Frequently Asked Questions

Though you may contact us using any of the three methods listed below, the fastest method for communicating with Provident Funding is by sending us an online case. We will quickly answer your questions and resolve issues or problems with your account in less than 48 business hours. This is an efficient way to communicate your message and receive ours, while maintaining a record of your conversation for easy reference.

Send Online Case

Log on to your account and click the Contact Us link from the top main or left website menus.

Contacting Customer Service by Phone

Customer Service Representatives are available at (800) 696-8199 , from 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM PT Mon-Fri.

Contacting Customer Service by Mail

Contact us by mail at:

Provident Funding Associates,
L.P. P.O. Box 5914 Santa Rosa,
CA 95402-5914

Log in to your online account and select "My Profile". Here you will be able to update your phone number, mailing address, and email information.

If you have made a legal change to your name, we must be notified. Please provide the following documents:

1. Signed written request for the name change
2. Completed W-9 showing the name change (available online at www.irs.gov )
3. Recorded deed from your county showing the name change

These documents can be:

• Faxed to: (707) 547-4078or
• Mailed to:

In most cases, names may not be removed from a loan except through a refinance. This is because your loan was approved based on the information of all borrowers. However, an assumption clause in your mortgage agreement or special circumstances may allow us to remove a name from the loan.

Please contact Customer Service for more information about this process.

When your loan closed, you received copies of your loan documents. Should any of your documents be misplaced or destroyed we can provide copies to you. To request a copy of a document at no charge, please send your request to us online by case or in writing to:

Provident Funding Associates, L.P. Attn: Customer Service P.O. Box 5914 Santa Rosa, CA 95402-5914

For expedited service, you may call Customer Service at (800) 696-8199. Fees may apply for expedited service.

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) is a Federal law that provides benefits to eligible service members.

The SCRA offers an interest rate of no more than 6% on mortgages that were opened before active service.

Regardless of when a mortgage was opened, service members and their dependents may be eligible for foreclosure protection and relief.

Please contact us to learn more about our options for mortgage relief.

Some loans require that a prepayment fee be assessed if the loan is paid in full before a certain period of time. This is also referred to as a prepayment penalty.

If your Mortgage Note includes a Prepayment Penalty clause, the fee will be calculated according to the specific terms in your Mortgage Note.

Payments are due on the 1^st of each month. Late fees are assessed after the 16^th of the month or the following business day on any account still outstanding.

We will mail you a notice after the 16^th notifying you if your account is still outstanding and you may receive a courtesy call to remind you of your missing payment.

• Submit payment online

  • This option is FREE!

  • Pay online at www.provident.com.

• Monthly AutoPay (ACH)

  • This option is FREE!

  • This is an automatic monthly withdrawal from your bank account and is available as a free service. This can be setup through your online account or by contacting Customer Service.

• Checks, bank billpay services or money orders

  • These forms of payment can be sent by mail to:

    Provident Funding Associates, L.P. Attn: Payment Processing P.O. Box 513738 Los Angeles, CA 90051-3738

    Checks should be made payable to Provident Funding.

  • Certified or overnight mail should be sent to:

    Provident Funding Associates, L.P. Attn: Payment Processing 3750 S. Robertson Blvd. Suite 102 Culver City, CA 90232

• Payments via phone from your checking or savings account

  • These may be processed for a $7.50 fee by calling (800) 696-8199, Option 3.

  Please note that Provident Funding cannot accept credit cards or biweekly payments at this time.

  Online and phone payments will post to your Provident Funding account the same business day if the payment was entered before 5:00 PM PT. Payments submitted after 5:00 PM PT, on holidays, or weekends, will be processed the following business day.

All payments sent by mail will be posted and credited to your account by the end of business on the same day it is received by our office.

If you are paying by phone, or through our website, payments must be submitted by 5:00 PM PT to receive same-day credit. If you submit a payment after 5:00 PM PT, or on a weekend or Federal holiday, then we will not credit your account until the next business day.

