Hello - my wife and I are in the process of atty consultation for a chapter 13 - our situation is like so many others and we are with a lot of questions - we have found a wealth of information with this forum and would like to hear what others have to say about our situation: I am a municiple gov't worker with old student loans (never graduated from medical school). They were Sallie Mae loans (1994-1997) which were consolidated in 2006 with a private lender. Payments were made with Sallie Mae and for a year with the private lender but have had some years for financial hardship. The principal amount was $65,000 and with the addition of fees and interest, the total amount owed is $128,000. Also, we have a second mortgage on our house, hence, does anyone have knowledge of "stripping" the 2nd mtg? I will check this blog tomorrow night for responses and in advance thank the responders for their time and attention with a couple of our concerns.