Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance

Mortgage payment protection insurance or MPPI is a very valuable form of protection to take out if you are repaying a mortgage over many years and are in full time employment. You pay a premium to the provider each month and then if you should find yourself a victim of unemployment or incapacity you could claim on the insurance.

The amount you would have to pay for you cover varies with the provider and on different factors. How much of your mortgage repayment you want to protect will be taken into account as will the level of protection. Some providers will also base the premium on how old you are and this allows even first time younger home buyers who have pushed their budget to the limit, to cover the commitment of their mortgage. You are able to protect accident, sickness and unemployment together, unemployment only or incapacity only.

You would have to wait the period of time set out in the terms of the MPPI policy before you are able to put in a claim on the policy. Some providers will backdate it to the first day of you becoming unemployed or of being incapacitated but you have to check this in the terms and conditions. Once the cover has started it would continue to payout your income for between 12 and 24 months again dependent on the provider and then it would simply cease. During this time you would not have to worry about finding the money and would be able to continue paying the repayments of your mortgage and concentrate on getting well or of finding work.

It is essential to protect the roof over your head as even one missed repayment would have the lender sending out a letter wanting to know when you are able to catch up. If you cannot catch up and continue to miss payments then it is almost certain that you will be facing having your home repossessed by the lender.

Relying on benefits from the State could be futile as while you may be eligible to receive help from them, it would only be towards the interest part of the mortgage and even then only up to a certain amount. The amount of help you are entitled to would be determined by many factors, whereas with mortgage payment protection insurance you can insure up to an amount that you determine.

While MPPI along with the rest of the family of payment protection policies has in the past earned themselves a bad name, it is not the product that deserves blame. Problems did appear in the sector but it was high street lenders failing to give out the correct information when policies were sold that led to the majority of problems. As long as you have checked in the terms and conditions that a policy is suitable then it can work in the way it was designed to work. Sticking with an independent specialist provider is essential as they will give you all the information needed for you to ensure that a policy would be suitable.



By: Simon Burgess

About the Author:

Jeramiah

If you have been considering taking out a mortgage then you should also consider taking out protection to cover the repayments of that mortgage if you should find yourself out of work due to an accident, sickness or redundancy. However if you have taken a quote from the mortgage lender then the chances are that the premium they quoted is way over the odds, for the cheapest UK mortgage payment protection insurance then you have to buy it independently.

Sadly the majority of people don’t even realise that buying the cover independently from a specialist provider is an option. The high street lender is well know for charging over the odds in favour of raking in huge profits on mortgage payment protection polices and will do everything they can to persuade you to take their cover, some would even have you believe that in order to get their mortgage you have to buy the cover with it. This is simply not true and you do have the option of shopping around for the cover yourself.

A quality UK mortgage payment protection insurance policy will pay out after you have been out of work for a pre determined amount of time usually for up to 1 year, which is generally more than enough time for you to get back on your feet and back to work. Buying UK mortgage payment protection insurance can mean the difference between you losing the roof over your head through no fault of your own, other than not having the insight to take out a policy.

It is important that when buying your policy you go with an independent provider as not only can a specialist save you thousands over the term of your mortgage, but they can also ensure you have the knowledge of what a policy entails. There are many exclusions hidden in policies and it is imperative that you know you would be eligible to claim on a policy before paying out for the cover.



By: Simon Burgess

About the Author:

Rihanna

There are two ways you can buy mortgage payment protection insurance in the UK. One is if you have the insurance added in with the loan when taking it out and the other is by buying it independently from a standalone provider. Protecting your mortgage by adding in cover can work out extremely expensive due to the huge profits that high street lenders make by adding in protection alongside cheap rates of interest on loans.

The cheapest way to take out a policy is to choose to take your protection independently from a specialist in payment protection. They offer not only the cheapest premiums for protection, which in some cases can save you as much as 40%, but also plenty of valuable information regarding the policy. Once you have checked for eligibility with the provider’s website you are then able to fall back on your cover. All ethical providers will ensure that they give all the information needed for the consumer to check the suitability.

If you wish to guard against becoming unemployed only then you are to take out a policy just for this. Should you wish just to cover accident and sickness only then you can or you can protect against accident, sickness and unemployment together. This along with your age and how much cover you need goes towards how much you will pay for the premium. Age based payment protection is a huge bonus for young first time home buyers who very often find themselves having stretched their budget to the maximum. Low cost premiums mean that everyone can not afford to take out what is valuable protection to help them keep the roof over their head.

