In this episode, we unpack the complex history and volatile current state of Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans for federal student loans. We begin by explaining the "umbrella" of IDR options—including Income-Based Repayment (IBR), Pay As You Earn (PAYE), and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR)—exploring how payments are capped between 10% and 20% of a borrower's discretionary income based on when they took out their loans,,. We analyze the evolution of these plans from the Clinton administration’s original 1993 proposal to the Obama-era REPAYE plan,.

The conversation then shifts to the major shakeups of 2023–2025. We discuss the mechanics of the Biden administration's SAVE plan, which raised the poverty exemption threshold to 225% and eliminated negative amortization, only to be blocked by the Eighth Circuit Court in early 2025,,. We break  ...