Starting 2026, defaulted student loan borrowers in the US could face wage garnishment, marking a major shift in government collection efforts. This policy change reflects tightening financial conditions across the American economy and could impact consumer spending patterns significantly.

For investors tracking macro trends, this signals intensifying debt collection cycles and potential pressure on disposable income. Such developments often correlate with shifts in credit markets and broader economic sentiment, factors that don't exist in isolation—they ripple through asset allocation decisions globally, including the digital asset space where macroeconomic stress can drive capital flows and volatility.