Monthly statements can be viewed in your online account. Once logged in, go to the "Letters & Monthly Statements" section to view.

You will not receive a statement in the mail if you signed up to receive statements electronically or if you use our payment coupons.

Under Federal law, you may not opt out from receiving monthly statements.

You will receive a coupon book approximately two weeks after your loan funds.

• If you do not have an impound / escrow account, this book will contain 12 coupons.
• If your loan has an impound / escrow account, you may receive less than 12 coupons.

This is because escrow accounts are typically analyzed on an annual basis and the month is determined by the state in which your property is located.

We will continue to send you a new coupon book when your escrow account is reanalyzed on an annual basis.

• If you do not have an impound/escrow account, we will send you a new coupon book when your current booklet expires.
• If you are enrolled in Monthly AutoPay or use billpay with your own financial institution, we will not send you a coupon book.

Coupon books are mailed automatically on an annual basis. It is not necessary for you to request a new book. However, if you misplace your coupon book and would like to request another, you may do so by contacting Customer Service.

Late fees are assessed after the 16th of the month or the following business day on any account still outstanding. Negative credit reporting may result if the full monthly payment due is not received by the last business day of the month.

If you pay by check or billpay, your payment is considered received on the day we receive it in our office, not the day it was delivered by your financial institution.

If you pay on our website or by phone, please refer to the same-day cutoff times under the FAQ question "What are the cutoff times to make a same-day payment and when will you process my payment?"

You may make a payment for those charges by:

• Submitting an online payment
• Making a phone payment ($7.50 processing fee)
• Sending a check, bank billpay, or money order

Any accumulated late charges will be added to the amount due. This includes late charges for any payments that are past due at the time of payoff.

We do not currently offer a biweekly payment plan. We will only accept your payment if it satisfies the full amount due. Unless your loan includes a prepayment penalty, you can make extra principal payments to lower your loan balance and the amount of interest owed to us.

Please note that third party companies may offer to save you interest through a biweekly payment plan. These services usually include an enrollment fee and monthly service fees. Consider the risks before signing up, such as whether the service provider will send your payment on time.

You can make extra payments toward principal up to $50,000, free of charge, by submitting a payment through your online account.

If you pay using check, money order, or billpay, you may add extra principal with your regular monthly payments.

Any amount greater than $50,000 requires special handling and should be sent to:

Provident Funding Associates, L.P. Attn: Payment Processing P.O. Box 513738 Los Angeles, CA 90051-3738

If Provident Funding receives a payment from you within the first 60 days after your loan has been sold, your check will automatically be endorsed and forwarded to the new mortgage company.

In the event that your payment is applied at Provident Funding prior to the loan being sold, funds will be disbursed to the new mortgage company for any payments due to them. All payments are forwarded via overnight mail. Please contact your new servicer to confirm receipt.

If you pay additional principal, or have made a larger lump sum principal payment, you might be eligible to “recast” your mortgage if it is a fixed-rate loan. Recasting a mortgage will spread out your lower principal balance across your remaining loan term and may lower your fixed-rate payment. Please contact Customer Service to check your eligibility.

Keep in mind that by paying any additional principal, you are paying your loan down faster and you will save interest over time. Your monthly payment amount will not change by just paying additional principal.

If you want to lower your payment because you are experiencing a financial hardship, please contact Customer Service immediately so we can review all of your assistance options.

Before paying off your loan, you will first need to obtain a Payoff Statement which states the total amount due. This statement will also provide instructions on how to pay off your mortgage and can be downloaded from your online account under the Loan Servicing section.

This statement can also be obtained by contacting our Customer Service Department. Please note, Provident Funding will only accept certified funds for means of paying off your loan. Instructions on how to wire your payoff can be found on the Payoff Statement.

Some loans require that a prepayment fee be assessed if the loan is paid in full before a certain period of time. If your Mortgage Note includes a Prepayment Penalty clause, the fee will be calculated according to the specific terms in your Mortgage Note.

Interest shown on the Payoff Statement is calculated through the indicated expiration date. You must download a new Payoff Statement if you are attempting to pay off your loan after the statement's good through date.

