Editorial Policy

This site is run by Stanley Tate, a student loan attorney, and a small editorial team. Our job is to produce accurate, actionable information about student loans — the kind that helps you make a real decision, not just understand a concept in the abstract.

What we cover

We cover federal and private student loans — repayment, forgiveness, default, bankruptcy, and the programs and options that apply to each. That is the full scope of our coverage.

We do not provide tax advice, investment advice, or guidance on topics outside student loan law. When a student loan question intersects with another area — such as how your repayment plan affects your taxes — we will tell you what we know and direct you to the appropriate professional for the rest.

We do not collect or adjudicate complaints against servicers. If you have a complaint about a servicer, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and your state's student loan ombudsman are the right places to start.

How we make editorial decisions

Topics are chosen based on what borrowers actually need to know — informed by the questions we hear on consultations, the conversations happening in borrower communities, and the policy changes that materially affect repayment and forgiveness options.

No advertiser, affiliate, or outside party influences what we cover, how we frame it, or what conclusions we reach. Editorial decisions are made by Stanley and our lead editor, Chanell.

Affiliate relationships

This site maintains a small number of affiliate relationships with private student loan lenders. If you click a link to a lender and take an action — such as checking your rate or refinancing — we may receive compensation.

Affiliate relationships do not influence our editorial coverage. We do not write favorably about a lender because of an affiliate relationship, and we do not avoid covering risks or downsides of refinancing because lenders are affiliates. Refinancing federal loans into private loans eliminates access to income-driven repayment and forgiveness programs — we say so clearly and consistently, regardless of any commercial relationship.

Affiliate links are identified where they appear.

The relationship between this site and the law practice

Stanley Tate is both the primary editorial voice on this site and a practicing student loan attorney who offers paid consultations. That relationship is worth being direct about.

The content on this site is designed to be genuinely useful whether or not you ever book a consultation. Many borrowers read our articles, understand their situation, and handle it themselves. That is a good outcome. For borrowers whose situation is more complex — or who simply want a second set of eyes on their specific file — a consultation with Stanley is available.

The content is not written to manufacture complexity or create dependency. It is written to give you the clearest possible picture of where you stand and what your options are.

Accuracy and corrections

We review our content when policy changes and update articles that are materially affected. Stanley personally reviews every significant update before it goes live.

If you find an error — an outdated deadline, a broken link, or something that contradicts what you're seeing on your own loan account — please report it. We review all correction submissions within one to two business days and work with our editorial team to implement changes as quickly as possible. Significant corrections are noted in the affected article.

Report a correction →

A note on advertising

We do not currently carry display advertising. If that changes in the future, this policy will be updated to describe how advertising is separated from editorial decisions.

How we research → · AI policy → · Meet the team →