Glossary
Every term these tools put in front of you that you did not ask to learn. Each entry says what it is, what decision it changes, where it shows up, and which primary source it comes from. Every figure is read from the same cited rule file the calculators run on — nothing here is typed in by hand.
Applicable percentage
The share of household income the law says you should be able to pay toward the benchmark health plan. It rises with income across six bands, from 2.1% of household income at the bottom to 9.96% of household income at the top of the eligible range. The premium tax credit is the benchmark premium minus that amount.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersIt is why the credit falls as income rises without any single threshold being crossed — and why it disappears completely at the ceiling, where there is no applicable percentage at all. Within a band the figure is interpolated on the whole-percent income figure, so the credit changes in small steps rather than smoothly.
Top applicable percentage
9.96% of household income
What a household at the top of the eligible range is expected to pay for the benchmark plan.
Ruleset aca-applicable-pct-2026.draft-1Verified IRC §36B(b)(3)(A) — applicable percentage
Premium tax credit income ceiling
400% of the poverty line
A strict 'more than' test applied before Form 8962's whole-percent truncation — there is no grace band above it.
Ruleset aca-applicable-pct-2026.draft-1Verified IRC §36B(c)(1)(A) — applicable taxpayer: household income not exceeding 400% of the poverty line
| Household income (% of poverty line) | Expected contribution |
|---|---|
| 100% to 133% | 2.1% |
| 133% to 150% | 3.14% rising to 4.19% |
| 150% to 200% | 4.19% rising to 6.6% |
| 200% to 250% | 6.6% rising to 8.44% |
| 250% to 300% | 8.44% rising to 9.96% |
| 300% to 400% | 9.96% |
Within a band the percentage is interpolated on the whole-percent income figure, then rounded to the nearest basis point — the Form 8962 applicable-figure method.
Ruleset aca-applicable-pct-2026.draft-1Verified IRC §36B(b)(3)(A) — applicable percentage
Where it appears Health cover
Source IRC § 36B(b)(3)(A) and Rev. Proc. 2025-25 § 3.01 — the 2026 applicable percentage table · last read
See also Benchmark plan (SLCSP), Advance premium tax credit, FPL
Assessment ratio
Assessment level
The fraction of market value a jurisdiction records as assessed value. Cook County, Illinois assesses a residential parcel at 10% of market value; many New Jersey municipalities assess at or near full market value. The tax rate is then applied to the assessed value, not to the market value.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersIt is why an assessment that looks small is not necessarily low, and why comparing your assessed value to your neighbour's sale price proves nothing on its own. The appeal argument is always about the ratio your parcel is carrying relative to the ratio everyone else is carrying — never about the raw number on the notice.
Cook County assessment level for a residential parcel
10% of market value
Ruleset 2026-08Verified Cook County Assessor's Office — Appeals
Cook County estimated tax rate on assessed value
20%
A single blended estimate standing in for hundreds of overlapping taxing-district rates.
Ruleset 2026-08Verified Cook County Assessor's Office — Appeals
Where it appears Property tax
Source Cook County Assessor's Office — appeals and assessment levels · last read
See also Equalization ratio (Director's Ratio), Common level range
Benchmark plan (SLCSP)
Second lowest cost silver plan
The second cheapest silver plan available to your household in your county. Nobody has to buy it: it exists only as the yardstick the premium tax credit is measured against. Your credit is the benchmark premium minus your expected contribution, and you may spend that credit on any metal level you like.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersBecause the credit is fixed to the benchmark and not to the plan you choose, buying cheaper than the benchmark keeps the difference and buying dearer costs you the full difference. It also means the credit varies enormously by county — the same household income produces very different credits in two counties with different benchmark premiums.
Where it appears Health cover
Source IRC § 36B(b)(3)(B) — the second lowest cost silver plan · last read
See also Applicable percentage, Cost-sharing reduction, Advance premium tax credit
Clawback
Repayment of advance premium tax credit you received but were not entitled to, added to your tax bill at reconciliation. For tax years after 2025 the repayment is uncapped — the full excess is repaid at every income.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersUntil tax year 2025 a repayment limitation capped what a household under 400% of the poverty line could be asked to repay. P.L. 119-21 § 71305 struck it. There is now no cap at any income level, so a household that took a full year of advance credit and finished one dollar over the ceiling repays all of it. The cliff was always there; the thing that softened the landing has been removed.
Is repayment of excess advance credit capped?
uncapped — the full excess is repaid at every income
OBBBA § 71305 struck IRC § 36B(f)(2)(B) for tax years after 2025, so no cap exists.
