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A majority of student loan borrowers are worried about their ability to repay their loans

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About 94% of borrowers worry about ever repaying their student loans.  (iStock)

Student loan debt has been an ongoing discussion among Americans for years as the debt balance continues to grow. The country’s total student loan debt now sits at $1.6 trillion, according to Federal Reserve Bank of New York data.

These debts are overwhelming for many borrowers. Nearly 94% of respondents to a Credit and Debt survey expressed significant worry about their ability to repay their student loans. An additional 65% said their monthly payments are already unaffordable.

It’s not for lack of trying either. Many borrowers want to pay off their debt, the survey found. About 92% of survey respondents said paying off their student loans is a top priority.

Borrowers are seeking more effective solutions to their debt — 67% of respondents want better ways to deal with their debt, such as refinancing or consolidation options.

If you’re considering refinancing, make sure to compare student loan refinancing rates before you apply, so you can make sure you find the best deal for you. Credible can help you find rates that work better for your budget

REPUBLICAN STATES FILE SUIT TO STOP BIDEN’S SAVE STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PLAN

President Biden just announced $7.4 billion in student loan debt relief

The Biden Administration announced more student debt relief recently. They approved $7.4 billion in relief for 277,000 borrowers.

The forgiveness was broken down into three different types. $3.6 billion went towards 206,800 borrowers enrolled in the SAVE Plan. Borrowers who have been paying for 10 years and originally borrowed $12,000 or less are likely to receive some relief.

An additional $3.5 billion was set aside for 65,800 borrowers who saw adjustments to their income-driven repayment plans. About 4,600 other borrowers received $300 million due to fixes to Public Service Loan Forgiveness programs.

“Today’s announcement shows — once again — that the Biden-Harris Administration is not letting up its efforts to give hardworking Americans some breathing room,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said.

“As long as there are people with overwhelming student loan debt competing with basic needs such as food and healthcare, we will remain relentless in our pursuit to bring relief to millions across the country.”

The Biden Administration’s announcement brings the total loan forgiveness it has provided to $153 billion for about 4.3 million Americans.

If you have private student loans, unfortunately, federal relief doesn’t apply to you. If you’re looking to lower monthly payments and ease the burden of student loan debt, consider refinancing your student loans. Lock in some of the lowest interest rates ever via the online marketplace Credible.

PRESIDENT BIDEN ANNOUNCES NEW STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS PLANS THAT COULD BENEFIT 23 MILLION AMERICANS

Many voters want to see student debt relief happen

Election season is here, and voters are eager to see student loan forgiveness discussed by the two candidates.

A Protect Borrowers Action poll, conducted by SocialSphere took a look at voters’ attitudes toward student loan debt. Nearly half of the respondents said canceling debt is an important issue for them.

Voters of color were even more likely to want debt cancelation discussed in this upcoming election – 66% of respondents of color said this was one of their top issues. 

One survey participant explained, “It’s [student debt] like a giant anchor pulling you into the depths of the sea.”

Another one explained the burden they face, saying, “I owe more than what I initially borrowed. It feels very overwhelming.” 

A large majority of survey respondents think something should be done to alleviate student debt — 70% of respondents want the government to act. Borrowers who have already paid off their loans largely agree, with 67% responding that the government should help reduce student debt balances.

To get out from under your student loan debt, refinancing can potentially help you secure a lower interest rate. To see if refinancing is right for you, view this rates table from Credible to compare rates from multiple lenders at once.

RETIRED AMERICANS WITH STUDENT LOAN DEBT RISK GARNISHMENT OF SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS

Have a finance-related question, but don’t know who to ask? Email The Credible Money Expert at [email protected] and your question might be answered by Credible in our Money Expert column.

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Chase CEO Jamie Dimon says markets are too complacent

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Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, leaves the U.S. Capitol after a meeting with Republican members of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on the issue of de-banking on Feb. 13, 2025.

