CliffsNotes Graduation Debt: How to Manage Student Loans and Live Your Life, 2nd Edition

by Reyna Gobel

With updated information that reflects the myriad changes in the student loan industry that affect students and their parents burdened with student loan debt, CliffsNotes Graduation Debt, Second Edition provides a step-by-step road map for effectively managing student loan debt and having a successful financial life. Reyna Gobel has accumulated tens of thousands of dollars in student loans, recovered from student loan default, and set herself on a mission to help others who face a seemingly insurmountable student loan burden, with a powerful message about taking a step-by-step approach and not being overwhelmed by the sheer weight of student loan debt. Divided into small subsections geared toward those neck-deep in debt, this book is easily digestible to students who aren’t inclined to focus on their finances. Readers are encouraged to take action steps, such as finding long-lost student loans that may have gone into default, discovering payment plans they can afford, consolidating loans when it makes sense to do so, saving money on eating out and groceries, improving credit scores, tweaking their debt-to-income ratios so they can buy a home, and discussing their student loan and non-student loan debt with their significant others. By the end of the book, readers will be on the road to financial stability, with extra money for vacations and other fun stuff, too.

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published March 12, 2010

About the author

Reyna Gobel, M.B.A. and M.J., is a freelance journalist who specializes in financial fitness. Her financial advice regularly appears on Investopedia.com and Yahoo!Finance as well as other print and online outlets.

Hear Reyna's advice and tips on managing student loans on Insight Daily Radio http://bit.ly/1n5nuxz

Read Reyna's recent articles on how to select colleges and how to pay for it http://www.forbes.com/sites/reynagobel

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had a few typos/errors that were a turn-off for a book like this, and a few sections where it was clear a service was being promoted (although they were free ones, like Upromise), so I felt like I needed to take some of the advice with a grain of salt. However, there were a few tips that helped me out - not bad for getting a handle on the financial concepts that come with having student loans, but I wouldn't recommend it as a sole source of info.

[Ashley Teagle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with a previous reviewer that this book does contain typos. However, the information it contains is well organized and useful. This is a good book for high school seniors to read before taking on student loan debt, as well as graduates who are not only looking for ways to pay down student loans but also looking to move forward in their financial lives with other major purchases such as a car or home loan.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a few helpful tips or "a-has" but overall it same the same information you read in any other financial book. Turn off lights, buy what you eat, look for ways to cut, don't eat out as much. Only read it if you haven't read a financial book before.

[Ruairi O'Neill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good advice on how to knock down college debt utilizing various sources and sites. Expanded into knocking down debt overall which was more than I really wanted out of the book wasting precious movement of my eyes.

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so helpful in figuring out my student loans. I wish I read this BEFORE I went to graduate school.