Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: Recent Developments Affecting Student Loan Origination and Servicing
Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: A Deep Dive into Mass Mailings by Debt Relief Law Firms
Monthly Minute | Financial Relief for COVID-19
On 3 September, 2024, Ukraine announced that it successfully concluded the restructuring of approximately US$20.5 billion of Ukraine's international bonds and the sovereign-guaranteed debt obligations of the State Agency for...more
As one of the more toxic topics in the United States political and social realms, healthcare, and the debt associated with it, is always at the tip of most people’s tongue. Whether eagerly waiting to argue for proposed...more
On July 26, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved North Carolina’s plan to condition enhanced Medicaid payments on hospitals’ participation in a statewide medical debt relief policy initiative. Hospitals...more
On July 11, the Federal District Court for the Middle District of Florida granted the FTC’s request for a temporary restraining order against operators of a debt relief enterprise that unlawfully charged consumers illegal...more
On July 18, the Eighth Circuit for the U.S. Court of Appeals granted the State of Missouri’s emergency motion for an administrative stay to prevent President Biden’s student loan relief plan from taking effect. The White...more
On June 28, the FTC announced an enforcement action against a student loan debt relief operation that allegedly took over $20.3 million from consumers by falsely claiming affiliation with the Department of Education and...more
Recently, two district court judges partially blocked President Biden’s student debt relief program, known as the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan. ...more
Both houses of the New Jersey Legislature recently passed Assembly Bill No. 3861 (AB 3861), known as the Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act. The legislation’s stated aims are to prevent undue financial hardship and protect...more
On June 28, the FTC announced it had filed an action in federal court against a California-based student debt relief enterprise for deceptive practices, including unlawfully obtaining advance fees for debt relief, and...more
On May 20, the CFPB released its consent order and stipulation against a debt relief provider for alleged deceptive acts and practices in violation of the CFPA and for alleged deceptive telemarketing practices and collection...more
On May 20, 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it had entered into a consent order with a California-based telemarketer that offered student loan debt relief services resolving...more
On May 20, 2024, the CFPB announced a settlement with a telemarketing company that offers student loan debt relief services to resolve allegations that it violated the Telemarketing Sales Rule ("TSR") and the Consumer...more
On March 4, 2024, a federal trial court in New York immediately banned a slew of debt relief service providers from charging and/or collecting any advance fees for debt relief services, finding that the defendant’s initial...more
In this month's article, we share some of our top "bites" covered during the February 2024 webinar....more
The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) recently entered into proposed stipulations with a group of student loan debt relief providers to resolve allegations that the group conducted deceptive marketing and sales practices in...more
To keep you informed of recent activities, below are several of the most significant federal and state events that have influenced the Consumer Financial Services industry over the past week...more
On February 6, the FTC announced that it had reached proposed settlements with several defendants in a pending action where the parties were accused of operating a fraudulent student debt relief scheme and collecting...more
With federal student loans approaching $1.7 trillion, private student loans approaching $129 billion, strident consumer group advocacy, and national elections on the horizon, student loan origination and servicing continues...more
On February 6, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) filed two proposed stipulated orders with a California federal court to permanently ban student debt relief companies as well as their individual operators. The...more
On January 24, 2024, Pennsylvania Attorney General, Michelle Henry announced a settlement with attorney Erik M. Helbing and his businesses Helbing Law, LLC, and Consumer Law Relief, LLC. (Respondents) to resolve alleged...more
On January 19, the CFPB and seven state attorneys general (Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, and Wisconsin) announced a lawsuit against a debt-relief company, its subsidiaries, and its two...more
On January 10, the CFPB and the attorneys generals of Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, and Wisconsin sued a New York-based debt relief company and its founders in the U.S. District Court for...more
In this article, we share a timeline of our monthly "bites" for 2023 applicable to student lending along with some information related to financial products and services offered to students....more
The White House recently announced that approximately 813,000 borrowers whose accounts were adjusted in August 2023 will receive an email from President Biden that their loans are being forgiven. This is based on the U.S....more
Borrower Defense to Repayment (BDR) refers to the administrative process by which borrowers apply to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to have their federal Direct Loans discharged based on allegations of school...more