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Auto Industry on Road to Recovery from Pandemic
After a series of disruptions in March and April that coincided with the widespread outbreak in the U.S., the auto industry has entered a recovery period, though its path forward remains uncertain.
Discussion Paper
Student loans part 1: get the numbers right
Journal Article
Subprime Mortgage Performance by Metro Area
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington and Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown lead the state with the most securitized, owner-occupied subprime mortgages. These two metros also have a much larger number of problematic loans compared with other Texas metros.
Working Paper
Conspicuous Consumption: Vehicle Purchases by Non-Prime Consumers
Consumers with higher income often spend more on luxury goods. As a result, lower-income consumers who seek to increase their perceived income and social status may be motivated to purchase conspicuous luxury goods. Lower-income consumers may also desire to emulate the visible consumption displayed by their wealthier peers. Using a unique vehicle financing dataset, we find that consumers with lower credit scores value vehicle brand prestige more than average consumers. The stronger preferences for prestige lead non-prime consumers to purchase more expensive vehicles than they otherwise would ...
Working Paper
Student Loan Relief Programs: Implications for Borrowers and the Federal Government
As college costs increase and more students borrow to fund their education, debt load and delinquency rates have become significant problems. Student loan obligations are challenging to manage for new graduates with lower earnings and for borrowers in financial hardship. This paper discusses the various federal student loan repayment relief programs that are available and their borrower and fiscal impacts. The implications for borrowers' costs and the federal budget vary significantly by loan amount, income level, and relief program.
Working Paper
Student loan relief programs: implications for borrowers and the federal government
As college costs increase and more students fund their education through borrowing, debt load and delinquency rates have become significant problems on a number of levels. Student loan obligations are challenging to manage for new graduates with lower earnings and borrowers in financial hardship. This paper discusses the federal student loan repayment relief programs that are available and estimates their borrower and fiscal impacts. The implications of relief plans on borrowers? costs and the federal budget vary for different loan amounts, income levels, and relief program. {{p}} It is ...
Journal Article
Alternative Refund Settlement Products May Compromise Asset-Building Goals
High-cost, short-term loans such as the refund anticipation loan (RAL) have historically been popular with low-income filers. RALs are based on the taxpayer's expected refund and are issued at the time of filing. They allow the taxpayer to receive an anticipated refund earlier, in the form of a loan. These products have often been associated with high prices and extra filing costs. Nationwide, 7.2 million taxpayers received RALs in 2009, and 87 percent of those were low income.
Discussion Paper
Student loans part 2: borrowing for a future
Journal Article
The Importance of Filing for the Earned Income Tax Credit
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) encourages work and reduces poverty by rewarding low- and moderate-income working families at tax time. Low-wage workers may receive the EITC even though they owe no tax or are not required to file. When the EITC amount exceeds their tax liability, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will still refund the balance.
Biden Student Loan Relief Plan Allows Increased Borrowing, Less Repayment
The Biden plan is expected to boost participation in the income-driven repayments that lower the payment burden. Imposing a cap on a borrower’s income to qualify for cancellation or increasing the cancellation amount for low-income borrowers could alleviate the regressive nature of broad loan cancellation.