Based on your financial expertise, provide your response or viewpoint on the given financial question or topic. The response format is open.

If I were to get into a life situation where I would not be able to make regular payments, do lenders typically provide options other than default?
Some lenders will work with you if you contact them early and openly discuss your situation.  They are not required to do so.  The larger and more corporate the lender, the less likely you'll find one that will work with you. My experience is that your success in working out repayment plan for missed payments depends on the duration of your reduced income.  If this is a period of unemployment and you will be able to pay again in a number of months, you may be able to work out a plan on some debts. If you're permanently unable to pay in full, or the duration is too long, you may have to file bankruptcy to save your domicile and transportation.  The ethics of this go beyond this forum, as do the specifics of when it is advisable to file bankruptcy. Research your area, find debt counselling.  They can really help with specifics.  Speak with your lenders, they may be able to refer you to local non-profit services.  Be sure that you find one of those, not one of the predatory lenders posing as credit counselling services.  There's even some that take the money you can afford to pay, divide it up over your creditors, allowing you to keep accruing late/partial payment fees, and charge you a fee on top of it.  To me this is fraudulent and should be cause for criminal charges. The key is open communication with your lenders with disclosure to the level that they need to know.  If you're disabled, long term, they need to know that.  They do not need to know the specific symptoms or causes or discomforts.  They need to know whether the Social Security Administration has declared you disabled and are paying you a disability check.  (If this is the case, you probably have a case worker who can find you resources to help negotiate with your creditors).