Not if the forbearance agreement means no payment was due. Federal law requires furnishers to report accurately, and reporting a missed payment that you were not required to make can be inaccurate. What counts as late depends on the written terms of your agreement.
Forbearance is an agreement with your lender or servicer to pause or reduce payments for a period of time. How the account should be reported depends on what you agreed to.
The general rule: accuracy
The FCRA prohibits a furnisher from reporting information it knows or has reasonable cause to believe is inaccurate, and requires it to correct information it learns is inaccurate. Regulation V also requires furnishers to have written policies and procedures for accurate reporting. If your forbearance agreement says no payment is due for certain months, reporting those months as late can be inaccurate.
What forbearance does not change
- Prior delinquency: If you were already behind before forbearance started, the earlier late payments can stay on your report.
- Partial-payment plans: If the plan required reduced payments and you missed them, the lender may be able to report those missed payments.
- Requests not yet approved: Asking for forbearance is not the same as having it. Payments due before approval can be reported late if missed.
The COVID-era rule has ended
The CARES Act added a specific rule requiring furnishers to report accounts with pandemic accommodations as current in many cases. That rule applied only during a “covered period” tied to the COVID-19 national emergency, which has ended. Forbearance granted today is governed by the general accuracy rules above.
What to do if you were reported late
- Get the forbearance agreement or approval letter in writing.
- Compare the dates covered with the late marks on your reports.
- Dispute the late payments with each credit bureau and include the agreement. The bureau must forward your dispute to the lender, which must then investigate under 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2(b).
If a lender or servicer keeps reporting late payments during an approved forbearance after you dispute, a free case review can help, with no fee unless we win.
Related
- How to Remove a Late Payment From Your Credit Report, and When You Can't
- Navient lawsuit guide
- Nelnet lawsuit guide
- MOHELA lawsuit guide
Sources
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2(a)(1), (a)(2) and (b) (Cornell LII)
- 12 CFR § 1022.42 (eCFR): furnisher accuracy and integrity
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(2) (Cornell LII)
Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.