Consumer demand this Holiday season will face an additional headwind beginning in Oct., when the 3.5-year-long pandemic-era pause in student loan payments comes to an end, disproportionately affecting a core demographic for sneakers and apparel. With interest starting to accrue this month, nearly 44 million borrowers will be putting loan payments back into their Oct. budgets. Figures from the Education Data Initiative show an average balance of $37,330 with a 6.36% interest rate, and Federal Reserve data from 2019 showed an average payment of $200 to $300 per month. The Consumer ... Log in to view full article.