Update 9/22/26: Available again. This time spend $30+ and get $10 back. Valid until 10/31/2026
Direct link to offer
Stack with the SimplyMiles offers for Uber and UberEats. No Uber One offer this time.
Hat tip to BalthazarOfNavarre
At 10 a.m. Eastern Time today, the price of oil sits at $102.03 per barrel, using Brent as the benchmark (we’ll explain what that means shortly). That’s an increase of $2.76 since yesterday morning and roughly $34 more than at this time last year.
| oil price per barrel | % Change | |
| Price of oil yesterday | $99.27 | +2.78% |
| Price of oil 1 month ago | $95.16 | +7.21% |
| Price of oil 1 year ago | $67.85 | +50.37% |
Nobody can predict the future path of oil prices with certainty. A range of factors influence how oil trades, yet supply and demand remain the main drivers. When fears of economic slowdown, conflict, or similar shocks rise, oil prices can move sharply.
The price you see at the gas pump reflects more than just crude oil. Also built in are the costs of refining, distribution through wholesalers, various taxes, and the margin your neighborhood station charges.
Crude oil is still the largest single driver of the final pump price, typically representing over half of each gallon’s cost. Spikes in oil prices tend to push gas prices higher in short order. But when oil prices decline, gas prices often ease down gradually, a behavior known as “rockets and feathers.”
In the event of an emergency, the U.S. maintains a stockpile of crude oil known as the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Its main goal is to safeguard energy security when disasters strike—think sanctions, severe storm damage, or war. It can also do a lot to ease the pain of sudden price jumps when supply gets disrupted.
It’s not a permanent fix, as it’s more meant to provide immediate support for consumers and ensure critical parts of the economy like key industries, emergency services, public transportation, and so on can keep operating.
Both oil and natural gas play key roles as major sources of energy. A big change in oil prices can affect natural gas by proxy. If oil prices increase, some industries may swap natural gas for some segments of their operations where possible, increasing the demand for natural gas.
Oil prices are often measured by two key benchmarks:
Between the two, Brent is a better representation of global oil performance because it prices much of the world’s traded crude. It’s also often the best way to review historical oil trends. In fact, the U.S. Energy Information Administration now leans on Brent as its primary reference in its Annual Energy Outlook.
When you look at the Brent benchmark across multiple decades, you’ll see that oil has been anything but consistent. It has experienced spikes driven by wars and supply cuts, as well as crashes linked to global recessions and an oversupply (called a “glut”). For example:
In short, oil’s historical performance has been far from steady. It’s massively affected by wars, recessions, OPEC whims, evolving energy initiatives and policies, and much more.
Looking to stay up-to-date regarding the latest energy developments? Check out our recent coverage:
The current price of oil per barrel depends largely on supply and demand, including news about potential future supply and demand (geopolitics, decisions made by OPEC+, etc.). In the U.S., prices also move based on how friendly an administration is to drilling, as it can affect future supply. For example, 2025 saw the Trump administration move to reopen more than 1.5 million acres in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas leasing, reversing the Biden administration’s policy of limiting oil drilling in the Arctic.
The price of oil updates constantly when the “futures” markets are open. A futures market is effectively an auction where people agree to buy or sell oil in the future. As long as people and companies are trading contracts, the oil price is changing.
In short, shale is rock that contains oil and natural gas. Think of shale as energy yet to be tapped. The more shale the U.S. accesses, the more energy we’ll have—and the more easily oil prices can keep from spiking as much thanks to a greater supply.
When oil is expensive, it tends to make everyday items cost more. This can be related to energy (your heating, gas utilities, etc.), but it’s also due to the logistics involved with making those items accessible to you. Shipping, for example, can affect the price of things at the grocery store, as it’s more expensive to get those products from warehouses and farms onto the shelf.
When billionaire Mat Ishbia’s mortgage company was facing significant losses on soured hedges earlier this year, he called old friends at Oaktree for help.
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Oaktree Capital Management had helped out United Wholesale Mortgage after an unsuccessful hedge in 2020 before it went public, according to people familiar with the deal, the details of which haven’t been previously reported.
Six years later, Ishbia was back. But Oaktree, long synonymous with distressed-debt investing, didn’t offer a loan. Instead, it bought $1.5 billion of preferred shares in the mortgage lender, giving it an equity interest along with generous dividend payments and a slew of protections.
READ MORE:
For Howard Marks’ Los Angeles-based firm, the investment is both a classic contrarian bet on the struggling US housing market and a textbook execution of a debt-like strategy that’s becoming more common among private lenders, even those that have long eschewed the risks attached to equities.
