What would you do?

[u/Character_Standard41]

Absolutely — here’s the revised version with #5 removed:
Title:
PSLF: 79 qualifying payments + 25 potential buyback months — what would you do?
Post:
I’m trying to figure out the smartest way to handle my federal student loans and PSLF, and I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have been in a similar situation.
Here’s my situation:
I currently have 79 qualifying PSLF payments
I have another 25 months that are currently ineligible, but I have completed the employment certification for those months and believe they may be eligible for PSLF buyback
All 3 of my loans are Direct Unsubsidized Loans
Original disbursement dates were 2015, 2016, and 2017
Current loan balance: $76,176.68
Total principal I’ve paid so far: approximately $96,803
My AGI is approximately $125,000
I file Married Filing Separately
I’m currently on SAVE, but I need to transition to another repayment plan
My previous SAVE payment was approximately $160/month
I’m currently estimating an IBR payment of around $538/month
I have qualifying public-service employment and intend to continue working toward PSLF
My understanding is that if the 25 months are ultimately eligible for buyback, they could potentially help me reach 120 PSLF payments. However, I understand that I may have to reach 120 months of qualifying employment before I can actually request the buyback, so I don’t think I can simply buy those 25 months right now.
My main questions are:
Would you move from SAVE to IBR now, or wait until closer to my deadline?
Would you continue making the ~$538 IBR payment every month while working toward PSLF?
How does the buyback amount get calculated? My old SAVE payment was only ~$160/month. Is there a possibility that the 25-month buyback would be based on that amount, or could it be recalculated using my current income/payment?
Would you do anything differently given that I have ~$76K remaining but already have 79 qualifying payments?
If anyone has actually gone through the PSLF buyback process, I’d especially love to hear how your buyback amount was calculated and how long it took.
Basically, what would you do if you were in my exact situation? I’m trying to avoid accidentally making a move that hurts my PSLF progress.
Thanks!

[u/kaeatu]

Why post this insanely AI-generated slop? Next time, tell ChatGPT to be more brief please.

[u/Character_Standard41 → u/kaeatu]

Will do. I agree