Bill Collecting the Sallie Mae and Nelnet Way

In today's loangate installment, Cong. Miller has asked for personnel files on 27 ED employees. Even more interesting is Kennedy's look into the hoodlum tactics used by Sallie Mae and Nelnet bill collectors:

Mr. Miller’s letter follows one sent Wednesday by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts and chairman of the Senate education committee, asking for “complete personnel files” for 27 department employees.

Mr. Kennedy has also begun to explore how student loan companies collect repayment.

In a letter, he said that two large lenders, Sallie Mae and Nelnet, may have made harassing phone calls to borrowers; tried to collect from elderly or disabled borrowers; and refused to negotiate with borrowers on repayment deferrals, among other tactics.