We strive to help our members achieve and maintain their financial goals. We are here to help members during a wide variety of life’s opportunities and challenges.

If you find that you are affected by the current economy and are having trouble meeting your financial obligations, including keeping up with your mortgage payments, below is information designed to help you avoid foreclosure on your home.

• Don’t ignore letters or phone calls you receive from your lender
• Contact your lender immediately to explain your situation—most lenders will want to work with you to avoid foreclosure
• Seek credit counseling from a HUD-approved Housing Counseling Agency
• Explore foreclosure prevention options with your lender

When you speak with your lender about preventing foreclosure, there are several options that may be available based on your lender’s evaluation of your individual situation including:

• Repayment Plan — the lender may accept an agreement to help you get current with missed mortgage payments by creating a schedule for repaying the past-due amounts.
• Loan Modification — the lender may offer an option to change the terms of the mortgage to make payments more affordable.
• Forbearance — the lender may allow reduced or suspended payments for a short period of time, after which another option will be agreed upon to bring the loan current.

Important note: most lenders will want to work with you to make some type of financial arrangement to help keep you in your home and to avoid foreclosure. However, lenders are not required to offer any type of workout plan; including loan modifications, forbearance or repayment plans.

How Home Retention Assistance Works

First Financial will evaluate your individual situation; however, in order to have a complete picture of your circumstance, you will need to provide required documentation, including but not limited to:

• Completed/signed Member Assistance Form
• Letter describing current circumstance (“Hardship Affidavit” form)
• Copies of monthly/quarterly statements for all savings accounts, checking accounts, and certificates (CDs or share certificates)
• Signed/dated 4506-T Form
• Copy of Homeowners Insurance
• Copy of Property Tax Statement
• Two (2) most recent paystubs (if salaried)
• Most recent two years’ Federal Tax Returns with all schedules (if self-employed or have rental property income)
• Profit/Loss Statement for the past 6 months (is self-employed)

Click here for the Member Assistance Form, Hardship Affidavit and Monthly Household Budget Form.

Please note that it is VERY IMPORTANT to have all of the required information complete and accurate. If the information is only partially completed or is missing information, the review may be delayed.

Please continue to make the regular payments on your loan during this process. Also, please be aware that due to the number of requests, this process may take as long as 6 weeks.

Once you have the required documentation completed and ready to return, please mail the entire package in one envelope to:

First Financial Credit Union
P.O. Box 90
West Covina, CA 91793

Attention: Home Retention Assistance