Representatives for UWM and Oaktree declined to comment.
At $1.5 billion, the investment in UWM is an unusually large sum for a single lender, adding to the recent fervor. Apollo Global Management Inc., Sixth Street and Bain Capital, among others, have ramped up preferred-equity deals with companies in need of cash in recent years.
Structured equity trades are custom and the terms are often private, but packages can include preferred stock, lender protections and contractual dividends. There’s also an expectation that it isn’t forever capital: Investors typically add penalties or increase the rate of return as time goes on.
For distressed debt investors and private credit firms, preferred and structured equity deals increase the potential risks and rewards. They can capture equity-like returns pushing into the mid-teens, but if a company fails, investors get in line behind other creditors.
The opportunity is growing. Elevated interest rates and years of sluggish dealmaking have saddled private equity managers with assets they can’t or won’t sell, making it tougher to return cash to investors. A structured-equity investment can create liquidity without forcing a sale or adding debt to the balance sheet.
For Oaktree, such deals also indicate the firm’s growing openness to a risk typically associated with equities. About two decades ago, the firm established its first fund dedicated to mezzanine debt, a type of subordinated financing that typically carries a high coupon and can include warrants or other equity participation.
READ MORE:
The hybrid nature of the investment presented a choice, Marks wrote in a
“We could put our primary emphasis on protecting principal and treat the equity aspect as an attractive possible fillip, or we could be more venturesome and pursue situations where the equity is expected to pay off dramatically,” he said in the memo.
The firm chose the former. Marks lauded the group’s 9.3% average internal rate of return, calling its approach “pure Oaktree.”
While that rationale still broadly guides the firm, Oaktree has grown more creative, expanding its strategies as borrowers seek new ways to drum up liquidity and lenders ramp up their use of financial engineering.
In 2018, the firm put together a structured equity deal with Montrose Environmental Group, an environmental testing company that had exhausted its debt capacity and was shopping for private equity investments.
Instead, Oaktree suggested a preferred-equity deal with a mid-teens return that allowed Montrose’s owners to maintain their stake ahead of a planned IPO. The investment began at just under $200 million and grew to nearly $400 million before the firm went public in 2020.
Oaktree’s first deal with UWM in 2020 was a $300 million debt deal with a 15.5% coupon, guaranteed by the mortgage lender and secured by the parent’s stake in the firm, according to the people, who didn’t want to be named discussing confidential information. It was repaid roughly four months later for what appears to be 1.5 times Oaktree’s initial investment, the people said.
Broadly, preferred-equity strategies are “a creative way to stay on top of certain players in the capital stack while still staying entrepreneurial,” Zachary Darrow, Chief Executive Officer of law firm DarrowEverett LLP, said in an interview. “You get the ability to reap the benefits that traditional debt and or credit solutions might not provide.”
In 2022, Oaktree took a majority stake in 17Capital, a London-based firm specializing in preferred equity and net-asset-value lending — another rapidly growing strategy that offers an alternative source of capital for investors.
Oaktree’s two-part rescue of troubled Los Angeles-based brokerage B. Riley illustrates the flexibility — and potential profits — in these kinds of deals. In 2024, Oaktree bought a majority stake in B. Riley’s Great American unit, valuing the firm at $386 million. The cash infusion let the brokerage hold on to part of what it saw as a promising business but gave Oaktree a significant amount of control.
A few months later, the firm provided a $160 million
Oaktree also got warrants to buy more than 1.8 million common shares. Based on their current value, Oaktree’s profits are over $3.4 million, in addition to coupon payments on the loans, filings show.
Oaktree is eager to do more with companies set to go public in the near term, one of the people said, capitalizing on a cohort of founders who might need capital but are loath to shrink their own stakes.
It’s too soon to say how Ishbia’s UWM will contribute. Oaktree’s $1.5 billion investment confers 1.5 million shares of preferred stock designed to throw off at least $150 million in annual dividends, plus warrants with exercise prices ranging from $2 to $6 per share. Ishbia, who’s the majority owner of the National Basketball Association’s Phoenix Suns, invested $150 million alongside Oaktree.
If Oaktree still holds 25% of its investment in seven years, it can take control of a majority of board seats and seek strategic alternatives. Meanwhile, if the stock price rises, Oaktree can execute its warrants and take profits that way.
