Your Money: Protecting 529 accounts in divorce, student loans and more
More than seven million student loan borrowers will need to figure out a new plan.
Your Money
June 1, 2026

Millions of student loan borrowers will soon face major changes to the way they repay their federal debts.

The Biden-era plan known as SAVE, the most affordable income-driven repayment plan to date, will soon be dismantled; that means more than seven million enrollees will need to figure out their next best option. The timing isn’t ideal; borrowers will need to find a new plan with a manageable payment at a time when higher prices, from gas to food, are already crimping their monthly spending.

The changes are anything but simple, so I decided to write a guide that lays out what is happening and how the options are changing.

If you or someone you know is enrolled in SAVE (or one of the other repayment plans that are slated to close, which we explain in the guide), we’d like to hear from you once you review your options. How was the process? Which plan did you choose and why? You can write to us at yourmoney_newsletter@nytimes.com or drop a comment in the box at the end of my guide.

Below, you’ll find a roundup of the latest money-related stories from across The New York Times. Have a great week.

A portrait of Sandy Smith, smiling while sitting at a polished wooden table.

Your Friend Group Has a Financial Culture. You May Not Have Chosen It.

Our spending habits are often influenced by our social circles. You can help shape what it looks like.

By Paulette Perhach

A rocket lifts off, with clouds of smoke.

Strategies

Sky-High I.P.O. Pricing Isn’t Great for Real People

When newly public companies have been valued as richly as SpaceX, OpenAI and Anthropic seem likely to be, the outlook for ordinary investors has been poor.

By Jeff Sommer

David Dickerson wearing a yellow safety vest checking fluid levels under the hood of his blue hauling truck.

These Drivers Found Cheap Gas

It’s in Valley Center, Calif., on tribal land. Customers relish every penny saved.

By Corina Knoll

A.I. Doesn’t Have to Mean Layoffs

A French multinational, Schneider Electric, decided to use artificial intelligence in manufacturing to make workers more productive, rather than to replace them. Here’s how that’s going.

By Patricia Cohen and Alexis Pazoumian

Is A.I. Replacing Tech Workers or Providing an Excuse for Job Cuts?

Tech industry layoffs are accelerating, and executives have been quick to say it’s because their companies are doing more with artificial intelligence, even when there may be more to it.

By Kalley Huang

A University System Went All In on A.I. Now It’s Tearing Itself Apart.

California’s public universities spent $16.9 million on A.I. during a financial crisis, and the result has been chaos.

By Linda Kinstler

A microscope image of human chromosomes, colored light blue, in a scatter.

What Happens When Your Employer Knows the Diseases You Might Get?

As predictive medicine advances, legal scholars warn that decades-old federal guidelines could set up a potential clash between your genes and your job.

By Emily Baumgaertner Nunn

An illustration of hands holding three slightly warped TVs with cartoonish faces against a purple backdrop.

Streaming Services Tie Up to Keep You Hooked

Companies and their customers are embracing bundled streaming packages — but for different reasons.

By John Koblin

TRAVEL

In an illustration, three passengers sit in a row of airplane seats. The person in the middle is wearing headphones, an eye mask and is carrying a medical bag with them. On the left side of the illustration a man is looking at his laptop; on the right side, a woman looks out the window.

Travel 101

How to Travel if You Have Panic Attacks

You don’t have to let severe anxiety keep you from exploring the world. Here’s how to manage your panic on vacation.

By Ashley Lauretta

A large dark ship with gold letters reading "EXPLORA I" is docked. A person walks on the pier in front of a distant city skyline.

Is a Cruise the Place to Find Wellness? Testing Crystals and Gongs at Sea.

Our writer kept an open mind as she signed up for sound baths, face yoga and meditation sessions on a wellness retreat aboard a luxury Mediterranean cruise. But was it all a bit too woo-woo?

By Ceylan Yeğinsu and Camille McOuat

Corner Office

What Is Airbnb For, Exactly?

The home-sharing app recently added car rentals, groceries and — perhaps most surprisingly — hotels. Brian Chesky, the co-founder and chief executive, is always thinking about how to redesign it.

By Jordyn Holman

A stadium building with "FIFA WORLD CUP 2026" on a blue banner. Colorful fences with abstract blue, red, green, and purple designs are in the foreground.

Uber to Offer Shuttles for Fans Leaving World Cup Matches

Soccer lovers frustrated by public transportation will have another option to return to Boston, Dallas, Miami and New York from hard-to-reach stadiums.

By Christine Chung

Ed Bastian stands for a photograph. He is wearing a suit and tie and has his hands in his pockets. There are rows of blue lights on either side of him.

How Delta Steered Around Airline Industry Chaos

The carrier has become the country’s most profitable by catering to affluent travelers, but it is facing stiffer competition from United.

By Niraj Chokshi

An air taxi rises from the tarmac with the Manhattan skyline visible in the distance under a blue sky.

An Air Taxi Lands in Manhattan, but You Can’t Fly in It Yet

Aviation start-ups and the Trump administration want to replace helicopters with electric aircraft, but the new vehicles still have to pass arduous tests before the public can use them.

By Niraj Chokshi

An illustration shows three people in an airplane cabin. Two of them are sitting upright. One, a man, is reading a blue book, and the other, a woman, is holding up a glass of wine. The third person is horizontal in a lie-flat seat and is looking directly at the viewer with a frustrated expression. He is wearing a brown shirt, white pants and white-and-brown-striped socks.

Tripped Up

Help! My $7,300 Business Class Seat Was Broken, and I Got a Pittance.

A woman splurged for a lie-flat seat, but it got jammed in the horizontal position for most of the 14-hour flight. How much should United compensate her?

By Seth Kugel

NEW YORK

Julie Menin, in a white jacket, stands at a lectern with a microphone. The City Council seal and various flags are behind her.

N.Y.C. Children May Get Up to $3,000 From City for College Accounts

The city’s current savings plan starts with $100. A City Council proposal would make the initial contributions among the highest anywhere.

By Matthew Haag

A close-up of a man wearing a baseball cap and a blue jacket.