Ruleset aptc-repayment-limits-2026.repealed-1Verified OBBBA, Pub. L. 119-21 §71305 — 'Section 36B(f)(2) is amended by striking subparagraph (B)', applicable to taxable years beginning after 31 Dec 2025
Premium tax credit income ceiling
400% of the poverty line
A strict 'more than' test applied before Form 8962's whole-percent truncation — there is no grace band above it.
Ruleset aca-applicable-pct-2026.draft-1Verified IRC §36B(c)(1)(A) — applicable taxpayer: household income not exceeding 400% of the poverty line
Where it appears Health cover
Source P.L. 119-21 § 71305 — eliminating the limitation on recapture of advance payments · last read
See also Advance premium tax credit, MAGI, Phase-out
Common level range
New Jersey's Chapter 123 corridor: a band of plus or minus 15% around the municipality's Director's Ratio. An assessment whose own ratio falls inside the corridor gets no relief, however over-assessed the owner believes it is.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersIt is the reason a demonstrably high assessment can still lose an appeal. Proving your market value is lower than the assessment is not enough; you have to be outside the corridor. Working out where you sit before filing is the difference between a worthwhile appeal and a filing fee spent for nothing.
New Jersey common level range corridor
15%
Chapter 123: an assessment inside this corridor around the Director's Ratio gets no relief.
Ruleset 2026-08Verified Bergen County — Tax Appeals FAQ (Bergen County Board of Taxation)
Where it appears Property tax
Source NJ Division of Taxation — Chapter 123 and the common level range · last read
See also Equalization ratio (Director's Ratio), Assessment ratio
Cost-sharing reduction
CSR
A separate subsidy that lowers deductibles, copays and the out-of-pocket maximum — not premiums. It is available only on silver plans and only up to 250% of the poverty line, in three bands. At the top band a silver plan behaves like one covering approximately 94% of costs.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersIt is the subsidy people do not know they are losing. Crossing 250% of the poverty line does not touch the premium credit but can transform a plan's deductible, and a household that shops on premium alone will move to a bronze plan and lose it without ever seeing the trade. Two ledges exist, at 250% and at 400%, and this is the lower one.
| Household income (% of poverty line) | Approximate actuarial value |
|---|---|
| 100% to 150% | 94% |
| 151% to 200% | 87% |
| 201% to 250% | 73% |
Silver plans only. Actuarial values are met within a de minimis variation.
Ruleset csr-bands.statutoryVerified ACA §1402 / 42 U.S.C. §18071 — cost-sharing reductions
Where it appears Health cover
Source 42 U.S.C. § 18071(c)(2) and 45 C.F.R. § 156.420 — cost-sharing reductions and their actuarial values · last read
See also Benchmark plan (SLCSP), Applicable percentage, FPL
Discretionary income
In federal student loan repayment, adjusted gross income minus a multiple of the poverty guideline for your family size and state. IBR and PAYE protect 150% of the guideline; ICR protects 100%. Whatever is left is what the payment is a percentage of.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersIt is the reason a plan's headline percentage is not what you pay. Ten per cent of discretionary income is a much smaller number than ten per cent of income, and the gap widens with family size. The Repayment Assistance Plan abandons the concept entirely — it takes a percentage of gross AGI with no protected amount at all, which is why comparing its rate to IBR's rate directly is misleading.
IBR and PAYE protected income, as a share of the poverty guideline
150%
Ruleset plan-terms-2026-07-01Verified 34 C.F.R. § 685.209 — income-driven repayment plans, as revised by the RISE final rule (full GPO text, published 1 May 2026)
Old IBR share of discretionary income
15%
Ruleset plan-terms-2026-07-01Verified 34 C.F.R. § 685.209 — income-driven repayment plans, as revised by the RISE final rule (full GPO text, published 1 May 2026)
New IBR share of discretionary income
10%
Ruleset plan-terms-2026-07-01Verified 34 C.F.R. § 685.209 — income-driven repayment plans, as revised by the RISE final rule (full GPO text, published 1 May 2026)
Where it appears Student loans
Source 34 C.F.R. §§ 685.208–685.209 as revised by the RISE final rule, 91 Fed. Reg. 23768 (1 May 2026) · last read
Equalization ratio (Director's Ratio)
In New Jersey, the average ratio of assessed value to true market value in a municipality, calculated each year by the Director of the Division of Taxation from actual sales. Each municipality gets its own figure, republished every year around 1 April.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersIt is the benchmark a New Jersey appeal is judged against: your parcel's own ratio is compared to the municipality's Director's Ratio, and relief depends on how far outside the permitted corridor you sit. Without your municipality's current ratio the question cannot be answered at all — which is why this site returns "cannot determine" for New Jersey parcels rather than guessing.
