• Fester@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    54
    ·
    8 months ago

    You can’t escape student loan debt by default, bankruptcy, etc.

    The best thing you can do is sign up for IBR and accept that 5% of your income is lost for 20 years, and hope that whoever is president at that time isn’t a sadist cunt. Also try to save some extra money for possible income tax on the forgiven amount.

    That’s assuming your loans are subsidized. If they’re private, try delivering for DoorDash on the side!

    • Gravitywell@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      arrow-down
      22
      ·
      edit-2
      8 months ago

      I’m saying you can stop paying, Im not saying you won’t still owe them, but I know people who owe tens of thousands in student loans and have not paid them a cent in over ten years, they have a credit score of around 800, its never affected their ability to get any kind of credit or housing.

      I think people over estimate how important they are or what kind of consequences there are for not paying as if it ruins your credit score forever or something, and its just not true.

        • Gravitywell@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          6
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          edit-2
          8 months ago

          Okay but what I’m saying is, why work extra hard and take a second job? Why not just make a single minimum payment every 270 days to avoid them moving to the next steps? There are just so many other options besides working a second job to pay them, and so many delay tactics you could employ to avoid getting to the point of garnished wages.

          • interrobang@lemmy.blahaj.zone
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            5
            ·
            8 months ago

            You’re right. Im late 30s, took out tons of loans at 17yo, and my dad swindled me out of anything that didnt go directly to tuition.

            I stopped paying a decade ago, keep waiting for my checks to be garnished, but hasn’t happened yet.

            I don’t use credit, im financially not an adult in many ways, but i kept waaaaay more of my money than anyone else i know.

            • Gravitywell@sh.itjust.works
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              2
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              8 months ago

              thank you! Ive yet to hear a single story from anyone who’s actually defaulted and had wages garnished for student loans. Sure it can happen but its pretty rare.

              • Jorn@lemm.ee
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                5
                ·
                edit-2
                8 months ago

                I’ve had two employees at my work get their wages garnished for defaulting on student loans. It definitely happens.

                Edit: One of the guys told me flat out that he will never willingly give a cent towards his student loans ever again. The other guy was going through some financial hardship after leaving here and we got a notice to garnish but he was no longer employed with us so we just had to respond back to the notice.

                • Gravitywell@sh.itjust.works
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  ·
                  8 months ago

                  Interesting to hear, and yeah one of the main issues with garnishing someones wages is, even the government has to do a bit of work to actually track down your employer and people who default on student loans don’t tend to have very good employment (i’m not at all arguing you shouldnt pay them if you can actually afford to, just that you shouldnt go out of your way for it if you’re struggling).

                  I wonder how much they got from 15% of that one employees wages, I’ll bet it was less then they’d have to pay to actually pay off the loan… and of course if that person ever changes jobs they have to track down the new employer each time. also wonder how common it is for wages to be garnished over say child support compared, or back taxes to student loans…

              • interrobang@lemmy.blahaj.zone
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                2
                ·
                8 months ago

                Same- all threats, don’t know anyone actually being garnished.

                When my choice was pay loans or eat, i ate, and i sure af am not going to call someone and offer them money just because it got slightly better a couple years later. Ive never owned a new couch, i am not well off.

                If debtors prisons come back, I’m fucked, but until then, frankly, what can they do? I can’t afford a house or kids either way, and i am not throwing away anything on interest that will only grow and stress me out.

                I have no idea what i must owe now, over triple my salary, min.

                They sold a for-profit bullshit degree.

                Fuck em