The $1.8 Trillion Student Debt Bubble Is Now the Supreme Court's Problem

With White House plan in limbo, people with stretched budgets are bracing for the resumption of required payments after a three-year pause.

Photographer: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
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The $1.8 trillion student debt bubble is about to burst.

After a three-year pause, payments on federal student loans are set to resume in the next six months, and the economic consequences will be far-reaching: More than 4 million Americans are expected to fall behind on their debt and millions more will struggle with the added costs as inflation slams consumers. Even those who can handle the bills will have less money to spend elsewhere, with experts predicting more delinquencies on credit cards and auto loans as the impact cascades through the economy.