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Splash Financial Student Loan Refinancing Apply now Compare loan options and get your rates today. Types of Student Loans Offered by Splash FinancialSplash Financial only offers student loans refinancing in two forms, including:Student loan refinancingMedical student loan refinancingSplash Financial Student Loan Refinancing DetailsTo get a loan, you must meet the following qualifications:A low debt-to-income ratio (no more than 30%)A history of on-time paymentsGood to excellent credit (preferably 700 or higher)You should consider your federal student loan options before refinancing into any private student loan, including one with Splash Financial, as you can often get better terms and protections through the government. Splash Financial Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat credit score is needed for Splash Financial? Splash Financial CompetitorsSide-by-side snapshot Splash Financial Student Loan RefinancingLaurel Road Student Loan RefinancingEarnest Student Loan Refinancing Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Methodology: How We rated Splash Financial Student Loan RefinancingWe rate all student loan products in our reviews and guides on a 1-5 scale.

☆ You may face a 'stealth tax' on Social Security benefits, expert warns. These steps can help
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The reason: More of their Social Security benefits may be taxed following a higher 5.9% cost-of-living adjustment in 2022. Unlike other tax thresholds, the Social Security income levels have not been adjusted for inflation since taxation of benefits began in 1984. Not moving the brackets or indexing them gradually exposes more and more people to income taxes on their Social Security benefits, according to David Freitag, a financial planning consultant and Social Security expert at MassMutual. The result is a "stealth tax," Freitag said. How Social Security benefits are taxedUp to 85% of Social Security benefits may be taxed, based on current tax rules.

☆ Social Security is in jeopardy of cutting benefits in just a decade, and no one's stepping in to fix it
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The latest Social Security and Medicare Board of Trustees report lays out estimates for both programs. The trustees find that Social Security will be unable to pay full benefits in about 10 years. Importantly, that doesn't mean that, past 2033 or 2034, there will be no Social Security benefits or the program will be bankrupt. "House Republicans are determined to cut Social Security and Medicare," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. "With informed discussion, creative thinking, and timely legislative action, Social Security can continue to protect future generations."

☆ Yes, You Can Put Your Taxes on a Credit Card. Here’s How to Make It Work
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +14 min

Sign-up bonusesA much better strategy, according to credit card experts, is to use a hefty tax payment to help you qualify for a generous sign-up bonus on a new credit card. Downsides of paying taxes with a credit cardIn addition to fees, paying your taxes with a credit card isn’t without downsides. Most credit card issuers report your credit card balances and the amount of available credit to all three major credit bureaus monthly. Although having a large balance on a credit card can impact your credit score, the effects aren’t permanent. How to pay federal taxes with a credit cardThe IRS does not directly accept tax payments via credit card.

☆ 'Cannabis in Germany will be a success story': Europe's biggest economy moves closer to weed legalization
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The sale of medical cannabis has been allowed in German pharmacies since 2016 — but several barriers to entry remain, including cost. "Patients, who cannot afford medical cannabis, may self-medicate with adult-use cannabis without medical advice. "An overall de-stigmatization of cannabis as a substance will also lead to a de-stigmatized medical cannabis market," Gallois added. The government is currently undertaking a review of its medical cannabis guidelines, including how it is prescribed and reimbursed under the country's statutory health insurance program. A 'domino effect'The plans come as cannabis legalization has fallen under renewed debate over recent years.

☆ After an 8.7% Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2023, next year's increase may not be as large
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Pascal Broze | Onoky | Getty ImagesAn 8.7% Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2023 means beneficiaries received on average $140 per month more starting in January. The Social Security COLA for 2023 was the highest bump in monthly checks beneficiaries have received in four decades. About 70 million beneficiaries receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income payments. watch nowWhile the Social Security COLA for this year may help ease beneficiaries' budgets, next year's increase may not be as large. Social Security COLA for 2024 may be far lessBased on current projections, the Social Security COLA for 2024 will likely be much lower than this year's 8.7% due to cooling inflation, according to the league.

☆ 5 ways House Republicans' budget plan 'will be a disaster for families,' according to the White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The House Freedom Caucus unveiled a plan to address the debt ceiling through major spending cuts. The White House launched a campaign attacking the plan on Monday, saying it would be disastrous for families. In a release, the White House said that they're joining forces with Congressional Democrats to go on the offense as House Republicans head to Florida for their retreat. Specifically, the White House is hitting out at how the proposal would weaken public safety and national security, according to a White House official. —House Freedom Caucus (@freedomcaucus) March 13, 2023"It should shock no one that financially responsible proposals terrify and confuse this administration," it wrote.

☆ Some Republicans want Gen Z to retire later to avoid outright cuts to Social Security: 'Does it really make sense to allow someone who's in their 20s today to retire at 62?'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Jason Lalljee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Several Republicans have said recently that they want to raise the retirement age for younger generations. Social Security is rapidly approaching insolvency, with the Congressional Budget Office estimating that the fund will become unable to make all of its payments starting in 2033. Social safety net programs like Medicare and Social Security have been a partisan battleground for Democrats and Republicans for decades now, with Republicans eyeing big cuts for both programs. There are going to be no cuts in Medicare, Social Security." The White House has continued to criticize Republicans for not being publicly consistent about their goals for Social Security and Medicare.

