ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Loss mitigation

Hey kiddo, have you ever made a mistake or did something that you regret? Well, the same thing can happen to adults when they borrow money from the bank to buy a house or a car. Sometimes, they might not be able to pay back the money they borrowed, and the bank can take away their house or car.

Now, imagine that the bank really doesn't want to take away people's houses or cars, because it's not good for them or for the people who borrowed the money. That's where loss mitigation comes in!

Loss mitigation is when the bank tries to help people who are having trouble paying back their loans by finding ways to avoid foreclosure. Foreclosure is when the bank takes away someone's house or car because they haven't been able to pay the loan.

So instead of taking away their stuff, the bank might work with the person to come up with a solution that allows them to keep their house or car. This solution could be things like changing the payment plan, reducing the interest rate, or even forgiving some of the debt.

The important thing to remember is that loss mitigation is the bank's way of helping people who are struggling to pay back their loans. It's not a punishment or a scary thing, but rather a way to solve a problem and help people keep their things.