If your loan is paid ahead, the payoff amount will be reduced by any interest not yet due. Upon receipt of the payoff amount, the actual interest charged includes interest up to, but not including, the date of receipt. Interest is collected in arrears.

For example, if the September 1st payment (which includes interest accrued from the month of August) has been made and your loan is paid in full on September 15th, interest will be due for the first fourteen days of September.

Yes. You must continue to make your monthly payments until the day we receive your payoff funds. Failure to make a monthly payment is a default under the terms of your Promissory Note. This may result in a late charge, a negative report being made to the credit reporting agencies, or both.

Any overpayment of principal or interest included with the payoff amount we receive is refunded to you within two weeks of loan payoff.

If you choose to provide your name, social security number and loan number to a third party, they can go to our website and order a Payoff Statement on your behalf.

Though there is a fee of $10 for a Payoff Statement requested by a third party, there is no fee if the statement is downloaded from your online account directly.

Payoff figures are always subject to change due to new fee assessment, payment activity, and escrow account activity. If payoff funds are received after the good through date of the Payoff Statement, the interest amount due will be different. You or your agent should request an updated Payoff Statement to confirm that no changes have occurred if paying off after the current good through date.

Once your loan is paid off, we send a release of lien document directly to your county recorder. Your county will then record our lien removal from your property. You will receive a copy of our release of lien document within 120 days of loan payoff. You will not receive your deed from the county.

If your loan was impounded / escrowed and had a positive balance at the time your loan was paid off, we will mail you a refund check for the balance automatically. Generally, this will occur within 3 business days from the payoff date. We cannot send these funds to you electronically.

A summary of your final escrow account information will be mailed to you 45 days from the payoff date.

Any escrow funds advanced by Provident Funding to pay your bills as a result of insufficient funds in your impound / escrow account will be collected at the time of payoff.

Your monthly escrow payment is equal to 1/12^th of the total bills Provident Funding anticipates paying on your behalf throughout the year, including any shortage amount as permitted by federal and/or state law and your mortgage contract. This amount ensures Provident Funding has enough funds to pay all of your escrow bill obligations.

We will review your impound, or escrow, account annually. The month that we review your account is determined by the state your property is located in.

During your scheduled month, we will re-calculate your monthly escrow payment and check if your account has a shortage or surplus. We will then mail you an Escrow Account Disclosure Statement summarizing this information.

If you would like to know the month your escrow account will be reviewed, please contact Customer Service.

Escrow accounts can be re-analyzed outside of the annual schedule per written or verbal request, but we may deny a request to re-analyze your escrow account if your request is made within 60 days of your regularly scheduled annual review.

An increase in your escrow payment is caused by an increase in property taxes, homeowners or flood insurance premium, and/or an escrow account shortage.

We do not have control over property taxes or insurance premiums. Please contact your tax office or insurance company for more information.

A shortage can be caused by numerous reasons. Keep reading our FAQs to learn more.

If you have a fixed rate mortgage and an escrow account, your total monthly payment may still change each year. The principal and interest parts of your monthly payment will stay the same. However, changes in your property tax or insurance premiums will affect your escrow payment.

We must adjust the amount collected for escrow to ensure we have enough funds to pay all of your escrowed bills.

An escrow cushion is the required reserve amount that must be included in your escrow account.

The escrow cushion is the lowest balance your escrow account should reach each year to ensure there will always be sufficient funds in your account to pay all of your escrowed expenses.

The escrow cushion is set by the Real Estate Settlement and Procedures Act (RESPA) and is equal to 1/6^th of your total annual escrow expenses, excluding mortgage insurance premiums if applicable, unless State law dictates a lower amount.

If your impound / escrow account balance is greater than the balance required at the time of your escrow account analysis, your impound / escrow account has a surplus of funds.

If your loan account is not delinquent, Provident Funding will automatically send you a refund check in the amount of the surplus to you, unless it is less than $50.00. If your surplus is less than $50.00, the funds will remain in your impound / escrow account according to Federal law and we will reduce the required monthly payment by crediting this amount over the year following your escrow account analysis.