Beyond UWM’s failed hedge, there are plenty of good companies now struggling under the burden of debt taken on when interest rates were low, said Matt Wilson, a manager in Oaktree’s special situations group, on one of the
“The businesses are fine, maybe capital-constrained because they don’t have liquidity, because that’s going to pay down debt or going to pay off interest expense,” Wilson said. “Those are the kind of businesses we think are very unique.”
Hitting the million-dollar mark has long been a sign of financial achievement, even though today’s $1 million doesn’t stretch as far as it did in the past.
Reaching the mark only by saving is a tough ask; it would take 25 years if you save $40,000 annually and 40 years if you save $25,000 annually. However, if you invest your money, you can reach the seven-figure mark with much less personal contribution.
Based on its historical performance, the Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF (VUG +0.11%) could get you there with as little as $750 invested monthly. Let’s take a look at how.
Image source: Getty Images.
VUG has routinely outperformed the market, doing so in 13 of the past 20 years. Below are its average annual returns over different numbers of years:
| 3-Year Annual Average Returns | 5-Year Annual Average Returns | 10-Year Annual Average Returns | Annual Average Returns Since Inception |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25.1% | 12.9% | 17.3% | 11.2% |
Data source: YCharts. Inception date is Jan. 26, 2004.
For the sake of illustration, we’ll assume VUG continues to average 11% annual returns long-term. With those returns, you could reach the million-dollar mark in 25 years by investing $750 monthly.
If you have more time on your side, you could hit the mark in 30 years by investing $425 monthly; if you can invest more money, you can hit the mark in 23 years by investing $1,000 monthly.
Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF
Today’s Change
(0.11%) $0.10
Current Price
$91.12
AUM
$385B
Dividend Yield
1.73%
Expense Ratio
0.03%
Top Holdings
NVDA
13.63%
AAPL
12.49%
MSFT
10.13%
VUG focuses on large-cap growth stocks, which are companies expected to grow revenue and earnings faster than the overall market and most industry peers. It holds 147 stocks, 69.8% of which are tech stocks. The next two most represented sectors are consumer discretionary (13.7%) and industrials (7.3%).
Nine of VUG’s top 10 holdings are large tech companies, so as they go, so does VUG. This has worked in VUG’s favor amid the current AI boom, which has driven big-tech valuations to historic highs.
The concentration in these stocks can also cause VUG to underperform or pull back if they hit a slump (like during the 2022 bear market), but their long-term trajectory is as strong as you’ll find on the market. Current AI hype aside, the companies leading the way for VUG control much of the digital infrastructure that we use and rely on daily.
Nothing is guaranteed in the stock market, but I expect VUG to keep producing returns strong enough to help a consistent investor reach the million-dollar threshold over time. The key is consistency and patience.
Most people don’t have a money problem—they have a priority problem.
🍻 ₹500 for a drink? No problem.
📱 ₹5,000/month for a new phone? Sounds like a deal.
📚 ₹500 for a book? “Too expensive.”
💪 ₹2,500 for the gym? “Maybe later.”
📈 ₹1,000 to start investing? “I’ll do it someday.”
The way you spend your money reflects what you truly value.
So, what do you value most?👇
💾 Save this reel if it made you think.
📤 Share it with someone who needs this reminder.
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Student loan rates have are getting even more competitive as peak back to school season ends. As of September 22, 2026, private student loan lenders are offering fixed rates as low as 1.94% APR and variable rates starting as low as 3.03% APR, depending on credit profile, degree program, and repayment term.
Ascent Student Loans currently offers the lowest fixed rate loan available. Student Choice is currently offering the lowest variable rate student loan available.
While federal student loan rates are set annually by Congress, private lenders continue to adjust based on market conditions and Treasury yields. Staying current on these changes can save borrowers hundreds (or even thousands) over the life of a loan.
Here are the best private student loan rates today:
|
Lender |
Fixed APR |
Variable APR |
Cosigner Required? |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Abe® Student Loans |
2.08% – 16.58% |
3.50% – 16.18% |
No |
|
Ascent Student Loans |
1.94% – 17.50% |
3.64% – 16.60% |
No |
|
College Ave |
2.19% – 17.99% |
3.89% – 17.99% |
Yes |
|
Sallie Mae |
2.08% – 17.49% |
3.75% – 16.95% |
No |
|
Student Choice |
2.99% – 14.74% |
3.03% – 15.00% |
Optional |
1. Abe® Student Loans – Abe offers private student loans to a undergraduate, graduate, and post-bachelor graduate certificate students, with flexible repayment options and no origination, late payment, or forbearance fees. Rates start as low as 2.08% APR. Read our full Abe Student Loans review.
