this month’s number but it ends up saving us like $1600 in taxes. Really makes you realize the penalty of debt - paying for things with after-tax dollars is pricey! This little bump in the road doesn’t change the fact that we will be finished with these this year, got my eye on the prize!

Slow&Steady

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #61 on: March 13, 2017, 10:16:48 AM »
I am currently taking graduate classes on a "life paced" basis so when I am taking a class my loan is in deferment (0% interest).  For every 3-4 months there is usually 1 month in there that the loan is not in deferment.  My interest rate when not in deferment is 7.5%.

Total: 2/18/16 = $16,505.16
        12/27/16 = $10,578.68
         12/2017 = $9,000 - Goal

Goals:  We are probably not going to attack this loan too much this year.  We are planning baby #2 and will be putting all extra money into maternity leave savings, we are a one income family where Dad stays at home.  After we save up enough to not have to worry (or touch other savings) while on leave we will probably put extra into an investment property.
Officially back in deferment!!

Total: 2/18/16 = $16,505.16 (7.5% when not in deferment)
        12/27/16 = $10,578.68
        01/09/17 = $10,572.09
        02/03/17 = $10,520.53
        03/13/17 = $10,361.96

        12/31/17 = $9,000 - Goal

mactastic

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #62 on: March 15, 2017, 10:10:34 AM »


Original value of loans (2012): SL 1: $19,500 (under grad)
                                                SL 2: $22,000 (grad school)
                                                Total:  $41,500

Start of 2016: SL 1 (6.8%): $9,058
                       SL 2 (6.0%): $11,803
                       Total: $20,861

Start of 2017: SL 1 (6.8%): $3,667
                       SL 2 (6.0%):  $8,702
                      Total: $12,369

Forgot to update March. Making good progress! H got a raise, which is making saving for a home down payment more feasible. I think we'll continue to hit SL1 hard until it's gone, and then focus much of our money towards a down payment. Still hope to make my loans less than $5k by the end of the year, but down payment is the new priority.

                      Jan Bal      Feb Bal        Mar Bal       Apr Bal
SL 1 (6.8%): $3,667     $3,363        $1,059         $777
SL 2 (6.0%): $8,045      $7,885       $7,885        $7,575
Total:            $11,712    $11,248     $8,944       $8,352

JustGettingStarted1980

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #63 on: March 15, 2017, 10:23:01 AM »
I have the opportunity to pay off all my remaining student loans in a month or so ($90k)

I have not decided yet to do it or not b/c they are locked in at 3.5% and I think I can beat that in the market.

worst idea ever. get rid of the debt.

I disagree that its the worst idea ever; if you feel ambivalent about the decision you could split the difference by paying down half of your student loans and investing the rest in the market.

It's not the "worst idea ever", but 90K is not chump change. At 3.5%, you are losing >$250/month forever until the loan is paid off. Freedom from school debt is fairly priceless, and frees you up to take more risk in other areas.

How would you feel, Viking, if you put 90K into Equity just in time to see the market tank 20%?  All of a sudden you are 18K down and STILL HAVE THE LOAN DEBT.

Best of luck to you in your decision making. JGS

recklesslysober

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #64 on: March 15, 2017, 10:25:09 AM »
December 2016:
Student loan $44,300
Student line of credit $74,900
$119,200

January 2017:
Student loan $43,700 (paid $600 principal)
Student line of credit $73,900 (paid $1,000 principal)
$117,600

February 2017:
Student loan $43,100 (paid $600 principal)
Student line of credit $72,500 (paid $1,400 principal)
$115,600

March 2017:
Student loan $42,500 (paid $600 principal)
Student line of credit $69,800 (paid $2,700 principal)
$112,300

briesas

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #65 on: March 17, 2017, 01:35:25 PM »

Beginning of year
 
Loan 1(unsubsidized consolidation loan) 9,586
Loan 2 (subsidized consolidation loan) 18,902
Total: 28,488

 

Posting to keep my motivation up. Teaching a class this spring which should bring me about 5k extra, in addition my normal take home of about 2900 per month. The goal is to knock out Loan 1 by the end of May!

March 17
Loan 1: $6,348.45
Loan 2: 18,486.75
Total: 24,835.20

On another note, I'm starting to think I got screwed by SM/Navient. I was told by the Dept. of Ed that my loans weren't the 'right type' for PSLF (which I would qualify for in October 2018) -- so I've been busting my butt these last two years to make extra payments and knock them out -- but it's dawning on me that they are Stafford loans that I consolidated to direct loans -- and for some reason Navient seems to be servicing them as FFLP or Private loans. Have to check on this...

therethere

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #66 on: March 17, 2017, 01:54:21 PM »
I have the opportunity to pay off all my remaining student loans in a month or so ($90k)

I have not decided yet to do it or not b/c they are locked in at 3.5% and I think I can beat that in the market.

worst idea ever. get rid of the debt.

