Some financial institutions with large numbers of military customers plan to help ease troops’ financial stress in the event a government shutdown interferes with their Feb. 1 paychecks … or beyond.
During a shutdown, by Defense Department guidelines, all active-duty military personnel would still report to work, but wouldn’t be paid until Congress makes funding available. During the last shutdown in 2013, Congress passed a law that required military members to be paid.
An unknown number of federal civilian employees could be furloughed, with no back pay. Those employees include military spouses, retirees and other veterans.
Here are some early shutdown announcements from financial institutions. As Feb. 1 approaches, check with your financial institution to see if similar plans are in place. During the 2013 shutdown, a number of banks and credit unions stepped up to help their customers.
USAA is prepared to offer a no-interest payroll advance loan to its military members. If the shutdown derails Feb. 1 paychecks, USAA will email eligible members with instructions on how to sign up. The company also plans to make special payment arrangements available for members having financial difficulty because of the disruption.
First Command Bank will offer no-interest payroll advances to its clients affected by a shutdown. The bank also plans to work with clients who may have trouble making loan payments, will waive early withdrawal penalties for those who need to redeem a certificate of deposit before its maturity date, and may offer deferments of monthly credit card payments, as well as waiving cash advance fees on credit cards.