New Jersey common level range corridor
15%
Chapter 123: an assessment inside this corridor around the Director's Ratio gets no relief.
Ruleset 2026-08Verified Bergen County — Tax Appeals FAQ (Bergen County Board of Taxation)
Where it appears Property tax
Source NJ Division of Taxation — Chapter 123 and the common level range · last read
See also Common level range, Assessment ratio
FPL
Federal poverty level, properly the HHS poverty guidelines
A table published by the Department of Health and Human Services each January: one figure for the first person in a household and an increment for each additional person, with separate columns for Alaska and Hawaii. For the 48 contiguous states the student loan engine uses $15,960 a year plus $5,680 a year per additional person.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersTwo programmes use the same table with different vintages, and getting the vintage wrong moves a threshold by hundreds of dollars. Student loan repayment uses the guidelines currently in effect. Marketplace health coverage uses the guidelines that were in effect when open enrolment began — the previous calendar year's table. So in 2026 the two tools are correctly reading two different tables.
Poverty guideline, first person, 48 contiguous states and DC
$15,960 a year
Ruleset poverty-guidelines-2026Verified HHS Poverty Guidelines (ASPE) — 2026 table, published in the Federal Register 15 Jan 2026
Poverty guideline used for 2026 marketplace coverage, first person
$15,650 a year
Coverage-year eligibility uses the guidelines in effect when open enrolment began — the prior calendar year's table.
Ruleset hhs-fpl-2025.draft-1Citation not yet fetchedHHS Poverty Guidelines for 2025 (ASPE)
Where it appears Student loans, Health cover
Source HHS Poverty Guidelines (ASPE), published annually in the Federal Register · last read
See also Discretionary income, Applicable percentage
Home improvement contract threshold
The contract price above which a state's home improvement contract rules attach — mandatory written terms, prescribed notices, deposit limits and cancellation rights. California's threshold is $500; Texas has no dollar threshold at all, so its requirements attach to residential work regardless of price.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersBelow the threshold a handshake and an invoice may be lawful. Above it, a contract missing a required notice can be unenforceable, can extend the customer's cancellation window, and in some states exposes the contractor to penalties. The threshold decides which document you need before the work starts, not after.
| State | Threshold | Required clauses |
|---|---|---|
| California | $500 | 5 |
| Florida | $2,500 | 3 |
| New York | $500 | 5 |
| Pennsylvania | $500 | 4 |
| Texas | $0 | 6 |
Above the threshold, the state's home improvement contract requirements attach to the job.
Ruleset states-ca-2026-08.2+states-fl-2026-08.2+states-ny-2026-08.2+states-pa-2026-08.2+states-tx-2026-08.2Verified CA Bus. & Prof. Code §7159 (home improvement contracts)
Where it appears Trades
Source Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 7159 — home improvement contracts · last read
See also Right of rescission, Mechanic's lien
IBR (new)
Income-Based Repayment, post-2014 borrower terms
Income-Based Repayment for a borrower with no outstanding balance whose first loan was disbursed on or after 1 Jul 2014. The payment is 10% of discretionary income and forgiveness arrives at 240 payments — 20 years.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersCheaper and shorter than old IBR, and the new-borrower date is the whole test — one loan disbursed a month too early puts a borrower on the older, costlier terms. The engine records that this test has a second limb it does not yet model, so treat the date as necessary rather than sufficient.
New IBR share of discretionary income
10%
Ruleset plan-terms-2026-07-01Verified 34 C.F.R. § 685.209 — income-driven repayment plans, as revised by the RISE final rule (full GPO text, published 1 May 2026)
New IBR forgiveness threshold
240 payments
Ruleset plan-terms-2026-07-01Verified 34 C.F.R. § 685.209 — income-driven repayment plans, as revised by the RISE final rule (full GPO text, published 1 May 2026)
New IBR new-borrower date
1 Jul 2014
Ruleset plan-terms-2026-07-01Verified 34 C.F.R. § 685.209 — income-driven repayment plans, as revised by the RISE final rule (full GPO text, published 1 May 2026)
Where it appears Student loans
Source 34 C.F.R. §§ 685.208–685.209 as revised by the RISE final rule, 91 Fed. Reg. 23768 (1 May 2026) · last read
See also IBR (old), RAP, Discretionary income
IBR (old)
Income-Based Repayment, pre-2014 borrower terms
The original Income-Based Repayment terms, for borrowers whose first loan predates 1 July 2014. The payment is 15% of discretionary income and forgiveness arrives at 300 payments — 25 years.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersA higher payment rate and a longer road to forgiveness than new IBR, but it is still capped at the 10-year Standard amount, which is the protection RAP does not have. A borrower years into old IBR who switches to RAP forfeits every one of those payments.
