<prompt> Human: Ive heard of peoples debt being bought or sold, and my landlord recently had the mortgage on her house sold to another finance institution.What, if any, methods exist to lock in a good rate or to prevent such negative changes from happening?  <response>: Mortgages are sold off all the time. The new owners are still bound to the same terms and conditions of the original loan. Unless you or your landlord agreed to an adjustable rate mortgage, there is nothing to fear. Just make sure that the new loan holder gives the proper payment account information and the proper place to mail the check into. Usually you have 1 or 2 payments to make the proper adjustments to payment location, but make sure to read all the paperwork and contact the new holder with any questions. It is not unusual for a mortgage to change owners a couple times during the life of the loan. It is impossible to stop debt being sold off. It is a common financial tool, it is also what caused the financial collapse of 08. Debt is sold off in securitized bundles to lessen risk of loan defaults. Its how banks protect themselves from people defaulting on their loans. 