Call it a recession, call it a mortgage meltdown, peak oil, a bump in the road--by any measure, the economy could be doing better. If you're having difficulty keeping up, you're far from alone. Lenders are catching on to the idea that these are rather trying economic times.

So, if you're falling behind, the key is to be proactive. Many lenders are willing to work out payment arrangements to keep damaging information off your credit report, and to ensure your continued loyalty as a customer. Customers cost money to win, and recessions don't last forever. Many lenders realize that, when times are better, there will be profits to be made--but not if customers are tossed aside in their time of need.

This especially goes for mortgagees. Too often, people falling behind hide rather than facing the problem, and only confront their lender when they are two or three months past due. By then, the foreclosure process is already underway and a lot of options that would have been available had the borrower been proactive are now off the table..

Here's a secret: lenders don't want to repossess your home. They will if they feel there's no other alternative, but in this buyer's market, the last thing banks want to do is own depreciating real estate on a glutted market. Nowadays, banks are more flexible than ever in working out payment terms, allowing interest-only payments until times get better, and so forth.

If you call into a customer contact center and don't get what you want from the representative who answers the phone, don't be afraid to ask for a supervisor or manager. Many first-level reps in call centers are either not trained on how to handle bending the rules, or are trained to say "no" without really listening to what the customer says.