Old IBR share of discretionary income
15%
Ruleset plan-terms-2026-07-01Verified 34 C.F.R. § 685.209 — income-driven repayment plans, as revised by the RISE final rule (full GPO text, published 1 May 2026)
Old IBR forgiveness threshold
300 payments
Ruleset plan-terms-2026-07-01Verified 34 C.F.R. § 685.209 — income-driven repayment plans, as revised by the RISE final rule (full GPO text, published 1 May 2026)
Where it appears Student loans
Source 34 C.F.R. §§ 685.208–685.209 as revised by the RISE final rule, 91 Fed. Reg. 23768 (1 May 2026) · last read
See also IBR (new), RAP, Discretionary income
ICR
Income-Contingent Repayment
The oldest income-driven plan: the lesser of 20% of discretionary income (protecting 100% of the poverty guideline rather than 150%) or a fixed 12-year amortisation adjusted for income. Forgiveness at 25 years. It sunsets on 1 Jul 2028.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersIt is usually the most expensive income-driven plan, and it is on the way out. Its one remaining role is as the only income-driven plan historically open to a consolidation loan that repaid a Parent PLUS loan, which is why it appears in the carve-out that decides whether such a consolidation keeps access to RAP.
ICR sunset date
1 Jul 2028
Ruleset plan-terms-2026-07-01Verified P.L. 119-21 § 30021 — PAYE/ICR sunset and post-2026 plan restriction
Where it appears Student loans
Source 34 C.F.R. §§ 685.208–685.209 as revised by the RISE final rule, 91 Fed. Reg. 23768 (1 May 2026) · last read
MAGI
Modified adjusted gross income
Your adjusted gross income with certain items added back — most commonly tax-exempt interest, excluded foreign earned income, and the non-taxable part of Social Security benefits. There is no single MAGI: each credit and deduction defines its own, and the definition that governs the health-insurance premium tax credit is not the one that governs a traditional IRA deduction.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersMAGI, not salary and not taxable income, is the number every phase-out and every eligibility cliff is measured against. It is also partly controllable after the year has ended: a deductible retirement or HSA contribution reduces it directly. Near a cliff that makes a dollar of MAGI reduction worth far more than its marginal tax value.
Tips deduction phase-out threshold, single
$150,000 of MAGI
Ruleset tips-2026.1Verified P.L. 119-21 (OBBBA) § 70201 — qualified tips deduction, IRC § 224
Where it appears Paycheck, Health cover
Source IRC § 36B(d)(2)(B) — modified adjusted gross income, as defined for the premium tax credit · last read
See also Phase-out, Applicable percentage, Advance premium tax credit
Mechanic's lien
A claim a contractor, subcontractor or supplier can record against the property they worked on when they are not paid. It attaches to the property itself, not to the person who owes the money, and it can block a sale or a refinance until it is resolved.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersIt runs in both directions, which is why several states require the contract to warn the homeowner about it in prescribed wording. A homeowner who pays the general contractor in full can still face a lien from an unpaid subcontractor. A contractor who misses a notice or a deadline can lose the lien right entirely. The wording and the timing are statutory, and paraphrasing either is how the protection is lost.
Where it appears Trades
Source N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law § 771 — home improvement contracts, including the lien notice requirement · last read
See also Home improvement contract threshold, Right of rescission
PAYE
Pay As You Earn
An income-driven plan paying 10% of discretionary income with forgiveness at 20 years, capped at the 10-year Standard amount. It sunsets on 1 Jul 2028.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersThe sunset is the point. Any projection that runs past it and keeps showing PAYE payments is showing a plan that will not exist. A borrower on PAYE at that date is moved to another plan, and the plan they land on — and what happens to their accrued unpaid interest at the move — is what actually decides their lifetime cost.
PAYE sunset date
1 Jul 2028
A simulation running past this date must model the forced migration, not project PAYE.
