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Borrowers, it’s about to be “pencils down” for federal student loans as we know them. In 2026, the Trump administration is making big moves to upend a system that’s been a political and financial point of contention for years, and beginning on July 1, if you have student loans or are planning to borrow for college , your repayment options will look much different. At the heart of the upheaval is the Department of Education (DOE) settlement to end President Joe Biden’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) repayment plan. If adopted by the court, it would end years of litigation from several states, which argue the Biden administration exceeded its authority, and effectively shutter the program. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), other popular repayment plans will be phased out as well. That’s big news for the nearly 43 million Americans who collectively owe about $1.6 trillion in federal student loans. The Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid (F SA) data center r...

Phil Collins is an international treasure. He’s also as nice as they come. I found this out firsthand when I met the world-renowned singer, songwriter, drummer and producer in his suite at the Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City in 2016. I was there to discuss his then-upcoming solo-album reissues for a weekly music column I was writing for Digital Trends , and at the stroke of noon, Collins’s ever-affable manager ushered me into the room. The former Genesis front man and blockbuster solo artist was typing furiously on his phone, but he smiled and said he’d be right with me. “Sorry, your meter hasn’t started yet,” he added with a self-aware chuckle. Type, type, type . “All right! Make yourself feel at home!” As I settled into my seat, Collins leaned forward, looked me right in the eyes and said, “Can I just say how nice it is to do an interview with someone in person? I’ve been talking on the phone all morning. It drives me nuts, really.” And that’s Collins in a nutshell: easily rel...

Staying organized is somehow both my superpower and my Achilles’ heel. I love a system and a process, but I also relish the sweet relief of procrastination. It’s amazing how quickly “I can just deal with that tomorrow” turns into “I should have dealt with that a month ago.” Before I know it, my carefully curated to-do lists are defunct. I can’t count the number of planners I’ve bought and abandoned, or the daily routines I’ve tried that never quite stuck. But I’ve promised myself that 2026 will be different. With a new job and a move to a new city on the horizon, it’s more important than ever that I use my time wisely and stay productive—which is why I thought I’d give Tiimo a try. Could this iPhone app be the silver-bullet productivity tool I’ve been looking for? I put Tiimo to the test, and ahead, I’m breaking down exactly what it does, how it works and whether it’s a productivity game-changer. Get  Reader’s Digest ’s  Read Up newsletter for more life hacks, tech, trav...

We all have our guilty pleasures, and Queen Elizabeth II definitely had a few, from her favorite comfort food to her pre-noon cocktail . (Hey, when you’re the queen, you make your own rules!) But as it turns out, she also had quite the sweet tooth. And according to one of her ladies-in-waiting, the late queen loved it so much that she kept a secret stash hidden from the other royals in her household, including her husband, Prince Philip. So was it a slice of cake? Some figgy pudding? A fancy French pastry we can’t properly pronounce? None of the above! Read on for the big reveal. Get  Reader’s Digest ’s  Read Up newsletter for more royals, humor, cleaning, travel, tech and fun facts all week long. Which sweet treat did Queen Elizabeth hide from her family? Chocolate! Lady Pamela Hicks, the queen’s cousin and former lady-in-waiting, revealed that Elizabeth always had a box with her. And, it seems, Her Majesty wasn’t too keen on sharing it with anyone. “She does have her ...

There’s a special kind of thrill when an Olympic announcer calls out an athlete’s hometown and you realize it’s yours. Suddenly, every race, every run, every routine feels personal. The Winter Olympics always bring national pride, but hometown pride hits different. It’s bragging rights, group chats blowing up, and that quiet thought of: They started where I did. That’s part of why people are so curious about where Team USA’s Olympians come from. It makes the 2026 Winter Games feel closer to home and turns athletes into neighbors, not just names on a roster. Fans want to know how many Americans are competing, how to look up where athletes are from and which cities and states are quietly becoming Olympic talent hubs. Luckily, there’s a way to see all of that in one place, from total U.S. competitors to which hometowns and states produced the most Olympians this year. Read on to see if any Team USA athletes are from your area. Get  Reader’s Digest ’s  Read Up newsletter for ...