Alan is a national security specialist living in the D.C. area. He graduated with $120,000 of student loan debt, which had now climbed to $160,000 with interest. His wife is a vice principal with about $40,000 of student loan debt herself. Both are working toward student loan forgiveness — Alan with Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and his wife with Teacher Loan Forgiveness.

Learn about Alan's struggles with FedLoan Servicing (the servicer in charge of all things PSLF) and how loan forgiveness is unfolding for both he and his wife.

In today's episode, you'll find out:

• How Alan ended up in the national security field — and what that career is really like
• What education is required to work in national security
• When Alan first realized he had tons of student loan debt
• How bad advice from his loan servicer led his loan balance ballooning
• How the incentive structures of loan servicer call centers affect the advice you get
• Why it's usually best to use your prior tax returns to certify income for income-driven repayment plans
• How student loans affect married couples filing taxes jointly or separately
• Alan's experience with FedLoan Servicing after inquiring about loan forgiveness
• Why PSLF is usually the better option over Teacher Loan Forgiveness — and how both programs work
• Why an emergency fund is essential, especially as the student loan debt crisis will likely get worse
• Alan's tips for dealing with the psychology of debt

Full show notes at: http://studentloanplanner.com/21