Behind on Mortgage Payments?
Missing a payment doesn't mean losing your home. Most lenders would rather work with you than foreclose.
How much time do I have?
Foreclosure generally can't start until you're more than 120 days behind on most home loans. That's federal law, with a few exceptions. This gives you a real window to find help. Current mortgage delinquency data from the Mortgage Bankers Association National Delinquency Survey put FHA delinquency at 11.79% of FHA loans in Q2 2026 — so if you're struggling, you have a lot of company. Here's what each stage looks like:
Behind on a payment? Tell me what's going on.
Answer a few quick questions and I'll connect you with someone who can help where you live. It's free.
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What should I do?
Call your servicer
The most common mistake is not calling. Your The company that collects your monthly mortgage payments. This may not be the same company that originally gave you the loan. Learn more → has a hardship department built for this. Call the number on your statement.
Write down the date, time, person's name, and what they said. Follow up in writing.
Not sure who services your loan? Use the Servicer Report Card to see how they handle borrower issues.
The largest mortgage servicers by complaint volume include Wells Fargo, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Mr. Cooper (Nationstar), Shellpoint / NewRez, Freedom Mortgage, PennyMac, Rocket Mortgage, and LoanCare. Each profile includes their CFPB complaint record, loss mitigation contact information, and demand letter templates.
“I'm having trouble making my payment. I'd like to discuss my options. My loan number is [your loan number]. Can you connect me with your loss mitigation department?”
A temporary arrangement to pause or reduce mortgage payments. Missed amounts are not forgiven, and the acceptance and exit terms vary. Learn more → temporarily pauses or reduces your payments. It doesn't erase what you owe — you repay later — but it gives you time while your situation improves.
Best for: Short-term problems like job loss, medical bills, or natural disaster.
Terms depend on the program. FHA's first pause is one to three months, and it can run up to 12 months in total (HUD Handbook 4000.1). Ask your servicer what VA or USDA allows. Moving eligible missed payments into a balance due later, often when you sell, refinance or pay off the loan, instead of requiring a lump sum now. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac offer versions of it, and FHA uses a separate partial claim. available after.
Up to 12 months in all. Fannie Mae approves it in stretches of up to three months. A payment deferral may follow if you qualify. It moves the missed payments into a balance due later, so there's no lump sum now.
Terms vary. Ask what happens when forbearance ends. Get it in writing.
Ask before you accept: "What are the repayment terms when this ends?" Some plans require a A large lump-sum payment due at the end of a loan or forbearance period. Ask your servicer about alternatives like payment deferral. — a lump sum. FHA and Fannie/Freddie allow Moving eligible missed payments into a balance due later, often when you sell, refinance or pay off the loan, instead of requiring a lump sum now. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac offer versions of it, and FHA uses a separate partial claim. instead — missed payments move to the end of your loan.
Read the full forbearance guide, with how long it lasts and how you repay it for each kind of loan.
Yes — this is often the single most useful step. A housing counselor approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. They provide free help with mortgage problems and can negotiate with your lender. s:
- Review your full finances and explain your options
- Call your servicer on your behalf — they often get faster results
- Help prepare your A servicer's review of available alternatives to foreclosure, such as repayment, forbearance, modification, or a short sale. Learn more → application
- Know local programs your servicer won't mention
- Offer foreclosure prevention counseling free of charge
Find one near you or call 1-800-569-4287.
If the problem isn't temporary, forbearance may not be enough. A A permanent change to your mortgage terms — like a lower interest rate or longer repayment period — to make your monthly payment more affordable. Learn more → permanently changes your mortgage — lower rate, longer term, or reduced balance — to make payments fit your new income.
How to apply: Ask your servicer for a "loss mitigation application." You'll need:
- A A formal letter to your mortgage servicer explaining your financial hardship and requesting relief options like forbearance or loan modification. Learn more → explaining your situation — use our free generator
- Proof of income (pay stubs, benefits letters)
- Bank statements (last 2-3 months)
- Recent tax returns
A HUD counselor can help you prepare this. Use the Document Tracker to keep everything organized as you submit.
