Consumer Info: Mortgages
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Foreclosure Prevention: Help Save Your Home
A simple phone call can help save your home if you are falling behind on your mortgage or other loans.Listen to a 30-second radio message:
View the transcript from the OCC (PDF).
To download the mp3, right-click this link and choose "Save As."Preventing Foreclosures
If you're falling behind on a home mortgage or loan, it can pay to know your options.Listen to a 30-second radio message:
View the transcript from the OCC(PDF).
To download the mp3, right-click this link and choose "Save As."HelpWithMyBank.gov: Good News For People With Banking Questions
There's good news for people who have questions or concerns about their bank.Listen to a 30-second radio message:
View the transcript from the OCC (PDF).
To download the mp3, right-click this link and choose "Save As."HelpWithMyBank.gov: Help Available Online
HelpWithMyBank.gov has been created to answer common questions consumers have about banking and provide information about contacting banking regulators.Listen to a 30-second radio message:
View the transcript from the OCC (PDF).
To download the mp3, right-click this link and choose "Save As."Hurricane Victims: Contact Your Lender
If you're a hurricane survivor, it's time to start your financial recovery. The first step is to contact your lender.Listen to a 30-second radio message:
To download the mp3, right-click this link and choose "Save As."Listen to a 60-second radio message:
To download the mp3, right-click this link and choose "Save As."
View the transcripts from the OCC (PDF).Foreclosure Rescue Scams
You may be having trouble paying your mortgage. You may be worried about foreclosure. Don’t pay money up front to anyone who promises to protect your home from foreclosure. And report them to the FTC.Listen to a 30-second radio message:
View the transcript from the FTC (PDF).
To download the mp3, right-click this link and choose "Save As."Foreclosure Prevention Specialist
You might be getting mail from so-called mortgage foreclosure specialists who want you to pay them money up front for their services. They could be scams. Report them to the FTC.Listen to a 30-second radio message:
View the transcript from the FTC (PDF).
To download the mp3, right-click this link and choose "Save As."Stressed Out about Mortgage Payments?
You may be stressed out about paying your mortgage. Opportunistic scam artists promise to keep you in your home, as long you pay them in advance. Report them to the FTC.Listen to a 30-second radio message:
View the transcript from the FTC (PDF).
To download the mp3, right-click this link and choose "Save As."
PDF's
Interest-Only Payments and Payment-Option ARMS: Are They for You?
Owning a home is part of the American dream, but exotic mortgages carry risks that consumers should understand. This brochure helps explain Interest-Only and Payment-Option Adjustable Rate Mortgages. View the brochure from the OCC (PDF).
Online Articles & Tools
Foreclosure Rescue Scams
The possibility of losing your home to foreclosure can be terrifying. The reality that scam artists are preying on the vulnerability of desperate homeowners is equally frightening. Many so-called foreclosure rescue companies or foreclosure assistance firms claim they can help you save your home. Unfortunately, once most of these foreclosure fraudsters take your money, they leave you much the worse for wear. Read the full article from the FTC.OCC Consumer Tips for Avoiding Foreclosure Rescue Scams
This Consumer Advisory from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency provides advice to help prevent borrowers from becoming victims of foreclosure rescue scams. It outlines what people should watch out for to avoid foreclosure rescue scams and provides a list of resources people can use to find qualified sources for help. Read the full article from the OCC.Borrowing Against the Equity in Your Home
Borrowing from an unscrupulous lender, especially one that offers a high-cost loan using the home as security, could result in the loss of the borrower's home and their money. This brochure, Putting Your Home on the Loan Line is Risky Business, warns that regardless of whether a home equity loan is for a home repair, bill consolidation or some other purpose, it is important to shop around. Read the full article from the OCC.Combating Abusive Lending
The OCC is pioneering a new approach to combating predatory lending that effectively deals with abusive practices without impairing the flow of credit to low-income and subprime borrowers. Read the full article from the OCC.BBBTips™ for Troubled Homeowners
If your monthly mortgage payment is a financial burden or if you anticipate falling behind on your payments when your rate increases, know that you are not alone. Others — at all income levels — are facing the same predicament. How your particular situation resolves itself will depend on you taking the time to review your mortgage, today, and, if need be, contacting your lender at the first sign of trouble. Read the full article from the BBB.