Mom Stole $200K for Gambling Addiction, Student Loan Fraud | Kristen Collier's Rock Bottom

About this episode

Kristen Collier shares her harrowing journey of dealing with fraudulent student loans taken out by her mother for gambling addiction.

Kristen Collier discovered $200,000 of fraudulent student loans taken out in her name by her own mother—money that had been funneled into a gambling addiction. This devastating family betrayal launched Kristen into a years-long battle with predatory lenders, crushing debt, and the impossible choice between pressing criminal charges against her mother or carrying the burden herself. In this gripping episode, Kristen shares her harrowing journey through her 20s managing unpayable debt, navigating the labyrinthine student loan system, and ultimately finding an unexpected legal pathway to freedom through bankruptcy court. Her new book What Debt Demands: Family Betrayal and Precarity in a Broken System exposes the predatory nature of private student lenders and makes a powerful case for systemic change. Beyond her personal story, Kristen breaks down the mechanics of student debt in America—why these loans can't be discharged through normal bankruptcy, how the system protects creditors over students, and the devastating physical and emotional toll that unpayable debt takes on millions of borrowers. She offers practical advice for anyone struggling with student loans, explains the…

People in this episode

Host: Ned Fulmer

Guest: Kristen Collier

Topics covered

• gambling addiction
• student loan fraud
• family betrayal
• bankruptcy
• debt management
• systemic change

Keywords

• student loans
• gambling addiction
• bankruptcy
• debt
• family betrayal
• predatory lenders
• federal loans
• private loans
• debt cancellation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Fulmer Media

Books & works: What Debt Demands: Family Betrayal and Precarity in a Broken System

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