The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, in plain English
Know the law. Keep your money.
Federal law caps your pre-service debt at 6% APR, breaks leases when orders move you, and shields your home and car. Most service members never claim a dollar of it. Claiming takes one letter.
Where your money is hiding
- The 6% Interest Rate Cap
Cut every pre-service debt (credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, student loans) to 6% APR and claim refunds.
- Break Leases & Contracts Penalty-Free
End apartment leases, auto leases, and phone contracts without fees when orders move you.
- Protect Your Home & Car
Foreclosure and repossession protections that keep your biggest assets safe during service.
- Eligibility & Timing
Who qualifies, what paperwork proves it, and exactly when protections start and stop.
- Military Money Moves
Beyond the rights, the money plays that maximize your benefits: combat-zone tax, the SDP, choosing a military bank, deployment and PCS money, aid societies, and the timing moves generic guides never cover.
- Defend Your Rights in Court
Sued, served, or facing eviction while you serve? Default-judgment shields, the 90-day stay, the rights you can be tricked into waiving, and how to make a lender that broke the law pay.
- The Military Lending Act (36% Cap)
The SCRA covers debt from before you served; the Military Lending Act caps NEW consumer credit taken out while you serve at a 36% MAPR, and bans the predatory terms that target troops.
- State-by-State SCRA Benefits
Your state stacks its own protections on top of the federal SCRA: state-duty Guard coverage, longer rate caps, broader lease exits. What applies where you live.
Start here
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What Is the SCRA? The Military Law Worth Thousands a Year
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act caps your pre-service debt at 6%, breaks leases penalty-free, and blocks foreclosure. Here is what it is worth.
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The SCRA 6% Interest Rate Cap: Complete Guide
How to cut every pre-service debt to 6% APR with one letter: credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, student loans, retroactive to day one of active duty.
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SCRA Eligibility: Who Qualifies, When It Starts & Ends
Active duty, Guard, Reserve, spouses: who gets SCRA protections, what paperwork proves it, and the exact windows for each benefit.
Latest guides
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Combat Zone Tax Exclusion: The Pay the IRS Can't Touch
Enlisted combat-zone pay is fully federal-tax-free; officer pay is capped. What CZTE covers, the EITC and Roth plays, and the 180-day filing extension.
Enlisted: 100% of federal tax on in-zone pay
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The Deployment Financial Readiness Checklist
Power of attorney, SGLI, autopay, allotments, and SCRA notices: the pre-deployment money setup that keeps a downrange servicemember out of a crisis.
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How to Get Out of a Payday or Title Loan as a Servicemember
Two federal laws plus interest-free aid end a predatory payday or title loan. The SCRA cap, the MLA ceiling, honest alternatives, and how to escalate a stall.
Cut a 391% loan to 6% or exit it
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Military Allotments Explained: Discretionary vs Not
How military allotments work: discretionary vs non-discretionary, the six-allotment cap, and the predatory-allotment trap the MLA and DoD shut down.
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Military Aid Societies: Interest-Free Help, Not Payday Loans
The four military aid societies give interest-free loans and grants in an emergency. AER, NMCRS, AFAS, and CGMA terms, and how to apply before a payday loan.
Interest-free vs 300–400% payday APR
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MLA Covered Borrowers: Who the 36% Cap Protects
The MLA covers active duty, Guard/Reserve on qualifying orders, and dependents, not veterans or retirees. Plus the DoD database check and lender safe harbor.
Confirm 36% coverage in 30 seconds
- Cited to the U.S. Code Every protection links to the statute
- Written by a veteran Air Force vet, banking background
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Read our editorial policy. General information, not legal or financial advice.