Jim Curran in Malvern, Pa., lost his job in March and got permission to pause his mortgage payments, freeing up thousands of dollars a month, with no damage to his credit score.
Patricia Orndorf in St. Louis Park, Minn., also lost her job in March. Her bank let her temporarily skip her credit-card bill, which had a minimum monthly payment of roughly $100, through July. But interest still piled up, and late fees for August, September and October added to her balance.
The…
