"The attorney general of New York is preparing a lawsuit against a student loan company, Goal Financial, charging that the lender broke state and federal laws by luring borrowers with iPods, cash and other gifts and that it misled consumers about loan terms and benefits, said a senior official in the office," The New York Times reports. "The attorney general, Andrew M. Cuomo, has been investigating the student loan industry since early last year and has uncovered an array of troubling practices. Separate from the Goal lawsuit, the office is close to agreements with about a dozen loan companies on what marketing tactics are appropriate, according to the official, who cited the investigation and the pending lawsuit as reasons he could not be identified. 'The hope is that those settlements will set a new industry standard when it comes to how direct-to-consumer lenders are operating,' the official said. Goal is being sued because it has failed to demonstrate a willingness to change its practices, he added."