Military Lending Act: 36% cap on most loans for active duty and families

• The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's page says the MLA covers active-duty members of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Space Force, Reserves serving on active duty, National Guard members mobilized under federal orders for more than 30 consecutive days, their spouses, and sometimes their dependents.
• Lenders can't charge more than a 36% Military Annual Percentage Rate (MAPR), which counts finance charges, credit insurance premiums, add-on products and fees such as application or participation fees. They also can't charge prepayment penalties, require arbitration or require a military pay allotment.
• Covered: credit cards, payday loans, deposit advances, tax refund anticipation loans, vehicle title loans, overdraft lines of credit, installment loans (except auto loans) and some student loans. Not covered: home mortgages and other home loans, and auto or personal-property loans secured by what you are buying.
• Loans taken out before active duty fall under a different law, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. You can complain to the CFPB online or at (855) 411-2372, and a military legal assistance office can help with your situation. The page was last modified Sept. 8, 2025. General information, not legal or financial advice.

Verification: Lenders check covered-borrower status; no application needed · Ends: n/a (federal law)