COVID-19 Impact on Mortgage Holders

If, as a result of the current national emergency, you are experiencing a financial hardship that is negatively impacting your ability to make on-time mortgage payments, the CARES act allows you to request a forbearance from your mortgage company.  A forbearance is simply a pause in making mortgage payments.  Forbearance, is not the same as forgiveness. You will still owe the amount you didn’t pay, plus interest, during the forbearance period.

For a federally-backed mortgage loan, the initial forbearance period may be up to 6 months. If needed, an additional forbearance period of up to 6 months may be requested. The term of either the initial or the extended forbearance may be shortened at the borrower’s request. The mortgage company must waive all late charges, fees, and penalties, as long as the borrower is on a forbearance plan. Lenders are directed not to report you to credit bureaus for late or missed payments provided you are in a forbearance program. 

It’s uncertain how lenders will handle the payments due at the end of the forbearance period. They could extend the length of the loan or demand full payment.  Extending the loan term would be a far better option.

If your loan is not federally backed, contact your loan servicer or state or local government offices to find out your options.  Federal regulators believe most non-government-backed lenders and servicers will adopt policies similar to those mandated by the CARES Act.

How do you find out whether your loan is backed by the federal government? 

  1. Call your mortgage servicer. They are required to tell you who owns your mortgage and provide you the name, address and phone number of the company.
  2. Check online. Use loan lookup tools provided by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac to find out if either of those two government-backed providers own your mortgage.
  3. Check the Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems (MERS) website to find your servicer if you don’t know who that is.

Whether your loan is backed by the federal government or a private lender, the one thing you should not do is to just stop making payments. Failure to contact your lender could result in penalties, bad credit, and, perhaps, foreclosure and eviction.

Disclosure: Marshall Financial Group, Inc (“Marshall Financial”) is an SEC-registered investment adviser with its principal place of business in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.   This newsletter is limited to the dissemination of general information pertaining to Marshall Financial Group’s investment advisory services.  Investing involves risk, including risk of loss.

This newsletter contains certain forward‐looking statements (which may be signaled by words such as “believe,” “expect” or “anticipate”) which indicate future possibilities. Due to known and unknown risks, other uncertainties and factors, actual results may differ materially from the expectations portrayed in such forward‐looking statements. As such, there is no guarantee that the views and opinions expressed in this letter will come to pass.

For additional information about Marshall Financial, please request our disclosure brochure as set forth on Form ADV using the contact information set forth herein, or refer to the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure web site (www.adviserinfo.sec.gov).  Please read the disclosure statement carefully.

Disclosure:

Marshall Financial Group, Inc (“Marshall Financial”) is an SEC-registered investment adviser with its principal place of business in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.   This newsletter is limited to the dissemination of general information pertaining to Marshall Financial Group’s investment advisory services.  Investing involves risk, including risk of loss.  References to market indices are included for informational purposes only as it is not possible to directly invest in an index. The historical performance results of an index do not reflect the deduction of transaction, custodial, and management fees, which would decrease performance results. It should not be assumed that your account performance or the volatility of any securities held in your account will correspond directly to any comparative benchmark index.

This newsletter contains certain forward‐looking statements (which may be signaled by words such as “believe,” “expect” or “anticipate”) which indicate future possibilities. Due to known and unknown risks, other uncertainties and factors, actual results may differ materially from the expectations portrayed in such forward‐looking statements. As such, there is no guarantee that the views and opinions expressed in this letter will come to pass. Additionally, this newsletter contains information derived from third party sources. Although we believe these sources to be reliable, we make no representations as to the accuracy of any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party incorporated herein, and take no responsibility, therefore.

For additional information about Marshall Financial, please request our disclosure brochure as set forth on Form ADV using the contact information set forth herein, or refer to the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure web site (www.adviserinfo.sec.gov).  Please read the disclosure statement carefully.