I disagree that its the worst idea ever; if you feel ambivalent about the decision you could split the difference by paying down half of your student loans and investing the rest in the market.

It's not the "worst idea ever", but 90K is not chump change. At 3.5%, you are losing >$250/month forever until the loan is paid off. Freedom from school debt is fairly priceless, and frees you up to take more risk in other areas.

How would you feel, Viking, if you put 90K into Equity just in time to see the market tank 20%?  All of a sudden you are 18K down and STILL HAVE THE LOAN DEBT.

Best of luck to you in your decision making. JGS

Mathematically it will be better to put it in the market. But emotionally its better to get rid of the debt. You have to decide what you what. There are some minor benefits to keeping it around mainly having more money available for opportunities/leverage. And the student loan interest deduction. If you have the cash flow available to keep the payments for 10 more years or whatever its left  then the market is the way to go. If income is tight, or expected to be soon then pay them off.

I started putting my extra payments in a brokerage account instead of paying my sub-5% student loans. There was a scary few months at the end of 2015 where the market was down I was "behind" about 3k. But now, I'm up almost 8k compared to saving interest by paying down the loans. This was only a 2 year experiment Jan 2015-current and ~50k in student loans. Now I'm just watching my brokerage account go up. Its like free money. If I ever want to pay off my loans I can just cash out the brokerage account.

At 3.5% (assuming 15% taxes) your rate is equivalent to 3% actual. VTSAX pays ~2% (1.7% after same tax) dividends. So the dividends would almost pay for the interest that's accumulating.
« Last Edit: March 17, 2017, 01:57:59 PM by therethere »

briesas

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #67 on: March 20, 2017, 09:22:11 PM »
Quote


On another note, I'm starting to think I got screwed by SM/Navient. I was told by the Dept. of Ed that my loans weren't the 'right type' for PSLF (which I would qualify for in October 2018) -- so I've been busting my butt these last two years to make extra payments and knock them out -- but it's dawning on me that they are Stafford loans that I consolidated to direct loans -- and for some reason Navient seems to be servicing them as FFLP or Private loans. Have to check on this...

Did figure this out. I have FFELP loans, AKA Stafford loans which were consolidated. They are federally guaranteed, and the interest is tied to rates congress set when I consolidated -- but the funding came from Sallie Mae, not the government.  Ford Direct federal loans are the ones that are funded directly by the Dept of Ed -- and this is the consolidation I would need, not FFELP, to qualify. Big mistake not sorting this out ten years ago when I got out of grad school *sigh* -- but the end is in sight and I didn't make a mistake accelerating payments.

seventytimes7

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #68 on: March 21, 2017, 08:10:44 AM »
Jan 2017 - 47,697
Feb 2017 - 47,245
Mar 2017 - 45,808

Plugging and chugging, should be done by 2019. Maybe sooner depending on my savings strategies.

sweetkerryline

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #69 on: March 23, 2017, 11:31:30 PM »
March Update

Debt at Graduation: Law School (Around $90,000); Undergraduate (Around $15,000)
Total Current Debt: $39,919.00 $36505.93 $35,213.35 $29,924.14 $28,527.18 $23,962.49
Monthly Payment [Monthly Payment Goal] (Required Payment): $4,437.78 [$1,500] ($316.74) (Monthly Payment Goal Met)
Total 2017 Payments: $15,930.10

You guys; I am getting so close. It's so tempting to dump half of my savings into these loans to get them paid off but I am simply trying to stay the course and continue saving for a down payment while also dropping money into my investment account on occasion.

February Update (Part 2)

Debt at Graduation: Law School (Around $90,000); Undergraduate (Around $15,000)
Total Current Debt: $39,919.00 $36505.93 $35,213.35 $29,924.14 $28,527.18
Monthly Payment [Monthly Payment Goal] (Required Payment): $6,739.12 [$1,500] ($469.10) (Monthly Payment Goal Met)
Total 2017 Payments: $11,492.32

As I suspected, I had some leakage in my finances (unsubmitted work reimbursements) which I was able to capture to make an additional $1,400 dollar payment this month. Looks like next month may be a big one as well since I get three paychecks.

February Update

Debt at Graduation: Law School (Around $90,000); Undergraduate (Around $15,000)
Total Current Debt: $39,919.00 $36505.93 $35,213.35 $29,924.14
Monthly Payment [Monthly Payment Goal] (Required Payment): $5,300.00 [$1,500] ($469.10) (Monthly Payment Goal Met)
Total 2017 Payments: $10,053.20

Made my payment early this month. I'll try to sneak some additional dollars in there this month. Looks like next month may be a big one as well since I get three paychecks.