2. Ascent Student Loans – Ascent offers private student loans with some of the lowest rates, currently starting at 1.94% APR. They even offer no-cosigner options for undergraduates. Read our full Ascent Student Loans review.
3. College Ave – College Ave Student Loans offers some of the lowest fixed rates on student loans on the market today. They are one of the largest private student loan lenders, and have highly competitive rates on their loans. Rates start as low as 2.19% APR. Read our full College Ave Student Loans review.
4. Sallie Mae – Sallie Mae is probably one of the most well-known lenders on this list. They are the nation’s largest private student loan lender by loan volume. As a result, they also offer some of the most competitive private student loans and parent loans out there. Rates start as low as 2.08% APR. Read our full Sallie Mae review.
5. Student Choice – Student Choice is a service that works with a huge network of credit unions nationwide to match you with low cost student loans offered by credit unions. They currently have some of the lowest variable rate student loans on the market. Rates start as low as 2.99% APR for fixed rates and 3.03% APR for variable rate loans. Read our full Student Choice Student Loans review.
Federal Loans: Remember, the federal student loan interest rates are fixed. They won’t change again until the next academic year.
You can find a full list of the best private student loans here >>
There’s a lot of uncertainty that borrowers don’t like with variable rates, which can make sense, but in a declining rate environment, it also opens the potential for future savings. Here’s what to know:
Most private lenders allow you to check rates without affecting your credit score. Always compare both options before signing.
Before taking out a private student loan, make sure you understand exactly what you’re signing up for.
For most families, borrowing federal student loans first makes the most sense. However, for parents looking at parent PLUS vs. private loans, private loans can make more sense.
At The College Investor, our editorial team reviews student loan rates daily from more than a dozen major lenders. We verify data using official lender disclosures, regulatory filings, and real-time rate sheets.
We only include lenders offering loans to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. All rates are updated regularly and represent the lowest available APRs with autopay discounts applied.
Our coverage is independent and not influenced by compensation. While we may earn a referral fee when you open a loan through certain links, this never affects our editorial recommendations. Our goal is simple: to help you find the most affordable path to borrow responsibly.
How often do private student loan rates change?
Lenders can adjust daily based on bond market movements and Federal Reserve actions, as well as their own competitive goals.
Are private student loans fixed or variable?
You can choose either. Fixed rates offer stability, while variable rates change with the market.
Do private student loans qualify for forgiveness?
No. Only federal student loans are eligible for forgiveness programs like PSLF or IBR.
Is a cosigner always required?
Not always, but most undergraduate borrowers will need one to qualify.
Can I refinance later if rates drop?
Yes. Refinancing can reduce your rate and monthly payment, though you’ll lose federal benefits if you refinance federal loans.
Abe Student Loans
Before applying for a private student loan, DR Bank and Monogram LLC recommend exhausting all financial aid alternatives including grants, scholarships, and federal student loans.
The Abe® student loan is made by DR Bank, Member FDIC (“Lender”). All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to Lender’s underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions and other terms and conditions apply. LENDER AND MONOGRAM LLC EACH RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. TERMS, CONDITIONS AND RATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE.
* In order to estimate your available rates and loan options, with your authorization, DR Bank will initiate a soft credit inquiry. Soft credit inquiries do not affect your credit. Any rates and loan options offered to you are estimates only.
1Interest rates and APRs (Annual Percentage Rates): Interest rates and APRs (Annual Percentage Rates) depend upon (1) the student’s and cosigner’s (if applicable) credit histories, (2) the rate type selected, (3) the repayment option and repayment term selected, (4) the expected number of years in deferment, (5) type of degree program, and (6) the requested loan amount. Rates and terms are effective as of 09/01/2026. The variable interest rate for each calendar month is calculated by adding the 30-Day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) index plus a fixed margin assigned to each loan. The current SOFR index, published on the website of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, is 3.750% as of 09/01/2026. The applicable index or margin for variable rate loans may change over time and result in a different APR than shown. The fixed rate assigned to a loan will never change except as required by law or if you request and qualify for an interest rate discount, or receive In-School Default Protection (see footnote 3). APRs displayed as a range: APRs assume a $10,000 loan with one disbursement. The undergraduate and graduate low fixed and variable rate APRs assume a 5-year term and the Immediate Repayment option with payments beginning 30-60 days after the disbursement via auto pay (see footnote 2 for auto pay details). The undergraduate high fixed and variable rate APRs assume a 20-year term; the graduate high fixed rate APR assumes a 20year term and the graduate high variable rate APR assumes a 5year term. The undergraduate and graduate fixed rate and graduate variable rate high APRs assume the Interest Only Repayment option, a thirty-seven-month deferment period, and a six-month grace period before entering repayment. Undergraduate variable rate high APR assumes the Immediate Repayment option with payments beginning 30-60 days after the disbursement.
