{"id":64039,"date":"2019-09-16T19:09:15","date_gmt":"2019-09-16T19:09:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/09\/16\/all-troops-will-now-get-free-credit-monitoring-service\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:04:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:04:34","slug":"all-troops-will-now-get-free-credit-monitoring-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/management\/pay-benefits\/2019\/09\/16\/all-troops-will-now-get-free-credit-monitoring-service\/","title":{"rendered":"All troops will now get free credit monitoring service"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The three credit reporting agencies have agreed to provide free credit monitoring services<\/a> to all active duty members, going beyond the federal government\u2019s requirements, according to two senators who had pushed for broader eligibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The free credit monitoring, which often costs $30 a month or more, can help troops keep on top of their finances<\/a>, with information about new activity on their credit reports. With early detection, troops can take steps to nip fraud and other problems <\/a>in the bud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 2018 law gave the new benefit to service members, but the Federal Trade Commission\u2019s implementation guidelines limited it to those \u201cassigned to service away from the usual duty station of the consumer.\u201d It applied to active duty members and reservists on active duty under Title 10 orders. There are about 1.4 million active duty members, and more than 800,000 members of the Guard and Reserve components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the three credit reporting agencies \u2013 Equifax, Experian and TransUnion \u2013 have recently agreed to broaden the benefit, to provide the service to all active duty members, according to the two senators from Delaware, who had requested the agencies provide the service to more troops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis decision will result in broader financial protection for active service members and make a profound difference in the lives of their families,\u201d wrote Delaware senators Thomas Carper and Christopher Coons, both Democrats, in a Sept. 12 letter to the chief executive officers of the three credit reporting agencies, thanking them for broadening the eligibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re happy to provide them with the means to keep an eye on changes to their Experian credit report,\u201d said Experian spokesman Greg Young. Experian officials don\u2019t yet have a specific start date for the new benefit, he said, but when it begins there will be a link to a registration page designed specifically for the offering. Troops will need to renew the credit monitoring service every two years, but that requirement will likely be revisited and evaluated before the deadline for the first two-year renewal, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Information wasn\u2019t immediately available from the other two credit reporting agencies about when the benefit begins, or how service members can request the free credit monitoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These credit monitoring services alert consumers about material additions or changes to their credit files, such as new accounts opened in your name; changes to address, name or phone number; changes to credit limits and inquiries or requests for a consumer report, other than for pre-screening or account review. The Federal Trade Commission rule requires that the credit reporting agencies notify military consumers within 48 hours of any of these changes or additions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The senators noted that the companies have agreed to define \u201cactive duty military consumer,\u201d for their purposes in implementing the benefit, as \u201ca consumer who is on full-time duty in military service of the United States, which includes full-time training duty; annual training duty; full-time National Guard duty;\u201d and during attendance, while on active duty, at a service school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s consistent with the Defense Department\u2019s request for a broader definition of those eligible, eliminating the requirement that active duty members and reservists be assigned away from their usual duty station. DoD officials had notified the Federal Trade Commission that the requirement for the military member to be assigned to service away from the usual duty station would be \u201cseverely limiting,\u201d because a military consumer is likely to spend most of the active duty career assigned to \u201cthe usual duty station.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t