January Update:

Debt at Graduation: Law School (Around $90,000); Undergraduate (Around $15,000)
Total Current Debt: $39,919.00 $36505.93 $35,213.35
Monthly Payment [Monthly Payment Goal] (Required Payment): $4,753.20 [$1,500] ($493.12) (Monthly Payment Goal Met)
Total 2017 Payments: $4,753.20
« Last Edit: March 23, 2017, 11:33:02 PM by sweetkerryline »

Slow&Steady

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #70 on: March 29, 2017, 10:41:07 AM »
I am currently taking graduate classes on a "life paced" basis so when I am taking a class my loan is in deferment (0% interest).  For every 3-4 months there is usually 1 month in there that the loan is not in deferment.  My interest rate when not in deferment is 7.5%.

Total: 2/18/16 = $16,505.16
        12/27/16 = $10,578.68
         12/2017 = $9,000 - Goal

Goals:  We are probably not going to attack this loan too much this year.  We are planning baby #2 and will be putting all extra money into maternity leave savings, we are a one income family where Dad stays at home.  After we save up enough to not have to worry (or touch other savings) while on leave we will probably put extra into an investment property.
Still in deferment!

Just scheduled my completely non-badass April payment.  It is going to take a lot of will power to continue to put money in savings for maternity leave and not pay this down.  I really want to throw an extra $300 on it just to get it into the 4 digit level before it comes out of deferment again, I can convince myself that $300 out of savings will not make a huge impact but, this is a slippery slope for me, I have been here before.  We get close to marking off another debt and I deplete or take a chunk out of saving to pay it off and then we have to wait to build savings back up before I can move on to the next goal.  This is the last debt that I find unacceptable so not throwing everything at it is really annoying me.

Total: 2/18/16 = $16,505.16 (7.5% when not in deferment)
        12/27/16 = $10,578.68
        01/09/17 = $10,572.09
        02/03/17 = $10,520.53
        03/13/17 = $10,361.96
        04/03/17 = $10,211.96

        12/31/17 = $9,000 - Goal

mactastic

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #71 on: March 30, 2017, 12:25:46 PM »
I'm so excited!! Between H's raise and a decent tax return, we're making the last payment on SL1 this month!!! I can't believe we managed to pay off $9k in just 15 months, if you had told me that a few years ago I wouldn't have believed you! Waiting for the check to clear and then paying off the remaining few cents once it settles. I plan to up payment on SL 2 a bit, but am turning much of our focus onto saving for a house in earnest now. Woo hoo!! Good job, everybody!

                     Jan Bal     Feb Bal       Mar Bal      Apr Bal       May Bal
SL 1 (6.8%): $3,667     $3,363        $1,059        $777        $0.00
SL 2 (6.0%):  $8,045      $7,885       $7,745       $7,575      $7,222
Total:            $11,712    $11,248     $8,794       $8,352       $7,222
[/quote]

briesas

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #72 on: March 31, 2017, 05:55:47 PM »

Beginning of year
 
Loan 1(unsubsidized consolidation loan) 9,586
Loan 2 (subsidized consolidation loan) 18,902
Total: 28,488

 

Posting to keep my motivation up. Teaching a class this spring which should bring me about 5k extra, in addition my normal take home of about 2900 per month. The goal is to knock out Loan 1 by the end of May!

March 31
Loan 1: $4,140
Loan 2: 18,486
Total: 22,626


chris316

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #73 on: April 03, 2017, 08:36:16 PM »
Balance on 11-19-2013: $24,126

Balance on 1-1-2017: $17,708

Balance on 4-7-2017: $0


Interest rates- 3.2-6.55%

Interest paid: $3,600


Income:
2014: 36k
2015: 50k
2016: 58k

Its going to be Awwwwwwweesommmeee...
« Last Edit: April 03, 2017, 08:40:46 PM by chris316 »

Jim Fiction

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #74 on: April 09, 2017, 05:00:12 PM »
I'll be jumping in on the challenge this year.

Loan 1: $1,050 @ 0.40%
Loan 2: $3,900 @ 2.15%
Loan 3: $13,225 @ 4.50%
Loan 4: $15,050 @ 4.78%

Total: $33,225

Loan 4 must die in 2017. Should I finish early (doubtful), I will start working on loan 3.

Best of luck to everyone!

Belated update to post March Payments:

Loan 1: $950 $900@ 0.40%
Loan 2: $3,728 $3,650 @ 2.15%
Loan 3: $13,119 13,065@ 4.50%
Loan 4: $12,572 $11,293 @ 4.99%

Total: $31,757 $30,375 $28,908

Made the minimum payments for Loans 1 through 3. Minimum payment on Loan 4 is $318, which I made but I threw an addition $1,000 on top. Progress!


