In this issue: Why I went quiet for a month, the student loan overhaul that's about to reshape how families pay for college, and the exact steps to take before July 1 hits.

It's been about a month since I sent a newsletter. Two reasons for that.

One... I needed rest. I was getting exhausted pushing content out and it started to feel less informative and more like I was just going through the motions. And if I'm not bringing you something real, I'm not going to waste your inbox. That's a promise I take seriously.

Two... if you subscribe to our Uncomfortable Truth Substack, you already know some of what's been happening behind the scenes. Losing a long-term client. Refocusing on my kids. Real life stuff that needed my attention more than my content calendar did.

So I stepped back. And now I'm coming back different.

You're going to notice this newsletter looks different starting today. Tighter. Cleaner. Less of me rambling and more of me getting you something you can actually use as fast as possible. That's the whole redesign. Get in, give you value, get out.

This personal section is going to be more of an update going forward than a full life story... but don't worry, next week is going to be one of my favorites. Spoiler alert... it's about youth sports and our oldest, Lincoln. You'll want to read that one.

For now though, let's get into something that actually matters for a lot of you right now.

If you have kids heading to college, you're in graduate school, or you're a parent already borrowing for a child's education... pay attention. This is the largest overhaul of the federal student loan system in six decades and most people have no idea it's coming.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law in July 2025 and the major provisions take effect July 1, 2026. Here's what's actually changing.

Parent PLUS loans are getting capped... hard. Right now parents can borrow up to the full cost of attendance for their kid's school. Starting July 1, 2026, new Parent PLUS loans will be limited to $20,000 per year, with a $65,000 lifetime cap per student. For a lot of families, this completely ends the ability to fill the entire college funding gap with Parent PLUS alone. semafor

Grad PLUS loans are being eliminated entirely. Starting July 1, 2026, the Grad PLUS loan will be completely eliminated as an option for new borrowers. Graduate students will be capped at Direct Unsubsidized Loans with limits of $20,500 per year and a $100,000 lifetime cap. Students in professional programs like law and medicine get higher caps of $50,000 per year with a $200,000 lifetime limit. BloombergBloomberg

There's now a lifetime federal borrowing cap. A new overall federal loan lifetime cap of $257,500 applies, excluding amounts borrowed via Parent PLUS. Bloomberg

Repayment options are shrinking too. The existing income-driven repayment plans like IBR, PAYE, and SAVE are being replaced for new borrowers with a single new plan called RAP... the Repayment Assistance Plan... with forgiveness after 30 years.

Now here's the part that matters most right now and that almost nobody is talking about.

There is a legacy provision and a deadline attached to it. If a student-borrower had a Federal Direct Loan disburse before July 1, 2026, and remains enrolled in the same program of study, they can continue to borrow under the old rules for 3 academic years or the remainder of their program, whichever is less. The Department of Education confirmed the requirement is only that a Direct Loan was made prior to July 1, 2026... the type of loan does not matter. Seeking AlphaThe Motley Fool

Translation... if you get a Direct Loan disbursed before that July 1 cutoff, you may lock in access to the old, more generous borrowing rules. Miss it and you're in the new capped world. This is the cliff. And the practical deadline to act is by the end of June.

📌 Receipts:

Do not sit on this. If any of this touches your family, here's your action plan before the deadline hits.

1. Figure out if the legacy provision applies to you. If you or your child currently has any Federal Direct Loan, or could get one disbursed before July 1, 2026, you may be able to lock in the old rules. This is the single most time-sensitive item on this list. Confirm your situation now.

2. Pull your full college funding picture together. List every source. 529 savings, scholarships, grants, student federal loans, work-study, and what's left to cover. You need to see the whole gap before you can make a smart decision about how to fill it under the new caps.

3. If you're a parent planning to use Parent PLUS, run the numbers against the new caps. $20,000 a year and $65,000 lifetime per student is the new ceiling. If your plan assumed Parent PLUS would cover the full gap, that plan needs to change. Figure out the shortfall now, not in August.

4. If grad school is on the horizon, borrow strategically before the window closes. With Grad PLUS gone and lower caps coming, the timing and sequencing of graduate borrowing matters more than it ever has. Know your limits before they shrink.

5. Review your current repayment plan if you already have loans. With IDR plans going away for new borrowers and the new RAP plan coming, make sure you understand what you're currently on and whether you should make a move before the transition.

Here's the honest truth though. Every single one of these depends on your specific situation... your income, your kid's school, your timeline, your other assets. The two most important words in this whole thing are "it depends." This is exactly the kind of high-stakes, time-sensitive decision where getting it wrong is expensive and getting it right early changes everything.

If you want to walk through your specific situation before the July 1 deadline, that's what the Power Hour is for. See What This Means for Your Family 60-minute 1:1 session. Your questions answered. Walk away with a plan.

I took a month off because I needed to live my life instead of performing it.

That's the whole lesson this week.

Live for you. For your happiness. Not for social media. Not for your neighbors. Not for the version of success someone else sold you.

Stay true to you. Everything else is noise.

See you next week.

Inside the Modern Family Office — Black-led. Built to Stay In the Black.

Not financial advice. Do your own research. Talk to a professional.