May 24, 2012 Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation Near-nuclear nation threatens to walk out of summit unless it gets its way Clifford D. May: What Iran's Rulers Want Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble? Kimberly Lankford: Switching Medicare Advantage Plans Mid-Year Bryan McIver, M.B., Ch.B., Ph.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Understanding hyperthyroidism and its variety of treatment options French rights groups want Google to stop suggesting 'Jew' Two-fly rule for Beijing toilets The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak! May 23, 2012 Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: Baghdad talks highlight Western naivete Putin's latest defiance shows Obama's whisper didn't work Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts Lisa Gerstner: 4 Money-Etiquette Questions Answered Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You Art Markman, Ph.D.: Get smart: How to bulk up your creativity muscles Israeli scientists use skin cells to help repair heart muscle Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right May 22, 2012 David S. Cloud and Kathleen Hennessey: Obama changes mind on Pakistan invite to NATO summit --- and then gets dissed by country's president US Senate approves new sanctions against Iran ahead of Baghdad talks Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide Supreme Court: Twins can't claim dead dad's benefits Thomas M. 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Jewish World Review July 22, 2010 Bill would protect credit scores during mortgage modification By Gail Marks Jarvis http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT) If you are lucky enough to get your lender to modify your mortgage, you shouldn't end up dogged by a miserable credit score. That's the essence of a bill introduced in Congress last week by U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif. It would insulate people from taking a credit score hit going through loan modifications. Speier is trying to give people a fresh start as they get either a permanent modification that makes monthly payments more affordable, or a temporary modification, which lenders sometimes use before considering permanent relief. "I am seeing people with sterling credit have their scores dinged as much as 100 points," Speier said. A 100-point drop is substantial. It can prevent people from getting loans on cars or homes, life insurance or even a job. For a small business, a credit-score hit can be a death knell as lenders refuse a line of credit essential for operations. "This is a doomed spiral," Speier noted. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the No. 1 reason people are missing home payments is because they have lost a job or had to take a lesser-paying job. About 16 percent of Americans are unemployed or underemployed, and there are five applicants for every job available. So if a lower credit score keeps people from getting a new job, that's counterproductive for the person and the economy, said Speier. She added that modifications benefit neighbors and communities because property values remain intact as people stay in homes, make payments and mow lawns. But people who have paid their bills and sought no special help are not likely to see why some people should get special treatment. Mark Calabria, director of financial regulation studies at the Cato Institute, says the recession shouldn't excuse accountability. "Most people who are late on their bills feel like they had a good reason," he said. Mortgage modifications take different forms as lenders make monthly payments more affordable for homeowners. Some change interest charged on the loan. A few reduce the principal amount of the loan to reflect the downturn that's occurred in values, although that's rare. Regardless of the form of the modification, credit scores are lowered as the person's credit history reflects no longer paying according to the original terms. The American Bankers Association says it is necessary for lenders to see when such changes have taken place. "To deny information on modifications being used in credit scores only harms the ability of lenders to evaluate the creditworthiness of borrowers in the future, making it harder to determine a borrower's ability to repay any future loan," said Joseph Pigg, vice president and senior counsel of the association. Calabria says if lenders are denied the ability to examine homeowners' payment history, banks might have to raise loan interest rates on a variety of clients to cover the potential risk of defaults. "What should banks use to predict the risk of a default?" Calabria said. But Chi Chi Wu, an attorney with the National Consumer Law Center, says that joblessness and a 30 percent crash in the housing market the past few years are unique. "If you can't pay your bills because you've lost a job or because the bad actors of the financial system took advantage of you, does the score predict anything?" she said. Lenders, she said, have become too reliant on the score rather than evaluating personal circumstances. According to research released this month by Fair Isaac Corp., which produces FICO credit scores, about 25.5 percent of Americans have credit scores below 599 — a poor score that often interferes with their ability to get a car loan or even other credit cards. That's far below the long-term average of 15 percent. The best FICO scores range from 700 to 850. Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. Gail Marks Jarvis is a personal finance columnist for the Chicago Tribune and author of "Saving for Retirement without Living Like a Pauper or Winning the Lottery." Comment by clicking here. Previously: 07/13/10: Economic indicators may not be best guide to investments 06/29/10: How to help a graduate invest in the future 06/08/10: Hare favored in tech race with tortoise 05/05/10: Pick up the pieces of 529 college-savings plans 03/25/10: No matter your age, there's an investment strategy for you 03/01/10: IRS tax credit rewards savers with low incomes 02/16/10: Your tax refund is a waste of money 02/06/10: Changes to credit card rules won't perfectly protect consumers 09/24/09: Recession's end doesn't make stock picking any easier 08/25/09: Weigh risks of being overly conservative with investments 07/06/09: Fear can force better investment planning 06/10/09: Best stock buys passed quickly, even for pros 05/12/09: On Wall Street, signs plant a seed of hope 04/08/09: Analysts debate the future of the rally 03/19/09: Gold unlikely to pan out as cure-all 02/29/09: Housing credit could provide sizable boost 02/19/09: Rebalancing being put in different light 02/04/09: Diversification doesn't always offer insulation 01/27/09: Taking steps can help regain some control 01/20/09: How to save for college during a recession 01/12/09: Bonds still risky option to stocks 12/24/08: Some predict mid-2009 for return to investing joy 12/09/08: A small dose of short funds may be useful 11/11/08: Mutual funds can get caught in downward spiral 10/27/08: Investors can bounce back from even the worst of times 10/20/08: Want to sell? Look at 401(k), but don't leap 10/16/08: Want to be like Buffett? There are ways 09/29/08: Money protection only goes so far, so know the risks 08/26/08: Retail stocks may not be best fit for investors 08/20/08: Rear-view mirror investing can be dangerous to a portfolio 07/01/08: What do we do? My daughter didn't get a scholarship 02/25/08: Before abandoning your mutual fund 02/14/08: Dirty little secret of some funds may be haunting 01/29/08: Sorting out the stock market 01/03/08: One word for 2008 crystal-ball gazers: Caution 12/11/07: ‘Buy and hold’ isn't necessarily tried and true 11/26/07: Translating the falling dollar's implications for investors 11/13/07: Gradual retirement may not be key to happiness 11/05/07: Rate cut won't offer immunity to investors 10/29/07: Employers set to help workers save in 401(k) accounts 10/22/07: Playing bounce may be costly to stock investors 10/10/07: Investors find boring often can be fruitful 10/01/07: Make up lost time with swift, smart action 09/24/07: Balance is key for investing by retirees 09/18/07: Homeowners who wait see options fade 09/04/07: Easy matter to rate fund's performance 08/27/07: Mortgage mess could be good for savers 08/17/07: Small stocks are coming with large caveats © 2007, Chicago Tribune Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

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