Another month, another extra $1k towards loan 4! Next month I might forego making such a large payment, due to a higher than anticipated income tax bill (bad tax accountant!), but we'll see how the rest of the month shakes out.

Extra motivation: the topic of student loans came up with one of my co-workers and I mentioned that I was shelling out over $1,500 a month in payments in an effort to get them paid off as quick as possible. He was flabbergasted that I could afford to put in that much!

Despite the aforementioned tax bill and some unexpected $$$ medical bills I still went ahead with socking an extra $1,000 towards loan 4. I do not regret this decision one iota! It feels great to have financial momentum!

haypug16

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #75 on: April 10, 2017, 08:02:55 AM »
I'm In! Currently my priority is paying off Credit Cards but I am throwing some money to Student Loans as well. Once the CCs are paid off I'll be putting the money that went there into paying off these Loans.

Starting Point 4/10/17
Loan 1 - 6.8%         6,008.64
Loan 2 - 6.8%           8,667.30
Loan 3 - 6.8%          10,077.51
Loan 4 - 5.84%      6,673.00
Loan 5 - 5.375%     7,428.95
Loan 6 - 4.66%      2,435.37
Loan 7 - 4.5%            3,302.06
Loan 8 - 3.86%      5,224.63
Loan 9 - 3.4%           3,848.76
Loan 10 - 3.4%      5,339.07
Total                    59,005.29

Goal is to pay down Loan 1 by the end of 2017

« Last Edit: April 10, 2017, 11:46:10 AM by haypug16 »

ontheroaderic

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #76 on: April 10, 2017, 10:17:15 AM »
3/5/15: $74,618.23 at 5.625% {Starting Balance}
3/5/15: $72,613.01 (- 2005.22)
3/7/15: $72,650.18  (-271.44)
3/9/15: $72,219.94  (-177.6)
4/9/15: $69,889.41 (-2600.00)
5/7/15: $67,086.58 (-3100.00)
6/12/15: $64,281.49 (-3100.00)
7/7/15: $61,917.04 (-2600)
8/7/15: $59,610.78 (-2600)
9/7/15: $57,385.37 (-2600)
10/7/15: $54,931.48 (-2600)
11/13/15: $52,325.25 (-2900)
12/9/15: $49,975.41 (-2600)
1/11/16: $47,557.16 (-2600)
2/7/16: $47,557.16 (-376.81)
3/7/16: $47,451.50 (-376.81)
4/7/16: $45,531.28 (-1941.73)
5/16/16: $$43,161.09  (-2600)
6/8/16: $40,746.42 (-2600)
7/8/16: $38,328.00 (-2600)
8/10/16: $36,104.98 (-2600)
9/8/16 $33,652.74 (-2600)
10/10/16 $29,609.78 (-4038.67)
11/9/16 $27,145.46 (-2600)
12/9/16 $24,662.23 (-2600)
1/13/16 $22,203.78 (-2600)
2/8/17 $19,691.71 (-2600)
3/8/17 $19,463.69  (-312.98)
4/7/17 $16,959.27 (-2600)

Got the IRAs funded and the taxes paid, back to the big payments!

minimos

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #77 on: April 10, 2017, 11:25:52 AM »
Feel like making consistent progress, now down to
Loan1a - $39,129 @2.73%
Loan3 - $5,985 @2.5%
Loan5 - $32,772 @2.5%

Total: $77,886

We are at 30% of our goal of paydown for the year.  We are going to have a big slow down, hopefully temporarily, while we have some major expenses over the next two months.

palebluedot

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #78 on: April 10, 2017, 06:46:42 PM »

Just finishing paying off the unsubsidized loan yesterday. I have made a plan to pay this off by December 2018. I will need to send a minimum of $700/month starting in April. You guys are doing great!

Loan                                Original Balance   Interest   Current Balance   Date Paid Off
PER24A                         $1,200.00    5.00%            $0.00                     5/13/2016
DLUNST 09/15/2014         $4,288.00            4.41%            $0.00                     3/6/2017

DLSTFD 09/15/2014         $5,500.00            4.41%            $4,881.16    
DLSTFD 08/29/2013         $2,250.00            3.61%            $2,025.90    
DLSTFD 08/30/2012         $3,496.00            3.15%            $3,133.08    
DLSTFD 05/24/2012         $2,750.00            3.15%            $2,423.56    
DLSTFD 02/29/2012         $2,750.00            3.15%            $2,423.56    
Total                                 $22,234.00                      $14,887.26

Update for April. Sent $750 last week. Only 20 payments left to go!

« Last Edit: April 10, 2017, 06:49:59 PM by thestoicstudent »

Slow&Steady

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #79 on: April 11, 2017, 01:26:12 PM »
I am currently taking graduate classes on a "life paced" basis so when I am taking a class my loan is in deferment (0% interest).  For every 3-4 months there is usually 1 month in there that the loan is not in deferment.  My interest rate when not in deferment is 7.5%.

