Defending Your Liberty, While Waiting On Hold
In November 2001, I deployed into Afghanistan with my fellow Marines of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) to capture or kill those responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States and to aid Afghanistan's Northern Alliance in their efforts to defeat the Taliban and rest control of their proud country from that brutal regime. The last thing that I, or any deployed servicemember, wants to think about is the financial security of my family back home. Yet today, according to a recent report issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, deployed servicemembers are often having a tough time getting access to loans and benefits that are supposed to be available to those serving on active duty, such as interest-rate reductions and federal loan forgiveness programs.
Additionally, servicemembers may face barriers when requesting and retaining protections afforded by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). Many servicemembers may not have access to the full range of benefits afforded to them due to servicing errors and complex eligibility requirements.
Ann Carrns, writing for The New York Times, discussed the CFPB's report and the challenges today's servicemembers face managing their student debt in today's blog "Student Loan Hurdles for Members of Military." Read Ann's article here.
