Student-Loan Debt Is Strangling Gen X

学生贷款债务正扼杀着X世代

The Journal.

2025-10-03

19 分钟
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Gen X is barreling toward retirement with an excruciating student-loan burden. The generation that came of age in the ’80s and ’90s is now also the generation with the most student debt per borrower. WSJ’s Oyin Adedoyin explains how federal policies around student debt left Gen X with such a big burden. And one Gen Xer talks about the impact student debt has had on his life. Jessica Mendoza hosts.  Further Listening:  - For Millions of Student-Loan Borrowers It's Time to Pay - Biden’s New Plan to Cancel Student Debt  Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  • Generation X. The generation that came of age in the era of hair metal.

  • And the rise of rap music.

  • They grew up on MTV.

  • Shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

  • And movies like Reality Bites.

  • What is your glitch, huh?

  • My glitch?

  • These days, Gen X is solidly middle-aged, and they're facing a pretty big financial glitch.

  • They're now the generation with the most student debt per borrower.

  • Yep, even more than millennials.

  • How much student debt do you have today?

  • I checked about a week ago.

  • I had about 306,000 in student debt.

  • That's Rick Bettenker.

  • He's 55 years old, solidly Gen X. That generation of people is now between the ages of 45 and 60.

  • I live in New Jersey, and I'm currently chiropractor.

  • Been doing that for about 26 years now.

  • Rick is one of more than 6 million Gen Xers still carrying student debt.

  • And as they approach retirement, that debt can be suffocating.

  • Do you have any hope that you'll be able to pay it off?