SoFi Blog

While the historically large field of 2020 Democratic candidates continues to narrow, one recent addition to the race is only just now releasing some of his key plans and ideas.

On February 18, former New York City mayor and current presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg released the student loan proposal he would potentially enact as president. The Bloomberg student loan plan is similar to that of other Democrats still in the race.

These plans, including Bloomberg’s, generally focus on low- and middle-income families when it comes to student loan aid. More progressive candidates like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders want to outright cancel most, if not all, current student loan debt.

Bloomberg’s higher education plan is focused on tuition-free community college and expanding federal subsidies and grants to low-income students.

Let’s dive into the details.

Government analysts, charity supervisors, Peace Corps workers—most likely, these people genuinely care about serving others. But there may be another contributing factor to their career choices: the prospect of having their federal student loans forgiven.

Public service workers with federal student loans may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. As a reward for serving their communities, eligible borrowers may have the remainder of their federal student loans forgiven after they make qualifying payments for 10 years.

President Trump recently introduced his budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2021 , which runs from October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021. He is recommending numerous changes to the ways the federal government currently spends money, and one of those changes is cutting programs from federal agencies.

Trump’s suggestion to completely eliminate the Public Student Loan Forgiveness program is one of the most controversial parts of his budget proposal.

In our efforts to bring you the latest updates on things that might impact your financial life, we may occasionally enter the political fray, covering candidates, bills, laws and more. Please note: SoFi does not endorse or take official positions on any candidates and the bills they may be sponsoring or proposing. We may occasionally support legislation that we believe would be beneficial to our members, and will make sure to call it out when we do. Our reporting otherwise is for informational purposes only, and shouldn’t be construed as an endorsement.

The ninth Democratic party primary debate took place in Las Vegas Wednesday night, giving six candidates the chance to speak before the Nevada Democratic caucus on Saturday, February 22nd.

Primary elections had already occurred in Iowa and New Hampshire. The Associated Press was unable to declare an official winner in Iowa, but Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg split the delegates, with Sanders taking the popular vote. Sanders won the New Hampshire primary election, making him the frontrunner before Wednesday’s debate.

There are plenty of cute Valentine’s Day ideas to be found, but what about cheap Valentine’s gifts that won’t break the bank? A last-minute frenzy of wandering through the red, pink, and purple aisles at the grocery store could cost you, and honestly, probably won’t impress your sweetie much.

Turns out, those ages 25 to 34 are the biggest spenders during the heart holiday with a spending average of $202.76, but could they have done it for less?

Our list of eight cheap Valentine’s gift ideas will have your sweetheart swooning over your thoughtfulness, and you’ll be ready to brag about how much you didn’t spend! Well, maybe you’d like to keep that to yourself, too. We won’t judge.

Sometimes, managing finances can feel like a game—one whose rules aren’t always easy to figure out.

It can be doubly disturbing when those rules change unexpectedly. And according to a recent announcement by the Fair Isaac Corporation, the consumer reporting agency responsible for calculating FICO® scores, that’s exactly what’s about to happen.

Many consumers are familiar with their FICO Score, the three-digit credit rating used by many lenders to gauge a borrower’s creditworthiness. Even if they can’t name the exact number, most credit users likely know it exists.

But it’s less common to have a total understanding of how, exactly, that score is arrived at—and that’s before throwing in a formula change.

For most consumers, however, this FICO announcement is apt to be a total non-issue. And even for those whose scores are affected, there are tons of smart financial moves that can help mitigate the changes and potentially help raise overall creditworthiness.

Here are the deets about the 2020 FICO® Score changes.