Why Your Raise Is Growing Faster Than Student Loan Payments

In episode 40 of Wages and Prices, Lucas and Luna examine a shift that's quietly improving household budgets for millions of borrowers: wages are finally outpacing student loan payments. With average hourly earnings at $37.50 and median weekly earnings at $1,204, the income side of the ledger is growing faster than the typical student loan bill, which has been frozen in place for many since the pandemic pause ended. But the hosts dig into New York Fed survey data showing household financial worries are at their highest since July 2022 — because not everyone has federal loans, and new repayment plans like SAVE are still in legal limbo. Lucas explains how the math works for a borrower earning the median wage and paying 10% of discretionary income, and Luna pushes back on whether this 'good news' is evenly distributed. The episode closes with a look at the 4.3% inflation-adjusted wage gain over the past year and what it means for real purchasing power. #StudentLoans #WageGrowth #RealWages #PurchasingPower #Inflation #FederalReserve #SAVEPlan #IncomeGrowth #HouseholdFinances #MedianEarnings #CPI #PCE #EconomicRecovery #DebtBurden #LaborMarket #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo