In January 2017, I made the decision to strategically default on my student loans. I posted an update after 12 months, here: https://www.reddit.com/r/studentloandefaulters/comments/7qj4rd/12_months_since_i_stopped_paying_an_update/

I received a lot of private messages--and a few comments on that post--asking me to keep people updated, and as we're now just a few days short of it being 2 years since I stopped paying, I thought it might be useful for people to see what has happened within the last 12 months.

And, honestly, it has been the best possible outcome, which is to say: BASICALLY NOTHING HAS HAPPENED.

- When I went to visit my family in April 2018, my mom handed me a letter from a debt collection agency. It seems that Navient have finally decided to pass the debt on. I can't remember when the letter came in - sometime around February and March, I think. Which sort of stacks up, because...

- I haven't had any contact, of ANY kind, from Navient since 21 December 2017 regarding my private loans (I receive automated email statements from them about my Federal Loans each month, just to confirm my payment of $0 per the IBR)

- Once I had the details of the collection agency Navient had passed my debt on to, I immediately sent them the letter I had ready to go, re: the FDCPA, and telling them to disappear. I had previously used this same letter to quieten Navient down for a few months and to shut down the attempts of the collection agency that AES had used (SIMM Associates). I have heard nothing else from this new collecction agency since then.

- I renewed my IBR for my federal loans (serviced through Navient) with absolutely no issues, and continue paying $0 per month.

And that's it! I'm now 2 years into the SoL (which, for my state, is 6 years) and no one is bothering me. I've had nearly 2 years of just complete peace, and the ability to actually live my life as a result of the money I've not been spending on student loans that I have long since paid back more than I borrowed on (and somehow still owed more than I borrowed at the time I defaulted).

I don't know what the next few years will bring - but I just wanted to let people know how it's going, and that there really is a way to take back some control. I know I'm lucky in that I already live overseas and am a citizen of my new home-country, and that grants me some leverage and a sense of security (not to mention my credit rating here is unaffected by my credit in the US) that many of you will not have... so I know that it will be harder for some of you.

But I've seen enough in my own experience, and in reading the experiences of people on this Sub, to see that there is definitely hope, and there is definitely a way out. Maybe you don't get to have quite the clean break I get as a result of my circumstances - and I'm genuinely sorry if that's the case, because I wish you could all find a way out - BUT you may find something in the middle. You may be able to strategically default as a means to get a low settlement offer. They offered to wipe 30% off my debt within about 8 months of my first missed payment, and I've seen stories of people who wipe off much, much more.

Good luck to you all. I'll keep popping up with my updates, and I'll answer any Qs you have :)