Tony Bartels, DVM, MBA

Dr. Tony Bartels graduated in 2012 from the Colorado State University combined MBA/DVM program and is an employee of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) and a VIN Foundation Board member. He and his wife have more than $400,000 in veterinary-school debt that they manage using federal income-driven repayment plans. By necessity (and now obsession), his professional activities include researching and speaking on veterinary-student debt, providing guidance to colleagues on loan-repayment strategies and contributing to VIN Foundation initiatives.

VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | prevet resources veterinary student resources veterinarian resources | Nonprofit free veterinary resources | Blog | SECURE Act 2.0: Retirement plan contributions tied to your student loan payments

SECURE Act 2.0: Retirement plan contributions tied to your student loan payments

Does matching student loan payments for retirement contributions make sense for veterinarians? How SECURE 2.0 changes employer retirement savings plans Recently, Congress passed and the President signed into law the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022. There are many updates and changes to tax-advantaged savings options in this legislation that are taking effect in 2023 and …

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VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | prevet resources veterinary student resources veterinarian resources | Nonprofit free veterinary resources | Blog | Income-Driven Repayment: Recertify now, Switch plans, or Wait

Income-Driven Repayment: Recertify, Switch plans, or Wait?

Brace yourself, this is a long one. We’ve got a lot to cover with the recent recertification pause and confusion around renewals vs. switching repayment plans. Read straight through if you have a large mug of coffee or use the Table of Contents feature to quickly navigate to your section of interest. Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) …

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VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | prevet resources veterinary student resources veterinarian resources | Nonprofit free veterinary resources | Blog | 2024 Graduating Veterinarians: Special Student Loan Timing Considerations

2024 Graduating Veterinarians: Special Student Loan Timing Considerations

What to do if you’re in The Pickle – or not Congratulations on your upcoming graduation from veterinary school, Doctors! Whether you’re in The Pickle or not, you have two critical homework assignments to complete before you graduate: File a 2023 tax return; and Review your student loan repayment options, particularly your income-driven repayment plan …

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VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | prevet resources veterinary student resources veterinarian resources | Nonprofit free veterinary resources | Blog | Student Debt Student Loan Veterinary Student Debt Veterinary Student Loan PAYE vs. SAVE: Are you in The Pickle?

Choosing between PAYE and SAVE income-driven plans: Are you in The Pickle?

On the VIN and VIN Foundation Student Debt Message Boards and during recent Climbing Mt. Debt webinars, hundreds of questions have been asked and answered. One of the most frequent questions is, “Should I switch to the new Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) income-driven repayment plan?” In most cases, the answer is yes, you …

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2024 Federal Poverty Rates Published: Why that matters for your student loans

Federal Poverty Guidelines Each year in January, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) updates the federal poverty guidelines used to determine financial eligibility for certain programs. Your federal student loan monthly payments are impacted by these updates when you use an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan. The VIN Foundation Student Loan Repayment Simulator …

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Veterinary Student Loan Repayment: Trends from the trenches

You’re running out of time to consolidate your loans If you have federal student loans, you owe it to yourself to read this. ***UPDATE: CONSOLIDATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 30, 2024*** Why? Because there are time sensitive options you might need to pursue to save yourself lots of time and money.    For over a decade …

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VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | prevet resources veterinary student resources veterinarian resources | Nonprofit free veterinary resources | Blog | Student Loan FAQs: The one-time forgiveness count adjustment

Student Loan FAQs: The one-time forgiveness count adjustment

What is the one-time forgiveness count adjustment? The one-time forgiveness count adjustment for federally-held student loans is a lesser-known, more confusing, yet more widely available special benefit announced in April 2022. Anyone with federally-held student loans is eligible to receive the adjustment. Essentially, the adjustment will count any repayment time, and certain deferment or forbearance …

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Find your income-driven repayment anniversary date

I have federal student loans. When do I need to recertify my income?

One of the most common questions recently asked by veterinarians in student loan repayment using any of the income-driven repayment plans (IBR, PAYE, REPAYE, ICR) is “When do I need to provide my income information again? Is it before the special pandemic forbearance benefits end? Is it after? How do I know?”

VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | prevet resources veterinary student resources veterinarian resources | Nonprofit free veterinary resources | Blog | Student Debt Questions & Answers - from 3rd year veterinary students

Student Debt Questions & Answers – from 3rd year veterinary students

Student Debt Q&A from students The following are questions asked during recent Climbing Mt. Debt sessions with 3rd year veterinary students at U.S. colleges of veterinary medicine. They will be graduating in 2024, likely facing an updated student loan repayment framework and transitionary deadlines. With all of the recent changes to federal student loans (current …

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A ‘new’ income-driven repayment plan?

Federal student debt proposal would change REPAYE, phase out PAYE Buried in a sea of federal student loan announcements and changes over the last few years was the promise of a new income-driven repayment plan. Now we know how parts of that promise will be implemented when the pandemic forbearance benefits end this summer. The …

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