Tom Williams | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said Monday that markets and central bankers underappreciate the risks created by record U.S. deficits, tariffs and international tensions.

Dimon, the veteran CEO and chairman of the biggest U.S. bank by assets, explained his worldview during his bank’s annual investor day meeting in New York. He said he believes the risks of higher inflation and even stagflation aren’t properly represented by stock market values, which have staged a comeback from lows in April.

“We have huge deficits; we have what I consider almost complacent central banks,” Dimon said. “You all think they can manage all this. I don’t think” they can, he said.

“My own view is people feel pretty good because you haven’t seen effective tariffs” yet, Dimon said. “The market came down 10%, [it’s] back up 10%; that’s an extraordinary amount of complacency.”

Dimon’s comments follow Moody’s rating agency downgrading the U.S. credit rating on Friday over concerns about the government’s growing debt burden. Markets have been whipsawed the past few months over worries that President Donald Trump‘s trade policies will raise inflation and slow the world’s largest economy.

Dimon said Monday that he believed Wall Street earnings estimates for S&P 500 companies, which have already declined in the first weeks of Trump’s trade policies, will fall further as companies pull or lower guidance amid the uncertainty.

In six months, those projections will fall to 0% earnings growth after starting the year at around 12%, Dimon said. If that were to happen, stocks prices will likely fall.

“I think earnings estimates will come down, which means PE will come down,” Dimon said, referring to the “price to earnings” ratio tracked closely by stock market analysts.

The odds of stagflation, “which is basically a recession with inflation,” are roughly double what the market thinks, Dimon added.

Separately, one of Dimon’s top deputies said that corporate clients are still in “wait-and-see” mode when it comes to acquisitions and other deals.

Investment banking revenue is headed for a “mid-teens” percentage decline in the second quarter compared with the year-earlier period, while trading revenue was trending higher by a “mid-to-high” single digit percentage, said Troy Rohrbaugh, a co-head of the firm’s commercial and investment bank.

On the ever-present question of Dimon’s timeline to hand over the CEO reins to one of his deputies, Dimon said that nothing changed from his guidance last year, when he said he would likely remain for less than five more years.

“If I’m here for four more years, and maybe two more” as executive chairman, Dimon said, “that’s a long time.”

Of all the executive presentations given Monday, consumer banking chief Marianne Lake had the longest speaking time at a full hour. She is considered a top successor candidate, especially after Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Piepszak said she would not be seeking the top job.

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Stocks making the biggest moves midday: UNH, TSLA, BABA

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Klarna doubles losses in first quarter as IPO remains on hold

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Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO of Klarna, speaking at a fintech event in London on Monday, April 4, 2022.

Chris Ratcliffe | Bloomberg via Getty Images

Klarna saw its losses jump in the first quarter as the popular buy now, pay later firm applies the brakes on a hotly anticipated U.S. initial public offering.

The Swedish payments startup said its net loss for the first three months of 2025 totaled $99 million — significantly worse than the $47 million loss it reported a year ago. Klarna said this was due to several one-off costs related to depreciation, share-based payments and restructuring.

Revenues at the firm increased 13% year-over-year to $701 million. Klarna said it now has 100 million active users and 724,00 merchant partners globally.

It comes as Klarna remains in pause mode regarding a highly anticipated U.S. IPO that was at one stage set to value the SoftBank-backed company at over $15 billion.

Klarna put its IPO plans on hold last month due to market turbulence caused by President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff plans. Online ticketing platform StubHub also put its IPO plans on ice.

Prior to the IPO delay, Klarna had been on a marketing blitz touting itself as an artificial intelligence-powered fintech. The company partnered up with ChatGPT maker OpenAI in 2023. A year later, Klarna used OpenAI technology to create an AI customer service assistant.

Last week, Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski said the company was able to shrink its headcount by about 40%, in part due to investments in AI.

Watch CNBC's full interview with Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski

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