Total: 2/18/16 = $16,505.16
        12/27/16 = $10,578.68
         12/2017 = $9,000 - Goal

Goals:  We are probably not going to attack this loan too much this year.  We are planning baby #2 and will be putting all extra money into maternity leave savings, we are a one income family where Dad stays at home.  After we save up enough to not have to worry (or touch other savings) while on leave we will probably put extra into an investment property.
Still in deferment!

Just scheduled my completely non-badass April payment.  It is going to take a lot of will power to continue to put money in savings for maternity leave and not pay this down.  I really want to throw an extra $300 on it just to get it into the 4 digit level before it comes out of deferment again, I can convince myself that $300 out of savings will not make a huge impact but, this is a slippery slope for me, I have been here before.  We get close to marking off another debt and I deplete or take a chunk out of saving to pay it off and then we have to wait to build savings back up before I can move on to the next goal.  This is the last debt that I find unacceptable so not throwing everything at it is really annoying me.

Total: 2/18/16 = $16,505.16 (7.5% when not in deferment)
        12/27/16 = $10,578.68
        01/09/17 = $10,572.09
        02/03/17 = $10,520.53
        03/13/17 = $10,361.96
        04/03/17 = $10,211.96

        12/31/17 = $9,000 - Goal

I couldn't resist. I really wanted to see this go under $10k so I diverted $350 from maternity leave savings to student loans. 

Total: 2/18/16 = $16,505.16 (7.5% when not in deferment)
        12/27/16 = $10,578.68
        01/09/17 = $10,572.09
        02/03/17 = $10,520.53
        03/13/17 = $10,361.96
        04/03/17 = $10,211.96
        04/11/17 = $9,861.96

        12/31/17 = $9,000 - Goal

sweetkerryline

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #80 on: April 14, 2017, 10:07:53 AM »
April Update

Debt at Graduation: Law School (Around $90,000); Undergraduate (Around $15,000)
Total Current Debt: $39,919.00 $36505.93 $35,213.35 $29,924.14 $28,527.18 $23,962.49 $20,969.42
Monthly Payment [Monthly Payment Goal] (Required Payment): $3154.74 [$1,500] ($287.50) (Monthly Payment Goal Met)
Total 2017 Payments: $18,984.74

Like last month, I am still considering liquidating an investment account or stealing some money from my emergency savings account and just paying the remainder off but pretty sure that is driven by a "I want it now" attitude. Pushing any such thoughts to the side for now.

March Update

Debt at Graduation: Law School (Around $90,000); Undergraduate (Around $15,000)
Total Current Debt: $39,919.00 $36505.93 $35,213.35 $29,924.14 $28,527.18 $23,962.49
Monthly Payment [Monthly Payment Goal] (Required Payment): $4,437.78 [$1,500] ($316.74) (Monthly Payment Goal Met)
Total 2017 Payments: $15,930.10

You guys; I am getting so close. It's so tempting to dump half of my savings into these loans to get them paid off but I am simply trying to stay the course and continue saving for a down payment while also dropping money into my investment account on occasion.

February Update (Part 2)

Debt at Graduation: Law School (Around $90,000); Undergraduate (Around $15,000)
Total Current Debt: $39,919.00 $36505.93 $35,213.35 $29,924.14 $28,527.18
Monthly Payment [Monthly Payment Goal] (Required Payment): $6,739.12 [$1,500] ($469.10) (Monthly Payment Goal Met)
Total 2017 Payments: $11,492.32

As I suspected, I had some leakage in my finances (unsubmitted work reimbursements) which I was able to capture to make an additional $1,400 dollar payment this month. Looks like next month may be a big one as well since I get three paychecks.

February Update

Debt at Graduation: Law School (Around $90,000); Undergraduate (Around $15,000)
Total Current Debt: $39,919.00 $36505.93 $35,213.35 $29,924.14
Monthly Payment [Monthly Payment Goal] (Required Payment): $5,300.00 [$1,500] ($469.10) (Monthly Payment Goal Met)
Total 2017 Payments: $10,053.20

Made my payment early this month. I'll try to sneak some additional dollars in there this month. Looks like next month may be a big one as well since I get three paychecks.

January Update:

Debt at Graduation: Law School (Around $90,000); Undergraduate (Around $15,000)
Total Current Debt: $39,919.00 $36505.93 $35,213.35
Monthly Payment [Monthly Payment Goal] (Required Payment): $4,753.20 [$1,500] ($493.12) (Monthly Payment Goal Met)
Total 2017 Payments: $4,753.20
« Last Edit: April 24, 2017, 04:57:40 PM by sweetkerryline »

Cezil

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #81 on: April 14, 2017, 11:16:51 AM »
Like last month, I am still considering liquidating an investment account or stealing some money from my emergency savings account and just paying the remainder off but pretty sure that is driven by a "I want it now" attitude. Pushing any such thoughts to the side for now.