2Autopay Discount: Earn a 0.25% interest rate reduction for making automatic payments from a bank account (“auto pay discount”) by completing the direct debit form accessible on the Servicer’s website. The auto pay discount is in addition to other discounts. The auto pay discount will be applied after the Servicer validates your bank account information. Automatic payments and the associated discount will be temporarily discontinued (1) if you elect to stop automatic deduction of payments and (2) during periods when you are not required to make payments. The discount will be permanently discontinued in the event three automatic deductions are returned by the financial institution for any reason.
3 In-school Default Protection: Interest Only or Flat Payment Repayment loans that reach at least 90 days delinquent during an in-school deferment period will automatically transition to the Full Deferment Repayment option. Under these circumstances, the interest rate on an original Interest Only loan will increase by one percentage point (1.00%) and the interest rate on an original Flat Payment Repayment loan will increase by one quarter of one percentage point (0.25%). Credit reporting prior to the transition of a loan to the Full Deferment Repayment option will remain on your record. Any unpaid accrued interest at the end of an in-school deferment period may be capitalized in accordance with the Credit Agreement.
4 Loan Amounts: The minimum loan amount is $1,000, except for (a) student applicants who are permanent residents of Iowa in which case the minimum loan amount is $1,001, and (b) student applicants or cosigners who are permanent residents of Massachusetts in which case the minimum loan amount is $6,001. The maximum loan amount to cover in-school expenses for each academic year is determined by the school’s cost of attendance, minus other financial aid, as certified by the school. The requested loan amount cannot cause an individual applicant’s aggregate education loan debt (which includes federal and private student loans) to exceed $300,000 per student applicant applying for an undergraduate loan, $350,000 per student applicant applying for a graduate, graduate certificate, Healthcare Professionals, Law or MBA loan, or $500,000 per student applicant applying for a Medical or Dental loan. The requested loan amount cannot cause the aggregate education loan debt of a cosigner, applying jointly for an Abe loan, to exceed $999,999.99.
5 Loan Terms: The 15- and 20- year term and Flat Payment Repayment option (paying $25 per month during in-school deferment) are only available for loan amounts of $5,000 or more. Making interest only or flat interest payments during deferment will not reduce the principal balance of the loan. Payment examples all assume a 20-month deferment period, a six-month grace period before entering repayment, no auto pay discount, a fixed interest rate, and the Flat Payment Repayment option. Abe Undergraduate Loans: 5-year term: $10,000 loan, one disbursement, with a 5-year repayment term (60 months) and a 9.00% APR would result in a monthly principal and interest payment of $237.24. 7-year term: $10,000 loan, one disbursement, with a 7-year repayment term (84 months) and a 9.15% APR would result in a monthly principal and interest payment of $185.38. 10-year term: $10,000 loan, one disbursement, with a 10-year repayment term (120 months) and a 9.27% APR would result in a monthly principal and interest payment of $147.30. 15-year term: $10,000 loan, one disbursement, with, a 15-year repayment term (180 months) and a 9.41% APR would result in a monthly principal and interest payment of $119.80. 20-year term: $10,000 loan, one disbursement, with, a 20-year repayment term (240 months) and a 9.53% APR would result in a monthly principal and interest payment of $107.99. Abe Graduate Loans: 5-year term: $10,000 loan, one disbursement, with a 5-year repayment term (60 months) and a 9.46% APR would result in a monthly principal and interest payment of $242.30. 7-year term: $10,000 loan, one disbursement, with a 7-year repayment term (84 months) and a 9.62% APR would result in a monthly principal and interest payment of $190.10. 10-year term: $10,000 loan, one disbursement, with a 10-year repayment term (120 months) and a 9.74% APR would result in a monthly principal and interest payment of $151.87. 15-year term: $10,000 loan, one disbursement, with a 15-year repayment term (180 months) and a 9.89% APR would result in a monthly principal and interest payment of $124.45. 20-year term: $10,000 loan, one disbursement, with, a 20-year repayment term (240 months) and a 10.01% APR would result in a monthly principal and interest payment of $112.83.
6 The student borrower has meet certain credit and other criteria, and 12 consecutive monthly principal and interest payments or lump sum payments equal to 12 monthly principal and interest payments must have been received by the Servicer during any 12-month period. While a loan is in a reduced repayment plan or while a request for a reduced payment plan is pending, borrowers are not eligible to apply for cosigner release.
