A student loan borrower advocacy organization is raising alarm bells over Republican plans to remake the federal student loan repayment system, warning that if it’s enacted, the reforms could dramatically raise costs for working families who carry student loan debt. Earlier this week, a key House committee passed a sweeping bill intended to slash government spending associated with federal student aid programs. The legislation is one piece of a much broader effort by Republican lawmakers to extend and expand tax cuts through a process called budget reconciliation. The costs of those tax cuts, which could be several trillion dollars, would…

House Republicans this week unveiled sweeping legislation to remake the federal student loan system. Nearly every element of the federal student aid system, from grants to aid disbursement to repayment plans and loan forgiveness programs, would be impacted if the plan is enacted. And buried deep in the bill is a major change that would cut off a popular federal student loan forgiveness program for medical residents and interns. “This bill set forth by Committee Republicans not only would save taxpayers over $330 billion but also bring much-needed reform in three key areas: simplified loan repayment, streamlined student loan options,…

Since 2013 the first Thursday in May has been designated as World Password Day, a day intended to remind us of the critical importance of password security Recently a study by market research company Gitnux found that 60% of Americans use the same password for multiple online accounts. This is particularly problematic because if the password is compromised, such as in a data breach of one account, all of the other accounts using that same password which may include sensitive accounts such as online banking become vulnerable. While passwords are still the coin of the realm for account access and…

There is a scramble among economists and analysts to explain the real annualized 0.3% decline in U.S. GDP. A slight contraction is the description, along with various explanations of why it happened and is likely to be temporary. Whether that is true or a form of professional and existential self-calming is to be seen. What Happened To GDP In Q1 Economists originally expected the 0.3% fall in GDP to be a 0.4% gain — a swing of 0.7 percentage points. The fourth quarter of 2024 had realized an annualized gain of 2.4%. That was a swing of 2.7 percentage points.…

A key House committee passed the Student Success and Taxpayer Savings Plan on Tuesday, a Republican bill that is part of the party’s broader effort to enact President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda of extending massive tax cuts paid for by slashing government spending. If the bill is ultimately enacted through the budget reconciliation process, it would fundamentally remake the entire federal student loan repayment system by cutting off or pushing out loan forgiveness and forcing millions of borrowers into more expensive repayment plans. “Today, the Education and Workforce Committee passed the Student Success and Taxpayer Savings Plan—a vital portion of…

The impact of President Trump’s tariffs on Latinos will likely affect not only that community but also produce a domino effect of negative consequences for the overall economy. Although most consumers and workers will suffer from the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, Latinos will likely experience the most significant economic impact. The nonpartisan policy research group The Budget Lab at Yale calls the Trump tariffs a regressive policy. Whenever a regressive tax is imposed, those with the lowest incomes pay the most and face the most significant negative economic consequences. In 2017, the Heritage Foundation noted, “Tariffs are just…

Republican Student Loan Plan Quirk: Repayment Assistance Plan Doesn’t Account For Inflation House Republicans’ newly proposed Repayment Assistance Plan, part of their sweeping 2025 student loan reform bill known as the Student Success and Taxpayer Savings Plan, aims to simplify federal repayment options. However, a little-noticed design flaw could make the plan much costlier over time: The Repayment Assistance Plan currently ties monthly payments to income tiers fixed in today’s dollars; not adjusted for inflation. In fact, the word inflation isn’t mentioned at all in the 103-page draft proposal (I reached out to Committee Chair Tim Walberg’s (R-Michigan) office as…

Entering college is one of the most exciting milestones in a young adult’s life, but it also brings new financial responsibilities that you may be unprepared to handle. From managing a budget to understanding loans, credit, and personal savings, financial literacy can make or break your college experience. This article offers actionable insights and practical tips for incoming college students to help build financial habits that can last a lifetime. 1. Create A Budget And Stick To It Track All Sources Of Income The cornerstone of any effective budget is an accurate understanding of how much money is coming in.…

When individual debtor Larry Addington filed for bankruptcy, he owned a 36% membership interest in a limited liability company called Ultra Energy Resources, LLC (“Ultra”). In turn, Ultra owned a 100% membership interest in another limited liability company called Carbon Fuels Properties, LLC (“CFP”). After the case was converted from Chapter 11, a Chapter 7 Trustee was appointed for Addington’s debtor estate. Credit-bidding is a process by which a creditor participates in the judicial sale of a debtor’s asset, but does not bring cash. Instead, the creditor offers to reduce (credit) the amount of money owed to the creditor in…

Florida is home to a lot of wealthy cities and a lot of wealthy people. It doesn’t hurt that the state does not levy a personal income tax. Whether they’re ritzy resort spots or just affluent suburbs, Florida has plenty of centers of wealth that draws people, not just from across the United States, but from across the world. A recent series of studies have examined and identified the most expensive ZIP codes in each state. Now, it is Florida’s turn for this analysis. Read on to find out the most expensive ZIP codes in Florida in 2025, based on…