I am having the same struggle.  The temptation has gotten stronger as the balance has dropped, especially now that I have more saved in my emergency fund than is left on the loan.  Sometimes I convince myself the debt really is an emergency (pay it off now!)...And then I tell myself to just wait a few more days, let the 'want' go away.. But it's still here, and I think it may remain until it's just gone.  Extra motivation to get rid of it under the current plan and leave that emergency cash alone for when crap actually hits the fan.

sweetkerryline

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #82 on: April 14, 2017, 12:54:34 PM »
Like last month, I am still considering liquidating an investment account or stealing some money from my emergency savings account and just paying the remainder off but pretty sure that is driven by a "I want it now" attitude. Pushing any such thoughts to the side for now.

I am having the same struggle.  The temptation has gotten stronger as the balance has dropped, especially now that I have more saved in my emergency fund than is left on the loan.  Sometimes I convince myself the debt really is an emergency (pay it off now!)...And then I tell myself to just wait a few more days, let the 'want' go away.. But it's still here, and I think it may remain until it's just gone.  Extra motivation to get rid of it under the current plan and leave that emergency cash alone for when crap actually hits the fan.

Yep. The lower the balance goes the more I think "I should just knock this out." Hopefully, we can both keep strong and be diligent and avoid raiding our E-Funds.

Jim Fiction

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #83 on: April 29, 2017, 10:28:19 AM »
I'll be jumping in on the challenge this year.

Loan 1: $1,050 @ 0.40%
Loan 2: $3,900 @ 2.15%
Loan 3: $13,225 @ 4.50%
Loan 4: $15,050 @ 4.78%

Total: $33,225

Loan 4 must die in 2017. Should I finish early (doubtful), I will start working on loan 3.

Best of luck to everyone!

Belated update to post March Payments:

Loan 1: $900 $850@ 0.40%
Loan 2: $3,650 $3,550 @ 2.15%
Loan 3: $13,065 $13,000@ 4.50%
Loan 4: $11,293 $10,050 @ 4.99%

Total: $28,908 $27,450



This train keeps on rolling...

Ms. Maggie

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #84 on: April 30, 2017, 05:20:01 AM »
Hello Everyone! I've been lurking, but I feel the need to chime in for some more accountability and personal motivation (hard to get in-person motivation when all of my friends are heartily opposed to my "hair on fire" strategy). Congratulations to everyone here for working so hard - I find this thread very motivating! I've been throwing all my extra money at my student loans since last summer, and hope to be done by June, 2018.

Student Loan total Aug 2016: 41,000
Student Loan total May 2017: 27,584
Goal for 2017: down to 14,500

Working on the following lovely loans:
Loan 1: 8,044 @ 6.55%
Loan 2: 3,496 @ 6.55%
Loan 3: 9,617 @ 6.55%
Loan 4: 6,390 @ 5.16%

palebluedot

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #85 on: April 30, 2017, 11:20:10 AM »

Update for April. Sent $750 last week. Only 20 payments left to go!


I got a little bit of a tax refund and sent some of it towards my loans.


sweetkerryline

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #86 on: April 30, 2017, 06:22:42 PM »
Hello Everyone! I've been lurking, but I feel the need to chime in for some more accountability and personal motivation (hard to get in-person motivation when all of my friends are heartily opposed to my "hair on fire" strategy). Congratulations to everyone here for working so hard - I find this thread very motivating! I've been throwing all my extra money at my student loans since last summer, and hope to be done by June, 2018.

Student Loan total Aug 2016: 41,000
Student Loan total May 2017: 27,584
Goal for 2017: down to 14,500

Working on the following lovely loans:
Loan 1: 8,044 @ 6.55%
Loan 2: 3,496 @ 6.55%
Loan 3: 9,617 @ 6.55%
Loan 4: 6,390 @ 5.16%

Welcome to the club and way to go so far. Here's to short term pain for long term gain!

Slow&Steady

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #87 on: May 01, 2017, 10:43:10 AM »
I am currently taking graduate classes on a "life paced" basis so when I am taking a class my loan is in deferment (0% interest).  For every 3-4 months there is usually 1 month in there that the loan is not in deferment.  My interest rate when not in deferment is 7.5%.

Total: 2/18/16 = $16,505.16
        12/27/16 = $10,578.68
         12/2017 = $9,000 - Goal

Goals:  We are probably not going to attack this loan too much this year.  We are planning baby #2 and will be putting all extra money into maternity leave savings, we are a one income family where Dad stays at home.  After we save up enough to not have to worry (or touch other savings) while on leave we will probably put extra into an investment property.
I couldn't resist. I really wanted to see this go under $10k so I diverted $350 from maternity leave savings to student loans. 

