What does FHA say about charge-offs?

Asked by: Deron Nicolas  |  Last update: September 1, 2025
Score: 4.9/5 (30 votes)

FHA guidelines generally do not require borrowers to pay off charge-offs to qualify for a loan. This is because a charge-off on your credit report indicates that the creditor has given up on trying to collect the debt. However, the presence of a charge-off does not go unnoticed.

What does the FCRA say about charge-offs?

However, the FCRA does have specific guidelines for the reporting of charge-off accounts, such as that the account must be reported as “charged-off” or “charged-off as a loss” and that the creditor must report the date of the first delinquency that led to the charge-off.

Does FHA care about collections?

If you have unpaid collections that are not medical-related, it's possible that your FHA loan eligibility may be impacted. The FHA does not require collections to be paid off entirely in order for a borrower to be approved.

Will a charge-off prevent me from buying a home?

You can still get a mortgage with charge off on your credit report. Most likely your will qualify for an FHA loan. The loan officer will have to account for a monthly payment based on the amount the charge off shows and use it against your Debt to income ratio.

Can lenders see charge-offs?

Because a charge-off occurs when a financial commitment hasn't been completely satisfied, it will likely show up on credit reports along with those late or missed payments. And because credit scores are calculated using information from credit reports, your credit scores may be impacted.

FHA Mortgage Guidelines On Collection Accounts And Charge Offs

44 related questions found

What is the 609 loophole?

2) What is the 609 loophole? The “609 loophole” is a misconception. Section 609 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) allows consumers to request their credit file information. It does not guarantee the removal of negative items but requires credit bureaus to verify the accuracy of disputed information.

How does FHA treat charge-offs?

FHA guidelines generally do not require borrowers to pay off charge-offs to qualify for a loan. This is because a charge-off on your credit report indicates that the creditor has given up on trying to collect the debt. However, the presence of a charge-off does not go unnoticed.

How do I remove a charge-off without paying?

To initiate a dispute:
  1. Write a dispute letter to each credit bureau reporting the inaccurate information.
  2. Clearly explain the error and provide any supporting documentation.
  3. Request that the charge-off be removed or corrected.

What is the 5% rule for FHA collections?

If the payment amount is not available calculate the monthly payment using 5% of the outstanding balance and include in the borrower's DTI calculation • Collection accounts with an outstanding cumulative balance < $2,000 no action required. NOTE: Accounts cannot be paid down to < $2,000.

What is the 5 percent rule on a FHA loan?

HUD Debt-to-Income Ratio Guidelines on FHA Loans

The second option is for the borrower to get a written repayment agreement with the creditor and agree to a monthly payment amount. The agreed-upon monthly payment agreement with the creditor will be the monthly payment versus 5% of the outstanding collection balance.

Will my credit go up if I pay a charge off?

Paid charge-offs are still considered derogatory entries on your credit report, but some lenders view them as less negative than unpaid charge-offs. Whether repaying a charged-off account helps you obtain credit in the future depends on the lender or creditor.

Does FHA allow you to pay off debt to qualify?

FHA and VA mortgage guidelines will allow a borrower to pay down their credit card balances to $0 and the underwriter will only count a $10/month minimum payment towards the borrower's debt to income (DTI) ratio. The credit card account do not need to be paid. This is definitely good news for FHA and VA loans.

What is a 623 letter for charge-off?

4) 623 credit dispute letter

A business uses a 623 credit dispute letter when all other attempts to remove dispute information have failed. It refers to Section 623 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act and contacts the data furnisher to prove that a debt belongs to the company.

Is a charge-off worse than a collection?

A charge-off is generally considered worse than a collection for your credit. With collections, you typically have more negotiating power for getting them removed from your credit report.

Can a charge-off be forgiven?

You may be able to remove the charge-off by disputing it or negotiating a settlement with your creditor or a debt collector; credit repair companies can help with this process. You can also steadily rebuild your credit score by paying other bills on time.

Do charge-offs go away after 7 years?

A charge-off typically stays on your credit report for up to seven years, and it can have a significant negative impact on your credit score. If a charge-off is inaccurate, it's usually a smart move to work on having it removed from your credit history.

How many points does a charge-off drop credit score?

With 35% of your total credit score being calculated on payment history, charge-offs have a significant impact due to showing consecutive missed payments. The more positive payment history you have established, the more damage a late payment can do, sometimes it can lower a score between 50-150 points.

Should I pay a charge-off in full or settle?

It's better to pay off a debt in full than settle when possible. This will look better on your credit report and potentially help your score recover faster. Debt settlement is still a good option if you can't fully pay off your past-due debt.

What is the FHA 10 month rule?

For Loans manually underwritten, closed-end debts do not have to be included in the qualifying ratio, if they will be paid off within 10 months from the date of closing and the cumulative payments of all such debts are Page 4 FHA Underwriting Guide FHA Underwriting Guide CORR Page 4 of 16 Published 04.01.2024 Updates ...

Does FHA make you pay off collections?

FHA does not require that collection accounts be paid off as a condition of mortgage approval.

Does FHA require disputes to be removed?

Most mortgage loan programs allow at least some dispute wording to remain. For FHA loans, accounts with zero balances and medical accounts do not have to have dispute wording removed.

What is a 6 o 9 letter for debt collection?

A 609 letter is a tool you can use to request information about items on your credit report or to challenge incorrect entries. It's named after Section 609 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a federal law that protects consumers from unfair credit reporting practices.

What is a 611 dispute letter?

611 credit dispute letter: This is how you'll ask the credit bureau to show how they verified information you are disputing. Section 611 is invoked when a credit bureau responds to your dispute and says it has verified the information.

What is a pay for delete letter?

On its face, a pay-for-delete letter is simple. These are "written requests sent to creditors or collection agencies to try to remove negative information from a person's credit report, in exchange for payment," says Tiffany Cross, executive vice president of national sales at CredEvolv.