What is Deferment in Card Payments to Read Today

You are an employee and you are working for a company. You are unable to pay your credit card amount. So you have an option.

What is Deferment? 

It is a temporary suspension of the repayment of a debt. Most creditors will not offer a deferment unless a debtor’s circumstances prevent him from making payments for a temporary period of time.

A debtor, therefore, may need to provide documentation of his circumstances or may need to attest to the truthfulness of the request.

Credit Cards

Credit card companies do not normally provide a deferment as an option. Instead, a debtor who is experiencing a financial hardship, such as unemployment or a decrease in income, may ask the creditor to agree to reduce payment amount.

Many credit card companies offer hardship programs that result in a reduced interest rate and a reduced payment. This may be a short-term plan for one year or less or a long-term arrangement that results in the payoff of the debt within a specific number of years.

Mortgage

A mortgage lender may offer a borrower a deferment, or forbearance. If granted a forbearance, the lender will suspend the borrower’s payments or may allow the borrower to pay a portion of the regular monthly payment.

This is a temporary solution to a borrower’s inability to pay. Most often, this is granted in short-term situations, such as loss of income because of a medical problem or a natural disaster. Fannie Mae, however, allows servicers to suspend or lower an unemployed borrower’s payment for a specific amount of time.

Student Loans

A student loan deferment suspends payments for a specific amount of time. A lender determines the conditions of the deferment, which may include unemployment, disability, returning to college or enlistment in the military.

In some situations, the loan will not accumulate interest while it is in deferment. If a borrower does not qualify for a deferment, he may qualify for a forbearance, which is similar to a deferment but interest will continue to accumulate regardless of whether the loan is subsidized or unsubsidized.