Total: 2/18/16 = $16,505.16 (7.5% when not in deferment)
        12/27/16 = $10,578.68
        01/09/17 = $10,572.09
        02/03/17 = $10,520.53
        03/13/17 = $10,361.96
        04/03/17 = $10,211.96
        04/11/17 = $9,861.96

        12/31/17 = $9,000 - Goal
I am going to guess that these will come back out of deferment sometime in May.  Back to the standard monthly payment.  The good news is, if I can keep up with that stupidly high interest rate when it comes out of deferment I should hit my goal this year by just making the standard monthly payment.  Wonder if I should update my goal?

Total: 2/18/16 = $16,505.16 (7.5% when not in deferment)
        12/27/16 = $10,578.68
        01/09/17 = $10,572.09
        02/03/17 = $10,520.53
        03/13/17 = $10,361.96
        04/03/17 = $10,211.96
        04/11/17 = $9,861.96
        05/01/17 = $9,711.96

        12/31/17 = $9,000 - Goal

recklesslysober

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #88 on: May 01, 2017, 11:16:23 AM »
December 2016:
Student loan $44,300
Student line of credit $74,900
$119,200

January 2017:
Student loan $43,700 (paid $600 principal)
Student line of credit $73,900 (paid $1,000 principal)
$117,600

February 2017:
Student loan $43,100 (paid $600 principal)
Student line of credit $72,500 (paid $1,400 principal)
$115,600

March 2017:
Student loan $42,500 (paid $600 principal)
Student line of credit $69,800 (paid $2,700 principal)
$112,300

April 2017:
Student loan $41,900 (paid $600 principal)
Student line of credit $68,200 (paid $1,600 principal)
$110,100

ZagNation

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #89 on: May 04, 2017, 08:32:14 AM »
Count me in! My overall original loan balance after graduating from Gonzaga University in 2012 was approximately 25K. I vowed to myself that I would pay off this debt within 5 years so this thread is right up my alley. Back in 2015 I took advantage of refinancing through SoFi to reduce my interest rate from 6.8% to 4.25% through a 5yr variable loan. Currently my remaining student loan balance is ~17K and based upon my forecasts, I should be celebrating a post student loan life around Thanksgiving. Best of luck to you all!
Student loan balance is now ~12K. I should finish paying of this loan by Halloween! Recently I found a way to combine my credit card reward strategy with the acceleration of additional payments on my SoFi loan. This is great because I can now easily meet the minimum spend amounts on several credit cards, first of which is the Chase Hyatt. For anyone interested there is a great write up at Reddit called Guide to Paying Student Loans with Credit Cards.

ontheroaderic

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #90 on: May 10, 2017, 09:33:14 AM »
3/5/15: $74,618.23 at 5.625% {Starting Balance}
3/5/15: $72,613.01 (- 2005.22)
3/7/15: $72,650.18  (-271.44)
3/9/15: $72,219.94  (-177.6)
4/9/15: $69,889.41 (-2600.00)
5/7/15: $67,086.58 (-3100.00)
6/12/15: $64,281.49 (-3100.00)
7/7/15: $61,917.04 (-2600)
8/7/15: $59,610.78 (-2600)
9/7/15: $57,385.37 (-2600)
10/7/15: $54,931.48 (-2600)
11/13/15: $52,325.25 (-2900)
12/9/15: $49,975.41 (-2600)
1/11/16: $47,557.16 (-2600)
2/7/16: $47,557.16 (-376.81)
3/7/16: $47,451.50 (-376.81)
4/7/16: $45,531.28 (-1941.73)
5/16/16: $$43,161.09  (-2600)
6/8/16: $40,746.42 (-2600)
7/8/16: $38,328.00 (-2600)
8/10/16: $36,104.98 (-2600)
9/8/16 $33,652.74 (-2600)
10/10/16 $29,609.78 (-4038.67)
11/9/16 $27,145.46 (-2600)
12/9/16 $24,662.23 (-2600)
1/13/16 $22,203.78 (-2600)
2/8/17 $19,691.71 (-2600)
3/8/17 $19,463.69  (-312.98)
4/7/17 $16,959.27 (-2600)
5/7/17 $14,435.04 (-2600)

Only 5.5 more payments to go, assuming we just keep the current pace and don’t have any extra to throw at it. Should have a couple of bigger months in there somewhere. Can’t wait!

palebluedot

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #91 on: May 11, 2017, 08:54:12 PM »

I got a little bit of a tax refund and sent some of it towards my loans.



