By Kristin Myers, Editor-in-Chief

What's Happening Today

Are you one of the more than 43 million Americans with student loan debt? If you are, there might be some good news coming today. President Biden is expected to make an announcement today about the pause on student loan repayments (currently set to expire next week) and will grant student loan forgiveness to some borrowers.

It is being reported that the White House will erase $10,000 of debt for borrowers who earn up to $125,000. It is also anticipated that the President will extend the repayment pause through the end of the year.

So, what's the effect of a policy such as this? Granting student debt forgiveness could have a wide-ranging impact. Over the past two years, the pause of repaying student loans has freed many Americans to chip away at other debt, or even buy homes. That's why for many Americans, canceling student loan debt could be a shot at a more financially secure future.

But some studies show that erasing student loan debt (even for just some of us) could also marginally raise inflation as more and more adults have more money in their pockets to make other purchases.

And while granting student debt forgiveness will be good news for the millions of Americans struggling under the burden of student loan debt, it won't tackle the problem of skyrocketing college tuition, which according to research done by Georgetown University, has ballooned 169% since 1980. Wages, in contrast, have only risen about 9% in roughly that same time period.

- Kristin

Editors' Picks

Biden to Announce Student Loan Forgiveness Plan (The Wall Street Journal)

Are Student Loan Payments Too Broken To Bring Back? (The Balance)

Should College Be Free? The Pros and Cons (The Balance)

How to Pay for College Without Student Loans (The Balance)

Home Prices Fell for the First Time in 3 Years Last Month – and it was the Biggest Decline Since 2011 (CNBC)

A 'Tsunami of Shutoffs': 20 Million US Homes Are Behind on Energy Bills (Bloomberg)

What Will Happen to Black Workers' Gains if There's a Recession? (The New York Times)

Term of the Day

Section 529 Savings Plan

Section 529 plans are so named after the specific Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code that permits their use, section 529. A 529 plan may also be called a "qualified tuition program" or QTP, and can be a great option for college savings because it offers substantial tax advantages.

Section 529 savings accounts allow you to make after-tax contributions on behalf of a designated beneficiary (not just a child). These contributions grow tax-deferred in your choice of investments and can be withdrawn tax-free for qualified educational expenses.

These expenses generally include tuition, fees, books, supplies, room, and board at an eligible educational institution, but may include other required expenses for attendance as well. Up to $10,000 can be used to fund elementary and secondary education.

Off the Charts

Understanding how to manage your portfolio when interest rates are rising can help to fend off potential negative effects. For example, interest rate fluctuations affect bond prices inversely, with prices increasing as rates go down and decreasing as rates go up. The chart below shows the price-yield relation for a 10-year, 9% annual coupon bond.