Defense Dept. Aims To Close Predatory Lending Loopholes For Military Personnel

The Consumerist
Friday, September 26, 2014

The Department of Defense has proposed an overhaul of rules regulating predatory lending to military personnel. The proposal would expand the 36% APR cap on payday, auto-title and tax refund anticipation loans to cover all closed- or open-end loans, ending the current practice of lenders evading the rate cap by offering slightly longer or more expensive loans. The new rules would also require creditors to provide military borrowers with additional disclosures, including a document encouraging the service member to seek options other than high-cost credit. Creditors would also be prohibited from requiring service members to submit to arbitration or waive their rights under the services members’ Civil Relief Act.