The $1.6 trillion in U.S. student debt may not pose a direct threat to the economy, but it’s causing anguish that goes far beyond financial concerns for the people who owe it. One in 15 borrowers has considered suicide due to their school loans, according to a survey of 829 people conducted last month by Student Loan Planner, a debt advisory group, Bloomberg News reported. Most student debt is held by people with balances on the lower end of the scale, with only 0.8 percent of the U.S. population owing more than $100,000, according to Deutsche Bank economists. They have labeled the issue as a “micro problem” for individuals, rather than a macro problem for the economy. Yet that still equates to 2.8 million people with around $495 billion in debt as of March, according to Department of Education data. Even more worrying is that it’s an increase of almost $61 billion since the end of 2017. Read more.
The issue of student loan debt and bankruptcy is addressed in the Final Report of the ABI Commission on Consumer Bankruptcy. Click here to download your copy.