All of this information will be clearly explained in your Escrow Account Disclosure Statement.

You have a shortage if your escrow account balance is less than the minimum escrow balance required. This can be caused by one or more of the following:

• Your property taxes or insurance premiums were more than anticipated.

• Your required minimum balance has increased.

• Your property taxes or insurance premiums were paid in a different month than anticipated.

• There was a shortage of less than one month's escrow payment rolled over from a previous Escrow Account Disclosure Statement and your total shortage is now greater than one month's escrow payment. We do not request repayment of escrow shortages less than one month's escrow payment. Any shortage less than one month's escrow payment will roll over until the total shortage is greater than one month's escrow payment.

If your total shortage is greater than one month's escrow payment, you must repay the shortage.

• Option 1: Pay Now

  You can pay your shortage in full by the due date on your Escrow Account Disclosure Statement. If you pay it in full by the due date, we will automatically adjust your payment.

  Use your online account to make a free escrow-only payment.

  You can also mail a check to:

  Provident Funding Associates, L.P. P.O. Box 513738 Los Angeles, CA 90051-3738

• Option 2: Pay Over 12 months

  We select this payment option automatically. If you do not pay your shortage in full now, we will automatically divide your total shortage equally over 12 months and add this to your monthly payment. This option is interest free. Continue paying your new monthly payment amount on your Escrow Account Disclosure Statement.

Your loan must meet certain eligibility requirements to remove the escrow account. You can request removal at any time and we will let you know if you are eligible. There is no fee for removing an escrow account.

To make a request, log in to your online account and send us a message through the Contact Us page.

Specify if you want to remove your entire escrow account, or if you want to only remove property taxes or insurance.

We will then notify you of the decision to remove your escrow account. Federal law requires a 6 business day waiting period from the day your request is approved before your escrow account is removed. After the waiting period, we will adjust your monthly payment and refund your escrow balance by sending you a check.

While Provident Funding makes every effort to obtain your policy renewal on an annual basis, sometimes we do not automatically receive your policy renewal from your insurance carrier or agent.

Please be sure to provide Provident Funding a copy of your policy renewal at least 2 weeks prior to your policy's expiration date.

There are multiple reasons why your insurance information may have failed to reach us. The most common reason is due to an incorrect mortgagee clause listed on the policy.

Verify with your agent the mortgagee clause matches this:

Mortgagee Clause: Provident Funding Associates, L.P. Its successors and / or Assigns (ISAOA) P.O. Box 5914 Santa Rosa, CA 95402-5914 Loan Number: (your loan number here)

If your insurance is escrowed, confirm with your agent they have your policy setup to bill the mortgagee, not the homeowner, using your full 10 digit loan number.

Yes, you still need to ensure Provident Funding receives updated evidence of insurance on an annual basis. If you change your insurance carrier, it is critical you send us updated evidence of insurance as soon as possible.

Please send your insurance information by fax, mail or upload through your online account. You can fax a copy of the policy to 707-547-4081 or request that your agent or insurance company fax a copy of the policy to this number. A copy may be mailed to:

Provident Funding Associates, L.P. Its Successors and / or Assigns (ISAOA) P.O. Box 5914 Santa Rosa, CA 95402-5914 Loan Number: (your loan number here)

For the fastest processing, you may upload your insurance policy information through your online account at www.provident.com.

If you have changed your insurance carrier during the term of your previous policy, it is your responsibility to pay your new policy for a full year. If you are unable to do this, please contact the Customer Service Department.

Please send us your new insurance policy's declarations page as soon as possible so we can update our records.

If you have changed your insurance carrier during the term of your previous policy, we ask that you pay for your new policy yourself even if you have an impound / escrow account. Payment for the new policy using escrow funds can cause a shortage of funds because it was not an anticipated expense. If you are unable to do this, please contact Customer Service.

