Avoiding a Mortgage Meltdown
If the deepening lending crisis is an imminent threat, borrowers have options to improve their standing
by Emily Thornton and Lauren Young
McGraw Hill Business Week
August 24, 2007

You're reading stories every day about people losing their homes and life savings. You're wondering whether you could be the next casualty. Stop wondering. Do something. Right now.

It's impossible to know just how ugly things could become. But one thing is clear: The mortgage mess and market turmoil are signaling that you should prepare for the worst, while hoping for much better. This Five for the Money features ways you can do that.

1. Boost Your Credit Rating
The standards for loans and mortgages are getting tougher. Last year, consumers with a credit score of 650 points out of a possible 850 could expect lower interest rates. Now, the bar is up to 680. To avoid sky-high rates or outright rejection, start by going online to grab your free yearly credit report at annualcreditreport.com. The site, which provides results from all three credit reporting agencies, will let you know if you're being penalized for late payments or if you may have missed other credit problems.

Next, check out the most widely used credit score—the FICO score provided by Fair Isaac (FIC)—by going to myfico.com. For $15.95, you can learn how you rank compared with other would-be borrowers. If your ratings are below par, the best way to boost your borrowing profile is to make on-time payments and to keep the balances on your credit cards below 35% of their limits. Don't open new cards or rush out to close a bunch of them, either. Both actions will set off alarm bells.

2. Make a Deal
If you face problems making a mortgage or other payment, you have more options than you may realize. Don't throw away the threatening letters or ignore the phone calls. Instead, call your lender and make a deal. In a strange twist, struggling mortgage holders have gained—not lost—bargaining power. Banks, wary of being saddled with foreclosed homes, are more willing than ever to make special arrangements. Washington Mutual (WM), for example, plans to refinance up to $2 billion in subprime loans at discounted interest rates for customers who are up-to-date on their existing loan but anticipate payment problems in the near future.

No matter how painful, keep your bank informed of your situation. "The first day you can't make a monthly payment, you need to contact the bank, tell them what the problem is and how long the problem will persist," says Manhattan real estate attorney Andrew Sokol. Put a payment proposal in writing. Show the lender that whatever you plan to pay is the most you can afford, even if it is only the interest on your mortgage.

As a last resort, consider tapping your retirement account by taking a hardship distribution from your 401(k) or a premature distribution from an individual retirement account. Work with an adviser to minimize the taxes and penalties you'll face. "To save the farm, the negative consequences are worth it," says Mitchell Rubin, a certified financial planner in New York.

3. Re-Read Your Mortgage
The biggest mistake many homeowners made was assuming they understood the inch-and-a-half stack of mortgage documents they received on closing day. Do you really understand yours? If you have an adjustable-rate mortgage, it might be worth contacting a mortgage counselor or consumer lawyer to be sure that dangerous details aren't lurking in the fine print. They can figure out whether you face a sudden rate increase by examining sections explaining how your interest rate will be recalculated. If your rate is about to leap to a rate higher than it should be for your credit profile, "you need to start working on relief strategies right away," says Marie McDonnell of Truth in Lending Audit & Recovery Services. You may also have a right to cancel certain loans, known as a "right of rescission." It lasts for years if the terms weren't disclosed properly to you in writing.

4. Shop Around
Financial conditions are changing day by day, both for borrowers taking out first-time mortgages and for those who are refinancing. Even in upscale neighborhoods, "banks are reneging on commitments and then going out of business," says Jeffrey Seabold, CEO of Beverly Hills-based CS Financial, a private mortgage bank. Some mortgage brokers are readying back-up lenders—and you should, too. Line up both a second mortgage and broker. "You should have more than one deal in your sights," says Keith Gumbinger at financial publisher HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, N.J.

5. Rebalance Your Portfolio
During the housing boom, many people plowed every dollar they could into their homes. With most or all of their net worth in real estate, these consumers may find that the downturn has derailed plans for early retirement. Don't panic and try to sell your home in the middle of a credit crunch. Do start to think about ways to return to a healthier mix of investments. People in their 30s should put much of their net worth into equities and their homes.

But Christopher Cordaro, chief investment officer at wealth management firm RegentAtlantic Capital in Chatham, N.J., advises clients in their 50s and older to limit real estate to half their net worth. Of the share not in real estate, put 40% in fixed-income investments and the remainder in equities. A retiree should create a hefty cash reserve to weather a three-year bear market in stocks, says James Stehr, a financial adviser in Alameda, Calif. To get help with these decisions, check out the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (napfa.org) and the Garrett Planning Network (garrettplanningnetwork.com).

Emily Thornton is an associate editor for BusinessWeek. Young is a Personal Business editor for BusinessWeek.