SCRA Compliance Insights
Enforcement trends, compliance guides, and practical strategies for lenders, property managers, and financial institutions.
DOJ and CFPB Want You to Proactively Screen for SCRA-Protected Servicemembers. Here's What That Means.
The December 2024 DOJ/CFPB joint letter recommends proactive portfolio screening for SCRA-eligible accounts. Over 90% of eligible servicemembers are being missed. Here's what the letter says and what to do about it.
SCRA Penalties in 2026: Civil, Criminal, and Private Action Consequences
The per-violation civil penalty for SCRA violations is $79,380 for a first offense and $158,761 for subsequent offenses as of July 2025. Most online sources still cite the old figures. Here's what's actually current.
Congress Wants Creditors to Protect Every Account a Servicemember Holds, Not Just the One They Ask About
The bipartisan Improving SCRA Benefit Utilization Act (S.1550) would require creditors to apply the 6% interest rate cap across all of a servicemember's accounts once notified about any single one. Here's what it means for compliance programs.
Hyundai Capital Repossessed a Servicemember's Car Three Days After She Confirmed She Was Active Duty
The DOJ found Hyundai Capital America illegally repossessed 26 servicemembers' vehicles over eight years. One case stands out: a Navy airman who faxed her orders, called to confirm, and still lost her car.
Why Point-in-Time SCRA Verification Isn't Enough: The Case for Continuous Monitoring
Checking military status at loan origination or lease signing leaves a gap that grows every day. Here's why continuous monitoring is now the DOJ's expectation, and what happens when you don't have it.
Credit Union Military Member Compliance: Beyond the SCRA
The three pillars of military compliance for credit unions: SCRA protections, MLA rate caps, and DoD voluntary guidelines. How they interact, where they overlap, and where credit unions commonly fall short.
NCUA SCRA Guidance for Credit Unions: What Examiners Look For
What credit unions need to know about SCRA compliance and NCUA examination procedures. Covers the examination framework, enforcement actions against credit unions, and how to build a program that passes examination.
Privatized Military Housing and the SCRA: What Operators Need to Know
How the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act applies to privatized military housing operators, from lease termination rights to fee prohibitions. Includes DOJ enforcement actions against Lincoln Military Housing, United Communities, Twin Creek, and Greystar.
SCRA Interest Rate Cap for Credit Unions: A Compliance Guide
How to implement the 6% interest rate cap across auto loans, credit cards, mortgages, and personal loans, with credit union-specific considerations. Covers BayPort's $109K settlement, NCUA examination focus areas, and the five most common implementation errors.
How to Prepare for an SCRA Compliance Audit
Whether it comes from the DOJ, CFPB, OCC, or your own internal team, an SCRA compliance audit evaluates one core question: can you prove you are protecting servicemembers? This guide covers what examiners look for and how to prepare.
SCRA Compliance for Credit Unions: Why Military-Affiliated CUs Face Unique Risk
Credit unions serving military communities face concentrated SCRA exposure that national banks don't. BayPort Credit Union paid $109K for 24 servicemembers. Even USAA, the closest bank analog, paid $85M. Here's what credit union compliance teams need to know.
SCRA Default Judgment Protections: What Section 3931 Requires Before You Go to Court
The SCRA prohibits default judgments against servicemembers without a military status affidavit. Filing a false one is a federal crime. Here's what lenders, landlords, and debt collectors need to know about Section 3931.
How to Conduct a Retroactive SCRA Portfolio Audit Before the DOJ Does
Nearly every major SCRA consent decree requires a retroactive portfolio audit. Companies that do this proactively control the timeline, methodology, and cost. Here's how to run one yourself, and what the DOJ has required in past cases.
SCRA Compliance for Auto Lenders: What CarMax, Santander, and Hyundai Learned the Hard Way
Four auto lenders have paid a combined $11M+ in DOJ settlements for illegal vehicle repossessions. Here's what the SCRA requires of auto lenders, where violations happen, and how to prevent them.
