Lenders Offer Help For Borrowers  

Whether it's from a job loss, medical emergency, mortgage-payment hike or simply personal-finance mismanagement, a small but growing number of homeowners are falling into foreclosure every year.  

For most people who fall behind on their mortgage, their first instinct is to avoid all contact with the lender. But that's a mistake, consumer counselors and others say, because it's likely those financial problems will only get worse, making it harder to work out the best repayment terms.  

Many borrowers don't realize that lenders are as eager as homeowners to avoid foreclosures, which cost lenders $40,000 to $60,000 per house, according to industry estimates.  

Find out more about lenders workout programs…