this post was submitted on 18 Mar 2025
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A Boring Dystopia

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm so glad that I got a surprise letter in January of 2024 stating that the Biden SAVE program had forgiven my entire $320,000 worth of student loans. I had originally borrowed $150k.

[–] madcaesar 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Wait, was that all fucking interest???

Also for 150k you better be a fucking doctor, mate.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 20 hours ago

This isn't uncommon, there are deferral programs for student loans but these typically come with compounding interest (basically, your payments are covered each month by an additional loan which gets added to the principle).

[–] LordCrom 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Crashing the stock market may be the plan here. Follow me on this ...

Crashing the market and removing 20 to 30 percent of value.

Then at the low point invest heavily into the DOW.

Now support the market and get it back to previous levels.

Fucking rich fucks just made 30% in 1 to 2 years on that investment.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 day ago

Hey now you're forgetting that they're also going short on everything and making money on the fucking way down too!

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Crashing the economy is the point, isn't it. Every crash the richest few scoop up the assets and the peasants (most of Americans) settle for working for whatever scraps they can manage.

[–] Pilferjinx 2 points 1 day ago

I'd replace collecting food stamps for collecting heads.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 days ago

I am reminded again of how we need to organized. A few people here or there defaulting on loans or refusing to pay won't make a difference. A lot of people not paying, but not talking to each other, is kind of a wild card. But if you and fifty thousand of your closest friends went to DC together to tell your reps this is unacceptable, and if they want to sleep at night it will change, maybe we'd see change.

But organizing is really hard and I don't know how to go about it effectively.

[–] [email protected] 52 points 2 days ago (5 children)

Just don't pay. Debt-strikes are far more damaging than a work-stoppage.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 days ago

This works great up until the point where a collection agency comes for your property and/or credit rating. I'm not saying don't strike, but do it with full knowledge there may be repercussions.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 days ago (21 children)

It’s most likely that people won’t have a choice. Many people, anyway, from what I understand of USian wages and cost of living.

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[–] SolidShake 5 points 1 day ago

this story is actually insane.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

An rendition of Trump's Greater Depression:

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 days ago

My only hope is that America slingshots back to Roosevelt era policies. Wild that this exact shit happened and what saved us? Oh social programs and high tax rates on the wealthy.

[–] Philharmonic3 11 points 2 days ago

Don't pay. Debt strike.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Quick numbers for those reading:

  • Overall debt grew by $93 billion in the last three months of 2024 -- and about half of that increase was new credit card debt.
  • Americans' total credit card balances now stand at a record-high $1.21 trillion.
  • Americans hold nearly $1.7 trillion in auto loan debt.
  • Americans' total household debt is $18.04 trillion -- including credit cards, mortgages, auto loans and student loans

STUDENT DEBT:

  • Americans hold $1.62 trillion in student debt.
  • Missed federal student loan payments were not reported to credit bureaus between 2020Q2 and 2024Q3.
  • Consequently, less than % of aggregate student debt was reported 90+ days delinquent or in default in 2024Q4.
  • Missed federal student loan payments will likely begin appearing on reports beginning in 2025Q1.

Here’s the report: House Hold Debt and Credit: Q4 2024 (published 2025 by Federal Reserve Bank of New York)

[–] shaggyb 97 points 3 days ago (25 children)

With no DOE employees to process defaults?

Nobody should be paying a red cent.

If your choice is draining your entire bank account to the point you can't afford to live or suffering a credit score penalty, then the credit score should be sacrificed.

"but they can..."

Stop. Nothing they can do is worse than starving. Don't pay them. Use your money for your own needs.

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