- Rate reduction — lower interest rate, lower payment
- Term extension — spread payments over 40 years instead of 30
- Principal deferral — some balance moved to end of loan
- Principal reduction — balance actually lowered (rare)
- Capitalization — missed payments rolled into new balance
Read the full loan modification guide, with the rules for your loan, the trial payments and your servicer's deadlines.
The pandemic-era federal program for mortgage help. Its programs can't commit new money after September 30, 2026 (Treasury). See what help is left.
Every state runs emergency mortgage help, refinancing programs, and counselor networks. Search "[your state] housing finance agency."
Food assistance and utility bill help can free up money for mortgage payments. Apply at benefits.gov or call 211 for local emergency resources.
Free legal help for homeowners. Find legal aid near you or visit lawhelp.org.
DOJ-approved nonprofit counselors can help you build a budget and negotiate with creditors. Find a credit counselor or call the NFCC at 1-800-388-2227.
When money is tight, not all debts are equal. Mortgage debt is secured by your home — other debts usually aren't.
- Mortgage (even partial)
- Utilities (electricity, heat)
- Essential food and medication
- Credit cards (minimum or skip)
- Auto loan (if not needed for work)
- Subscriptions
- Medical bill hardship plans
- Student loan income-driven repayment
- Utility assistance programs
If your servicer has denied help or isn't responding, escalate:
- Send a formal letter. You can send your servicer a Qualified Written Request or Notice of Error — they generally have to respond within 30 business days. A few kinds of letters have shorter deadlines, and the servicer can add 15 business days if it explains why in writing. See our demand letter templates on any servicer page.
- File a CFPB complaint at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Servicers generally respond within 15 days.
- Look up your servicer's complaint record at americandefault.org/servicers to see how they've handled other borrowers' complaints.
- Contact your state attorney general. Many have mortgage relief hotlines.
- Talk to an attorney. Free legal aid: lawhelp.org.
- Consider A bankruptcy that lets you catch up on missed mortgage payments over 3-5 years if you can keep up the plan. The automatic stay generally pauses a foreclosure sale when the case is filed, with limits (11 U.S.C. § 362). Learn more → bankruptcy — filing usually puts an A rule that takes effect when you file for bankruptcy and usually pauses foreclosure, debt collection, and lawsuits while it lasts. It can be short or missing if you had a case dismissed in the past year. Learn more → in place that can pause a foreclosure while it lasts, with limits if you had a case dismissed in the past year.
For a full guide: How to Stop Foreclosure. Use the Foreclosure Timeline Calculator to see how much time you have in your state.
What documents do I need?
If you apply for A temporary arrangement to pause or reduce mortgage payments. Missed amounts are not forgiven, and the acceptance and exit terms vary. Learn more → , a A permanent change to your mortgage terms — like a lower interest rate or longer repayment period — to make your monthly payment more affordable. Learn more → , or any A servicer's review of available alternatives to foreclosure, such as repayment, forbearance, modification, or a short sale. Learn more → program, you will need these documents. Gather them before you call. Print this list and check items off as you go.
Loss Mitigation Document Checklist
Gather these before contacting your servicer. Missing documents are the #1 reason applications are denied.
- Hardship letter — 1-2 pages explaining what happened, when it started, and how you plan to recover. Use our free generator Be specific: job loss, medical bills, divorce, hours cut. Say what you are asking for.
- Pay stubs — last 2-3 months from all income sources Include every household earner on the mortgage.
- Bank statements — last 2-3 months, all accounts, all pages Checking, savings, and any investment accounts. Do not black out transactions.
- Most recent federal tax return — all pages including schedules Last 2 years if you are self-employed.
- W-2s or 1099s — last 2 years
- Proof of other income Social Security, disability, unemployment, pension, child support, alimony, rental income.