7 The grace period is six months. The grace period begins on the earlier of the date (a) the student borrower graduates, (b) the student borrower ceases to be enrolled, or (c) that is 60 months from the first disbursement date, but in no case, earlier than six months after the first disbursement date. The immediate repayment option does not have a grace period.
Abe is a registered trademark of Monogram LLC.
Monogram LLC is not an affiliate of DR Bank.
Ascent Student Loans
* Ascent Funding, LLC products are made available through Bank of Lake Mills or DR Bank, each Member FDIC. Subject to credit approval. Loan products may not be available in certain jurisdictions. Certain restrictions, limitations, terms and conditions may apply for Ascent’s Terms and Conditions please visit AscentFunding.com/Ts&Cs. Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) displayed above are effective as of 9/1/2026 and reflect an Automatic Payment Discount (ACH). The ACH discount consists of 0.25% on credit-based college student loans submitted prior to 6/1/2025, a 0.5% discount for on credit-based college student loans submitted on or after 6/1/2025 and a 1.00% discount on outcomes-based loans when you enroll in automatic payments. Loans subject to individual approval, restrictions and conditions apply. Loan features and information advertised are intended for college student loans and are subject to change at any time. For more information, seerepayment examples or review the Ascent Student Loans Terms and Conditions. The final amount approved depends on the borrower’s credit history, verifiable cost of attendance as certified by an eligible school and is subject to credit approval and verification of application information. Lowest interest rates require full principal and interest (Immediate) payments, the shortest loan term, a cosigner, and are only available for our most creditworthy applicants and cosigners with the highest average credit scores. Actual APR offered may be higher or lower than the examples above, based on the amount of time you spend in school and any grace period you have before repayment begins. Variable rates may increase after consummation.1% Cash Back Graduation Reward subject to terms and conditions. For details on Ascent borrower benefits, visit AscentFunding.com/BorrowerBenefits. Ascent applicants and borrowers that agree to the AscentUP Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, as well as students associated with an Ascent parent loan application, have access to the AscentUP platform.
The following examples for a $10,000 loan show a 48-month in-school period plus 9 months of grace prior to a full repayment term for 60-months (variable rate), with examples of (i) Interest Only payments, (ii) $25 Minimum payments, (iii) Deferred repayment, and (iv) Immediate Repayment options.
* Interest Only Repayment: 5.85% APR, with 57 payments of $48.75 while in-school/grace, 60 payments of $192.65 during the repayment term, and a total cost of $14,338.61.
* $25 Minimum Payment: 6.48% APR, with 57 payments of $25.00 while in-school/grace, 60 payments of $233.37 during the repayment term, and a total cost of $15,427.06.
* Deferred Repayment: 6.67% APR, with no payment while in-school/grace, 60 payments of $269.21 during the repayment term, and a total cost of $16,137.16.
* Immediate Repayment: 3.60% APR, with 60 payments of $182.37, and a total cost of $10,942.30.
The following examples for a $10,000 loan show a 48-month in-school period plus 9 months of grace prior to a full repayment term for 180-months (highest variable rate), with examples of (i) Interest Only payments, (ii) $25 Minimum payments, (iii) Deferred repayment, and (iv) Immediate Repayment options.
* Interest Only Repayment: 16.26% APR, with 57 payments of $135.42 while in-school/grace, 180 payments of $148.66 during the repayment term, and a total cost of $34,476.99.
* $25 Minimum Payment: 15.03% APR, with 57 payments of $25.00 while in-school/grace, 180 payments of $256.16 during the repayment term, and a total cost of $47,530.48.
* Deferred Repayment: 15.23% APR, with no payment while in-school/grace, 180 payments of $290.4 during the repayment term, and a total cost of $51,470.36.
* Immediate Repayment: 16.01% APR, with 180 payments of $146.93, and a total cost of $26,445.92.
College Ave
College Ave’s student loan products are made available through Firstrust Bank, member FDIC, First Citizens Community Bank, member FDIC, or BTG Pactual Bank, N.A., member FDIC. All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply.
* All rates include the auto-pay discount. The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as a valid bank account is designated for required monthly payments. If a payment is returned, you will lose this benefit. Variable rates may increase after consummation. Approved interest rate will depend on creditworthiness of the applicant(s), lowest advertised rates only available to the most creditworthy applicants and require selection of the Flat Repayment Option with the shortest available loan term.
