If a higher mortgage payment may be unaffordable, check which part of the bill changed, then contact your mortgage servicer promptly and ask what assistance may fit your situation. A HUD-approved housing counselor can help you understand the options and prepare; no single solution applies to every loan or guarantees you can keep your home.
Start by finding out why the payment changed
Compare your latest mortgage statement with one from before the increase. Look at the itemized charges rather than assuming the interest rate is responsible. A monthly payment can rise because of an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) rate change, higher property taxes or homeowners insurance paid through escrow, or the end of a temporary buydown. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) outlines these causes in its guide to why a mortgage payment may go up or change, last reviewed January 14, 2025.
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- Principal and interest: Check whether the amount assigned to the loan payment changed. If it did, ask the servicer to explain what changed and when.
- Escrow: Compare the taxes and insurance included in the statement with prior statements. An escrow increase can raise the total monthly bill even when the loan’s interest rate has not changed.
- Temporary buydown: If your payment was temporarily reduced, check whether that period has ended and what amount is now due.
If the statement does not make the cause clear, ask the servicer for an itemized explanation and how it calculated the new amount. Keep the statement and any explanation together with your loan records.
Check an escrow increase against your tax and insurance bills
For an escrow-related increase, compare the latest property-tax bill and insurance premium with the previous bills. This can help you identify whether a charge itself rose or whether the servicer’s escrow calculation needs explaining. The CFPB’s escrow-account guidance, last reviewed April 3, 2024, recommends checking the underlying bills and contacting the servicer about a possible calculation error.
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Ask the servicer to walk you through the escrow calculation if the figures do not appear to match your bills. If you learn that a tax or insurance bill was not paid, contact the relevant tax authority or insurer promptly as well as the servicer. Do not assume that asking one party about the problem has resolved the bill with the other.
Contact the servicer before the payment becomes unmanageable
As soon as you think you may not be able to make the higher payment, call the company that services your mortgage. The servicer handles your payments and can explain what assistance it may offer for your loan. The CFPB advises borrowers who cannot pay or are worried about missing a payment to call right away; its options guide was last reviewed August 28, 2026: “If I can’t pay my mortgage loan, what are my options?”
Prepare for the conversation
Before calling, gather the information the servicer may need to understand your circumstances. You do not have to know which option you want before asking for help. Be ready to describe:
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- What caused the budget strain and whether you expect it to be temporary or ongoing.
- Your income, regular expenses and assets.
- What changed in the payment, if you have been able to identify it from your statements or bills.
- Whether you have already missed a payment or are concerned about an upcoming one.
Ask to speak with a mortgage-assistance specialist, explain the situation plainly and ask what options may be available for your loan. The CFPB’s guide to working with a mortgage servicer covers how to prepare and engage with the company. Keep notes of your calls, including the date, the person or department you spoke with, what they said to do next and any stated deadline. Follow the servicer’s instructions for submitting documents, and save copies of what you send.
Ask about the options that may fit your circumstances
Available assistance depends on the loan, its investor or insurer, your circumstances and applicable requirements. Treat the following as options to ask about—not guaranteed entitlements or recommendations for every borrower. The CFPB lists them as possibilities for homeowners who cannot pay their mortgage:
| Option to ask about | What to clarify with the servicer |
|---|---|
| Refinance | Whether you may qualify and what the new loan terms and payment would be. |
| Loan modification | Whether the loan terms could be changed, how the new payment would be set and what the change means over the life of the loan. |
| Repayment plan | How much you would pay, for how long, and how the plan handles amounts already due. |
| Forbearance | How payments would be treated during the pause or reduction, whether interest or fees accrue, and what repayment choices follow. |
| Short sale | Whether selling the home this way is an option and what it would mean for your loan and move. |
| Deed-in-lieu of foreclosure | Whether transferring the home to the lender is an option and what obligations or consequences would remain. |
The table is a prompt for a loan-specific discussion, not a comparison of guaranteed terms: the servicer must explain which options are available to you and what each would require. Before agreeing to any proposal, ask for the terms in writing and make sure you understand them.
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Compare proposals by their full effect, not just the next bill
A lower payment now may involve a temporary pause, a changed loan, or a plan for paying amounts later. Ask the servicer and a housing counselor to explain each proposal in terms you can use to make a decision. The CFPB specifically advises asking whether interest accrues during forbearance and what repayment options follow it.
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- Immediate relief: How much would you have to pay each month during the relief period, and when would the amount change?
- Duration and longer-term effect: Is the arrangement temporary, or does it change the loan beyond the near term? How long would you owe payments?
- Amounts not paid now: What happens to missed or paused amounts? Ask whether interest or fees accrue, what total amount you may owe, and how it would be repaid.
- Eligibility and paperwork: What information and documents are required, and when must you provide them?
- Housing plans: Does the option assume you will stay in the home, or does it involve selling or transferring it?
Do not accept a proposal based only on a verbal description of the first payment. Request an explanation of the full terms, including what happens at the end of any temporary arrangement, and give yourself time to review it or ask a counselor to help you understand it.
Get free help from a HUD-approved housing counselor
A HUD-approved housing counseling agency can help you organize your financial information, understand options described by the servicer and plan your next steps. CFPB says foreclosure-prevention counseling is free. Its explanation of HUD-approved housing counselors, last reviewed September 11, 2024, describes the help they provide.
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Find a counselor through the CFPB’s options page or call the HOPE Hotline at 888-995-HOPE. A counselor can help you review your budget and questions, but cannot guarantee that the servicer will approve a particular option or that you will keep the home. You can organize income and expenses on paper or in any format that works for you; the important thing is having an accurate picture to discuss.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Watch for foreclosure-rescue scams
Homeowners under payment pressure may be targeted by companies or individuals promising to stop foreclosure or change loan terms. The CFPB warns against paying for promises that a company can guarantee those results. Be especially cautious if someone:
- Demands an upfront fee for foreclosure-prevention help.
- Guarantees it can change your loan terms or prevent you from losing your home.
- Asks you to transfer the title or sign documents you do not understand.
- Instructs you to pay someone other than your mortgage servicer.
- Tells you to stop making mortgage payments.
Pause before signing anything you do not understand, and consult your servicer or a HUD-approved counselor instead of relying on a rescue promise. Foreclosure-prevention counseling is available without a fee through HUD-approved agencies, as described in the CFPB guidance above.
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If foreclosure is imminent or legal papers arrive
Contact your servicer and a HUD-approved counselor promptly. If foreclosure appears imminent or you have received legal papers, consider speaking with an attorney as well. State law, the loan and the stage of the process can affect what steps are available; general guidance cannot determine your legal position or a deadline in your case.
Do not treat a general timeline as permission to wait before seeking help. The right next step depends on your circumstances and any notices or court papers you have received. Ask a qualified attorney about legal documents and deadlines, and keep the servicer and counselor informed while you assess your options.
A practical order for taking action
- Compare your current statement with an earlier one and identify which item changed.
- If escrow is involved, check the latest property-tax and insurance bills; ask the servicer to explain any mismatch.
- If the new amount may not be affordable, call the servicer and ask for a mortgage-assistance specialist.
- Gather information about your income, expenses, assets and whether the hardship is temporary or ongoing.
- Ask which options may fit, what documents are required and what happens to unpaid amounts under each proposal.
- Contact a HUD-approved counselor to help you understand the choices; seek legal advice as well if foreclosure is imminent or papers have arrived.
The steps are general U.S. consumer guidance. Your mortgage terms, eligibility, state law and the status of any foreclosure process can change what is available in your specific case.
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