Mortgage Modification Plan Falls Short

Only 65,000 people – about 7 percent of those who applied – have successfully navigated President Obama’s plan to help borrowers who are in trouble, the Treasury Department said last week.

About 49,000, or 5 percent, have dropped out of the program because they don’t qualify. Most of the remainder are still waiting.

Bank of America, the largest company in the program, has completed fewer than 2 percent of the modifications for 200,000 borrowers who signed up. The most successful lenders include Ocwen Financial Corp. and Carrington Mortgage Services, which have modified loans for 40 percent of their enrolled borrowers.

Source: Associated Press, Alan Zibel (01/15/2010)