A California nurse went viral showing how she paid off her student loans by 27 while making up to $500K a year — 4 ways to build wealth even if you don't make six figures

Moneywise
A California nurse went viral showing how she paid off her student loans by 27 while making up to $500K a year — 4 ways to build wealth even if you don't make six figures
A California nurse went viral showing how she paid off her student loans by 27 while making up to $500K a year — 4 ways to build wealth even if you don't make six figures

We adhere to strict standards of editorial integrity to help you make decisions with confidence. Some or all links contained within this article are paid links.

A California nurse went viral for claiming she made between $250,000 to $500,000 a year — and paid off her student loans — by the time she was 27.

Olivia Reeves, 35, is a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) who chronicles her life to her 1.4 million followers on TikTok.

One of her videos — where she details her key steps to success — went viral on the social media platform last year, grabbing more than 2.9 million views and more than 289,000 likes.

However, most Americans aren’t able to pay off their student loans at the same speed as Reeves. In fact, the average student takes 20 years to pay off their student loan debt, according to the latest information from EducationData.org.

Don't miss

  • Commercial real estate has beaten the stock market for 25 years — but only the super rich could buy in. Here's how even ordinary investors can become the landlord of Walmart, Whole Foods or Kroger

  • Car insurance premiums in America are through the roof — and only getting worse. But 5 minutes could have you paying as little as $29/month

  • These 5 magic money moves will boost you up America's net worth ladder in 2024 — and you can complete each step within minutes. Here's how

“Want your life to look like mine? Then listen up,” she said in the TikTok clip . “I don't think my life's that cool, but I am proud of what I've done to get where I'm at.”

As a CRNA, Reeves is an advanced practice registered nurse. Her job involves administering anesthesia and other medications to patients. CRNAs are the highest paid of all nursing specialties due to the high level of skill required to manage a patient’s anesthesia.

But whether you make $50,000 or $500,000, here are four things you need to do if you want to reach your own version of financial freedom.

1. Prioritize debt

Reeves admits that, like many Americans, she “did not have a penny saved going through anesthesia school," so she took out student loans.

But the first thing Reeves did when she finished school and started working as a CRNA was pay off her debt. Higher-interest debts like your credit cards or your car loan can weigh you down, but just because you have a high interest rate student loan, doesn’t mean you're stuck with it.

Refinancing your student loans gives you an opportunity to secure a lower interest rate and efficiently manage your debt repayment. Whether you’re a student seeking to refinance your loans or a parent preparing to fund your child’s upcoming school year, College Avenue is here to help.

College Avenue allows borrowers to access private student loans from $1,000 to 100% of the school-certified cost of attendance,

Getting started is simple, all you need to do is fill out the application – which is free of charge. Once you've selected the right loan, you can focus on paying down your debt with flexible repayment terms spanning from five to 15 years. By setting up auto pay, you can qualify for additional discounts and efficiently manage your loan.

One way to avoid going deep into debt for your or your children’s education is to start saving for it as early as possible so you don’t need to take out loans when it comes time for them to head off to college.

If you’re looking to start or boost your savings for your child’s future education early, a Wealthfront 529 account is an option worth noting. With this account, the money you set aside can grow tax-free, as Wealthfront handles the investing for you and automatically adjusts your risk over time.

The Wealthfront 529 plan allows you to pay for qualifying college-related expenses without owing any federal taxes on your distributions. You can easily track your progress and manage your contributions through the app. Whether you choose to add a lump sum to the account or make small monthly contributions, Wealthfront will allocate your deposits and rebalance your portfolio to reduce risk as it approaches maturity.

Starting to save for your child’s college education early means you can alleviate the stress of student debt later in life.

2. Put your savings to work

Even if you still have some lingering debt, one of the best ways to make your money last is to save money for when emergencies inevitably crop up. Even if you start with a very small amount, you should make sure you’re saving effectively — if you’re just letting your nest egg sit in a checking account not collecting interest, you’re essentially throwing money away.

Switching to a high-yield savings account will help your savings grow over time, and create a snowball effect: the more money you set aside, the more compound interest you’ll earn. If you want to watch your money grow in your everyday accounts, consider a no-fee checking and savings account with SoFi.

Many Americans might overlook their daily accounts, only to find that their savings aren’t where they want them to be. Instead of losing out, you can earn 4.60% APY on savings balances – which is up to 10x the national average — and 0.50% APY on checking balances.

With SoFi, you can enjoy no-fee overdraft protection, early paycheck deposits and access to over 55,000 ATMs within the Allpoint network.

Speaking of deposits, sign up now and you can receive a bonus up to $300 for setting up direct deposit.

Remember, you don’t have to settle for your current bank account. Changing things up could earn you hundreds — or possibly thousands — in additional interest over time.

Read more: Car insurance rates have spiked in the US to a stunning $2,150/year — but you can be smarter than that. Here's how you can save yourself as much as $820 annually in minutes (it's 100% free)

3. Invest for passive income

Once you’ve got a handle on your debt and have started to increase your monthly earnings, you should consider investing some of your extra cash for passive income.

It doesn’t have to be a lot at first — you can even start by investing your spare change with an app called Acorns. Just connect your credit or debit card to the Acorns app, and every time you make a purchase it will automatically round up the amount to the nearest dollar and invest it in a diversified portfolio.

If you’re ready to invest a bit more but are worried about the state of the stock market, there are a number of stable, recession-resistant assets out there that can help you minimize your risk. One solid option to consider is investing in fractional shares of single and multi-family rental units through Ark7.

With Ark7, you can purchase shares of income-generating rentals across the U.S, without the burden of taking on property management responsibilities.

You can start by browsing through their curated selection of properties, finding in depth information about each listing that has been vetted for their income earning and appreciation potential.

Once you’ve found a property that best fits your needs, you can choose how many shares you’d like to purchase, and start investing with shares starting at around $20.

4. When in doubt talk to a professional

So how exactly did Reeves find the cash to pay off $200,000 of student debt before she hit her 30s?

“I threw money at it every month, working over time, working different shifts, working things to pay off my loans as soon as I could,” she explained in a new TikTok video.

Not all jobs offer overtime pay or additional shifts, but if you want to figure out the best way forward consider speaking to a financial advisor.

Zoe Financial is a free online platform that makes connecting you with a trusted financial advisor simple.

To get started, just answer a few questions about yourself and your financial situation. From there, Zoe Financial will match you with a curated list of professionally vetted fiduciaries, financial advisors, and financial planners.

You can then book a free, no obligation consultation with anyone on your list to see if they’re the right match. With Zoe Financial, you don’t have to worry about going in alone.

What to read next

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

Advertisement