Mortgage insurance protects a lender in the event monthly payments are not made on a mortgage. Mortgage insurance is generally required when your down payment is less than 20% of the purchase price.  Mortgage insurance premiums are paid by us from your escrow account. Premiums are most commonly paid from your escrow account monthly.

Some companies may advertise products with names such as “Mortgage Life Insurance”. Please note that these products are different than mortgage insurance, as defined above, and are not offered by us.

The loan documents you signed at closing will state if you have mortgage insurance. Any required mortgage insurance policy will also appear in the “Insurance & Taxes” section of your online account.

The Homeowners Protection Act (HPA) provides the right to cancel mortgage insurance for certain situations. This includes automatic cancellation when your loan balance reaches 78% of your original property value (based on the amortization schedule you received during loan closing). We will automatically cancel your mortgage insurance when this occurs on your behalf. You may also be eligible to request earlier cancellation when your loan balance reaches 80% of your original property value (based on actual payments) if it meets the requirements determined by your loan investor (such as Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae).

Please refer to the mortgage insurance disclosure you received during your loan closing for the specific cancellation criteria which apply to your loan. Additionally, there is information on mortgage insurance cancellation included with your IRS Form 1098 Annual Tax and Interest Statement each year.

If your loan meets the requirements for mortgage Insurance cancellation, you may request cancellation of your policy by going to “Contact Us” and sending us a secure email. You can also call us at (800) 696-8199.

Insurance companies are required to include your mortgage company on most claim checks. Once you receive a claim check from your insurance company, send it to us with the required information listed below. You must fully endorse the check(s) prior to mailing them unless the total of all of your claim checks is $40,000 or less and you were current on loan payments at the time of the loss event.

• 1. Your itemized repair list (adjuster’s report)

  You can obtain the itemized list of repairs (also called an "adjuster's report") from your insurance company after they have approved your claim. If for some reason you did not receive this from the insurance company, you will need to contact them to obtain a copy.

• 2. Your contractor’s information

  Please include the name, address, phone number, and license number (if your state/jurisdiction requires a licensed contractor to complete your repairs) for each of the contractors you are using to complete your property repairs. Additionally, please include the written contract, between yourself and the contractor, that details the scope of repairs the contractor will be completing. 

• 3. Mailing address for returning your claim checks back to you

  If you would like to have your claim funds returned to you at an alternate mailing address, please provide the mailing address where you would like to have the funds sent.

Mail claim checks to:

Provident Funding Associates, L.P. Attn: Loss Draft Department 1235 N. Dutton Ave, Suite E Santa Rosa, CA 95401

Claims Equal to or Less Than $40,000 (must be current on your loan payments):

If your claim check(s) total $40,000 or less, we will provide our endorsement upon receipt of the check(s) and mail the check(s) back to you. Claim checks are typically processed and mailed back to you within 3 business days from receipt if all required information has been provided.

Claims Greater Than $40,000 (must be current on your loan payments):

If your claim check(s) total greater than $40,000, we will deposit the funds upon receipt. We will issue you an initial check for the greater of $40,000 or 33% of your claim proceeds. To receive additional claim funds, you must contact us to order an inspection of your property repairs.

Click here to learn about ordering a property inspection.

Checks are typically processed and deposited within 3 business days from receipt if all required information has been provided. After a 5 business day waiting period (to ensure the claim check has cleared with the bank), we will issue you a new check for your claim funds.

If you are behind on loan payments:

If you are behind on loan payments, we will deposit the funds upon receipt regardless of the amount of your claim check(s). We will issue you an initial check up to $10,000. To receive additional claim funds, you must contact us to order an inspection of your property repairs.

Click here to learn about ordering a property inspection.

Checks are typically processed and deposited within 3 business days from receipt if all required information has been provided. After a 5 business day waiting period (to ensure the claim check has cleared with the bank), we will issue you a new check for your claim funds.

All claim checks will be sent back via regular mail to the mailing address for your loan unless you specifically request that the check(s) be mailed to an alternate address. If you would like the check(s) to be sent certified or overnight, please provide us a pre-paid label or envelope with your initial claim submission.