Sent in my May payment of $750! About 18 payments left.


recklesslysober

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #92 on: May 15, 2017, 03:11:17 PM »
December 2016:
Student loan $44,300
Student line of credit $74,900
$119,200

January 2017:
Student loan $43,700 (paid $600 principal)
Student line of credit $73,900 (paid $1,000 principal)
$117,600

February 2017:
Student loan $43,100 (paid $600 principal)
Student line of credit $72,500 (paid $1,400 principal)
$115,600

March 2017:
Student loan $42,500 (paid $600 principal)
Student line of credit $69,800 (paid $2,700 principal)
$112,300

April 2017:
Student loan $41,900 (paid $600 principal)
Student line of credit $68,200 (paid $1,600 principal)
$110,100

May 2017:
Student loan $41,300 (paid $600 principal)
Student line of credit $66,900 (paid $1,300 principal)
$108,200

K-12FI

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #93 on: May 21, 2017, 02:09:30 PM »
Job interview tomorrow... If I get the position I want, I'll be able to walk to work and lose my half hour commute, and be eligible for $12,000 more in loan forgiveness. Wish me luck!

Jim Fiction

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #94 on: May 31, 2017, 06:14:28 PM »
I'll be jumping in on the challenge this year.

Loan 1: $1,050 @ 0.40%
Loan 2: $3,900 @ 2.15%
Loan 3: $13,225 @ 4.50%
Loan 4: $15,050 @ 4.78%

Total: $33,225

Loan 4 must die in 2017. Should I finish early (doubtful), I will start working on loan 3.

Best of luck to everyone!

Update to post MAY Payments:

Loan 1: $850 $800@ 0.40%
Loan 2: $3,550 $3,450 @ 2.15%
Loan 3: $13,000 $12,975@ 4.50%
Loan 4: $10,050 $8,900 @ 4.99%

Total: $27,450 $26,125



Steady as she goes.

Ms. Maggie

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #95 on: June 01, 2017, 08:16:24 AM »
Hi All,

Happy June! I managed to kill my largest loan with my payment this month! (Started at a whopping 14,600...ouch) Onward to Loan #3!

Update follows:

Student Loan total Aug 2016: 41,000
Student Loan total May 2017: 27,584
Student Loan total June 2017: 24,005
Goal for 2017: down to 14,500

Loan 1: 8,023 @ 6.55%
Loan 2: 3,496 @ 6.55% ZERO
Loan 3: 9,602 @ 6.55%
Loan 4: 6,379 @ 5.16%

seventytimes7

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #96 on: June 01, 2017, 08:51:14 AM »
I keep wavering between saving for a down payment and paying off these loans. I think I've settled on a little less of an aggressive pay-down for the 2017 year, with hopes to purchase a home in early 2018. So my numbers will be more of a chipping down than a race.

Jan 2017 - 47,697
Feb 2017 - 47,245
Mar 2017 - 45,808
Apr 2017 - 44,402
May 2017 - 44,185

simonsez

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #97 on: June 01, 2017, 01:14:07 PM »
Keep it going everyone!  Thanks for the continued inspiration!

Now that we're into June, hope everyone (on the multi-year payoff plan) is nearing the halfway point for their 2017 goals.

As for the pay it down big-time now @ 3.5% or pay the minimum and invest the rest - it totally depends!  Do you need cash for something upcoming soon (house, land, etc.), what are your monthly payments like (current disposable income), what gives you more utility - investing dollars or paying dollars off even taking into consideration a premium in the % difference (e.g. debt at say, 0.9% compared to stock market might be a different decision than debt at 3.5% or 6.55% or 7.65%, etc) and many other questions.  There are a ton of variables.  However, asking the question on a student loan paydown thread will surely slant the advice to pay off the debt rather than invest.  I suspect that the person asking is fairly risk averse themselves and were looking for some friendly confirmation.

minimos

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #98 on: June 01, 2017, 08:28:46 PM »
Mid-year update
Loan1a - $35,623 @2.99%
Loan3 - $5,974 @2.5%
Loan5 - $32,709 @2.5%

Total: $74,307

We are at 35% of our goal of paydown for the year.  I'm a little disappointed at our progress this year ---   while we were expecting some slow down, I'm also starting to notice some lifestyle creep and need a mustachian kick in the butt.

Civex

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Re: Student Loan Challenge (2017 Edition)
« Reply #99 on: June 01, 2017, 09:41:04 PM »
Starting balance July 2014: $90,406 @ 5.09%
January 2017 balance: $77,944

I'd like to knock $15-20k off my loan in 2017; wildcard is how much our wedding will take from my budget.

Lot of work to do.

June 1st balance: $72,749

Not great progress- I've been paying a minimum of $1k/month. I will be going back to $1500-2500/month in August....currently cash flowing our wedding. On track to max 401k and Roth IRA as well.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!