Why can’t I login to my account to pay my car loan anymore?

After a bankruptcy filing, some creditors block you from logging in to your account. This becomes a problem if you want to keep your car and need to make your payment.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much consistency among lenders on when and why they do it. They say it’s because they don’t want to violate the automatic stay. Unfortunately, what it really does is make it much harder for the filer to make their payment. 

Yes, you still have to make your payment even though they locked you out. 

Even though they made it harder for you to do so, the creditor still has to get paid if you want to keep the car. The best source for all of the information you’ll need to pay this bill the old-fashioned way is a recent bill. If you don’t have one handy, call the creditor. They may be hesitant to speak to you at first and then transfer the call to their bankruptcy department, but that’s ok. Just explain that you lost online access (can’t hurt to ask if they could unlock it, but don’t hold your breath) and need to make a payment. They can either give you all the information you need to make a payment by check or money order or take a payment over the phone right then. 

TIP: If you’re going to file bankruptcy and rely on online access to make payments for your car or other secured debt, make sure you have a recent statement with all the information you’ll need. If you’ve been relying on automatic payments, make sure to put some reminders in the calendar (or a sticky note on the fridge - whatever works for you) so you don’t forget to make your payments as they come due.