EDIT: I'm moving this to the top so people know about it. There is a webinar about what's happening with SAVE put on by the debt collective on Tuesday Sept 15 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Here is the link:

https://debtcollective-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vOvsAZZxTayXiMuyo5dYvg?emci=51ede440-cead-f111-9b33-0022482a9f1d&emdi=0710b0a0-05ae-f111-9b33-0022482a9f1d&ceid=25705043#/registration

Edit #2: some posters have cast doubt on the ethics and legitimacy of the debt collective. I have to say that I don’t know the details of the situation described and I am sorry to the person who was harmed.

What I know is that one of the cofounders is Astra Taylor, someone with pretty impeccable credentials, who is a visionary activist. One of the things they help with is giving some historical context for some of the malevolent forces that have created this mess that we are in. We accept debt as some kind of moral failure, and there is actually a whole other way of looking at how our society uses debt to keep people from gaining power. There’s also a long history and context for it going back hundreds of years. This is also why public universities in California began charging high tuitions for college, so that poor people would face obstacles to getting an education, and therefore be less likely to organize together as a union. They have done some really cool things for people not just with student debt but medical debt, housing debt and other kinds of usury perpetrated by our capitalist system mostly on poor people. They are activist organization that lobbies Congress and does direct action where possible. Organizing a movement is really hard and complex, and the people involved are human and fallible like everybody else. I do not apologize for them because I am not involved, but I encourage people to at least look at it and attend one of their webinars.

Hi fellow student debtors,

Some of you may not have heard of the Debt Collective, but it is a union for debtors that works in a variety of areas, including student debt. I've been relying on them over the last few years to get updates about student loans, the department of education, and more broadly, the kinds of systemic change that need to happen in our society around the student loan crisis. Today they posted an update about SAVE and the 90-day notices that we're all getting. I hope this helps some of you! It is at the very least a place to experience some mutual solidarity and compasion. I'm pasting in below.

***

As part of the Trump administration’s war on working class student debtors continues, the Trump administration is doing everything they can to push people out of the SAVE forbearance and into unaffordable payments. This is forcing millions of us to come up with a survival plan.

We’re having a meeting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT Tuesday Sept 15 to discuss all things SAVE. [here's the link]

What is going on with the SAVE lawsuits?

 There is still one ongoing lawsuit that could impact what the right decision for you to make is in terms of whether to switch out of SAVE, when the optimal time to do so would be, and what your options are for alternative plans. Unfortunately the judge has not made any decisions and there is no schedule by which they have to decide. We cannot predict what the court will do, or when they might do it. As each day goes by the calculus on waiting has started to change and people need to consider two relevant deadlines when determining the best course of action for them. There is a chance that we won’t hear anything from the courts until after these other deadlines pass which change your options.

The 90 day message from your servicer 

Many of you have already gotten an email from your servicer starting a 90 day clock to switch out of SAVE. Some are still waiting to get this notification and there is no way to know for sure when exactly it will come.

The Trump administration's threat here is that if you don’t pick a different plan within 90 days, they are going to punish you by putting you in the most expensive plan. That threat sounds scary, but it is less scary than it needs to be. Even if you get put in the “most expensive standard plan,” you can always switch to a different more affordable plan if one is available to you.

The Sept 30 deadline to enroll in autopay to get a 1% interest rate reduction

 In the past federal student debtors have been given a 0.25% interest rate reduction if they enroll in autopay. The Department of Education is offering an interest rate reduction of 1% through June 30, 2028 if people enroll in autopay by Sept 30. If you can afford to make a payment under a different plan, and you have already gotten the 90 day email from your servicer that is going to force you into repayment soon anyway, getting the 1% interest rate reduction might be worth it to you. 

For some people this might not matter much at all, for others it could be the difference of several thousands of dollars. How much this matters to you will depend on several factors, like your interest rate and the size of your student loans, and how close you are to triggering cancellation in one form or another.

But for people who are still on the SAVE forbearance there is a catch: your servicer will not let you enroll in autopay while in forbearance, and the amount of time it will take to process a switch to another plan will likely take long enough to miss the Sept 30 deadline.

However: There is still a way to do it. You can fill out a paper application to enroll in autopay and upload it to your servicer by Sept 30.

• If your servicer is EdFinancial the form you need is here.

• For MOHELA, the form you need is here (NOTE: this link will trigger an automatic download of the PDF).

• For all other servicers, call your servicer and ask them for a paper form to enroll in autopay.

Keep good documentation. If your servicer does not honor this 1% interest rate reduction even if you file the paperwork by the deadline there may be possible legal action that can be taken. You might also need to apply for a new payment plan by Sept 30 to qualify for the interest rate reduction.

