Mortgage modification has long been a controversial practice, particularly among Clark's listeners.

The idea that you should be rewarded for having fallen behind on your loan -- while someone who is current would not get any break -- has been a very bitter pill for people to swallow.

Now The Wall Street Journal has taken a close look at the numbers behind mortgage modifications. And the results actually surprised the consumer champ.

If the modification is a matter of a lender rearranging your payments or rolling missed payments into a new loan with a higher balance, well, it won't work and the borrower tends to slip back into default. No surprise there.

On the other hand, when lenders actually reduce your monthly payment, roughly 80% of people who were falling behind are able to get current and stay current on their modified loan. That's a stunning finding, according to Clark.

After all, he has a longtime bias against offering a deal to someone who's not paying. But as a practical matter, if you can get 80% of people current by offering a better deal, well, ultimately that's better for neighborhoods, homeowners and lenders alike.