I celebrated my first Father’s Day this past weekend. I had a great day celebrating with my family, but the entire day I was stuck thinking about the future and how my life has changed. Am I providing well enough for my family? Am I preparing well enough for the future? Are we saving enough for […]
My Investment Strategy – Early 30’s, Married with Children
I want to discuss my personal investment strategy for my own benefit as much as yours. I am a far stretch from a financial expert, and I am confident that I can learn from the College Investor audience when it comes to developing a solid investing strategy. With that said, I believe that many in […]
How to Start a Non-Profit Organization
Many individuals I have encountered in my career view a job at a non-profit as something you do once you’ve made your money in the ‘for profit’ sector and are ready to give back. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth, and while profit is obviously not the main objective in the non-profit sector, it […]
3 Ways To Create Your Own Student Loan Forgiveness Program
Imagine this: you graduate from your dream school, land your dream job, move into a posh new apartment with a nice view of the city, get your first ‘real’ paycheck, and buy that new suit you’ve had your eye on. Life is good. Then this arrives in the mail: Your student loan account statement. There are a […]
How To Manage Your Student Loan Repayment
At least one a week a college senior comes to my office to ask me “How many student loans do I have?” My initial answer before helping them? “To be honest, this is your responsibility to know how many, how much, and with whom your student loans are.” I will freely admit that our current […]
True Story: 12 Week Course Results In 60K Salary At Top Company
I first heard of The Iron Yard from a close friend who had just quit their well-paying job in healthcare administration to enter an immersive 12 week coding course to learn back-end engineering. I thought they were nuts! My friend had a wife and 3 kids to support, and at the time he was the only […]
How To Become A Real Estate Mogul With Only $10,000
Real estate has traditionally been one of the most sought after investment vehicles for its passive income potential, appreciation, positive cash-flow, and tax reducing deductions. However, real estate investing is also viewed as one of the more difficult investments to start due to the high risk and high up-front costs required to start. I want […]
6 Income Generation Ideas To Pay Down Student Loan Debt
Student loans are an investment in your future. When you agree to receive a student loan you are making an “investment” in your future self by trading the student loan money for an education and the hope of increased future earning potential. However, as we all know, this perfect scenario does not always play out […]
5 Student Loan Alternatives Revolutionizing Student Debt
Stories about student loans and the hardships they create for college students dominate the news and pull at the heartstrings of concerned America. If you are a student loan borrower, or a parent of a student loan borrower you understand these frustrations on a personal level. Financing higher education has led to an inconceivable level […]
Investing Your Student Loan Money – Is It Legal and Should You Do It?
Investing student loans has been a hot button issue for many years. At the peak of the stock market in 2006, it was a commonly held belief that investing student loans was a wise and safe decision.
Why You Need a Side Hustle
“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” – Abraham Lincoln My first job after graduating college was in a small commercial finance branch. I was mainly tasked with selling personal loans and auto loans, and collecting on past due accounts. This involved peddling up to 36% […]
Why Investing in College Town Real Estate Can Be Smart
Real estate has long been one of the most popular methods for wealth generation. Most people consider their primary residence a substantial investment. Some folks have chosen to “flip” houses by buying homes in need of repair, repairing them, and then selling them for a profit. Others have chosen to become landlords and bought one […]
The Complete and Easy Guide to Student Loan Deferments
Repaying student loans is an essential component of your financial future. We are all well aware of the growing animosity toward student loans, but the fact remains that they may be a necessary evil for many people. That’s why we created the free Definitive Guide to Student Loan Debt. It’s important to also remember that, in moderation, student […]
Government Shutdown and Student Loans: Affecting Borrowers?
Here we are again – in 2018, talking about a government shutdown. It’s clear our government is mismanaged, but what does that mean for you? Well, it really depends on what happens. For short government shutdowns (which might last the weekend or a few days into the week), nothing. For longer shutdowns (like we saw […]
Universities Suing Students: Could You Be Sued Too?
I recently stumbled across this article about a growing phenomenon in the United States: colleges and universities are suing former students to get paid back on the student loan debt they took out. The article details the actions of Yale, University of Pennsylvania, and George Washington University and their recent increase in student loan litigation. […]
The Dangers of Being an Idea Man with Business Ideas
For as long as I can remember, I have been labeled as an idea man. I’m excellent at creating theoretical schemes, and proposing grand solutions to problems. In a group setting, I am usually the one throwing out ideas and ways to solve a problem. I have a notebook of business ideas that I carry […]
Do You Qualify for Student Loan Income-Based Repayment?
I recently wrote about managing your student loan repayment. Unfortunately, this process can be more complicated than it should be, and it becomes even more complicated when you are faced with multiple repayment strategies. In recent years, the U.S. government has unveiled new student loan repayment options aimed at easing the financial strain of individuals and […]
What You Should Know Before Starting a Business With Friends
Most of us, at some point in our lives, have been sitting around talking with friends when someone says, “Hey, that is a great idea! You should totally build that (start that, try that, do that, open that, make that, create that, etc.).” This simple validation of an idea could be the spark that is […]
Need College Financial Aid? Use This Financial Aid Pyramid!
Over the next few weeks, hundreds of thousands of college freshmen will be moving into their cramped dorm rooms and beginning their college careers. Amidst all of the emotions, tears, unpacking, and meeting new friends, is the unavoidable fact that to move into a college dorm, you must have it paid for first. Financial aid […]
How to Budget for Friends’ Weddings and Plan Ahead
During the 10 years after you graduate from college, you will go to more weddings than any other period in your life. The average age to get married is 28, but if you are like many of my friends, you are getting married by 25, and having babies by 28! Weddings are a wonderful time […]
Are All Colleges Proprietary Schools Which Seek a Profit?
By definition, a proprietary college or university is one which operates as a private, profit-seeking business. Some popular examples of proprietary schools in the United States are the University of Phoenix, DeVry University, Kaplan University, Strayer University, and ITT Technical Institute. I had a conversation recently with a colleague of mine, about whether or not […]
Is Free Tuition Really Worth 24 Years of Bondage?
Many of you have likely heard of Oregon’s radical new program called “Pay it Forward, Pay it Back.” The catchy title belies a program that provides free tuition for students attending community college or a public university in Oregon. In exchange for this tuition, graduates would then pay back a small fixed percentage of their income […]