At a time when our country often feels profoundly divided, we unite around support for veterans. National polling consistently shows that respect for veterans remains overwhelmingly high, crossing party, demographic, and regional lines.
Veterans rank among the most favorably regarded groups in America and are widely recognized through dedicated annual holidays, sporting events, and workplace initiatives. While this recognition appropriately honors veterans' service, it is especially important that they understand and can access the benefits they have earned.
One of the most valuable is the opportunity for homeownership. With Veterans Day approaching, it's worth considering how we can improve veterans' access to VA home loans.
Since the GI Bill was signed into law in 1944, the VA home loan program has guaranteed more than 29 million home loans totaling more than $4 trillion. Yet statistics indicate that too many veterans remain unaware of the program's advantages or misunderstand its benefits.
VA loans' core features, including interest rates that compare favorably with conventional mortgages and no down payment or monthly private mortgage insurance requirements, offer meaningful advantages that can be used multiple times. They are particularly valuable at a time when high home prices, borrowing costs, and the challenge of accumulating a down payment have placed homeownership beyond the reach of many Americans.
In a 2025 survey of more than 1,000 active-duty service members and veterans by Navy Federal Credit Union, 92% of respondents were aware of VA home loans, but nearly half did not know that VA loans typically offer comparatively low interest rates, and 55% mistakenly believed a down payment was required.
The same survey found that fewer than 40% of respondents turned to military sources for information, with others relying on family members or personal research. This increases the potential for confusion.
It raises an important question: Who bears responsibility for this information gap, how can it best be corrected, and how do we help veterans through the loan application process?
Because VA loans are issued by private lenders, with the VA guaranteeing a portion of the loan, lending institutions must embrace their role as a leading information resource for potential VA borrowers. Equally important is their obligation to provide a mortgage process, from application to closing, that reflects a genuine commitment to serving veterans.
We can be a prominent, often the first, source of information about VA loans. That means providing accessible information about VA loan facts and myths through our own communications channels and through professional staff fully trained in the product's unique features. At nbkc bank, for example, our website features "The 7 Most Common VA Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them," a practical guide addressing common questions and misunderstandings about the product.
We can provide consistent human interaction. Mortgages are complicated financial instruments that, in most cases, represent the single largest financial obligation customers will undertake in their lives. Having a dedicated resource with a thorough understanding of VA home loans can build confidence in the process and reduce confusion. At nbkc, borrowers work with a single loan officer who serves as their consistent contact throughout the origination process, rather than having to interact with multiple departments or people.
We can demonstrate our accountability to veterans. Veterans understand accountability and should rightly expect it from lenders in the form of a smooth and timely process. At nbkc, our Close-on-Time Guarantee, which provides compensation to qualifying buyers and sellers if closing commitments are not met, is one way we demonstrate that accountability and align our interests with those of the borrower.
Lenders are often the first point of contact for veterans seeking a home loan. That responsibility extends well beyond simply offering a VA mortgage. It requires a thorough understanding of the product, a commitment to educating potential borrowers, and a process designed to make home financing as straightforward and supportive as possible.
Few institutions are as uniquely positioned as lenders to make a meaningful difference in veterans' lives. By helping veterans understand the homeownership benefits they have earned and guiding them successfully through the mortgage process, we can give meaningful expression to something Americans overwhelmingly agree upon: Our veterans deserve our best.
