 TITLE: Why Doesn’t My Mortgage Appear on My Credit Report? CONTENT: How Does a Mortgage Affect Your Credit?\n---------------------------------------\nAs one of the biggest debts you'll ever have on your credit history, a mortgage can greatly impact your credit, either positively or negatively.\nYour credit score may dip right after you get a mortgage, because you're taking on a big debt and haven't yet shown that you're making payments in a timely fashion. In addition, when you apply for a mortgage the lender makes a hard inquiry into your credit, which can cause a small, temporary decline in your credit score.\nAfter you start to make regular mortgage payments and prove you can handle the loan responsibly, your credit score should begin to rise. However, because your payment history is the single biggest factor in your credit score, just one late payment can have a major negative impact on your credit.\nThe more mortgage payments you miss, the more damage you'll do to your credit score. After 120 days or four consecutive missed payments, many lenders will foreclose on your home. As if losing your home weren't bad enough, foreclosure results in a serious derogatory mark on your credit report and remains there for seven years, and can make it tougher to get another mortgage or other credit in the future.\nIf you've missed a mortgage payment, you may still have time to protect your credit. A late payment typically won't appear on your credit report until 30 days after the due date. If you make a payment after your due date but within that 30-day window, you'll have to pay a late fee to the lender, but the late payment may not be reported to the credit bureaus, so it won't affect your credit score.\nIf your payment is already more than 30 days past due or if you're worried about making your next mortgage payment, reach out to your lender to see what your options are. Suffering a short-term financial setback? You may qualify for a relief program such as mortgage forbearance, which temporarily pauses or reduces your mortgage payments so you can get back on your feet. Due to the widespread financial hardship caused by COVID-19, many lenders are offering such programs right now. If you think your financial situation has permanently changed, you can explore long-term options such as mortgage modification, which allows you to adjust the terms of your existing loan, or refinancing your loan with a different lender to lower your payments.\nTo avoid missing payments on your mortgage, put a reminder or alert on your phone or calendar to give you plenty of advance notice before your mortgage is due. Setting up automatic payments through your bank or mortgage lender can help to ensure you never miss a payment. Just make sure you'll have enough money in your account to cover the payment. END