Have you defaulted on a federal student loan?
not yet but you know
who do I talk to about wage garnishment or avoiding it?
You can contact your loan holder.
what happens when the debt collector gets involved?
If your loan is placed with a collection agency, you will be responsible for costs incurred by your loan holder to get payment. These costs amount to 17.92% of your loan amount if your loan is held by ED. Other loan holders may charge a different amount.
will they let me know before they pass my loan on to someone else to collect?
Yes, they will let you know. Before a defaulted loan is placed with a private collection agency, you will get an explanation on what you can do to avoid both the assignment to a private collection agency and the reporting of default status to credit agencies.
are these people that offer to help me with the loan for a fee any good?