Ruleset plan-terms-2026-07-01Verified P.L. 119-21 § 30021 — PAYE/ICR sunset and post-2026 plan restriction
Where it appears Student loans
Source 34 C.F.R. §§ 685.208–685.209 as revised by the RISE final rule, 91 Fed. Reg. 23768 (1 May 2026) · last read
Phase-out
A rule that shrinks a deduction or credit as income rises, instead of removing it at a single point. The OBBBA deductions phase out in $1,000 steps: for qualified tips, every $1,000 of MAGI above $150,000 of MAGI for a single filer removes $100 of the deduction. The senior deduction uses a percentage of the excess rather than a step.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersA phase-out is a hidden marginal rate. Inside the range, an extra dollar of income is taxed at your bracket rate and also costs you part of the deduction, so the real marginal rate is higher than the bracket says. It is the opposite of a cliff — it costs steadily rather than all at once — which makes it easier to ignore and harder to notice.
Tips deduction phase-out threshold, single
$150,000 of MAGI
Ruleset tips-2026.1Verified P.L. 119-21 (OBBBA) § 70201 — qualified tips deduction, IRC § 224
Tips deduction phase-out threshold, married filing jointly
$300,000 of MAGI
Ruleset tips-2026.1Verified P.L. 119-21 (OBBBA) § 70201 — qualified tips deduction, IRC § 224
Additional deduction for each qualifying person 65 or over
$6,000
Ruleset senior-2026.1Verified P.L. 119-21 (OBBBA) § 70103 — additional deduction for seniors (65+)
Where it appears Paycheck, Health cover
Source P.L. 119-21 — full text (govinfo) · last read
See also MAGI, Clawback, Qualified tip occupation
PSLF
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Forgiveness of the remaining balance after 120 payments qualifying monthly payments made while working full time for a qualifying employer — government at any level, or a 501(c)(3) non-profit.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersThe tax treatment is the difference that dominates every ranking. A PSLF discharge is excluded from income under 26 U.S.C. § 108(f)(1); a balance forgiven at the end of an income-driven plan is taxable as cancellation-of-debt income. On a large forgiven balance that difference is tens of thousands of dollars, arriving in one tax year, and any comparison that leaves it out is comparing the wrong numbers.
PSLF qualifying payments
120 payments
Ruleset plan-terms-2026-07-01Verified 34 C.F.R. § 685.209 — income-driven repayment plans, as revised by the RISE final rule (full GPO text, published 1 May 2026)
Is PSLF forgiveness taxable?
excluded from income under 26 U.S.C. § 108(f)(1)
Ruleset tax-2026Verified 26 U.S.C. § 108(f)(5) — ARPA exclusion for discharged student debt expired 31 Dec 2025
Is non-PSLF forgiveness taxable?
taxable as cancellation-of-debt income
Ruleset tax-2026Verified 26 U.S.C. § 108(f)(5) — ARPA exclusion for discharged student debt expired 31 Dec 2025
Where it appears Student loans
Source 34 C.F.R. §§ 685.208–685.209 as revised by the RISE final rule, 91 Fed. Reg. 23768 (1 May 2026) · last read
Qualified tip occupation
The tips deduction is not open to anyone who receives tips. It applies only to work in an occupation that customarily and regularly received tips before 2025, on a published list of occupation codes. Tips from an occupation off that list do not count, however they were reported. The deduction is capped at $25,000.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersIt is the first test, before any arithmetic. A worker whose occupation is not on the list gets nothing from the deduction no matter how their tips were reported, and a worker whose occupation is on it still has to have the tips reported properly to claim it. Checking the occupation code first saves working out a number that turns out to be zero.
Qualified tips deduction cap
$25,000
Ruleset tips-2026.1Verified P.L. 119-21 (OBBBA) § 70201 — qualified tips deduction, IRC § 224
Tips deduction phase-out threshold, single
$150,000 of MAGI
Ruleset tips-2026.1Verified P.L. 119-21 (OBBBA) § 70201 — qualified tips deduction, IRC § 224
Where it appears Paycheck
Source IRC § 224, added by P.L. 119-21 § 70201 — deduction for qualified tips · last read
See also Phase-out, FLSA overtime premium, MAGI
RAP
Repayment Assistance Plan
The income-driven repayment plan created by P.L. 119-21 and available from 1 July 2026. The payment is a percentage of gross adjusted gross income taken from a bracket table, from 1% up to 10% of AGI, reduced by $50 a month for each dependent claimed, with a floor of $10. Forgiveness arrives at 360 qualifying payments.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersTwo features make it the cheapest plan for some borrowers and the most expensive for others. Unpaid interest is waived rather than capitalised, and every on-time payment cuts principal by at least $50, so the balance cannot grow. But the payment is not capped at any amount — unlike IBR, which stops at the 10-year Standard amount. High income against a moderate balance can therefore make RAP cost more than simply paying the Standard plan. Moving to RAP also forfeits qualifying payment credit earned under IBR, PAYE or ICR, which is a one-way door.
