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Financial Services Law Insights and Observations

CFPB Releases Report on Student Debt Incurred by Older Consumers

Federal Issues Consumer Finance CFPB Student Lending Debt Collection

Federal Issues

On January 5, the CFPB announced the release of a report, entitled Snapshot of Older Consumers and Student Loan Debt, which examines the “increasing student loan debt that older consumers are carrying, as well as how the increased debt burden is impacting borrowers’ later life financial security.” Among other things, the Report notes that the number of older student loan borrowers has quadrupled over the last decade, and that the amount of debt per older borrower has roughly doubled over that same time period, particularly as many borrowers take out loans for children or grandchildren. The Report notes further that, in 2015, nearly 40 percent of federal student loan borrowers age 65 and older were in default.

The Report also examines complaints from older consumers with private and federal student loans and highlights common problems that appear to arise, including, among other things, co-signing private student loans and difficulties accessing protections guaranteed under federal law for many federal student loan borrowers.