Black Americans are drowning in student debt, and many of us struggle to keep up with the demands of paying off loans and saving for retirement. If you\u2019re tired of choosing between dodging debt collectors forever and working until you croak, you might want to learn about this new retirement law.<\/p>\n Biden recently signed the Secure 2.0 bill, which makes some pretty important changes to how Americans can save for retirement. The most notable change is that employers can now match what someone spends on their student loan payments with retirement payments.<\/p>\n Read more<\/p>\n Meaning if you spend X amount of money on your student loan payments, your employer could match that amount in their contributions to your retirement plan.<\/p>\n The law goes into effect in 2024<\/a>, but the implications are pretty astounding<\/a>, especially for Black Americans who hold a disproportionate amount<\/a> of this country\u2019s student debt.<\/p>\n Black women, in-particular, carry a massive student debt burden. On average, Black women have more than $38,000<\/a> in student loan debt, according to Education Trust. And Black women with master\u2019s degrees have over $58,000<\/a> in federal student loans.<\/p>\n Student loan debt can be a massive inhibitor for saving for retirement. According to the Boston College Center for Retirement Research, Bachelor\u2019s degree holders with student debt at age 30<\/a> have significantly less retirement funds than people without student loans.<\/p>\n Making it so that people can simultaneously pay off their student loans and save for retirement could help close this gap.<\/p>\n However, one thing this law doesn\u2019t solve, is the fact that many Black Americans, especially Black women, have employers that don\u2019t offer retirement plans at all.<\/p>\n Geoffrey Sanzenbacher, an associate professor at Boston College and research fellow at the Center for Retirement Research, told DAME Magazine,<\/em> that w<\/a>omen of color are less likely than white women<\/a> to be offered retirement plans through their employer.<\/p>\n