 TITLE: Are Foreclosures Still Happening During COVID-19? CONTENT: Protect Your Credit\n-------------------\nAmong the many reasons for avoiding foreclosure is that it has a major negative impact on your credit history, second in severity only to bankruptcy. Foreclosure remains on your credit report for seven years from the date of the first delinquent payment that led to foreclosure.\nDelinquent payments have a serious negative impact on credit and credit scores, and because foreclosure typically occurs only after a borrower has missed at least three payments (gone 90 days past due), it typically does further damage to scores that have already taken a beating.\nUnder the CARES Act, your credit report is shielded from reports of mortgage delinquency as long as you are participating in a pandemic-related mortgage relief program. If payments you make (or are excused from making) appear as delinquent on your credit reports, you can dispute them and potentially have them removed.\nFree credit monitoring from Experian can help you keep track of your credit status during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, during the outbreak you can get free credit reports weekly from all three national credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) at AnnualCreditReport.com.\nThe COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted life in America like few other events in living memory, and it has placed families under tremendous stress. While foreclosure-prevention measures provide relief from another major source of anxiety, it's wise to use the time they provide to resolve your housing payment issues. END