Returning military need reentry plan.

• Position: Personal Finances

It may be many months--if not years--before U.S. troops make a permanent exit from wartime service. However, it never is too early for military personnel and their families to start talking about the right financial steps to take when returning home, according to the Financial Planning Association, Denver, Colo.

Here are some suggestions military personnel and their spouses should follow during deployment or at the end of their service:

Prevent identity theft. If a member of the military has not registered an "active duty alert" with the three major credit reporting companies (Transunion, Experian, and Equifax), they should de so immediately. Such an alert--effective for one year but renewable--instantly stops all credit offers from being mailed to their homes. A call to any one of the credit bureaus automatically will put an alert on an individual's file with all three agencies. For extra protection, get a trusted family member authorized to check your credit report annually and place or remove an alert in your stead.

Know your rights if problems occur. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act of 2003 provides a variety of financial protections for active duty personnel. The act provides stays on civil litigation, including bankruptcy and divorce, and prevents wage attachments when military personnel are away. Coverage requires active duty confirmation from a commanding officer, but expires 90 days after that status has been terminated. The law also makes it tougher--but not impossible--for landlords to evict military families for nonpayment of rent.

Note credit protections. The 2003 act also freezes credit card, mortgage, and some student loan interest at six percent if the military personnel were approved for the loans before they were called to active duty. On student loans, reservists and active duty members assigned away from their permanent duty stations may receive a deferment for up to three years on student-loan payments as well as a break on accruing interest on missed payments. Finally, deployed military away for at least six months can terminate a car, truck, or other vehicle...