If you need the funds to be overnighted back to you but you did not provide a pre-paid label or envelope with your initial claim submission you may contact us and request that the check(s) be mailed back to you overnight for a $10.00 fee.

Your insurance claim funds are released in increments on larger claims due to loan investor requirements, both for your protection and the investor's. Releasing funds in increments helps ensure funds are used for the intended purpose of repairing the home. It also protects you from contractors who would attempt to require full payment up-front and then not fully complete the repairs.

You can order an inspection by logging in to your online account and sending us a message through the Contact Us section, or by calling Customer Service at (800) 696-8199. You must provide your best contact phone numbers for scheduling the inspection.

Property inspections may be required by your loan investor in order to ensure that repairs have been completed in a manner which restores the property to its original value or higher.

Due to the complicated nature of total loss claims, we will assign you a designated point-of-contact to help walk you through this process. Please call Customer Service at (800) 696-8199 and request to speak with a Loss Draft Specialist or send us a secure message through the Contact Us section of your online account.

Depending on the unique circumstances of your claim, you may have the option to rebuild the property or payoff your loan using the claim proceeds.

If you have an escrow account for property taxes, you do not need to send us your tax bill for payment as we will obtain this for you.

We do not pay supplemental, unsecured, or added assessment tax bills. You are responsible for sending these payments directly to your tax collector, even if you have a property tax escrow account.

If your property taxes are not escrowed, then you are responsible for paying the amount due to your tax collector.

If you have an impound / escrow account for property taxes, we will pay your property taxes on your behalf. If you receive a bill, this is most likely a supplemental tax bill.

Some tax collectors will send this type of bill because an additional amount is due that was not assessed at the beginning of the current tax cycle. You may wish to contact your tax collector for clarification.

Payment of supplemental property tax bills remains the responsibility of the homeowner(s). Under State law, supplemental property tax bills are only sent directly to the homeowner, not the mortgagee. The monthly payment collected as part of an escrow / impound account is for the scheduled property tax payment(s) when they become due.

A supplemental property tax bill is not a regularly scheduled tax payment. If you cannot pay your supplemental tax bill out of pocket, please contact Customer Service.

For states / counties that offer a discounted property tax amount, we will pay before the expiration of the discounted period. For all other states, Provident Funding will make payment on or before the due date.

Your IRS form 1098 / 1099 will be mailed no later than January 31st of the new year. Please allow 2 weeks for mail delivery. A copy of your IRS form 1098/1099 will be made available by January 31st for immediate download at www.provident.com by logging into your account and visiting the "Annual Tax & Interest Statements" link.

Provident Funding cannot advise you regarding the preparation of your income tax returns. Your personal tax advisor should answer any question about the preparation of your annual tax returns.

To visit the website of the Internal Revenue Service you may use the address www.irs.gov.

Many times tax payments made by mortgage companies are paid in installments rather than in one lump sum. It is also possible that two bills were paid in the same calendar year if the due date is near January 1st each year.

Provident Funding does not report tax disbursements paid from your escrow account to the IRS. For more information on tax disbursements made from your account on your behalf, please look at your account transactions on the "Payment History" page through your online account.

Provident Funding will mail your individual IRS form 1098 / 1099 by January 31st. Each mortgage company, including Provident Funding, will provide information for the period of time your loan was serviced.

Mortgage companies are not required to report to you or the IRS if the total interest paid on your account was less than $600. However, it is Provident Funding’s policy to send you an IRS form 1098 / 1099 if you paid any amount of interest during the year.

Provident Funding is proud to offer assistance to customers who are experiencing hardships that impact their ability to make payments.

There are alternatives to foreclosure but you must take action immediately and Call us today. Call (800) 696-8199 to speak with an expert who can discuss your situation and options with you.

If you are interested in refinancing your loan, please call Provident Funding’s Retail Department at (888) 547-4050.

If you are considering purchasing a new property and have questions regarding the process, please contact our Retail department at (888) 547-4050.

You may also start an application online by clicking here.