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When you graduate and consolidate your federal loans, servicers auto-enroll you into whatever repayment plan you don't actively choose — usually Standard 10-year. For most recent grads making $45k-$65k, that's almost never the cheapest path.

Here's the thing nobody explains clearly: your ideal plan depends on three variables most people never run the numbers on —

1. Your debt-to-income ratio. Above ~1.5x your income, an income-driven plan (SAVE/IBR/PAYE) almost always beats Standard, even accounting for extra interest accrual.

2. Your employer. If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, PSLF can wipe the remaining balance after 120 qualifying payments — but only if you're on a qualifying plan from day one. Pick wrong and you lose years of progress.

3. Your 5-year income trajectory. If you expect fast raises, locking into an IDR plan early (before income climbs) can lower your total lifetime payments significantly vs. waiting.

Most people set their plan once at graduation and never revisit it. That single decision is often worth more than any interest-rate shopping they'll ever do.

I started Loan Payoff Playbook because I kept seeing smart people leave thousands on the table simply because no one sat down and ran their specific numbers. If you've got $50k+ in federal loans and haven't actually mapped your options against your real income and career path, it's worth 20 minutes to check.