Forbearance
A temporary pause or reduction in mortgage payments a lender grants a borrower facing hardship; the paused amount is repaid later, not forgiven.
What does forbearance mean?
Forbearance is a short-term break for borrowers hit by job loss, illness or disaster. The servicer agrees to pause or shrink payments for a set period — but the missed amount is not erased; it is repaid afterward, often as a lump sum, a repayment plan, or added to the end of the loan. It protects your credit better than missed payments and buys time to recover, so ask early if you are struggling.
Frequently asked
Do you have to repay forbearance?
Yes — forbearance pauses payments, it does not forgive them. The missed amount is repaid afterward, typically as a lump sum, a repayment plan spread over months, or added to the end of the loan. Agree on the repayment terms up front.
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