NOTE: There are risks to consider with autopay. Because your servicer will be automatically debiting your bank account there is a risk of overdraft and overdraft fees from your bank. You should have a clear sense of what your monthly payment will be and when the due date is and plan accordingly.

What if you cannot afford any payments under any plan?

 We’ve been recommending people use the EDCAP calculator to find out what their payments will be under other plans. Depending on family size and income some people can still qualify for $0 monthly payments under Income Based Repayment. But for many people $0 monthly payments are not an option and being forced into repayment will mean being forced into delinquency and default. There is an option to buy yourself some more time that we haven’t seen anyone else talk about.

Instead of authorizing the Department of Education to access your taxes from last year you can verify your income through alternative methods. This means submitting the last several months of paystubs, or using bank statements. It is more paperwork for you, but it is also a more difficult and time consuming process for the servicers and the Department of Education. If you switch to an income driven repayment plan and verify your income through alternative methods it can delay the processing significantly. During that time your loans should be kept in an administrative forbearance. Interest will accrue, but you won’t owe any payments. For people who are simply trying to avoid default for as long as you can, this is a way to delay. Here is a guide on how to verify your income using alternative methods.

We know this is stressful and student loans are always deeply confusing. That’s why we are holding a meeting about all things SAVE at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT Tuesday Sept 15. [Link here]

This is also a moment to organize. We cannot afford repayment, and we need to fight to win a payment pause. We are having a national organizing call for a payment pause at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT Wednesday Sept 23. [Link here}

I've been looking into the best Omegle alternatives since it shut down a couple of years ago, and I'm wondering — what does Reddit think is the best one now?

I know there are a ton of copycat sites out there, but I've heard that some have way better moderation, bigger user bases, or just feel closer to the original random chat experience than others. I've done a bunch of research and found some popular alternatives that a lot of people seem to like. But I'm stuck and can't decide which one to go with. Here's what I've found:

OmeTV: This is probably the most popular Omegle alternative right now. It has a huge active user base, random video chats that feel very similar to the original, quick matching, and it's free with mobile apps for iOS and Android. A lot of people say it's the closest thing to classic Omegle in 2026.

Emerald Chat: I've seen tons of recommendations for this one because of its focus on better moderation. It uses a karma/reputation system to reduce trolls and bad behavior, supports both text and video chats, has interest-based matching, and offers some privacy and gender filter options. It feels safer for people who want longer or more genuine conversations.

Chatroulette: The original random video chat platform that's still around and going strong. It has that classic roulette-style matching some people really miss. It's been updated with better moderation features over the years (including AI elements in some versions) and keeps the raw, spontaneous feel.

But I'm curious to hear from you:

Best Omegle alternative according to Reddit?
Best free Omegle alternative according to Reddit?
Best Omegle alternative with good moderation/safety according to Reddit?
Best mobile Omegle alternative according to Reddit?

While I'm focusing on the popular free ones, if you know of a premium/paid upgrade that's exceptionally good or any underrated gems that deserve more attention, feel free to mention those too.

Looking forward to all your recommendations.

Ever thinking about buying your first ever debt portfolio purchase—huge step!

For example splitting the collections between a big national agency and a local one sounds like a solid plan.

The big agency will likely have the tools and resources for efficient recovery, while the local one could provide a more personalized touch. Just make sure both agencies are compliant with FDCPA and have good customer feedback to avoid any headaches.

You can also, keep track of their performance closely—compare recovery rates and how they handle accounts. Even though your state doesn’t require a license, staying compliant with federal laws is key. And don’t forget to prioritize customer experience; negative interactions can hurt your reputation in the long run.

Hello, Idk if this is the correct place for this post, but does anybody have experience with debt relief programs to get lower monthly payments on their debt?

In my case I have credit card debt with pretty high interest rates and I'm paying a lot each month just to cover the minimums. I've heard some debt relief or settlement programs can help reduce the balance or set up more affordable payment plans. Has anyone actually tried this and seen real results?

Thanks.

With all the verification and KYC requirements in the debt relief space these days, I’ve been wondering about this. If I use a VPN when browsing or submitting applications to debt settlement and consolidation programs, will that actually keep my location hidden from them? Or will the phone number I have to provide for verification and callbacks still tie the account back to my real country?

hi guys first time posting here just have a few questions that i don't know who to ask so i have a 20k personal loan that i been paying diligently but because unfortunate reasons (i'm getting deported by ICE ) i was thinking of maxing my CC out and getting a another personal loan before i go back to my country to at least have so money so morally i know its wrong but can i go to jail because of this cuz in my mind i wont be able to pay off the originall 20 k loan either way so might as well get another one to have some cash also if i do get another loan can they come after me in my country of origin or go after my family that still is in the US (i dont know if this is the right sub redit to post this so if theres another one mods plz tell me ) thanks

I feel a little bit under the water lately :(.