<prompt> Human: Hi PF,Im trying to map out a short term 5 year financial plan centered around the assumption I marry my long term girlfriend somewhere in that period. The elephant in the room here is that she is sitting on slightly over 250K of medical school loans. Id appreciate any advice on how to tackle this if it some day becomes my debt. Some Details:Im in my twenties and live in NYC. My salary is paltry by NYC standards but I like my job and there is room for advancement. I am currently living with my gracious parents rent free. My gf just started a 3 year hospital residency in another state. Our plan is to live in NY once she finishes since both our families live there and we are very close to them.My AssetsDebts 82,000 between several savings and checking accounts 31,600 in a Vanguard Roth IRA 39,000 in company 401K 11,000 in a non-tax advantaged brokerage account No debts except credit cards that are paid in full each monthIncome and Expenses 4,582 per month post tax and commute cost deductions 3,000 to savings 458 to separate savings account to save for 2017 IRA contribution 600 towards flights and taxi costs to visit gf 525 for foodgasmobileentertainmenttoiletriesmiscellaneous purchasesHer AssetsDebts 3,000 in cash 250K in student loans. There are several loans ranging between 4-7 interest rates. Its a mix of private and federal but Im not sure how much of each. She is paying back the loans on a IBR plan.My questions are split between what I can be doing to prepare and what she can be doing to tackle the debt as quickly as possible What should I do with the cash? Should I keep saving up so we can put a lump sum dent on the debt after were married? Should I invest it? Or keep it as a housing fund for the future Should I alter my savings rate and put more into retirement? My asset balance was due to putting priority on saving cash. My employer doesnt match contributions so Ive only been contributing 4 and then maxing my Roth IRAFor her Is PAYE the best option? Should she be investing for retirement? Or put any extra cash toward loan repayment if thats possible on PAYE plans. I took a look at her 403b and the offerings are poor with no match. I was going to recommend a low expense Roth IRA due to her income rate Are there other options to deal with the debt? Her residency qualifies for PSLF but Im not sure if she will find a PS position in New YorkEditThanks all for your insights and advice, particularly those that shared personal stories. My Personal preference is that a married couple should tackle any debt either has together and Im willing to accept the financial consequences of that. Near term im planning to move some of my savings into non-tax advantaged accounts to invest, decrease my savings rate and redistribute to my 401K while continuing to max my Roth IRA. After we get married well come back to reevaluate debt payment strategy and what our financial goals are then, its too early to decide that right now.Assistant: You:1. It depends on when youll use it. If its less then five years, youll probably want to stay in predictably low-risk places e.g. money market. As for the use, I agree with the other commenter that you dont want to pay someone elses debt, and her MD income should handle that fine in the near future. When in doubt about use, maintain flexibility despite the cost i.e. lower yield.1. Youre doing a good job on retirement savings. As long as you continue to save, I wouldnt overthink the how, especially given the flexibility point I make above. Her:1. This is a little more fact specific, but make sure the option counts under PSLF if thats a reasonable option given her future income and employer. 1. With that little cash, Id retain some cash savings first. Her income is going up significantly soon, and a year or two isnt going to make that much of a difference. Id rethink that if a match were available. 1. Its likely to just come down to paying it. Even so, her ROI is likely to end up being quite good. I would look into specific programs that may apply to doctors, though. PSLF is nice, but its easy to effectively out earn it with a high salary, even with 250k in debt. There are calculators that can help you project the amount forgiven given loan and income amounts. I hope that all helps. Human: Thanks for your response. Regarding not paying others debts. I have no intention to pay for anyone Im not legally bound to. But, what about after were married. Maybe Im really jumping the gun here on planning here, but how do married couples tackle this? If in 5 years Im not ready for home ownership and I have 100K in cash, should I still not help on the loans because theyre not mine?  <response>: Thats not the right attitude towards marriage imo, but marriage is what you and your wife make it to be. I like your plan, wait until youre married then go from there. Im not an expert on finances but I do have family who had the exact same situation as you except, my brother would be the one with the loan.Honestly it becomes so easy once youre a doctor because your income rises like crazy. I would recommend not even worrying about her debt, like at all. She can start moonlighting which can probably net her enough to get rid of that loan in like one year, maybe two if you support her and she puts all other income towards that loan. Moonlighting is crazy money, but it means spending an extra year or two the same as her residency where she works crazy hours and doesnt have time for much - but it is definitely worth it. The real question you should be worrying about isnt how to pay off that debt but where to invest all that money after the debt is done.Oh but that brings up another question, does your wife plan to specialize after her residency, assuming her residency isnt already for some speciality? Because that could change things. 