How Employers Are Helping Employees Bridge the Student Loan-Retirement Gap

A new study found that paying off student loans is impeding certain Americans' ability to accumulate retirement savings, particularly those who earn higher wages in America.

According to a research by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), Americans who have student loan debt make lesser aggregate contributions to their 401(k) plans and contribute less than those who do not.

The biggest difference in savings is seen among people making $55,000 or more annually. According to the survey, the average contribution rate of these higher earners who owed money on their student loans was 6.1%, while the savings rate of individuals with similar incomes but no student loan payments was 7.3%.

Individuals with student loan debt who made less than $55,000 a year also made less contributions to retirement savings-5.3% as opposed to 5.7% for those with the same income but no additional debt.

Throughout the three years of the study, student loan payments were made by one-fifth of the individuals in the study sample, and 12.1% of them did so the entire time. According to the report, 31.6% of employees boosted their 401(k) contributions after they were able to stop paying student loan payments.

High-interest debt might be an obstacle to your retirement savings efforts. You may think about taking out a personal loan with a reduced interest rate to pay it off. Without lowering your credit score, you may visit Credible to obtain your customized rate in a matter of minutes.

What the Secure 2.0 Is

At the beginning of 2024, the Secure 2.0 Act of 2022 added a number of additional optional elements that allowed plan sponsors to assist in enhancing their retirement readiness. Section 110 permits employers to match an eligible student loan payment made by an employee with an equal contribution to the employee's retirement plan account, such as a SIMPLE IRA, 401(k), 403(b), or, for government workers, a 457(b) plan.

The Act, which was approved by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden last year, aims to assist Americans in increasing their retirement savings.

With the aid of this provision, employees with student loans-who are unable to contribute to their 401(k) plans at all or at the full match-would be able to receive at least the matching contributions, which would help them accumulate assets for retirement.

You can think about combining your personal loans into one with a lower interest rate if your school debts are keeping you from saving as much as you could for retirement. Visit Credible to find out whether this is the best choice for you by speaking with a student loan refinancing specialist.

Student Loan Payment Resumption and Borrower Strategies

October marked the start of student loan payments again after a 42-month hiatus. Even though there are several options for assistance, millions of debtors have had at least one payment skipped. According to a recent Intelligent.com study, some debtors are refusing to make payments in the hopes that this will put pressure on the government to forgive their outstanding debt.

A third (36%) of debtors who had not yet made any payments stated they intended to start up again as soon as possible, while another third indicated they were unclear of when they would start up again. Twelve percent more of these borrowers stated they are repaying their student loans using the 'on-ramp' program implemented by the Biden administration, which exempts borrowers from penalties such as credit bureau reporting of late payments until September 2024.

Nine percent of borrowers have chosen to forego payments in order to put pressure on the government to forgive student debt, even though the majority of borrowers have skipped payments due to inability to pay. The majority of these debtors believe that by making an effort, they will raise awareness of student loan debt.

You are not eligible for federal aid if you are struggling to make your private student loan installments. To reduce your monthly payments, you could think about refinancing your loans at a reduced interest rate. To acquire your customized rate in a matter of minutes, visit Credible.