Years ago, I was covering a joint U.S. military exercise in Thailand when the helicopter I was in malfunctioned. Technically, we crashed. To me, it felt more like a rough landing. As we hurried away from the aircraft, I looked at the public affairs officer who was accompanying me, and who I knew well, and said, “You know, I’m going to need a press release on this.” He replied, “On what? I didn’t see a thing.” He was kidding. Kind of.
I’m about to give you a piece of tantalizing information. You may qualify to pay a lower monthly amount for your student loan, based on your income.
The Income Based Repayment is one of several repayment plan options for student loan borrowers under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program and the Federal Family Education Loan Program.
Eligibility is based on income and family size. If you qualify, your required monthly payment is capped and is less than you would pay monthly on a regular payment plan.
It’s tax time and for many military spouses that means not paying state tax! Too bad it’s not that simple. The Military Spouse Residency Relief Act of 2009 allowed military spouses to file taxes in their state of residency, rather than the state they live in due to military orders. Military members have had this benefit for decades. Before you re-configure your tax documents, check the requirements. Military spouses must meet these three qualifications to be exempt from state taxation: