 TITLE: How Does a Natural or Declared Disaster Impact My Credit? CONTENT: How to Get Help During a Crisis\n-------------------------------\nAfter a natural or declared disaster, your top priorities are taking care of your family, assessing any damage to your home and meeting immediate needs such as food, shelter and medical care. But what should you do if you're having financial difficulty as a result of a natural or declared disaster and think you may have trouble paying your bills?\nContact your lenders and credit card issuers as soon as possible to ask about hardship options. Don't wait until you've already missed a payment: In some cases, you won't be eligible for hardship options unless you contact lenders _before_ your payment is due.\nThe hardship options available to you will depend on your lender and your individual situation. Lenders may temporarily reduce your interest rate or your payments, pause your payments for a period of time, or place loans in deferment. For example, some types of [student loans](') may be eligible for deferment; homeowners may be able to get a mortgage forbearance, which can reduce or suspend mortgage payments for up to 12 months. When a loan is in deferment or forbearance, lenders typically won't report nonpayment to the credit bureaus.\nIn addition to contacting your lenders and creditors, reach out to your utility, cellphone and cable providers, as well as any other monthly services you pay for, to see if they can offer flexible payment options. You'll never know what kind of relief is available unless you ask.\nAre your taxes coming due in the near future? Contact the IRS and your state tax authority to see if you're eligible for any special tax relief as a victim or a natural or declared disaster. The IRS may give you a deadline extension, let you split your tax bill into payments, or even reduce the amount you owe. END