The SCRA by Life Event

Deploying

Set up the money moves that pay while you are gone, and the insurance protections that hold if the worst happens.

• The Deployment Money Stack: 10% Guaranteed, 0% Interest Owed

  Deployment unlocks benefits that exist nowhere else in finance: a guaranteed 10% savings account, 0% federal student loans, tax-free pay into a Roth.

• SCRA Life Insurance Protection: The Government Pays If You Can't

  Under SCRA Title IV, your private life insurance cannot lapse during service plus two years, and the U.S. government guarantees the premiums.

• SCRA Professional Liability Protection for Deployed Pros

  Doctors, lawyers, and other pros can suspend malpractice insurance on active duty under 50 U.S.C. § 4023: no premiums, refunds, no gap on old claims.

SDP calculator →

PCSing to a new station

Orders that move you unlock penalty-free exits from your lease and contracts, plus tax rules that keep you from paying a state you are only passing through.

• Break Your Apartment Lease with Military Orders (SCRA)

  PCS or deployment orders of 90+ days let you end a residential lease penalty-free under the SCRA, often saving thousands. Exact steps and timing.

• Cancel Phone, Internet & Cable Contracts on Military Orders

  Federal law (50 U.S.C. § 3956) lets military members cancel cell phone, internet, and cable contracts with no early-termination fee on 90-day orders.

• The Military Car Tax Exemption: Skip Duty-State Property Tax

  Stationed in a state that taxes vehicles every year? Under SCRA § 4001 your car is legally "not there." Virginia families save $500–$1,500/yr. The steps.

• MSRRA: How a Military Spouse Keeps One Tax State

  Keep one home state through every PCS and elect the servicemember's state to cut income tax. Stop paying a state you live in only for orders.

Lease termination date calculator →

Activating from the Guard or Reserve

Coming onto orders switches the SCRA on. Confirm your title covers you, then claim the 6% cap and the rest before the activation ends.

• The Guard & Reserve SCRA Cycle: Get Paid Every Activation

  Guard and Reserve members get a fresh 6% cap with every qualifying activation, starting the day orders arrive, not the day you report. The full cycle.

• Guard & Reserve SCRA: Title 10 vs 32 vs State Duty

  Whether the SCRA covers you depends on your orders. Title 10 = full SCRA. Title 32 only at 30+ days for a national emergency. State duty = no federal SCRA.

• 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.

Eligibility checker →

Separating or retiring

Most protections end when active duty does, but a few carry a tail past your last day, and one lets you reinstate health coverage. Know which is which.

• Does the SCRA Cover Veterans? What Survives Separation

  The SCRA is active-duty law, so most protections end when you separate. But five post-service windows keep paying. What survives, what dies, and the deadlines.

• SCRA Health Insurance Reinstatement After Service

  Dropped a private health plan to deploy on military coverage? 50 U.S.C. § 4024 lets you reinstate it after service with no waiting period and no new exclusions.

Benefits finder →

Being sued or served

A lawsuit while you serve is its own emergency. The SCRA can block a default judgment, pause the case, and make a lender that broke the law pay.

• Sued While Serving? The SCRA Default-Judgment Shield

  Deployed and miss a lawsuit: the court can default-judgment you and garnish wages. 50 U.S.C. § 3931 blocks that and lets you reopen one that slipped through.

• Pause Any Lawsuit 90+ Days: The SCRA Stay

  50 U.S.C. § 3932 forces a court to pause any civil case at least 90 days when military duty keeps you from appearing. Deploy without losing by default.

• Your Lender Broke the SCRA. Here Is How to Make Them Pay

  A lender ignored the SCRA? 50 U.S.C. § 4042 lets you sue for your losses and make them pay your attorney. Plus how to complain to the DOJ and CFPB.

All court protections →

Buying or financing a car

The SCRA caps a car loan you signed before service; the Military Lending Act caps new financing at a 36% Military APR. Here is how to use each and pick a lender.

• MLA vs SCRA: The 6% Cap vs the 36% Rate Cap

  Two laws, two caps. SCRA caps pre-service debt at 6%. The MLA caps credit taken during service at 36% MAPR. Know which law covers your loan.

• Best Bank for Military Members: How to Choose

  The right bank for a military member waives fees, runs a real SCRA desk, posts your pay early, and works overseas. How to choose, and which banks deliver.

• SCRA Auto Loan Rate Cap: Drop Your Car Payment to 6% APR

  A pre-service auto loan must drop to 6% APR under the SCRA, cutting the typical payment by $80–$100 a month. Here is the letter-and-orders process.

Savings calculator →

Breaking a lease or contract

Orders should not cost you months of rent or an early-termination fee on an apartment, a car lease, or a phone bill. Time it right and erase the penalty.

• Break Your Apartment Lease with Military Orders (SCRA)

  PCS or deployment orders of 90+ days let you end a residential lease penalty-free under the SCRA, often saving thousands. Exact steps and timing.

• End a Car Lease Early with Military Orders, No Fee (SCRA)

  Deploying 180+ days or PCSing OCONUS? The SCRA lets you return a leased car with no early-termination charge. Phone and internet contracts too.

• Cancel Phone, Internet & Cable Contracts on Military Orders

  Federal law (50 U.S.C. § 3956) lets military members cancel cell phone, internet, and cable contracts with no early-termination fee on 90-day orders.

• SCRA & Contract Penalties: Fees a Court Can Erase

  50 U.S.C. § 3933 stops penalties from piling up during a stay and lets a court waive fines for missed contract terms when military service caused the miss.

Lease termination date calculator →

Not sure which event fits?

Answer a few questions and get a personalized list of every right that applies to you, each linked to its guide and the tool that claims it.

Open the benefits finder → · Browse by situation →