• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
Personal Financestudent loans and debt

Biden’s student loan pause is saving borrowers a median $150 every month

Trey Williams
By
Trey Williams
Trey Williams
Down Arrow Button Icon
Trey Williams
By
Trey Williams
Trey Williams
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 9, 2022, 9:14 AM ET
A woman pulls money out of her wallet
Analysts at Bank of America expect the student loan moratorium will save borrowers $150 a month.JGI/Jamie Grill—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

While much of the recent fervor around student loans has been reserved for President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan, let’s not forget the roughly 23 million Americans who will continue writing checks every month to the federal government.

For those borrowers who won’t see their balances zapped away, Biden also extended the federal loan repayment pause through the end of the year. That’s expected to represent a median savings of more than $150 per month per household, according to a recent note from Bank of America Institute.

Analysts at Bank of America say that should provide folks who will still have student loans after the forgiveness with a few months of boosted cash flow. But in the current economy, that might not go very far as rents in cities across the country continue to rise and inflation bites into everything from gas to the reliable trope of millennials’ obsession with avocado toast.

The costs of living has, in some cases, gotten so far afield that younger Americans who moved back in with Mom and Dad during the pandemic can’t afford to pull themselves back out of the nest.

“With inflation as high as it is and with rates rising, it can be difficult for anyone to make ends meet in today’s economy,” LendingTree senior economist Jacob Channel says in a recent report. He added that entry-level workers likely aren’t earning enough money to account for climbing prices.

That said, younger and lower-income borrowers will still likely benefit most from the moratorium and holding onto the extra cash, Bank of America analysts say. Roughly two-thirds of borrowers paying off student loan debt before the pause were from low (less than $50,000) and middle income ($51,000–$100,000) households.

“With higher inflation having already stretched consumers’ spending power, it will likely provide some offset, particularly for lower-income households,” analysts wrote.

The number of households making student loan payments dropped in April 2020 after the first pause went into place under then President Donald Trump, falling roughly 63% in July compared to pre-pandemic numbers, according to Bank of America. That number has remained relatively low.

Even before the pandemic, the Federal Reserve said that in 2016–2017, 38% of people with outstanding student loan debt had one or more of their loans in deferment, meaning they weren’t making payments. For those who were making payments, the average monthly payment was $393, with a median monthly payment of $222.

The amount that people pay in student loans, even though fewer people have been paying during the pause, has remained relatively unchanged, according to Bank of America.

“Overall, the extension of the moratorium would represent a fairly significant boost to short-term cash flow,” Bank of America analysts wrote. “Most textbook economic theories of consumer behavior assume a degree of smoothing of consumer spending, so any short-term gain in saved repayments is unlikely to make a dramatic difference to household consumption decisions over the rest of this year.”

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.

About the Author
Trey Williams
By Trey Williams
Twitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Personal Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Personal Finance

Knicks star Jalen Brunson
SuccessPersonal Finance
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
By Emma BurleighJuly 21, 2026
8 hours ago
Current price of gold as of July 21, 2026
Personal Financegold prices
Current price of gold as of July 21, 2026
By Danny BakstJuly 21, 2026
10 hours ago
Top CD rates from major banks on July 21, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates from major banks on July 21, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 21, 2026
12 hours ago
Current price of Bitcoin for July 21, 2026
Personal FinanceCryptocurrency
Current price of Bitcoin for July 21, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 21, 2026
13 hours ago
Current price of Ethereum for July 21, 2026
Personal FinanceEthereum
Current price of Ethereum for July 21, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 21, 2026
13 hours ago
Current price of oil as of July 21, 2026
Personal FinanceOil
Current price of oil as of July 21, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 21, 2026
13 hours ago

Most Popular

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
AI
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
By Jason MaJuly 18, 2026
3 days ago
The Treasury is walking a tightrope on U.S. debt by relying so much on short-term rates that are at the mercy of a suddenly very hawkish Fed
Economy
The Treasury is walking a tightrope on U.S. debt by relying so much on short-term rates that are at the mercy of a suddenly very hawkish Fed
By Jason MaJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 20, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 20, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
Jamie Dimon won't put more of his own money into the long end of the bond market right now—thanks to the $39 trillion national debt
Economy
Jamie Dimon won't put more of his own money into the long end of the bond market right now—thanks to the $39 trillion national debt
By Eleanor PringleJuly 21, 2026
13 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.