Ask your creditor about payment help

Source: https://freshfinancialsolutions.com/creditor-hardship-directory/ — Page updated November 5, 2026. General education; not a professional review date.

If a payment is getting hard to make, contact the creditor through its official website, app or the number on your statement. You do not need a debt settlement company to ask your own creditor about help.

The CFPB recommends explaining why you cannot pay, what you can afford and how long you need help. Calling early can give you more time to understand the options; approval is not guaranteed.

A small directory of official starting points

• American Express: the Financial Relief Program describes assistance for eligible card members. Read the current terms, including account use, interest and what happens when a plan ends.
• Discover: its financial hardship program guide explains contacting Discover about payment difficulty. This is a creditor’s own educational page; an article is not an approval or a personalized offer.
• Wells Fargo: the payment assistance page separates help for credit cards, personal loans, home loans and auto loans. Choose the product you actually have.

These public pages loaded and matched their stated subject on November 4, 2026. This starter directory is not exhaustive, a ranking or a recommendation. We have no verified partnership with these creditors. Programs can change or be unavailable for a particular account.

If your creditor is not listed

Use the contact details printed on your latest statement or open the official app yourself. Ask for the team that handles payment difficulty or hardship. Do not use a phone number from an unsolicited text, a search advertisement or an unfamiliar caller claiming to be your bank. We intentionally do not republish telephone numbers that can change or be impersonated.

Have a short, realistic request ready

Try: “My income has changed. I can currently afford about $___ each month. What assistance can you offer, and what would I owe after it ends?” You can prepare a private draft with the hardship request builder. Do not include passwords, full account numbers or a Social Security number in that draft.

• Will interest keep adding up? Will fees be waived, reduced or added later?
• What are the payment amount, start date, end date and total expected cost?
• Will the account stay open, be restricted or be closed?
• How will you report the arrangement and payments to credit bureaus?
• Does a postponed amount become due all at once, or get added to later payments?
• What happens if my income is still low when help ends?
• Can you send the complete agreement in writing through your secure system?

Keep the representative’s name, the date and a copy of the offer. Do not assume a conversation changes the next payment due date. For mortgage, vehicle, student-loan, court or collection matters, product-specific rules may apply. Compare other official resources before signing something you do not understand.

Source links checked November 4, 2026 (America/Los_Angeles). Educational information; individual facts and state rules can change the result. No attorney, tax professional or licensed financial reviewer is represented as having reviewed this page. Sources and corrections policy.