While headlines focus on inflation, market instability, and job growth, another crisis has been quietly unfolding: student loan debt. As of April 2025, roughly 5.8 million federal student loan borrowers were 90 days or more behind on their payments. That’s nearly one-third of all borrowers who currently have a payment due. This delinquency rate is almost three times higher than it was before the pandemic and represents a silent yet deeply personal financial emergency affecting millions of households.
While experts debate interest rate hikes and economic policy, the reality is far more personal and immediate. For millions of Americans, it’s not just about broad economic indicators. It’s about getting through the month without falling further into a financial hole. Debt has become a heavy, invisible weight, dragging down families who are otherwise trying to stay afloat, build a life, support a family, or plan for the future. In the first few months of 2025 alone, over 2.2 million people saw their credit scores drop by 100 points or more. Another million saw drops of 150 points or more. Credit impacts are comparable to bankruptcy. Just one single delinquent student loan can slash 87 to 171 points off a borrower’s score, putting credit cards, mortgages, and even employment at risk.
In this landscape, where the financial lives of millions are in a state of suspended animation, where household budgets are increasingly strained, the fintech world has been surprisingly quiet. For a sector that thrives on disrupting traditional finance and identifying unmet needs, the lack of innovative, accessible solutions for debt relief has been a glaring blind spot. Instead, tech startups have flocked to sexier domains like crypto wallets, stock trading platforms, and AI-powered savings tools. But the fundamental problem of financial distress, especially the kind caused by mounting, unmanaged debt, has remained unaddressed. Relief is looking to change that. A company that is finally bringing a modern, intuitive solution to an age-old problem. Relief is a first-of-its-kind mobile app that helps users reduce, manage, and take action on their debt, from student loans to credit cards all in one place.
Since its public launch, over 150,000 people who have used Relief have enrolled over $8 billion in unsecured debt on the platform including credit cards, personal loans, and student loans. It cuts through the complexity and bureaucracy that has long been a barrier for borrowers. It started with overdue credit card balances and has since expanded to include full student loan support: syncing loans, comparing repayment and forgiveness options, and helping users complete their applications, all from their phone.
With just a few taps, borrowers can link their student loan accounts, discover which repayment or forgiveness programs they qualify for, and even reduce their monthly payments in a matter of minutes. In a world where debt repayment often requires deciphering fine print and sitting through hours of call center hold music, Relief offers a dramatically simpler, more human-centered approach. But Relief doesn’t stop at student loans. The app also tackles another looming crisis: credit card and personal loan debt. Credit card balances are at historic highs, and the number of delinquencies has reached record levels. Relief understands that most people don’t just have a single source of debt, they’re often juggling multiple overdue accounts, each with its own terms, interest rates, and emotional toll.
“That’s why the app was designed to let users handle everything privately, no awkward calls or negotiations. When someone can see all their debts in one place, choose a realistic path forward, and start making progress, the psychological lift is real. Users report better sleep, less anxiety about opening the mail, and a renewed sense of self-worth that spills into work, relationships, and long-term planning. The app guides people step by step, celebrates progress, and removes the high-pressure interactions that often make people shut down. In short, Relief exists because financial recovery is not just about dollars.” added Samantha Intagliata, Head of Marketing at Relief.
The app takes a holistic approach, giving users a comprehensive view of their entire debt portfolio. By syncing with accounts from across the financial spectrum, Relief can identify areas where users may be eligible for debt reduction, interest rate adjustments, or lower monthly payments. This allows users to take control of their situation and move from overwhelm to action. Users are already seeing significant results. On average, users are able to reduce their student loan payments by nearly $200 per month. That’s not just a number, it’s money that can go toward rent, groceries, or building a safety net. For many, it means avoiding default and staying out of collections.
Relief also offers a balance reduction feature. This tool allows users to submit requests to creditors to reduce what they owe. The results have been impressive: users are saving an average of 50% on their balances, with some reductions reaching as high as 70%. What Relief does so well is bring transparency and possibility into a space that has historically been riddled with confusion and avoidance. By using technology to simplify and automate the process, Relief turns something that feels impossible to overcome into something manageable.Fintech has made great strides in enabling people to spend, save, and invest more conveniently. But when it comes to helping those in the deepest financial distress, it has lagged behind. The student loan crisis is not a niche issue; it’s a mainstream threat to economic mobility and stability. And that’s where Relief is positioning itself, not just as another financial app, but as a tool for social and economic recovery.
CEO Jason Saltzman’s mission is not just in helping individuals but in stabilizing the financial health of an entire generation where people no longer feel helpless in the face of debt but instead have the tools and guidance to take control. “The goal,” he says, “is to put the power back in the hands of people who are struggling with debt.”
By addressing the debt problem head-on, Relief is setting a new standard for what fintech can do by reshaping the financial future for those who need help the most. As the debt crisis only continues to deepen, Relief is leading the way for the change the market needs.