Is the RAP payment capped at the 10-year Standard amount?
not capped at any amount
The single most consequential difference between RAP and IBR. IBR's payment stops at the 10-year Standard amount; RAP's keeps climbing with income.
Ruleset rap-2026-07-01Verified 34 C.F.R. § 685.209 as revised by the RISE final rule — full GPO text (published 1 May 2026, FR Doc. 2026-08556, effective 1 Jul 2026)
Does RAP waive unpaid interest?
unpaid interest is waived, never capitalised
Ruleset rap-2026-07-01Verified 34 C.F.R. § 685.209 as revised by the RISE final rule — full GPO text (published 1 May 2026, FR Doc. 2026-08556, effective 1 Jul 2026)
RAP monthly principal match
$50
Applied on an on-time payment, or the payment amount when the payment is smaller.
Ruleset rap-2026-07-01Verified 34 C.F.R. § 685.209 as revised by the RISE final rule — full GPO text (published 1 May 2026, FR Doc. 2026-08556, effective 1 Jul 2026)
RAP forgiveness threshold
360 qualifying payments
Ruleset rap-2026-07-01Verified 34 C.F.R. § 685.209 as revised by the RISE final rule — full GPO text (published 1 May 2026, FR Doc. 2026-08556, effective 1 Jul 2026)
| Adjusted gross income | Annual payment |
|---|---|
| Not more than $10,000 | $10 a month |
| More than $10,000 and not more than $20,000 | 1% of AGI |
| More than $20,000 and not more than $30,000 | 2% of AGI |
| More than $30,000 and not more than $40,000 | 3% of AGI |
| More than $40,000 and not more than $50,000 | 4% of AGI |
| More than $50,000 and not more than $60,000 | 5% of AGI |
| More than $60,000 and not more than $70,000 | 6% of AGI |
| More than $70,000 and not more than $80,000 | 7% of AGI |
| More than $80,000 and not more than $90,000 | 8% of AGI |
| More than $90,000 and not more than $100,000 | 9% of AGI |
| More than $100,000 | 10% of AGI |
The regulation reads 'more than $X and not more than $Y', so an AGI landing exactly on a bracket boundary falls in the LOWER band.
Ruleset rap-2026-07-01Verified 34 C.F.R. § 685.209 as revised by the RISE final rule — full GPO text (published 1 May 2026, FR Doc. 2026-08556, effective 1 Jul 2026)
Where it appears Student loans
Source 34 C.F.R. §§ 685.208–685.209 as revised by the RISE final rule, 91 Fed. Reg. 23768 (1 May 2026) · last read
See also IBR (old), IBR (new), PAYE, ICR, PSLF, Discretionary income
Right of rescission
Right to cancel
A window, usually three business days, in which a homeowner can cancel a home improvement contract without giving a reason and without penalty. The contract must normally carry the notice in prescribed wording, and in several states in prescribed type size and placement.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersThe clock generally starts when the notice is properly given — not when the contract is signed. A contract with a missing or defective cancellation notice can leave the window open long past three days, sometimes until the work is finished, which turns a formatting mistake into an open-ended right to walk away.
Where it appears Trades
Source Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 7159(e)(6) — the notice of the right to cancel · last read
See also Home improvement contract threshold, Mechanic's lien
SAVE
Saving on a Valuable Education
The income-driven plan introduced in 2023 as a revision of REPAYE. It is not one of the plans this site simulates: the repayment engine models the plans in force under 34 C.F.R. §§ 685.208–685.209 as revised by the RISE final rule effective 1 July 2026, and SAVE is not among them.
Why it matters, where it appears, and the source
Why it mattersIf a servicer currently has you on SAVE, the figures on this site describe the plan you will be moved to, not the one you are on. That makes the comparison more useful, not less — the decision in front of you is which plan to land on — but check your own status with your servicer before acting, because this site does not model your current plan.
Where it appears Student loans
Source 34 C.F.R. §§ 685.208–685.209 as revised by the RISE final rule, 91 Fed. Reg. 23768 (1 May 2026) · last read
A term missing, or a definition that reads wrong? Tell us. Longer explanations live in the guides.