{"id":68,"date":"2026-10-05T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.richhanlin.com\/blog\/?p=68"},"modified":"2026-10-05T14:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T14:00:00","slug":"three-ways-to-keep-mortgage-payments-current","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.richhanlin.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/05\/three-ways-to-keep-mortgage-payments-current\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Ways to Keep Mortgage Payments Current"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"video-zmyer\">\n<div class=\"video-frame-zmyer\">\n        <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/www.roomvu.com\/agent\/embed\/rich-hanlin\/make-mortgage-payments-remotion-videos-bfdf\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><br \/>\n        <\/iframe>\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"video-description-zmyer\">\n<p>In my 35 years in the mortgage world, I&#039;ve seen firsthand how essential it is to stay ahead of your mortgage payments\u2014especially when the numbers tell a story. A recent lender study shows that 51% of US homeowners carry credit card debt each month, and 67% feel overwhelmed. Yet, 89% still feel confident about their mortgage\u2014even as serious delinquency rates have climbed for four straight quarters. The disconnect between confidence and control (with only 48% truly feeling in control financially) is a signal for all of us: budgeting for your mortgage isn\u2019t just smart, it\u2019s critical.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how I approach this challenge with my clients. First, get real about your monthly cash flow. Separate your true necessities from things you can temporarily trim, and measure exactly where any shortfall lies. The goal? Protect your mortgage before a budget hiccup turns into a bigger issue. If you sense hardship could impact your payments, don\u2019t wait\u2014contact your mortgage servicer early. You may have more options than you think, from repayment plans to forbearance, loan modifications, or other forms of assistance.<\/p>\n<p>For those considering consolidating credit card balances using home equity: make sure your income is stable and you\u2019re committed to disciplined repayment. If financial stress isn\u2019t just a blip, sometimes exploring a voluntary sale early can help preserve equity and long-term stability.<\/p>\n<p>Having helped thousands of borrowers navigate these waters, I know that proactive steps and honest conversations make all the difference. The right game plan can help you stay in control, protect your home, and come out stronger\u2014no matter the market.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In my 35 years in the mortgage world, I&#039;ve seen firsthand how essential it is to stay ahead of your mortgage payments\u2014especially when the numbers tell a story. A recent lender study shows that 51% of US homeowners carry credit card debt each month, and 67% feel overwhelmed. Yet, 89% still feel confident about their [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":339,"featured_media":69,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-posts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.richhanlin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.richhanlin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.richhanlin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.richhanlin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/339"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.richhanlin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.richhanlin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70,"href":"https:\/\/www.richhanlin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68\/revisions\/70"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.richhanlin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.richhanlin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.richhanlin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.richhanlin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}