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When your mortgage servicing transfers, use the transfer notice to identify the effective date and new payment destination, then check that payments and escrow activity appear correctly in the new account. The loan’s servicing changes hands; the transfer generally does not change the loan’s other terms, except terms directly related to servicing.

What changes—and what does not

A mortgage servicer handles tasks such as collecting principal, interest, and escrow payments, sending statements, and maintaining account records. A servicing transfer changes the company administering those tasks, not necessarily the company that owns your loan. The CFPB’s model transfer notice says, “Nothing else about your mortgage loan will change”; the regulatory notice language qualifies this by allowing changes to terms directly related to servicing. 12 CFR §1024.33 and the CFPB model notice, Appendix MS-2 describe the notice and its scope.

What to do when your mortgage servicer changes

  1. Keep both transfer notices. The old servicer generally must send notice at least 15 days before the effective date, and the new servicer generally must send notice no more than 15 days after it. The servicers may instead provide one combined notice at least 15 days before the transfer. Exceptions apply in specified circumstances, including termination for cause, bankruptcy proceedings, and certain federal credit union or FDIC proceedings; in those cases, notice may be provided within 30 days after the effective date. Save the notices with your mortgage records. 12 CFR §1024.33
  2. Find the handoff dates and payment instructions. The notice should identify the effective date, when the old servicer stops accepting payments, when the new one begins, and the new payment address. The stop and start dates must be the same or consecutive days. The notice should also give contact information for both servicers and address whether optional insurance is affected. Use the notice for the dates and payment destination that apply to your loan; do not guess based on a company name or an old statement. CFPB model notice, Appendix MS-2
  3. Update payment arrangements using verified instructions. For payments due on or after the new servicer’s disclosed start date, follow its payment instructions. If you mail a payment, allow extra delivery time. Keep proof of payment, such as a confirmation or check record, along with the transfer notice. The CFPB advises borrowers to account for mailing time when making payments. CFPB: What happens if the company that I send my mortgage payments to changes?
  4. Sign in to the new account and compare records. Use the contact details in the transfer notice if you need help locating or accessing the account. Check that the new account reflects recent payments and that its instructions and balance are consistent with your notice and statements. The notice provides contact fields for both servicers, including phone numbers, addresses, and departments. CFPB model notice, Appendix MS-2
  5. Review escrow statements and activity. Compare escrow information from both servicers, and check the new monthly payment if it changes. The statement deadlines and the late-payment protection are separate rules; the escrow requirements are explained below. 12 CFR §1024.17

If a payment goes to the old servicer

Federal rules provide a 60-day protection period beginning on the transfer’s effective date. If the old servicer receives your payment on or before its due date—including any applicable grace period—during that period, the payment may not be treated as late for any purpose. CFPB guidance interprets this protection to bar a late fee in that circumstance.

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The old servicer must promptly forward a misdirected payment to the new servicer or return it and tell you the proper recipient. Keep your payment confirmation and note when and where you sent the payment. If the new account does not show it, contact the servicers using the notice and provide the payment date, amount, destination, and proof. The protection is tied to the 60-day period and the payment arriving by the due date or within the loan’s grace period; it is not a general extension of your payment deadline. 12 CFR §1024.33(c)(1); CFPB borrower guidance

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What to check in escrow

Escrow may cover property taxes, homeowners insurance, and other charges. A transfer can require statements from both servicers, even when you continue making the same monthly payment.

Statement from the old servicer

The old servicer must provide a short-year escrow account statement within 60 days of the effective transfer date. Review it for the account’s activity through the handoff and keep it with your records. 12 CFR §1024.17

Statement from the new servicer

If the new servicer changes your monthly payment amount or the method it uses to account for escrow, it must provide an initial escrow account statement within 60 days after the transfer. Compare the statement with the old servicer’s short-year statement and your records. If amounts or transactions do not reconcile, ask the servicer to explain the difference. 12 CFR §1024.17

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Tax and insurance deadlines

Escrow disbursements for taxes, insurance, and other covered charges must be made by the applicable deadline to avoid a penalty, subject to the conditions in the regulation. If an upcoming tax or insurance deadline may be affected by a transfer or an unexplained account discrepancy, contact the servicer and the taxing authority or insurer directly. 12 CFR §1024.34

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If a notice is missing or account details do not match

  • You have not received a notice: Contact the servicer you have been paying using a verified statement or other established contact method. Ask whether a transfer is scheduled and request the effective date and payment instructions in writing.
  • The payment destination is unclear: Confirm the start date and address with the servicers using contact details from a transfer notice or statement. Keep a record of whom you spoke with and what instructions you received.
  • A payment is missing from the new account: Contact both servicers and provide the payment date, amount, destination, and confirmation. Ask the old servicer whether it received or forwarded the payment and ask the new servicer how it will be credited.
  • Escrow activity appears inconsistent: Compare the transfer statements, payment records, and any tax or insurance bills. Ask the servicer to identify the transaction or calculation in question; if a deadline is near, confirm directly with the taxing authority or insurer whether the charge was paid.

Keep copies of notices, statements, payment confirmations, and correspondence. The transfer notice and account records determine your dates, payment address, account access, and escrow balance; general guidance cannot establish those details for an individual loan. CFPB model notice, Appendix MS-2

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