Search Results: Student Loans

FTC Accuses Student Loan Debt Relief Operation of Deceiving Consumers

Piggy Bank with a Graduation Cap

​On February 7, 2018, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced an enforcement action against a student loan debt relief operation, claiming it deceived consumers out of $28 million by falsely promising that their monthly payments would go towards their student loans. In the complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern…

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CFPB Settles With National Bank Over Student Lending Practices for $6.5 Million

​On November 21, 2017, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it had entered into a consent order with a national bank, resolving allegations over the bank’s allegedly harmful student loan servicing practices and requiring it to pay millions in consumer relief and civil penalties. ​ According to the CFPB, the bank engaged…

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Pennsylvania AG Files Suit Against Nationwide Student Loan Provider and Servicer

​On October 5, 2017, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office (AG) announced that it had filed suit against a federal student loan provider and servicer (and its subsidiary) in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, alleging violations of the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) and Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer…

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UPDATE: CFPB's $21.6 Million Settlement Concerning Student Loan Servicing and Debt Collection in Doubt

As Enforcement Watch reported in late September, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) announced that it had filed a proposed consent judgment in the United States District Court for Delaware to resolve claims relating to the servicing and debt collection activities on a portfolio of about 800,000 student loans.  Under the proposed settlement agreement, the student loan trusts…

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CFPB, Student Loan Securitizer, and Debt Collector Agree to Combined $21.6 Million Settlement for Alleged Illegal Collection Practices

On September 18, 2017, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) announced that it had entered into a settlement and proposed consent judgment with a student loan owner and securitizer, and a separate consent judgment with the securitizer’s debt collector.  The securitizer has a loan portfolio of approximately 800,000 student loans.  According…

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Massachusetts AG Sues Student Loan Servicer

On August 23, 2017, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced that her office had sued one of the nation’s largest federal student loan servicers, alleging that the servicer deprived public servants of relief under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF), a federal student loan forgiveness program that forgives loans of borrowers that hold public service positions…

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CFPB Files Complaint Against Private Equity Firm for Predatory Lending Practices for Student Loans

On August 17, 2017, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) announced that it filed a complaint ​and proposed settlement ​against an Oregon private equity firm and related entities for aiding a post-secondary education company and its school’s predatory lending scheme. The CFPB alleges that the private equity firm enabled the school…

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District Court Rejects Servicer's Argument that CFPB is Unconstitutional

​On August 4, 2017, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania denied a student loan servicer’s motion to dismiss claims brought against it by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), rejecting the servicer’s argument that the claims fail because the CFPB is unconstitutional. In January 2017, the…

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Florida AG Files Lawsuit Against Student Loan Debt Relief Company

​On May 23, 2017, the Florida Attorney General’s Office (AG) announced that it had filed a complaint against a Florida student loan debt relief company that falsely promised consumers it could substantially reduce their student loan debt, or even have their student loan debt forgiven.  According to the complaint, the company convinced consumers to pay…

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CFPB Supervisory Highlights Focus on Mortgage Origination, Mortgage Servicing, and Student Loan Servicing

On April 26, 2017, the CFPB issued a press release and its latest Supervisory Highlights, which spotlight the CFPB’s recent enforcement efforts in the areas of mortgage loan origination, mortgage loan servicing, and student loan servicing.  The Supervisory Highlights reflect what the CFPB sees as common problems in each area,…

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North Carolina Attorney General Secures $377,000 in Settlement with Private Student Lender

​On March 27, 2017, the North Carolina Attorney General (“AG”) announced that it had settled a lawsuit filed in the Wake County, North Carolina Superior Court against a student loan company. As a result of the settlement, the parties filed a consent judgment requiring that the company pay $377,048 in restitution…

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Student Loan Debt Collector Settles with FTC for $700,000 Over Alleged FDCPA and FTC Act Violations

FTC

On February 14, 2017, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had entered into a stipulated order with a student loan debt collector, resolving allegations that the debt collector violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act) in its servicing of over two million accounts in…

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DACA-Protected Plaintiff Files Class Action Alleging Lending Discrimination Based on Citizenship Status

On January 31, 2017, Mitzie Perez—a former undocumented immigrant who is authorized to work in the United States under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”) policy—filed a class action in the Northern District of California, Perez et al. v. Wells Fargo & Co. et al., No. 17-454 (N.D. Cal….

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FTC and Florida AG Ban Student Loan Debt Relief Providers

On January 24, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Florida Attorney General’s Office announced a settlement with student loan debt relief providers alleged to have participated in a student loan debt relief scheme, resolving allegations that the providers violated the Federal Trade Commission Act, Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act,…

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