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Did you take out a Parent PLUS Loan to help fund your child’s education?

If so, you can certainly be forgiven for wanting to transfer the loan from your name to your child’s. On average, parents who take out PLUS loans owe about $120 a month for every $10,000 borrowed for their child’s education

The holiday season has commonly been referred to as “engagement season,” marking the most popular time of year for proposals. Now that January has hit and the glow of the holidays have worn off, a lot of couples are doing the hard work of answering the question "How are we going to pay for our wedding?"

While thinking of ways to cut down on costs can go a long way, you may also just need a boost in income. In honor of engagement season, here are five surprising ways to earn extra money for your wedding.

Does it feel like you'll never pay off your student loans? I have so been there.

By the time I got serious about paying off my student loan debt, the money I owed had swelled into thousands more than the original $16,000 loan I took out. With the interest that had accrued, on top of the late fees I had amassed because of my carelessness, I was now looking at another barrier to becoming debt-free.

If you’re expecting a new baby, you probably know that your finances are about to change … but maybe you’re not sure exactly how much they’re going to change, or in what ways. I can relate.

When my wife was pregnant, we spent a lot of time talking about the potential cost of childcare. What we didn’t talk about were the small purchases that add up over time: diapers and wipes, milk storage bags, and teething wafers. Oh, and every single swaddle or sleep sack that got an Amazon reviewer’s child to sleep through the night. 

It could happen to anyone. You start paying your loans with good intentions, but life happens—maybe you lose a job, get sick or injured, or take a big pay cut—and you fall behind on your payments. Now your credit is trashed.

When you get into a situation like this, you may think that consolidating your student loan payments may be a good strategy to gain control of your finances. And it can be.

If you’ve recently begun to repay your student loans, the details of your debt may be frustratingly fuzzy. After all, it’s likely been months or years since you closely considered the terms of your loans, and most students aren’t eager to examine what they owe until after graduation.