Hometown Hero Credit

Please read this. I need your help figuring something out.

We say we support our veterans and military families. But are we doing enough to make a meaningful difference in their lives?

Something has been weighing on my mind for quite some time. I do not have all the answers. In fact, that is why I am writing this.

I have spent much of my career in the mortgage industry, and I understand that businesses need to make a profit. Loan officers, real estate agents, insurance professionals, and financial advisors all have families to feed, bills to pay, and futures to plan for.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with earning a good living by providing a valuable service.

But I keep coming back to a question that deserves a much larger conversation:

When we say we support our veterans and military families, what are we actually doing for them?

Are we making a meaningful difference in their lives, or have we become so good at marketing to them that we sometimes confuse attracting their business with serving their interests?

I believe there is an important difference, and I need your help figuring out what we can do about it.

An American Flag Is Not a Financial Benefit

Every week, I see mortgage companies with impressive military branding.

Their websites feature American flags, photographs of service members, patriotic slogans, and company names that immediately appeal to veterans and active-duty military families.

Many of the loan officers working for these companies are veterans themselves. I know some of them personally, and I believe they genuinely care about helping the men and women who have served our country.

But here is where I struggle.

A loan officer can generally offer only the rates, fees, and programs available through the company they represent. What happens when that company’s offer is more expensive than what another lender could provide to the same military family?

The veteran may receive wonderful customer service. They may feel an immediate connection with a loan officer who also wore the uniform. They may even choose that company because its advertising makes them believe they are receiving something special.

But if another lender could have saved that family thousands, and THOUSANDS, of dollars, did the military branding actually help them?

I am not suggesting that every military-focused mortgage company charges more than its competitors. I am also not suggesting that the lowest advertised interest rate is always the best loan.

Closing costs, fees, and the full terms of the mortgage matter, too.

What concerns me is the possibility that a military family might place its trust in a company because of its patriotic image without ever discovering whether the offer is genuinely competitive.

A company can be veteran-friendly in its advertising without offering the best financial option for a veteran.

And that is something I believe we need to talk about.

What Could That Difference Mean to a Military Family?

This is a hypothetical illustration, not a real family’s situation.

Imagine a veteran purchasing a home with a $400,000 mortgage.

One lender offers a 30-year loan at 6.5% interest. Another offers the same loan amount and repayment term at 5.5%.

At 6.5%, the monthly principal-and-interest payment would be approximately $2,528. At 5.5%, it would be approximately $2,271.

That is a difference of about $257 every month, or more than $3,000 a year.

If the family kept that mortgage for the entire 30 years, the difference in total interest would be approximately $92,000.

Think about that for a moment.

A military family could potentially pay $92,000 more over the life of its mortgage simply because it chose one lender over another.

Of course, a proper comparison would also include closing costs, any upfront charges for obtaining the lower rate, and how long the family expects to keep the loan. This example assumes those other factors are equal.

But think about what those potential savings could mean.

That money could help a military family build an emergency fund, save for their children’s education, prepare for retirement, or simply have a little more breathing room each month.

A heartfelt “Thank you for your service” is meaningful.

Helping that family keep more of its hard-earned money is a tangible act of gratitude.

I believe we should be working toward both.

This Is Not Just About Mortgages

I see the same issue in insurance, financial services, retirement planning, real estate, automobile sales, and other industries that market directly to military families.

Some companies offer genuine benefits. Others advertise military discounts that may not be any better than offers available to the general public.

I frequently come across websites featuring long lists of supposedly veteran-friendly businesses. I appreciate the effort to connect military families with companies that want their business.

But I often find myself wondering what makes those businesses veteran-friendly in the first place.

Is it a meaningful discount?

Lower fees?

A special service?

A financial contribution that the family would not otherwise receive?

Or is it simply that the business wants to attract military customers?

A discount is not much of a benefit if the starting price is higher than the competition’s.

I am not accusing every business that advertises to veterans of taking advantage of them. There are many outstanding companies and professionals doing meaningful work for our military community every day.

But when we use military service as a reason for someone to choose our business, I believe we should be prepared to answer a simple question:

What tangible benefit does this military family receive by doing business with us?

Should the VA Get More Involved?

I have even found myself wondering whether the Department of Veterans Affairs should play a greater role in protecting military families from excessive mortgage rates and fees.

I realize that suggestion may concern mortgage companies, brokers, and loan officers across the country. I also recognize that there are legitimate questions about how additional requirements might affect competition, lending costs, and access to homeownership.

I do not have a complete proposal, and I am not suggesting that government oversight is automatically the answer.

This is my personal opinion and an open question, not a legislative proposal or an official policy position of Operation T.A.G.

But I do believe the underlying questions deserve serious consideration.

Could we make it easier for veterans to compare competing mortgage offers?

Could military-focused businesses do more to explain their actual financial benefits?

Could we establish clearer expectations for companies that advertise themselves as providing special advantages to those who served?

At the same time, I would much rather see the business community take meaningful action voluntarily than wait for the government to tell us how to treat military families.

Shouldn’t our personal commitment to those who served be greater than the minimum required by law?

What If Everyone Did Something?

