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Can a lender or broker ask me about the alimony, child support, or separate maintenance payments that I receive?

In general, only if you want the creditor to consider such payments as part of your application for credit. A lender or broker may ask whether income stated in your application comes from alimony, child support, or separate maintenance payments. ...

What is mortgage forbearance?

Forbearance is a process that can help if you’re struggling to pay your mortgage. Your servicer or lender arranges for you to temporarily pause mortgage payments or make smaller payments. You still owe the full amount, and you pay back ...

What is a repayment plan on a mortgage?

A repayment plan is an agreement between you and your lender to make up missed mortgage loan payments by adding part of the past-due amount to your regular payments over a period of time. If you are behind on your ...

What is a mortgage loan modification?

A mortgage loan modification is a change in your loan terms. The modification is a type of loss mitigation. Carefully consider what kind of modification best addresses your needs. If you receive a loan modification and you still can’t make ...

I am at least two payments behind on my mortgage payments. I tried to pay one month's worth of what I owe, but my servicer said I have to pay the whole amount. Can the servicer do this?

If you are in default, and the servicer has notified you that the entire balance is due (in other words, the loan has been “accelerated”), your lender generally can require you to pay the full past due amount to make ...

If my credit card bill comes late, can I get more time to pay?

If a mail delay causes your statement to arrive late, contact your card issuer to see if you can make special payment arrangements for that month. Under federal law, a credit card issuer must establish procedures to ensure that statements ...

When is my credit card payment considered late?

Credit card companies generally can’t treat a payment as late if it’s received by 5 p.m. on the day it’s due (in the time zone stated on the billing statement), or the next business day if the due date is ...

What should I do if my payment does not show on my credit card statement?

You should let your credit card company know if your payment does not show on your statement. You can call the card company to try and resolve the issue quickly. However, in order to protect your rights you must send ...

How do I dispute a charge on my credit card bill?

To dispute a charge on your credit card bill, you should call the card company and let them know about the problem right away. Check your credit card agreement to review your rights regarding unauthorized charges. You can find or ...

Can my credit card company charge a fee based on how I paid my bill, such as for making a payment over the phone?

It depends. Generally, the credit card company cannot charge you a fee for making a payment. None However, you can be charged a fee if you make an expedited payment using a method that requires help from a customer service ...

I paid my bill on time last month and still was charged a late fee. How can that be?

You should check with your card issuer to find out why you were charged a late fee and ask if you can be excused from paying this fee. You cannot be charged a late fee if you paid at least ...

How does my credit card company calculate the amount of interest I owe?

Many credit card companies calculate the interest you owe daily, based on your average daily account balance. Often card companies charge one interest rate for purchases and different interest rates if you use your credit card to get cash, to ...

Do I pay interest on new purchases after I get a zero or low rate balance transfer?

For most credit cards, if you carry a balance month to month, any purchases you make will accrue interest from the date of the transaction. This is true even if another balance you are carrying is not subject to interest ...

If I pay off my credit card balance when it is due, is the company allowed to charge me interest for that month?

When you carry a balance on your credit card, most card companies charge you interest from your billing date until the time they receive your payment. Different credit card companies have different rules for when they charge interest. In general, ...

What is a grace period for a credit card?

A grace period is the period between the end of a billing cycle and the date your payment is due. During this time, you may not be charged interest as long as you pay your balance in full by the ...

What is a credit card interest rate? What does APR mean?

A credit card’s interest rate is the price you pay for borrowing money. For credit cards, the interest rates are typically stated as a yearly rate. This is called the annual percentage rate (APR). How can you avoid paying interest ...

A box on my credit card bill says that I will pay off the balance in three years if I pay a certain amount. What does that mean? Do I have to pay that much? If I pay that much and make new purchases will I still owe nothing after three years?

Card issuers are required to let you know how long it will take you to pay off your current balance if you make no further charges and pay only the minimum amount due each month. They are also required to ...

I used all my credit and made a payment. How long does it take before I can use the card again?

This depends on the policy of the card issuer, how much you paid, and how much you want to charge on the card. You should check with your card issuer.