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Our recent oral argument before the Fifth ...
Our recent oral argument before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
CFPB, Enforcement, Law, Credit Errors, Dispute Process, e-Oscar, Investigations, Understanding the FCRA
Cento Law
CFPB Sues Experian

On January 7, 2025, the CFPB filed a lawsuit against Experian alleging that Experian violated FCRA by failing to properly conduct reinvestigations of disputed information in consumer credit files; failing to delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverified information in consumer credit files; failing to provide adequate written notice to consumers of the results of its reinvestigations; failing to prevent the improper reinsertion of previously deleted information from consumer credit files; and failing to follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy of the credit information Experian reports on consumers. In addition, the complaint alleges that Experian committed unfair acts or practices in violation of the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 by (1) failing to convey consumers’ disputes to furnishers fully and accurately, and instead distorting, truncating, and mischaracterizing consumers’ disputes; (2) relying excessively on furnishers to resolve disputes, routinely doing nothing more than sending the dispute to a furnisher and implementing the furnisher’s response, despite having evidence of that furnisher’s unreliability; and (3) improperly reinserting tradelines into consumer credit reports due to its practice of failing to adequately match newly reported tradelines to tradelines that were previously deleted as a result of a dispute if the subsequent furnishing was from a new furnisher. The Bureau seeks, among other things, to bring Experian into compliance with the law, consumer redress, and the imposition of civil money penalties.

CFPB Sues Experian
Credit Reporting Law, Law, Cento Law, Understanding the FCRA
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Understanding the FCRA: What Consumers Need to ...

Understanding the FCRA - Credit Reporting Law

Understanding the FCRA: What Consumers Need to Know About Credit Reporting Agencies
Credit Reporting Law, Credit Reporting History
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Credit Bureaus Unveiled: The Power, ...
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Credit Reporting Law, Cento Law
Cento Law
FCRA - The Fair Credit Reporting Act
FCRA - The Fair Credit Reporting Act

Student Loans

Inaccurate Student Loans

Knowing when to contact an attorney about inaccurate student loans can protect your credit, your income, and your long‑term financial future. In general, the more serious the error and the less responsive your servicer is, the sooner you should consider speaking with a student loan or consumer rights lawyer.​

What “inaccurate” student loans look like

Inaccuracies can show up in several ways on your account, billing statements, or credit report. Watching for these issues helps you decide whether you can fix the problem yourself or need legal help.​

Common red flags include:​

  • Loan amounts or interest rates that do not match your promissory note or prior statements

  • Payments marked “late” or “missing” even though you have proof of on‑time payments

  • Loans reported that you never took out (possible identity theft or fraudulent loans)

  • Wrong status (e.g., not showing deferment/forbearance, wrongly listed as default)

  • Denied forgiveness, discharge, or repayment programs despite meeting written rules

Times to contact a lawyer immediately

Some situations are serious enough that talking with an attorney early can prevent lasting damage.​

Reach out to a student loan or consumer law attorney right away if:​

  • Your servicer or a credit bureau refuses to correct clear errors after you dispute them in writing

  • Your credit score has dropped because of false late payments or a loan that is not yours

  • You see signs of identity theft or a completely fraudulent loan in your name

  • Your wages, tax refund, or Social Security are being taken (garnished or offset) for a debt you believe is wrong

  • You are being sued for a student loan you do not recognize or for an incorrect balance

In these cases, an attorney can evaluate whether you have claims under consumer protection laws, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act or other state and federal statutes.​

When legal advice is helpful but not urgent

Other problems may not feel like an emergency but still justify professional guidance, especially if large sums of money are involved.​

It is wise to consider a consultation when:​

  • Your loan balance suddenly increases because of unexplained fees, capitalization, or “administrative corrections”

  • You are denied forgiveness, discharge, or rehabilitation and the reasons are unclear or inconsistent with published rules

  • Different representatives give you conflicting information about what you owe or which options you qualify for

  • You are in default or close to it and are not sure whether collection actions are lawful

  • You are negotiating a settlement on private student loans and want to understand the risks

A lawyer can review your promissory notes, account history, and correspondence to spot errors and help you choose between options like disputes, complaints, negotiation, or litigation.​

Steps to take before (or alongside) calling an attorney

Even if you plan to speak with a lawyer, doing some groundwork will strengthen your case and sometimes resolves simple mistakes.​

Key steps include:​

  • Gather documents: promissory notes, payment confirmations, bank statements, emails, letters, and screenshots of your online account

  • Dispute in writing with your servicer, clearly explaining what is wrong and what you want corrected

  • Pull your credit reports from all three major bureaus and highlight any student loan errors

  • File complaints with appropriate agencies, such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and, for federal loans, the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman or your state attorney general

  • Keep a detailed log of phone calls, dates, names, and what each representative told you

If these efforts fail or responses are incomplete, having this paper trail makes it easier for an attorney to push for corrections or damages.​

How a student loan attorney can help

A student loan or consumer protection attorney does more than send letters; the right person can become a key advocate in correcting inaccurate loans.​

Depending on your situation, an attorney may:​

  • Analyze your loan documents and credit reports for legal violations

  • Communicate directly with servicers, debt collectors, and credit bureaus on your behalf

  • Negotiate corrected balances, repayment terms, or settlements

  • File lawsuits when companies ignore the law or refuse to fix confirmed errors

  • Seek compensation for financial and credit damage caused by inaccurate reporting

Because laws and options vary by state and by loan type (federal vs. private), talking to a local attorney who regularly handles student loan or credit reporting cases can clarify your rights and next steps.​

If you share what kind of inaccuracy you are dealing with (wrong balance, identity theft, misapplied payments, etc.), a more tailored outline for your specific situation can be drafted.

