Jordan Rivera

Recent grad, 23

Mapped out student loan payoff vs. Roth contributions and found the optimal split that maximizes net worth at 65.

The challenge

Jordan graduated with $38K in federal student loans at a blended 6.1% rate and a new $68K/year software engineering job. After 401(k) match, they had $650/month of discretionary cash and two conflicting priorities: crush the loans fast, or max out Roth contributions while they were in a low tax bracket.

How they used Horizons

1Added the full loan schedule as a Liability with the actual amortization and interest rate.
2Built three scenarios: 100% to loans, 100% to Roth, and a 60/40 split.
3Modeled a realistic salary trajectory (4–8% annual raises, one job change at year 4).
4Projected net worth at age 35, 50, and 65 for each scenario.

The outcome

Loans-first: net worth of $1.9M at 65, loans paid off at year 4.
Roth-first: net worth of $2.4M at 65, loans paid off at year 9 (with $7.8K extra interest paid).
60/40 split: net worth of $2.3M at 65 with loans paid off at year 6 — similar ending outcome with psychological wins earlier.
Jordan chose the 60/40 split and now has a written monthly allocation rule instead of a gut-feel decision.

“I spent a weekend reading personal finance forums and got ten different answers. Horizons let me stop arguing with strangers and just see the numbers for my situation.”
— Composite profile of Jordan Rivera, recent grad, 23

Features they relied on

Liability modeling with amortization
What-If scenarios
Income trajectory modeling
Long-horizon net worth projection
Goal tracking

Takeaway for readers with a similar situation

The mathematically optimal answer on student loans vs. investing depends on your exact rate, tax bracket, and psychology. Run all three scenarios before committing.

This is a composite profile built from real Horizons beta usage patterns, not a named individual. Numbers are representative of the stated situation but any one person's outcome will differ based on their own financial circumstances. See our disclaimer.

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