☆ The vote on DC's crime law has nothing to do with crime for some House Democrats
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Most House Democrats voted to uphold DC's criminal code revisions to support the District's right to self governance. That's why he was among 173 Democrats who opposed a GOP-led House measure last month to overturn the District's controversial crime law revisions. "The District of Columbia residents and their local leaders should have the ability to make those decisions," Horsford, of Nevada, told Insider. Rep. Jahana Hayes of Connecticut also told Insider the problem for her was, "Congress intervening and overturning a local vote." House Democrats are furious that Biden left them hanging, especially after his administration put out a statement opposing the GOP measure.

☆ If you want to balance the budget without raising taxes or cutting defense, Social Security, and Medicare, you'd probably have to fire nearly every park ranger and cut 70% of anti-poverty spending
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

That is, if tax increases, defense spending, Social Security, and Medicare remain off the table. "The thing is the government has basically three gigantic programs and it's the US military, Social Security, and Medicare," Goldwein said. "The idea we're just going to eliminate all parts of government other than Social Security, Medicare, and defense — it's just not realistic, or desirable," Goldwein said. Meanwhile, Democrats await Republicans' plan to move ahead with a deal to raise the debt ceiling before the US defaults. The hard right demands spending cuts," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on Twitter.

☆ Stocks week ahead: It's hell week on Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The unflinching resilience of the US labor market is one of — if not the — greatest source of tension in today’s economy. That means the Fed’s already painful rate hikes are likely to continue until the job market simmers. In just one year, the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates from nearly zero to a range of 4.5% to 4.75% to cool the economy. The labor market is stronger than ever: The US added a shocking 517,000 jobs in January and knocked unemployment down to its lowest level since 1969. If the labor market remains strong, more Fed-induced pain lies ahead.

With the way cable news talking heads describe debt ceiling negotiations, one might think America is headed for an extinction-level event. Left-wing pundits argue that anything but a "clean raise" in the debt ceiling – extending America's credit card limit with no conditions – will bring about an economic apocalypse. As the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee with jurisdiction over the debt ceiling, Social Security, and Medicare, no debt ceiling legislation that passes through my committee will include cuts to these vital programs. Debt ceiling negotiations are something Democrats – and even then-Senator Biden – have agreed to multiple times in our nation's history. For Washington Democrats to engage in politics as usual is manifesting the very crisis they claim they want to avoid.

☆ Ransomware gang leaked Los Angeles student health records online
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Suzanne Smalley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 23 (Reuters) - Health records for about 2,000 current and former Los Angeles school students have been published to the dark web following a ransomware attack last year, the school district said in a statement on Wednesday. The attacks were first widely reported last year, but the compromise of sensitive health records only came to light in recent days. Last year, Los Angeles School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the Russian ransomware gang Vice Society had claimed responsibility for the hack and placed the material online in October. Los Angeles Unified, the second largest school district in the United States, said its investigation is ongoing and that it continues to assess the September 2022 cyberattack. Kelanic told Reuters that approximately 2,000 student assessment records "have been confirmed as part of the attack."

☆ 'Digital nomads' can now live in Spain with their families — if they earn enough
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Chris Dwyer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The so-called "digital nomad" visa is open to a wide variety of remote workers and has already attracted considerable interest. U.S. Google searches for "digital nomad visa Spain" spiked by 66% in late January, according to digital marketing specialists Semrush. Fernando Angulo (pictured here in Colombia) said he's lived in many countries as a "digital nomad," including Russia, Argentina and India. Source: Zach BoyetteZach Boyette, co-founder of the digital marketing agency Galactic Fed, called Spain's digital nomad visa a "game changer." Boyette, a longtime digital nomad, said the visa allows digital nomads to "spend a longer time in Europe," he said.

Facing criticism from Democrats and frustration from Republicans, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., has amended his controversial “Rescue America” plan that called for all federal legislation to sunset. The plan now lists “specific exceptions of Social Security, Medicare, national security, veterans benefits, and other essential services.”The previous language read: “All federal legislation sunsets in 5 years. If a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again.”The new language says: “All federal legislation sunsets in 5 years, with specific exceptions of Social Security, Medicare, national security, veterans benefits, and other essential services. Note to President Biden, Sen. Schumer, and Sen. McConnell — As you know, this was never intended to apply to Social Security, Medicare, or the US Navy” (bold included in plan). This isn’t the first time Scott has edited his controversial 12-point plan while under fire.

☆ Meet a Gen Xer forced to cut $135 from her monthly grocery budget as emergency food stamps suddenly end in March: 'We don't know how we're going to make it'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In March, a pandemic-era program beefing up SNAP benefits will wind down. It means a "hunger cliff" for many food stamp recipients, who are facing smaller budgets and high food prices. "I got to speak for everybody: We don't know what we're going to do. Parent and her son don't know what they're going to do when the benefits come down in just a few weeks. "We don't know how we're going to make it," she said.

