Slate Money Which Coke's For You?
29 snips
Jul 19, 2025 A recent court ruling has quashed a rule protecting medical debt from harming credit scores, sparking debates on financial repercussions for low-income individuals. The hosts discuss a proposal to cut national holidays in France to reduce debt and its linked productivity concerns. Trump’s controversial statement about Coca-Cola switching to sugar cane brings up discussions on the sugar industry’s influence and preferences in consumer products. Plus, there's a tasty exploration of which Coke variant reigns supreme in flavor!
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Medical Debt Harms Credit Scores
- Medical debt on credit reports harms low-income and other Americans by reducing credit access and job prospects.
- The Biden-era rule to exclude medical debt from credit scores never took effect due to a federal court ruling.
Medical Debt's Unique Credit Impact
- Medical debt is unique because it doesn't predict fiscal irresponsibility or ability to pay other bills.
- CFPB research shows medical debt is not predictive of how other debts are paid, challenging credit scoring norms.
Medical Debt Is Not Financial Guilt
- Medical debt often results from unavoidable health events, not poor financial habits.
- It should not be treated as a typical debt reflecting fiscal irresponsibility in credit scoring.