- Most recent mortgage statement Shows your loan number, balance, payment amount, and servicer contact info.
- Monthly expense list Rent/mortgage, utilities, food, insurance, transportation, medical, childcare, minimum debt payments.
- Property tax bill — most recent
- Homeowners insurance declaration page Shows coverage amount and annual premium.
- HOA or condo fee statements If applicable. Include any past-due amounts.
- Divorce decree or separation agreement If applicable. Includes child support or alimony obligations.
- Medical documentation If your hardship is medical. Hospital bills, disability determination, or doctor's letter.
What should I avoid?
Common questions
A missed payment will lower your score, but the damage is fixable. The bigger risk is letting it deepen into foreclosure, which stays on your report for 7 years. Focus on stopping foreclosure, not the short-term score hit. You can check your reports for free at AnnualCreditReport.com.
Yes — and you should. Start the application before forbearance ends. Federal rules generally bar your servicer from starting foreclosure while it reviews a complete application. If foreclosure has already started, send it complete more than 37 days before a sale; then the servicer generally can't ask for a judgment or hold the sale until it decides (12 C.F.R. § 1024.41).
Ask for the denial in writing with the specific reason. Many denials are about paperwork, not eligibility. Reapply with corrected documents. A HUD counselor or attorney can review whether the denial was proper.
If your servicer gets a complete application more than 37 days before a foreclosure sale, federal rules require it to evaluate you and send a written decision within 30 days of receiving it. Until the review ends, it generally can't make the first foreclosure filing or, if foreclosure has started, ask for a judgment or order of sale or hold the sale. These rules cover mortgages on the home you live in.
If your home is worth more than you owe, selling is usually better than foreclosure — you pay off the mortgage and keep the rest. If you owe more than it's worth, a Selling your home for less than you owe on the mortgage, with the lender's approval. Less damaging to your credit than a foreclosure. Learn more → may be an option. Read the short sale guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will missing a mortgage payment ruin my credit?
A missed payment will lower your score, but the damage is fixable. The bigger risk is letting it deepen into foreclosure, which stays on your report for 7 years. You can check your reports for free at AnnualCreditReport.com.
Can I apply for a loan modification during forbearance?
Yes — and you should. Start the application before forbearance ends. Federal rules generally bar your servicer from starting foreclosure while it reviews a complete application. If foreclosure has already started, send it complete more than 37 days before a sale; then the servicer generally can't ask for a judgment or hold the sale until it decides (12 C.F.R. § 1024.41).
My servicer says I don't qualify. Now what?
Ask for the denial in writing with the specific reason. Many denials are about paperwork, not eligibility. Reapply with corrected documents. A HUD counselor or attorney can review whether the denial was proper.
How long does a loan modification take?
If your servicer gets a complete application more than 37 days before a foreclosure sale, federal rules require it to evaluate you and send a written decision within 30 days of receiving it. Until the review ends, it generally can't make the first foreclosure filing or, if foreclosure has started, ask for a judgment or order of sale or hold the sale. These rules cover mortgages on the home you live in.
Should I sell the house instead?
If your home is worth more than you owe, selling is usually better than foreclosure — you pay off the mortgage and keep the rest. If you owe more than it's worth, a short sale may be an option.
Protect yourself from scams
People in financial distress are prime targets for fraud. Know these rules:
Report fraud: CFPB · FTC · your state attorney general's office.
Is this happening to you?
Are you worried about making next month's mortgage payment?
The Data Behind This
The American Distress Index tracks household financial distress across five domains, including mortgage delinquency and the debt service ratio. Related measures give context: FHA delinquency (11.79% in Mortgage Bankers Association National Delinquency Survey data) and the mortgage debt service ratio. The current indicator-pair research artifact tests individual indicators; it does not establish a fixed lead from the household-buffer domain to debt stress.
View the American Distress Index | The FHA Signal Thesis, Reframed | Financial Hardship Statistics | Check Your Exposure