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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched a new online “dashboard” that makes certain data received from active duty servicemembers and veterans publicly available. The data come from the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network, which aggregates consumer complaints received directly from consumers, as well as data contributions received from others (including state attorneys general, the CFPB,…

Earlier this month, the Office of Servicemember Affairs (OSA) released its annual report covering the Office’s activities during fiscal year 2019, which covers the period of October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019.

Noteworthy items include:

  • Top Complaints Received from Military Consumers During FY19.  In FY19, the same overall number of complaints (34,600) were submitted

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In a new interpretive rule published on February 28, 2020, the Department of Defense (DoD) has announced that it is withdrawing guidance previously issued in its December 14, 2017 Interpretive Rule, Q&A #2, governing motor vehicle and other personal property financing, and will revert back to the position it set forth in the original…

The Department of Defense announced in its Fall 2019 rulemaking agenda that it is engaged in proposed rulemaking to amend its Military Lending Act (MLA) regulations, apparently in order to allow non-bank creditors to provide secured auto financing for purchase transactions.  (The DoD’s agenda was filed as part of the Fall 2019 Unified Agenda of…

In its recently published Summer 2019 Newsletter, the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (“DFI”) reported that it had interpreted the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (“SCRA”) broadly to apply the SCRA’s 6% interest rate cap to a loan agreement entered into only by a servicemember’s spouse.  Generally, the SCRA provides for a 6% interest…

On August 21, 2019, President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum that streamlines the process by which totally and permanently disabled veterans can discharge their Federal student loans (Federal Family Education Loan Program loans, William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program loans, and Federal Perkins Loans).  Through the revamped process, veterans will be able to have…

On June 27 the Senate passed the Gold Star Spouses and Spouses of Injured Servicemembers Leasing Relief Expansion Act as part of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (see Sec. 6007). If it becomes law, the bill would amend the SCRA to allow spouses of servicemembers killed or injured during service to terminate…

The FTC has issued a final rule to implement a 2018 amendment to the FCRA made by the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act that requires nationwide consumer reporting agencies  (CRAs) to provide free electronic credit monitoring service for active duty military consumers.  The rule will be effective 30 days after its publication…

A Federal Register entry published last week details a proposed data-sharing arrangement between the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Education (DoE) designed to reduce the amount of interest that certain active duty service members pay on federal student loans.

In 2008, Congress amended the Higher Education Act to provide for the removal…

The Justice Department announced in a March 15 press release that it has reached an agreement with property management company PRG Real Estate Management (PRG) and several related entities to settle claims that PRG violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by obtaining evictions and money judgments against service-member tenants by filing affidavits that did…