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On October 28, 2020, the CFPB’s Private Education Loan Ombudsman published its annual report on student loans, as required by the Dodd-Frank Act. Despite an increased focus on student loans by many state legislatures and regulators and some members of Congress, the report reflects a significant decline in the number of consumer complaints about student loans over the past year. The report analyzes complaints submitted by consumers about student lenders and servicers between September 2019 and August 2020. Notably, the report covers a period during which many student loan borrowers have experienced financial hardships as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the federal government – as well as some state governments (in partnership with holders of private student loans) – has offered a myriad of loss mitigation options for eligible student loan borrowers.
Continue Reading 2020 CFPB Student Loan Ombudsman’s Report Shows Significant Trend of Declining Consumer Complaints

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB” or “Bureau”) suffered an embarrassing setback in federal district court earlier this week, when a federal district judge denied the Bureau’s motion for entry of a consent judgment on the grounds that the proper party had not consented to entry of the judgment on behalf of the defendants. Back…

After a number of failed efforts and amid the COVID-19 national emergency, Virginia enacted a law that requires student loan servicers to obtain a license. On April 22, 2020, Virginia House Bill 10 and the identical Senate Bill 77 (collectively, the “Legislation”) were enacted into law after state representatives agreed to certain recommendations made by Virginia’s Governor earlier last month. Although eleven other states require student loan servicers to obtain a license, registration, or make a notice filing, Virginia’s new law is unique in that it could reach a much wider range of companies.
Continue Reading Virginia Enacts One of the Broadest Student Loan Servicer Licensing Laws

The COVID-19 national emergency has caused unprecedented economic disruption. The federal government was quick to enact relief measures for federal student loan borrowers who may be experiencing financial hardship as a result of the pandemic. Last week, nine states announced a coordinated effort to partner with private student loan servicers and offer relief for private…

On Friday, March 27, 2020, the President signed into law a stimulus bill designed to provide emergency assistance for those affected by the COVID-19 national emergency (the “CARES Act” or “Act”) that includes certain temporary relief for federal student loan borrowers. The Act largely codifies the Department of Education’s previous announcement regarding temporary relief to federal student loan borrowers impacted by the COVID-19 national emergency and extends the timeline for the temporary relief measures.

The Act provides three primary relief measures to federal student loan borrowers whose loans are held by the Department of Education:Continue Reading School’s Out: Proposed Relief for Federal Student Loan Borrowers Impacted by COVID-19

A new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the US Department of Education (ED) appears to signal an end to the turf war between these two agencies regarding the handling of complaints related to federal student loans. It also ends a period during which the CFPB and ED failed to maintain an MOU, as required by the Dodd-Frank Act.
Continue Reading Back to School: CFPB and ED Agree to New MOU

The California legislature was active in 2018, enacting several new requirements and provisions applicable to the financial services industry. Those requirements include an important and comprehensive privacy regime (the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, or CCPA), which establishes new protections for personal information that covered commercial enterprises collect. The CCPA becomes effective January 1,…

Oversight of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) by the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to become more aggressive when the 116th Congress convenes in January 2019. On December 11, 2018, members of the new Democratic House majority nominated Representative Maxine Waters to chair the House Financial Services Committee, which oversees the Bureau. During Rep. Waters’ time as ranking member on the Committee, she heavily criticized many of the changes Acting Director Mick Mulvaney made at the Bureau. Mayer Brown summarized those changes in a recent Legal Update.

As chair, Rep. Waters will set the Committee agenda, enabling her to turn her criticism into more direct pressure on the Bureau and its new Director Kathleen Kraninger. Proposed legislation sponsored by the incoming chair may hold some clues to the actions the Committee may take.

In September 2018, Rep. Waters introduced the Consumers First Act. The bill is largely designed to restore the Bureau to how it looked and functioned before Acting Director Mulvaney’s tenure. Some of its major topics include the following:
Continue Reading House Oversight of CFPB Expected to Become More Aggressive Under Chair Waters

The Office of Students and Young Consumers (Office of Students) has been an important component of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or the Bureau) since its creation in 2011. On May 9, 2018, the CFPB’s Acting Director announced plans to fold the Office of Students into the Office of Financial Education. The Student Loan Ombudsman, a position the Dodd-Frank Act created, will also reportedly be part of the Office of Financial Education. This move could signal a major shift in the CFPB’s approach to the student loan market. 

As its name indicates, the Office of Financial Education focuses on consumer education. Specifically, its stated focus is “strengthen(ing) the delivery of financial education . . . and creat[ing] opportunities for people to obtain the skills to build their financial well being.” Given that mission, some have speculated that the recent movement of the Office of Students within the Bureau’s Office of Financial Education may lead to fewer examinations, investigations, and enforcement actions against participants in the private student loan market.
Continue Reading CFPB to Eliminate Student Loan Office

*Daniel Pearson is not admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia. He is practicing under the supervision of firm principals.

On March 15, 2018, the State of Washington enacted Senate Bill 6029 (“SB 6029”), titled the “Washington Student Education Loan Bill of Rights,” which takes effect June 7, 2018, and amends the state’s Consumer Loan Act (the “CLA”) to expand its scope to include student loan servicers. Whereas the CLA currently regulates and licenses consumer lenders (both mortgage and non-mortgage), and mortgage servicers, when SB 6029 takes effect the CLA will also regulate and license student loan servicers. As a license is needed under the CLA to make any student loans to residents of Washington, it seems reasonable that if state legislators believed student loan servicers should be licensed in Washington, the CLA should be amended to provide for such licensing rather than enact a new and separate licensing law.¹

With that legislation, Washington becomes the latest state to license student loan servicers, joining California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, and Illinois.²
Continue Reading Washington Licenses Student Loan Servicers*