Tag Archives: Collection

Update on Collection Agency Complaint Systems

Posted on March 14, 2013

In May 2012, the National Consumer Law Center’s Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project released  Borrowers on Hold:  Student Loan Collection Agency Complaint Systems Need Massive Improvement, focusing on major gaps in the federal student loan collection agency complaint system. The … Continue reading →

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New Self-Help Packet on Financial Hardship Claims

Posted on February 28, 2013

Social Security helps give aging and disabled Americans peace of mind.  No matter how destitute we become, Social Security is meant to give us some measure of confidence that we will be able to get by. Social Security and other … Continue reading →

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What We Don’t Know about the Costs of Student Loan Collection

Posted on February 15, 2013

More than two years have passed since the Department of Education pulled the private collection agency handbook off of its web site and as far as we can tell, the handbook has yet to reappear in public.    (You can find … Continue reading →

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A Look Back at 2012

Posted on December 19, 2012

2012 is almost over and it’s time for our annual “look back” at the year that was.  Student loan issues were a hot topic this year.  Much of the attention centered on legislation this summer that temporarily prevented student loan interest … Continue reading →

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So Much for Open Debate: Chronicle of Higher Education Student Loan Default Rate Event Is Bought and Paid For by Industry

Posted on October 8, 2012

The Department of Education released new student loan default rate information in September and it’s not pretty!  The overall two year cohort default rate increased to 9.1% (FY 2012 data).  This official two year rate requires the Department to track … Continue reading →

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Giving Financially Distressed Borrowers a Chance (Part 1)

Posted on September 23, 2012

A recent New York Times article about student loan debt collectors raises a number of important issues that we will be writing about in a series of blogs. The article explains how student loan servicers and collectors lack incentives to … Continue reading →

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Collection Agency Abuses

Posted on September 5, 2012

The Second Circuit recently issued an important decision that highlights student loan collection agency abuses.  The court found that a collection agency’s notice to a student loan borrower stating “Account Ineligible for Bankruptcy Discharge” was exactly the kind of abusive … Continue reading →

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New Web Site for Borrowers in Default: Is it an Improvement?

Posted on June 13, 2012

The Department of Education posted a new web site for borrowers in default.  It is intended to be a central point of entry for borrowers in default with information about consequences of default and on-line access to account information. The … Continue reading →

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U.S. Department of Education Collection Complaint System Needs Massive Improvement

Posted on May 7, 2012

Today, the National Consumer Law Center’s Student Borrower Loan Assistance Project released a new report: Borrowers on Hold: Student Loan Collection Agency’s Complaint Systems Need Massive Improvement.    Overview: The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) relies on an increasing … Continue reading →

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Follow-up to Mr. A’s Story

Posted on April 23, 2012

Thanks to all of you who have responded to the story about my client Mr. A.  Many of you have asked why Mr. A has not tried rehabilitation or consolidation to get out of default.  We have discussed these options … Continue reading →

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