Consumer lending

The Biden administration is considering extending its pause on student loan repayments, now set to resume Jan. 1, in response to legal challenges to its student-debt forgiveness program, according to people familiar with the internal discussions.

Younger borrowers and those with lower incomes added the most to their card balances in the third quarter, according to a New York Fed report. Delinquency levels are also on the rise, a sign that more consumers are struggling to pay off higher debt loads.

The ruling means that a lower court's pro-consumer decision cannot be used as a precedent in other litigation. Consumer advocates had hoped the case would make it more difficult for debt buyers in North Carolina to file a large volume of lawsuits, which often lead to default judgments against borrowers.

A federal judge in Texas struck down the Biden administration's plan, calling it "one of the largest exercises of legislative power without congressional authority in the history of the United States."

A ballot initiative that places additional restrictions on debt collectors and decreases the interest rates that can be charged on medical debt passed Tuesday by an overwhelming margin. Consumer advocates say it will ease the burden on households dealing with hardship, but industry groups contend that it will make credit more expensive.

The San Francisco company is now estimating a net interest margin of 2.45% for the fourth quarter, down from 2.71% three months earlier. The profitability metric has suffered as customers ask for higher rates on their deposits.

During the third quarter, revenues at the online consumer lender fell by 31% from the previous three months. CEO Dave Girouard expressed dissatisfaction but also argued that the company's lending model is working as intended.

Some 16 million applications for student debt relief will be approved by this week, provided the White House plan survives court challenges, President Biden said Thursday.