Sallie Mae Student Loans
¹Rates displayed are for undergraduate and career training students:
Lowest rates shown include the auto debit discount: Additional information regarding the auto debit discount: Advertised APRs for undergraduate students assume a $10,000 loan to a student who attends school for 4 years and has no prior Sallie Mae-serviced loans. Interest rates for variable rate loans may increase or decrease over the life of the loan based on changes to the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of one percent. Advertised variable rates are the starting range of rates and may vary outside of that range over the life of the loan. Interest is charged starting when funds are sent to the school. With the Fixed and Deferred Repayment Options, the interest rate is higher than with the Interest Repayment Option and Unpaid Interest is added to the loan’s Current Principal at the end of the grace/separation period. To receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate discount, the borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae. The discount applies only during active repayment for as long as the Current Amount Due or Designated Amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month. It may be suspended during forbearance or deferment. *These rates will be effective 9/15/2026.
Terms:
Examples of typical costs for a $10,000 Smart Option Student Loan with the most common fixed rate, fixed repayment option, 6-month separation period, and two disbursements: For a borrower with no prior loans and a 4-year in-school period, it works out to a 10.28% fixed APR, 51 payments of $25.00, 119 payments of $182.67 and one payment of $121.71, for a Total Loan Cost of $23,134.44. For a borrower with $20,000 in prior loans and a 2-year in-school period, it works out to a 10.78% fixed APR, 27 payments of $25.00, 179 payments of $132.53 and one payment of $40.35 for a total loan cost of $24,438.22. Loans that are subject to a $50 minimum principal and interest payment amount may receive a loan term that is less than 10 years.
² For applications submitted directly to Sallie Mae, loan amount cannot exceed the cost of attendance less financial aid received, as certified by the school. Applications submitted to Sallie Mae through a partner website may be subjected to a lower maximum loan request amount. Miscellaneous personal expenses (such as a laptop) may be included in the cost of attendance for students enrolled at least half-time.
Editor: Colin Graves
Reviewed by: Richelle Hawley
The post Best Student Loan Rates for September 22, 2026: Ascent Leads at 1.94% appeared first on The College Investor.
Jefferies resumes Aevex stock coverage with buy rating on growth outlook
An FCA survey found firms have closed an increasing number of suspected mule accounts over the last 3 years: 238,396 suspected mules had their accounts closed in 2025, up from 184,935 in 2023 and 233,269 in 2024.
An increase in account closures could reflect broader customer growth alongside improvements in identifying and acting on suspected mule activity, rather than necessarily meaning mules make up a higher proportion of firms’ business.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) estimates more than £100bn is laundered through the UK or UK corporate structures each year. Money mule activity is one way criminals move these funds, by using people’s bank accounts to receive or transfer money on their behalf.
Account closures were highest among customers aged 26 to 39 (91,073), while the sharpest increase was among customers aged 40 to 49 (37,274 in 2025 up from 25,760 in 2024). Customers aged 25 and under (85,425) also represented a significant proportion of closures.
The financial regulator also found evidence that criminals moved fraudulent funds through multiple accounts, usually cashing out between the second and fifth account. By this stage, payments are harder to detect and trace, and shows that firms need to crack down on activity as early as possible.
Some accounts had been used repeatedly for mule activity before firms shut them down and had also been used for fraud. This points to an established criminal infrastructure rather than opportunistic, isolated incidents.
The FCA, NCA, Home Office, the Treasury, HMRC and industry are leading on 9 system priorities (PDF) as part of the UK’s response to economic crime. The FCA is playing a key role on the money mules priority by working with industry on an action plan to tackle the problem, including better ways for firms and law enforcement to share intelligence on suspected money mule activity.
Steve Smart, executive director of enforcement and market oversight at the FCA, said:
‘Money muling is a crime and it’s not victimless. It makes it harder to recover stolen cash and helps criminals move and hide the proceeds of serious offending. People should be wary of contact out of the blue, including via online channels, asking them to funnel money through their account as they could face prosecution.
‘It’s good that financial firms are taking action on mules, but banks, law enforcement, technology companies and consumers all have a role to play in stopping people being drawn into criminal activity.’
Be aware that the consequences of becoming a money mule could include losing access to your bank account and possible prosecution.
Find out more about money transfer scams.
He said the math behind referring a second mortgage elsewhere has flipped from what it used to be, and originators who haven’t caught up to that shift are handing away business they don’t need to lose.