☆ U.S. Could Default as Soon as July if Debt-Ceiling Standoff Isn’t Resolved
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Andrew Duehren | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—The U.S. could become unable to pay all of its bills on time sometime between July and September, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated, giving lawmakers several months to reach an agreement on lifting the debt limit and avoiding a default. The Treasury Department ran up against the roughly $31.4 trillion debt limit in January. It is now deploying a series of special accounting maneuvers to keep paying the government’s obligations to bondholders, Social Security recipients and others.

☆ How Social Security and Medicare became the latest battleground in Biden's showdown with the GOP
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Social Security and Medicare have taken the spotlight in the battle to raise the debt limit. Then came the big question of what exactly Republicans want to cut, and Social Security and Medicare entered the frame. "So, folks, as we all apparently agree, Social Security and Medicare is off the books now. White House, Biden double down on GOP attacksThe receipts kept coming once Republicans claimed they never proposed cuts to Social Security and Medicare. It noted, though, that Social Security and Medicare "are earned benefit programs that must be saved and strengthened."

"I suggested, instead of making threats about the debt ceiling, which would be catastrophic, let's just lay out our budgets," Biden said. "Here's the bottom line: I'm simply not going to let the nation default on its debt for the first time in history," he added. The White House is due to release its budget on March 9. Congress raised the debt ceiling three times during Republican Donald Trump's four years in the White House, but it has often imposed conditions on the increase. The White House has said Biden will discuss federal spending cuts with Republicans, but only after the debt ceiling is lifted, while McCarthy has said Republicans will only lift the ceiling if Biden agrees to spending cuts.

☆ Chris Christie says it was a 'big mistake' for the GOP to 'rise to the bait' and heckle Biden during the State of the Union address
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Christie called it a "big mistake" for the GOP to heckle Biden at the State of the Union. Christie said that by booing Biden, Republicans were falling for the president's "bait." A better response from the GOP, Christie said, would have been to laugh and move on. Chris Christie said it was a mistake for Republicans to heckle President Joe Biden during his State of the Union address. And they did, a number of them did, and it was a big mistake," Christie told ABC's George Stephanopoulos on Sunday.

☆ China needs stronger family-focussed policies to spur births, Chinese expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 12 (Reuters) - China should enhance incentives for people to build families and boost the birth rate as the country's now-falling population could threaten the world's second-biggest economy, a Chinese family planning expert said. Wang Pei'an, deputy director of the China Family Planning Association, said on Saturday more tax incentives should be created based on the family unit that could encourage births. Speaking at the third Chinese and Development Forum in Beijing, Wang cited a growing trend among younger generations to forestall having children. He called for more incentives around employment, medical care, social security and housing that could encourage people to build families. Reporting by Ethan Wang; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. posts $39 billion January deficit after pension fund bailout
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. federal outlays in January were $486 billion, up $140 billion, or 4%, from a year earlier due in part to Biden's $36 billion bailout of the Central States Pension Fund to prevent cuts to the pensions of over 350,000 Teamsters union workers and retirees that it serves. Social Security costs in January rose $12 billion or 12% compared to a year earlier, reaching $114 billion due to cost-of-living adjustments. Interest on the public debt rose $8 billion, or 18%, reaching $51 billion in January. Withheld individual income and payroll taxes in January rose $11 billion, or 4% from a year ago, reaching $279 billion. January non-withheld receipts fell $9 billion, or 6%, to $141 billion, reflecting lower capital gains being realized.

It also comes as Biden prepares to launch his re-election bid and as top aides and Democratic strategists debate how seriously he should campaign in Florida. Polls show Democrats are perceived as more likely to protect the Social Security and Medicare programs. Biden drew boos from Republicans in his State of the Union speech when he asserted some hardline conservatives want to end Social Security and Medicare. "So folks, as we all apparently agree, Social Security, Medicare is off the books now, right? Steve Schale, a Florida Democratic operative and Biden ally, who ran Obama's campaign in the state in 2008, said he understands the party's challenges in Florida.

☆ Biden's State of the Union may not help potential 2024 election bid against Trump, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

President Joe Biden's second State of the Union address played well with viewers, and may have helped him tee up a bid for reelection in 2024 — but it might not make a lasting impact on his hopes for a second term, experts said. And the latest poll showed that fewer respondents had a "very positive" reaction to this year's address when compared with a survey taken right after Biden's previous State of the Union speech. "He delivered his speech forcefully if not flawlessly, adding no new fuel to questions about his fitness to serve a second term," Galston said. His opponent from the 2020 election, former President Donald Trump, has technically been on the 2024 campaign trail for months, though he has done little in-person campaigning. Former President Barack Obama, under whom Biden served as vice president, had launched his own reelection bid in April 2011, less than three months after his second State of the Union address.

☆ White House: Biden put Republican lawmakers on defensive over entitlement programs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters traveling with Biden to Wisconsin that there was no doubt that House Republicans had called for cuts to both programs, despite their shouted denials on Tuesday. "Many House Republicans have called for deeply slashing Medicare, Social Security benefits," he said. "He called them out in front of million and millions of Americans who were watching ... He put them on the defensive again last night, and he's going to call them out." Reporting by Steve Holland, writing by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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