Facing an SCRA Consent Decree: What Your Organization Must Do and How to Prepare
Every recent SCRA consent decree requires the same things: DMDC verification, staff training, quarterly reporting, and independent audits. Here's exactly what the DOJ expects, whether you're under a consent decree or trying to avoid one.
What Is the SCRA? The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act Explained
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protects active-duty military members from foreclosures, repossessions, evictions, and excessive interest rates. Here's what the SCRA covers, who it protects, and what businesses must do to comply.
The DOJ Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative: What Every Lender and Property Manager Should Know
The DOJ's dedicated enforcement arm for military protections has recovered over $400 million since 2011. Here's how it works, what triggers an investigation, and what it means for your compliance program.
SCRA Compliance Training: What the DOJ Expects and Why Every Consent Decree Requires It
Every recent SCRA consent decree mandates staff training. Here's what the DOJ expects your training program to cover, who needs it, and how to build one that actually prevents violations.
CarMax Just Paid $500K for Repossessing Servicemembers' Cars Without Court Orders
The DOJ found that CarMax illegally repossessed vehicles from 28 active-duty servicemembers over five years. Here's what happened, why it keeps happening, and what auto lenders should do about it.
SCRA Compliance Tools Compared: What Each Option Actually Does
An honest comparison of SCRA compliance tools. DMDC, SCRACVS, Quandis, LexisNexis, and civrel.io. covering what each does, what it costs, and which compliance problems it solves.
How to Prepare for an SCRA Compliance Exam: The Practical Guide
What OCC and CFPB examiners actually test in SCRA compliance reviews. Document checklist, transaction testing areas, and a 90-day preparation timeline.
The SCRA 6% Interest Rate Cap: An Operational Guide for Lenders
Every rate cap article tells servicemembers how to ask. This one tells lenders how to implement. retroactive calculations, payment re-amortization, multi-product coverage, and exam-ready documentation.
State Military Protections Beyond Federal SCRA: What Multi-State Operators Must Know
15+ states have military protections stricter than federal SCRA. shorter notice periods, broader Guard coverage, treble damages. State-by-state reference for lenders and PMs.
CFPB Scales Back, But SCRA Enforcement Intensifies
The CFPB's budget was cut by nearly half, but SCRA enforcement is intensifying. Federal agencies have recovered over $400M for servicemembers and a new DOJ enforcement branch signals sustained action.
The Complete Guide to SCRA Compliance (2026)
Everything lenders, property managers, and financial institutions need to know about SCRA compliance. requirements, penalties, enforcement trends, and how to build a program that works.
SCRA Enforcement Trends 2024–2025: What Lenders and Property Managers Need to Know
Federal agencies have recovered over $400M for servicemembers. SCRA enforcement is escalating. Here's what recent settlements mean for your compliance program.
Greystar's $1.4M SCRA Settlement: Lessons for Property Managers
Greystar paid $1.4M + 5-year DOJ oversight because their PM software auto-charged military tenants. Here's what went wrong and how to prevent it.
SCRA Compliance Checklist for Lenders: 12 Requirements You Can't Miss
Complete SCRA compliance checklist for banks, credit unions, and auto lenders. Covers rate caps, repossession holds, foreclosure protection, and proactive identification.
SCRA for Property Managers: Eviction Protection, Lease Termination, and Compliance
SCRA obligations every property manager must know. eviction protection, lease termination rights, and the penalties for getting it wrong. With recent enforcement examples.
SCRA vs MLA: Key Differences Every Lender Must Understand
SCRA and MLA protect different people, cover different products, and impose different requirements. Side-by-side comparison with practical guidance for lenders.
Why Manual DMDC Lookups Aren't Enough for SCRA Compliance
The DMDC is the authoritative data source, but manual lookups don't scale. Here's why organizations need automated SCRA compliance. not just access to data.
The True Cost of Manual SCRA Compliance: Staff, Lookups, and Risk
Manual SCRA compliance costs $350K–$1.15M/year and still misses most eligible accounts. Full cost breakdown of hiring, lookups, and the hidden cost of doing nothing.
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