“We used to use second mortgages to develop a referral from a bank. You would send your borrower to the bank or credit union to do the second mortgage,” he said. “In today’s world, if you send your borrower to a bank or credit union, you may not get them back for that first mortgage. So why not stay in front of your borrower today? Help them out with the debt refinance or debt consolidation second.”
It’s always important to build long-term relationships with your clients, but that becomes critical in challenging market conditions.
“You got to stay in front of your clients,” he said. “It’s amazing to see LOs that aren’t using a CRM, or even if they’ve set up a CRM, they don’t take full advantage of it. Borrowers will go online and start shopping for the best possible rate, and the best possible rate isn’t always the best possible loan for every borrower.
“But if the LO is not staying in front of them, there’s just too many avenues for those borrowers to shop. Whether it’s wishing someone a happy birthday or just checking in, if they’re not doing that, their chance of retaining that relationship gets smaller each day.”
Meta’s new AI agent app is quickly taking hold of the consumer market, unseating ChatGPT as the top free app on Apple’s App Store in recent days. The app, which features a personal AI agent that books appointments, shops, and organizes calendars on people’s behalf, is the talk of tech circles this week.
Named Muse, the app, which uses Meta’s latest Muse Spark AI model, connects users to a range of services that its AI agent autonomously handles. That means handing over access to accounts across a user’s phone in exchange for Muse booking a vacation or handling restaurant reservations on their behalf. It’s the first major consumer AI agent push by Meta, and it’s catapulting the company for now, past its competitors.
Not everyone is rolling out the red carpet for Meta’s Muse, however. Amazon blocked Meta’s assistant from accessing its online store, saying that “continued access by an unauthorized AI agent violates Amazon’s Conditions of Use, to which our customers have agreed.” Amazon said Meta never asked for permission to access its site. Meta didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, though the company announced it would partner with Shopify for some of Muse’s shopping features.
“It is only a matter of time before there is an Apple and Google version of Muse and possibly TikTok, in addition to the frontier LLM agents,” Nikesh Arora, chief executive at Palo Alto Networks, wrote on X. “Every app that is a services, marketplace or commerce app will need to existentially decide to open [Application Programming Interfaces] for consumer agents to interact. Smaller players have no choice. Either the consumer benefits or distribution aggregators will demand a higher transaction fare.”
Muse’s break-out success represents a much needed victory for Meta in the AI arena, following a series of struggles by the company to compete with frontier labs like OpenAI and Anthropic.
Muse’s fast-rising popularity, and Amazon’s reactionary block, show how quickly agentic technology is transforming the consumer space. Meta released Muse just as Anthropic and OpenAI released cheaper versions of some of their models. Apple also recently rolled out its revamped Siri as part of its newest iOS update.
The bigger questions raised by Muse’s release are who controls the shopping and user interfaces Meta is trying to access, and how major companies will agree to such access. For Amazon, Muse is a threat because it bypasses the usual process of humans visiting its website or app and seeing the advertisements that serve as a key profit driver.
“This is bigger than a dispute over bot detection or website access. We are moving toward a world where agents will increasingly act as our representatives online,” Liat Ben-Zur, CEO of executive consultancy LBZ Advisory and former Microsoft Vice President of Consumer Services, told Fortune. “The companies that control the rules of access will have enormous influence over whether those agents actually work for the consumer.”
Amazon has taken action against other companies over similar issues. Last year, it sued Perplexity over its Comet AI tool, which could access Amazon accounts much like Muse does. Amazon recently lost a ruling on that claim after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit found that users were ultimately choosing to access Amazon via Perplexity’s bot; Amazon is still fighting the issue.
Amazon has its own shopping agent, called Buy for Me, which performs tasks similar to Muse’s. The company has said brands can opt out of the feature, though doing so requires action, since brands are automatically opted in. CEO Andy Jassy has also said Amazon is exploring AI shopping agent partnerships with third-party companies.
Privacy is sure to be a key issue for consumers weighing assistants like Muse, which allow for personal touches—like the ability to name your assistant— but require access to sensitive information, such as bank accounts, to truly work on a user’s behalf.
Meta says user logins are kept secret and that online purchases use a one-time card number that hides a person’s actual card details. Still, Meta has been at the heart of previous privacy issues. Meta has faced multiple proposed class-action lawsuits related to its smart glasses, including one alleging that it sent some footage captured by the glasses, including highly personal material, to third-party human reviewers for annotation and AI development. Meta has disputed the allegations.
The rise of Muse is timely for Meta: CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to unveil updates to the company’s smart glasses at its annual Connect event in Menlo Park, Calif., on Wednesday.