This question is at the heart of why I founded Operation T.A.G., or Tangible Act of Gratitude.

Through the Hometown Hero Credit, a non-profit program of Operation T.A.G., we work to provide eligible veterans, active-duty service members, reservists, and Gold Star surviving spouses with a 2% credit up to $21,000 toward eligible homebuying or refinancing expenses, subject to program guidelines.

The 2% credit is calculated on the loan amount, not the sales price. It may be applied to eligible closing fees, buying down the interest rate, paying real estate agent fees, or, in some cases, paying down debt to help with VA loan qualification.

It cannot be used for a down payment or for non-loan purposes. VA loans generally do not require a down payment, but final requirements depend on the loan, borrower, property, and lender.

The goal is simple: to put something meaningful behind the words “Thank you for your service.”

The Hometown Hero Credit is a partnership between Operation T.A.G. and PRMG, one of the nation’s top VA lenders. Operation T.A.G. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit project of the High Desert Community Foundation and administers the program. PRMG is the lending partner that originates and underwrites the VA loan.

According to PRMG’s published announcement, the company ranked No. 14 nationally among Top VA Lenders in the 2026 Scotsman Guide rankings. That is an industry ranking, not a guarantee of any borrower’s outcome. Final loan approval, rates, terms, and eligibility are determined by PRMG and applicable program and lender requirements. The 2% credit up to $21,000 does not guarantee loan approval.

But I do not believe one nonprofit, one lender, or one real estate agent should have to carry the entire responsibility.

Real estate agents have families to feed, too. So do loan officers, title representatives, insurance professionals, and everyone else involved in helping a family purchase a home.

I am not asking anyone to work for free.

I am asking what might happen if everyone involved did just a little something.

What if the lender contributed meaningful assistance?

What if the real estate agent found a way to reduce a cost?

What if the title company, insurance provider, or another business offered a genuine financial benefit?

What if we looked for ways to help military families not only purchase a home, but also sell one, relocate, protect their finances, and prepare for retirement?

No single contribution would have to be enormous.

But together, those tangible acts of gratitude could make a tremendous difference in the lives of the families who have already given so much.

That is the kind of veteran-friendly business community I would love to see.

I Keep Coming Back to One Simple Question

When I look at what Operation T.A.G. has accomplished, I am grateful. But I also find myself asking what more we could do.

I believe every business that serves military families could benefit from asking itself the same question.

Not:

“How can we attract more veteran customers?”

Not:

“How can we make our website look more patriotic?”

Not even:

“How can we convince military families that we care?”

But rather:

“What can we actually do to make their lives better?”

Could we reduce a fee?

Contribute a portion of our earnings?

Provide a service at no cost?

Help a family avoid an unnecessary expense?

Refer them to a competitor when that competitor can genuinely offer them a better financial outcome?

That last question is uncomfortable for those of us who earn our living through sales.

But if our mission is truly to serve military families, shouldn’t their financial well-being be part of how we measure our success?

I believe it should.

This Is Where I Need Your Help

I am not writing this because I believe I have the solution.

I am writing because I believe the solution may come from a conversation among people who genuinely care about our military families.

If you work in mortgage lending, real estate, insurance, financial services, or any other industry that serves veterans, I would love to hear your thoughts.

What could your profession do differently?

What could your company contribute?

What would make military-focused discounts and programs more meaningful and transparent?

And if you are a veteran, active-duty service member, reservist, or Gold Star surviving spouse, I especially want to hear from you.

Have you received a genuine financial benefit from a company that advertised itself as veteran-friendly?

Have you ever discovered that a supposedly special military offer was no better, or was more expensive, than another option?

What would meaningful support look like to you?

There’s a difference between SERVING military families…and just MARKETING to them.

Our veterans and military families deserve more than clever marketing, colorful flags, and good intentions. They deserve tangible acts of gratitude that make a real difference in their lives.

Businesses deserve to make a profit. I believe that wholeheartedly.

But I also believe we can earn a living while finding meaningful ways to give something back to the people who have served our country.

Perhaps the answer begins with each of us looking into our own hearts and asking one simple question:

“What can I do?”

Not what should someone else do.

Not what should the government require.

Not what can I put in my next advertisement.

What can I personally do to make a tangible difference for a military family?

I would genuinely appreciate your thoughts, your ideas, and your experiences. Please share them in the comments or contact Operation T.A.G. directly.

Please help me figure this out.

Brett Stacy
National Director & Founder of the Hometown Hero Credit, a program of Operation T.A.G. (Tangible Act of Gratitude), and 501(c)(3) non-profit project of HDCF.

Contact Operation T.A.G.:
760-456-8748 – 24-hour Information Line
OperationTAG.org
HometownHeroCredit.com

Disclaimer: This article reflects Brett Stacy’s personal observations and opinions as founder of Operation T.A.G. and is not legal, financial, tax, or lending advice and is not a statement of policy. The mortgage payment comparison is a hypothetical illustration only; actual rates, fees, closing costs, and outcomes vary by borrower, lender, loan program, and market conditions. Program availability and eligibility are subject to guidelines. Operation T.A.G. is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Free Mission Homeownership PDF E-Book