Navient's Deceptive Practices

Navient is one of the most well know student loan services in the United States. Millions of borrowers use this company to repay their federal and private student loans. They have lawsuits that allege harmful and deceptive practices that could impact your student loans. 

Below we will go deeper into Navient lawsuits that have began since 2017. 


Borrowers Being Mislead

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) stated that Navient “illegally failed borrowers at every stage of repayment.” The CFBP alleged in a lawsuit that Navient damaged borrowers by providing negative and sometimes false information such as: not processing payments correctly and not taking the appropriate steps to rectify situations when borrowers submitted complaints to company.


The lawsuit had alleged that Navient purposely caused many borrowers to pay more on their loans than they were expected to. The CFBP is suing Navient for borrowers to get financial relief from their mishandling. 


The suit alleged that Navient directed borrowers into forbearance over other preferred options such as income-driven repayment plans. A forbearance temporarily pauses student loan payments without hurting the borrowers repayment standing, but the interest builds up while the borrower is not making payments. This means that borrowers end up paying more in interest rather than being able to save money while choosing the IDR plan. 



Navient Advises Pricey Options 

A lawsuit filed in October 2020 in New Jersey alleges that Navient pressured borrowers into taking out private student loans with co-signers, even though it wasn’t in the best interest of the borrower. New Jersey states that Navient told borrowers they could have family members guarantee their private loans as co-signers, but set in place almost impossible hurdles to let borrowers release their co-signers from the loan. This makes it so that Navient gets paid if the borrower defaults on the loan since Navient is able to collect by charging the co-signer on the loan. 


Lies and Collections

New Jersey states that Navient would tell borrowers that they owed more on the loan than they really did if they were behind on their loans. Navient did this by collecting the amount that was past due and also the next months amount. This has caused borrowers to overpay hundreds of dollars oftentimes when they could not afford it. The CFPB alleged that Navient would not allow some borrowers to discharge their loans even though they qualified. The CFPB stated that “severely and permanently disabled borrowers with federal student loans, including veterans whose disability is connected to their military service, have a right to seek loan forgiveness under the federal Total and Permanent Disability discharge program—Navient misreported to the credit reporting companies that borrowers who had their loans discharged under this program had defaulted on their loans when they had not.” 


How This Affects Your Student Loans 

Many lawsuits are still on-going, so as of right now you won’t see an impact. If you are experiencing any issues with your student loan servicer, you can take these steps to ensure that it is working in your best interest: 


  • Review all of the details in your loan. Whether you have been on autopay or have not been able to make payments in awhile, you might not know what is happening with your loans or even the types of loans you have. Since Navient services private and federal loan lenders, you should check what you have before exploring your options.

  • Look for alternatives on your own. You can explore different repayment options such as: income-driven repayment plans, forgiveness, or student loan refinancing. It is vital to know what options you have before speaking to your loan servicer so that you are informed about different offers.

  • Ask the servicer for options. After researching on your own, contacting your servicer is next. Ask them what you qualify for and how each option will impact your repayment and what you will eventually repay over the lifetime of your loan. If the lender mentions that you do not qualify for specific programs or if they direct you to more expensive programs and payment options — it may be a red flag.

  • File a complaint if necessary. If you believe that your loan servicer is causing you to pay more money than you think you owe or you’re being mislead, consider filing a formal complain. You can do this directly with your lender, your states attorney general or at the federal lever with the U.S. Department of Education, Federal Trade Commission, or the CFPB. If you do this, you will need documentation proving your case. Keep a detailed record of notes, every phone calls, and correspondence with your lender.


Does Navient Service Your Loan? 

Navient services millions of borrowers but it does not service ever borrower. You can check your servicer with the Department of Education if you have federal loans. The best way to find out who services your private loans is to check your latest correspondence. If you have not made payments in awhile, you should check your credit report. You can do this for free through www.AnnualCreditReport.com. Due to the pandemic you can check your reports weekly for free until April 2022. This will allow you to see all of your debt, including delinquencies, in default, and paid off loans. 


Will Navient Forgive Student Loan Payments? 

A lawsuit against Navient that was settled July 2020 gave no monetary damages to the borrowers affected. Instead, Navient implemented improved training for employees regarding PSLF. It is a possibility that future lawsuits could proved the affected borrowers a monetary compensation, but it is unlikely that Navient will forgive student loan payments. 


Many lawsuits are still ongoing. If you feel that you have been negatively and wrongfully affected by Navient, consider reaching out for help and guidance.