The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act Provisions and Mortgage Protections

Recognising the special burdens that members of the military may encounter trying to meet their financial obligations while serving their country, in 1940 Congress passed the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act (SSCRA). The law was amended from time to time, ordinarily in response to military operations that required the activation of the Reserves. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), was enacted on 19 December 2003, as a modernisation and restatement of the protections contained in the SSCRA. Much like with the SSCRA, the SCRA has been amended since its initial passage and proposed changes continue to be introduced in Congress. This book summarises the rights granted to persons serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, and in some instances, to their dependants, under the SCRA. It also examines available information on changes in the financial well-being of service-members who received foreclosure-prevention and mortgage-related interest rate protections under SCRA, including the extent to which they became delinquent and the impact of protection periods; and DOD's partnerships with public- and private-sector entities to provide financial education and counselling about SCRA mortgage protections to servicemembers and views on the effectiveness of these partnerships.