Published
October 1, 2026
Updated
October 29, 2026
People notified by Academy Mortgage Corporation that their names, Social Security numbers and birth dates may have been exposed in a 2023 data incident may qualify to claim a pro rata cash payment, up to $3,000 in documented losses and three years of credit monitoring from the $1.995 million Academy Mortgage data breach class action settlement. Claims are open now and are due by January 27, 2027.
Current Status
Claims are open. The official settlement website is live, and claims are due by January 27, 2027, online by 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time or postmarked by mail. The deadline to opt out or to object comes first, on December 28, 2026. Judge David Barlow of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah granted preliminary approval on September 29, 2026, and has scheduled the final fairness hearing for March 31, 2027 at 10:30 a.m. Mountain Time in Salt Lake City. The settlement has not received final approval, and no payment date has been announced.Free settlement alerts
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Status
Claims Open
final fairness hearing March 31, 2027 in Salt Lake City
Claim Deadline
January 27, 2027
online by 11:59 p.m. MT or postmarked · opting out and objecting close earlier, on December 28, 2026
Estimated Payout
Pro Rata Cash + Up to $3,000
pro rata amount depends on the number of claims · California residents receive double · plus 3 years of credit monitoring
Proof Required
Yes — Class Member ID Expected
the mailed notice carries a Class Member ID · the cash payment needs no receipts · documented losses need third-party records
What Changed Recently?
The claim period has opened. Kroll Settlement Administration launched the court-authorized settlement website, which now posts the deadlines: January 27, 2027 to file a claim, December 28, 2026 to opt out or object, and a final fairness hearing on March 31, 2027.Plaintiffs filed an unopposed motion for preliminary approval on August 25, 2026, after two full-day mediations ended more than two years of litigation over the breach. The court granted that motion on September 29, 2026, finding the settlement likely to be approved as fair, reasonable and adequate, preliminarily certifying the settlement class, approving the notice program and appointing Kroll Settlement Administration as administrator.
The case grew out of a data incident Academy Mortgage became aware of in March 2023. After concluding that names, Social Security numbers and birth dates may have been accessed, the Utah-based lender began notifying affected people in December 2023. Several lawsuits followed and were consolidated in 2024; in October 2025 the court dismissed some claims and allowed others to proceed. Academy Mortgage does not admit liability under the settlement.
Who Qualifies?
The settlement class is every living person residing in the United States who was notified by Academy Mortgage that their personal information may have been affected by the data incident. The court put the class at about 285,000 people.Excluded are Academy Mortgage and entities it controls, its officers and directors, the judges assigned to the case and their staff, the attorneys for the parties, and anyone who opts out.
How Much Can You Get?
A class member can claim any or all of three benefits:• Reimbursement of documented out-of-pocket losses up to $3,000 per person, for unreimbursed costs reasonably related to the data incident or to dealing with its effects.
• A pro rata cash payment, with no documentation required. California residents who submit a sworn attestation of California residency receive twice the standard amount, to account for their statutory damages claims.
• Three years of one-bureau credit monitoring with dark web monitoring, up to $1 million in identity theft insurance and identity recovery services.
The pro rata payment comes last. The $1,995,000 fund first pays administration costs, taxes, any service awards and any attorneys' fees and costs the court approves, then valid documented-loss claims; whatever remains is divided among valid pro rata claims, with each California claim counted twice. Class counsel will ask for one-third of the fund ($665,000) plus up to $50,000 in costs, and $2,500 service awards for each class representative, all subject to court approval. No per-person estimate has been published, and the final amount depends on how many people file.
What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?
The pro rata cash payment and the credit monitoring require no receipts or other documentation. The documented-loss reimbursement requires an attestation that the losses resulted from the data incident plus reasonable third-party documentation, such as receipts, statements or correspondence.The court-approved postcard notice carries a Class Member ID, and the online claim form is expected to ask for it; data breach claim portals usually do. Class members who no longer have the postcard can ask the administrator for their ID through the contact page on the settlement website.
What Is the Deadline?
Claims are due January 27, 2027. Online claims must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time that day, and paper claim forms must be postmarked by that date. Requests to opt out must be mailed to the administrator and postmarked by December 28, 2026, and objections must be filed with the court and mailed to the administrator by the same date.How Do You Take Action?
Claims are filed on the official settlement website, which is also where a claim for documented losses with supporting records can be submitted and where payment by electronic transfer can be chosen. Kroll is mailing a postcard notice to each class member's address, updated through the national change-of-address database, with a tear-off claim form for the cash payment and credit monitoring; a paper claim form sent by mail is paid by check. Under the settlement, the only way to receive a benefit is a valid, timely claim, and a class member who does nothing gives up the right to sue Academy Mortgage over the claims the settlement resolves.What Happens Next?
Class counsel's request for fees and service awards must be filed at least 14 days before the December 28, 2026 opt-out and objection deadline. The court will hold the final fairness hearing on March 31, 2027 at 10:30 a.m. Mountain Time in Salt Lake City, and the hearing date can change, so the settlement website is the place to confirm it. Credit monitoring activation codes and payments follow only after final approval and any appeals.Sources and Verification
• Official Academy Mortgage settlement website (Kroll Settlement Administration)• Stern v. Academy Mortgage Corporation, No. 2:24-cv-00015 (D. Utah), court docket
• Memorandum Decision and Order Granting Preliminary Approval, ECF No. 113 (September 29, 2026)
• Plaintiffs' Unopposed Motion for Preliminary Approval and the Settlement Agreement with its proposed notices and claim form, ECF Nos. 112 and 112-1 (August 25, 2026)
Questions
Can I file an Academy Mortgage settlement claim now?
Yes. The official settlement website is live and accepts claims online through 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time on January 27, 2027. A paper claim form sent by mail must be postmarked by the same date.
Can I claim the cash payment and credit monitoring together?
Yes. The settlement lets a class member claim any or all of the three benefits: reimbursement of documented losses up to $3,000, a pro rata cash payment, and three years of credit monitoring. The documented-loss claim needs third-party records; the pro rata payment and the credit monitoring do not.
Why do California residents get a bigger payment?
California residents had additional statutory damages claims under California privacy law, so the plan of allocation pays them twice the standard pro rata amount. To receive the higher payment, a California resident has to submit a sworn attestation of California residency during the claim period.
I never got a letter from Academy Mortgage. Am I in the class?
The class is defined as living people residing in the United States who were notified by Academy Mortgage that their personal information may have been affected by the data incident, so the notification letter is what places someone in the class. Academy Mortgage sent those letters beginning in December 2023, and the settlement notice will go to the same list, updated through the national change-of-address database.
For more class actions keep scrolling below.
Settlement Amount
$1,995,000
Attorneys' fees of up to one-third of the fund plus up to $50,000 in costs, and $2,500 service awards for each class representative, are requested from this amount and are subject to court approval.
Case Title
Stern v. Academy Mortgage Corporation
Case Number
No. 2:24-cv-00015-DBB-DAO
Court
U.S. District Court, District of Utah
Final Approval Hearing
March 31, 2027, 10:30 a.m. MT
Salt Lake City, Utah
Administrator
Kroll Settlement Administration
Official Website
academymortgagesettlement.com
