New grad finances
The first few years after graduating set the pattern for everything after: how you repay student loans, whether you build credit or damage it, and what your first real paycheck actually does. This hub collects what SwitchWize has built for exactly that stretch.
How this hub is built
Scoped to the specific financial decisions a new graduate actually faces: student loan repayment and refinancing, and building credit from nothing. Deliberately excludes general college-student content (in-school credit cards, loans while still enrolled) since that's a different moment than the one this hub is built for. Every article and calculator below is live-verified before publishing.
Starting Out Financially
The first moves that compound for decades: credit and your first real budget.
Guide
The New Grad Money Playbook: Your First Paycheck (2026)
Your first real paycheck arrives with no instructions, and the decisions you make in the first month compound for forty years. This is the setup playbook: claim the free 401(k) match, split the paycheck before you can spend it, open the Roth IRA that fits your low tax bracket now, build credit, and handle student loans without derailing the rest.
Read the guideGuide
How to Build Credit From Scratch: 6 Months to Your First Score
A calm, practical guide to building credit from scratch in 2026: the tools that work, the FICO factors that matter, the habits that move your score, and a realistic timeline.
Read the guideRepaying Student Loans
Which repayment plan fits your income, and what RAP vs IBR actually means.
Your Student Loan Plan Is Being Discontinued. Doing Nothing Picks the New One for You.
The OBBBA collapses the old menu of repayment plans. SAVE is gone, and PAYE and ICR are sunsetting. If you take no action by 2028, you are automatically moved into RAP, a plan that charges a percentage of your entire income, whether or not it is your cheapest option.
Act before
2028
Read this firstCalculator
Student Loan Payoff Calculator
Estimate fixed-payment student-loan payoff with zero-rate, non-amortizing, and final-payment safeguards.
Calculator
RAP Student Loan Payment Estimator
Estimate a RAP payment scenario, compare it with clearly labeled generic and legacy-plan references, model the Sept. 30 auto-pay rate discount, check for a growing-balance warning sign, check PSLF fit, and identify the next paperwork step.
Student Loan Repayment Plans: Which One Saves You the Most
Federal student loans offer nine repayment plans. Choosing the wrong one costs tens of thousands in extra interest. Here's how each plan works and who each one is right for.
Types of Federal Student Loans 2026: Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and PLUS Explained
A clear guide to the types of federal student loans in 2026: Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and PLUS loans, how rates and limits work, and why federal beats private.
Student Loan Repayment 2026: Plans, Forgiveness, and Strategy
Master student loan repayment 2026 with our guide to income-driven plans, PSLF forgiveness, refinancing trade-offs, and payoff strategies that save thousands.
RAP vs IBR: Which Student Loan Repayment Plan Saves You More?
RAP vs IBR comparison breaks down payment formulas, forgiveness timelines, and who each plan suits so you can pick the right income-driven repayment option.
Student Loan Wage Garnishment Restarted in 2026: What to Do
Student loan wage garnishment restarted in 2026. Learn what defaulted borrowers should do to stop garnishment, rehabilitate loans, and protect their income.
Refinancing Student Loans
When refinancing makes sense, and which lenders are worth comparing.
Calculator
Student Loan Refinance Calculator
Compare a current loan with an entered private-refinance quote, including fees, lifetime cost, and federal-protection warnings.
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Student Loan Interest Deduction Calculator
Estimate the 2026 student-loan-interest deduction, including an explicit zero result for married filing separately.
Best Student Loan Refinance Lenders 2026
Compare the best student loan refinance lenders of 2026 by APR, credit score fit, and borrower protections. See when refinancing saves money and when it costs you.
ELFI vs SoFi: Which Student Loan Refinance Wins in 2026?
ELFI vs SoFi student loan refinance compared on personal service, member discounts, and rates. See which direct lender fits your refinance.
SoFi vs Splash Financial: Best Student Loan Refinance in 2026?
SoFi vs Splash Financial student loan refinance compared: direct lender vs marketplace model, rates, and member perks. See which fits your refinance.
Parent PLUS & Family Financing
For loans taken out by a parent, not the student.
Parent PLUS Loans Guide 2026
How Parent PLUS loans work in 2026: the adverse-credit check, higher rates and fees, borrowing up to cost of attendance, repayment options, and alternatives.
Best Parent Student Loans 2026
Compare Parent PLUS loans vs private parent loans by APR, origination fees, repayment protections, and long-term cost. Real math on $40,000 at 8.05% vs 6.5%.
Frequently asked questions
Which student loan repayment plan actually saves the most money?
It depends on your income and how much debt you have relative to it. Standard 10-year repayment minimizes total interest paid if you can afford the higher monthly payment. Income-driven plans lower the monthly payment and can lead to forgiveness after 20-25 years, but usually mean paying more interest over time. Run your real numbers through the Student Loan Payoff Calculator above rather than assuming one plan is universally better.
What's the difference between RAP and IBR?
RAP (Repayment Assistance Plan) is the newer repayment plan that new borrowers are being defaulted into; IBR (Income-Based Repayment) is the older income-driven option. They calculate payments differently and have different forgiveness timelines. If you were auto-enrolled and haven't actively chosen a plan, it's worth comparing both against your specific income and loan balance before assuming the default is right for you.
Should I refinance my student loans right after graduating?
Usually not immediately. Refinancing federal loans into a private loan means giving up income-driven repayment options and federal forgiveness programs, which matters most when your income is still low and unpredictable right after graduating. Refinancing tends to make more sense once your income has stabilized and you're confident you won't need federal protections like deferment or income-driven plans.
How do I start building credit with no credit history?
A secured credit card, becoming an authorized user on a parent's well-managed card, or a credit-builder loan are the three standard starting points. What matters most in the first year is paying on time every month and keeping utilization low, not which specific product you start with.
What happens if I default on my student loans?
Default can lead to wage garnishment, tax refund seizure, and damage to your credit that makes other borrowing harder for years. Garnishment on defaulted federal loans restarted in 2026 after a pandemic-era pause. If you're struggling to make payments, income-driven repayment or deferment are almost always better options than letting a loan go to default.