Tom Werner | Digitalvision | Getty Images As borrowers come up against new federal limits on student debt, they may encounter financing options from an unexpected source: their state. But don’t assume these government-backed loans are a close substitute for federal student loans. Consumer advocates say state student loans are more akin to private student…
Prospective homebuyers eyeing a condominium may soon discover that mortgage lenders are as interested in the condo building as they are in the buyer. New condo-lending policies taking effect on Aug. 3 from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — government-sponsored enterprises that purchase qualifying mortgages on the secondary market — mean that some purchases could…
Linda McMahon, US education secretary, speaks during a roundtable on education at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, June 11, 2026. Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images Hundreds of thousands of student loan borrowers have gotten their debts forgiven, or soon will, due to a $23 billion class-action settlement…
Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh concludes a news conference after a meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, June 17, 2026. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images The Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates unchanged at its upcoming July meeting — as higher energy prices and renewed tensions with Iran have complicated the picture for…
Asia-pacific Images Studio | E+ | Getty Images The Federal Reserve sets national interest rate policy. But the U.S. central bank isn’t the only major player in this arena: Bond investors also have a big influence on consumers’ borrowing costs. Many types of consumer loans — such as mortgages and auto loans — often peg…
Morsa Images | Digitalvision | Getty Images Even as home price gains have slowed, buying a house doesn’t appear to be getting any easier. Homebuyer affordability slid in June for the fifth consecutive month, according to the National Association of Realtors’ latest housing affordability index. Based on the median price of a single-family house, $446,400,…
Svetikd | E+ | Getty Images The U.S. Department of Education’s new Repayment Assistance Plan, or RAP, offers certain benefits to student loan borrowers — but only if their bill is paid on time. “Being late with a payment, by even just one day under the RAP repayment plan, will cost you,” said higher education…
Bipartisan legislation intended to increase the U.S. housing supply and improve affordability is now law — but experts say homebuyers and sellers shouldn’t expect fast relief. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act automatically became law on Saturday after President Donald Trump neither signed it nor vetoed it within a set timeframe. The legislation combines…
A student sits in a lecture hall while class is being dismissed at the University of Texas at Austin on Feb. 22, 2024, in Texas. Brandon Bell | Getty Images The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it will offer federal student loan borrowers who sign up for autopay a reduction of 1 percentage point…
Pekic | E+ | Getty Images With a bit of strategy, federal student loan borrowers can lower their monthly bills on the U.S. Department of Education’s new repayment plan, coming July 1. Under the Repayment Assistance Plan, or RAP, borrowers pay a higher percentage of their income as their earnings grow. That means that finding…
