How Foreclosure Affects Your Credit
It’s hard to say what the exact impact of foreclosure on your credit scores It can depend on several factors. These include which credit reporting agency provided the information and which credit-scoring model was used in the calculation. A foreclosure might appear on your credit reports, as well as the missed payments that led to it. Credit-scoring companies use the information from your credit reports to calculate your credit scores. And payment history is an important factor in calculating your credit scores from your local bureau. As a general guide, missing three or four mortgage payments by itself can decrease your credit scores by at least 100 points. And foreclosure could take your scores lower. Foreclosure can stay on your credit report for several years and it is measured from the date of the first missed payment that led to the foreclosure.
Fortunately, the impact on your credit scores doesn’t have to last forever. Rebuilding your credit scores will take time and consistent responsible credit use, but you can start straight away. Here are some ideas how:
If you’ve struggled with making mortgage payments and paying other bills on time, you’re certainly not alone. A survey by the CFPB found that in May 2019, more than 40% of Americans had a hard time paying a bill or expense in the previous year. In many cases, the difficulty involved mortgage payments.
If your financial situation permits, a secured credit card can be a good tool for rebuilding credit. As with any credit card, getting approved for a secured card isn’t guaranteed. Aside from a security deposit, there may be additional approval requirements.
If you’re unsure how to get your finances back on track after a foreclosure, you can get help from a professional credit counselor. A credit counselor offers a range of services including debt management and budget counseling.
Recovering From Foreclosure
A foreclosure should fall off your credit reports after seven years. But if that doesn’t happen for some reason, you can file a dispute with the credit bureaus to request that the foreclosure be taken off your credit report. Bouncing back from a foreclosure is doable given time and responsible future credit use. But be patient. Recovery takes time.