Military Financial Literacy Act of 2026

This bill aims to significantly expand credentialed, personalized financial and housing counseling services for members of the Armed Forces who are serving on active duty or transitioning from service. It amends existing law to include new counseling practices related to financial management, home buying and selling, renting, and home loans available through the Department of Veterans Affairs. A key provision mandates the Secretary of Defense to establish a new program within one year to provide tailored, one-on-one counseling to service members. The individualized counseling will cover crucial topics such as credit management , budgeting, anti-predatory lending practices, and planning for permanent change of station moves and rental agreements, alongside education on home loans available through the Department of Veterans Affairs and protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act . To implement this, the Secretary must seek an agreement with a counseling service organization that is a HUD-approved agency, a tax-exempt veteran service organization, and possesses expertise in financial literacy and housing stability for veterans. Furthermore, the bill requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a comprehensive report to Congress within two years of the program's establishment. This report must detail the number of service members who received counseling, the completion rate of the services, and indicators of financial stress or housing instability among participants, including metrics for mitigating risks.