Members of the military who are on active duty have plenty on their plate. In addition to performing their everyday work and thinking about their families back home, the last thing they need is to worry about finances or debt problems.

It's well-documented, however, that many service members have been faced with unfair foreclosures and other mortgage or credit card abuses. The government is trying to change that with the comprehensive settlement of mortgage litigation, according to the New York Times.

As part of the agreement reached last week, four big lenders, including Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase, will make up the losses for active duty members who were denied interest rate reductions or lost their homes unfairly. The lenders will provide a minimum of $116,785 to service members who were subjected to wrongful foreclosure. They may also be entitled to further relief for any additional harm they suffered.

For its part, JPMorgan Chase will provide service members their home free of debt or else the cash equivalent of their home's value at the time of sale, the Times reports.

Service members who qualify do not need to worry about applying for the offered relief; they will be notified in the future of what will happen. Those who are not sure whether they qualify can check with the Armed Forces Legal Assistance office.

An assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's civil rights division says the settlement should allow members of the military to concentrate on their duties and their families, rather than straining financial difficulties.

Source: New York Times, "Mortgage relief for service members," John H. Cushman Jr., Feb. 12, 2012