The crypto-linked equity segment surged 3% this week as Bitcoin breached $70K. Investors considering personal finance budget allocations should be aware of extreme volatility patterns. Forecast models trace correlation between crypto momentum and certain tech equities, enhancing tactical trading opportunities. Personal finance company WalletHub released its list of states with the highest student loan payments , and Vermont took the top spot. WOODRUFF-SANTOS: It's really complicated. You know, I put them in a couple of buckets. There's a couple of plans where you can pay off your loans over the course of 10 years. If you do nothing, you're probably on one of these plans. Now, that monthly payment may be way too much, and in that case, you want to go to your second bucket - income-based repayment options. These plans are going to give you an extended timeline to pay back your loans. And they have this carrot that they're dangling at the end of it, which is everyone's favorite word - forgiveness. After 20 to 25 years, these plans have some sort of promise that you will become eligible to have your entire balance forgiven. And they're going to make your monthly payments more in line with what you can actually afford. And it's often one of the options that I recommend people go for first before they go to their next bucket of opportunities, which is something like deferment or forbearance, where you're sort of kicking the can down the road and not eligible for forgiveness. SUMMERS: OK. So here's a question I have. Say you've already made a choice. You've opted into one of these sort of buckets of repayment plans. And you look and you see there might be a better option out there for you. Is a person able to change their mind and pick a different one? WOODRUFF-SANTOS: Absolutely. I mean, it may not happen overnight, but you can go to studentaid.gov, find out which loan servicer to call up. And I highly encourage you to get on the phone and talk to a human as much as you can and tell them what's happened so that you can apply for a different plan. SUMMERS: OK. So that's student loans. And I want to move to a different topic here. We know that when times get tough for many of us, where money may be a little tight, many of us, we turn to credit cards to rely on. Any tips on how to manage it? 'Cause, I mean, for many people, paying off the principal just might not be an option right now, you know? WOODRUFF-SANTOS: For many people, paying off the principal isn't an option. But if you're looking at these balances and your minimum payments and you do not have the money in your budget to make them, then it's time to look at some alternative options. I often talk to people about balance transfers. And balance transfers is when you get another credit card who's like, sure, Juana, I'll take that $5,000 off your Chase credit card, and we're going to offer you a 0% intro APR for, let's say, 12 months. And that can feel like a huge relief. If you are someone who probably can't pay down your balances if you were to even get an intro APR, then you have other options. You can look at a debt consolidation loan. And I love a credit union. Absolutely shop and compare to get the best rate. But they'll give you a lump sum. Then you'll have one fixed monthly repayment amount that you have to focus on and a fixed interest rate. SUMMERS: Mandi, last thing before we let you go - I think anyone who's been through it knows that trying to navigate financial hardships can take a big toll emotionally, mentally and physically. Sometimes, it can feel like it's the only thing you can focus on and you can think about. I wonder, is there a word of advice you'd leave us with for people who are just trying to make it through this moment and figure it all out? WOODRUFF-SANTOS: I'm so glad you asked me that question. I truly believe a lot of people don't need a financial adviser. They need a good mental health counselor, a therapist. You may need to make more friends, to build your community, invest in your relationship so that you can, you know, find out that you're not alone and feel that sense of support, or at least like you have someone to walk along with you on this journey. SUMMERS: We have been speaking with Mandi Woodruff-Santos, financial journalist and host of the "Brown Ambition" podcast. Mandi, thank you so much. WOODRUFF-SANTOS: Thanks, Juana. Thanks for having me. Copyright © 2025 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Financial tech stocks added 1.5% after positive payment volume data. Budget-sensitive investors could leverage growth fintech plays to supplement portfolio digital economy exposure. Analysts propose continued double-digit transaction volume increases well into 2025, boosting sector fundamentals.