You only have to stop and consider for a moment how you would manage if you did lose your job or could not work for many months. You have to ask yourself where you would get the large sum needed to pay your mortgage while you recovered or found work again. If applying to the State is your answer then this could be a bit of a let down as State benefit would only pay towards the interest part of the mortgage and then only up to a certain amount each month. You would also have to meet many criteria set out by them and this could be a let down, especially if you have savings over a certain amount or a partner living with you who is working full time.

Mortgage payment protection insurance in the UK has to be checked against a few exclusions for you to be sure that you would be eligible and once you have, you could claim on your policy after the time stated in the conditions of the cover. Providers will usually ask for a deferment period of between 30 and 90 days and some will backdate the benefit to the first day of unemployment or of incapacity. Your policy would then protect you for between 12 and 24 months and then it would cease paying. Usually this would provide you with enough cover to have made a recovery and get back to work or it would give you time to search around and find suitable work again.



By: Simon Burgess

About the Author:

Oswaldo

If you want the best deal on cheap mortgage payment protection insurance then without a doubt the only way to go is by purchasing shopping around and getting the cover independently from a specialist provider. A specialist provider can not only help you to make substantial savings when it comes to the premiums charged for the policy, but will also be able to ensure you get the policy most suited for your needs and, if they are reputable, should provide free advice.

When looking for a policy, never be tempted to take what the high street lenders and banks offer you when you take out your mortgage without first doing a bit of research. The cover doesn’t have to be taken alongside your mortgage regardless of the pressure techniques the lender might use to persuade you it does. While it’s true some lenders will insist that you do take out cover to protect the loan, you can choose where to buy the cover from. High street lenders in the majority simply don’t have the experience needed when it comes to selling mortgage payment protection and, as recent finings from the Financial Services Authority have proved, sales techniques are very poor. This has led to wide spread mis-selling of policies and has left many unfortunate people not being able to make a claim on their policy when needed.

All policies will have exclusions and these are often hidden in the small print and these are what you should be aware of when it comes to taking out the policy. A mortgage payment protection policy is taken out to ensure that if you should come out of work through an accident, prolonged sickness or unforeseen unemployment then the cover will provide a tax-free monthly income which means you can still pay the mortgage. However there are certain illnesses which are excluded and medical conditions that you have at the time of taking out the policy will normally be excluded, this is why it’s important that you check the small print of a policy.

When it comes to getting the best deal on a mortgage payment protection insurance policy then you simply have to go independently to a specialist for it, this is probably the only way to get a quality product while making savings on your premium.



By: Simon Burgess

About the Author:

Garret

Mortgage payment protection insurance is taken out in order to safeguard the possibility that you could come out of work due to an accident, long term illness or through unforeseen unemployment. The cover will usually pay out for up to a period of 12 months (with some policies, it will be for up to 24 months) providing you have been out of work for a defined period of time, which is usually around 30 days though can be longer depending on the policy.

Your monthly mortgage repayment is without a doubt probably the biggest outgoing and as such if you were to come out of work how would you be able to afford to keep up the repayments? The State does very little to help financially, so unless you have a nest egg of your own, then taking out cover to protect your mortgage is essential.

A mortgage payment protection policy can be bought alongside the mortgage and unfortunately this is the most common way and usually the dearest option when it comes to taking out the insurance. The only way to get a cheap quote for mortgage payment protection is to shop around and go to an independent provider. Not only will you make huge savings when compared to going with a high street lender, but you should also benefit from expert advice.

If you are concerned about the recent bad publicity that the sector has earned then there are some factors that have to be taken into account. Firstly, it is not the product itself that is at fault but those few providers who get greedy and put huge profits ahead of the consumer’s best interest. When it comes to pointing out those who have been known to mis-sell policies in favour of high profits they include the well known high street banks and lenders and this alone should tell you to go to a specialist standalone provider for your mortgage payment protection insurance.

Along with high premiums, research from organisations such as the Financial Services Authority has shown how some of the high street lenders know very little when it comes to recommending and selling policies, leaving some consumers with a worthless policy when it comes to claiming. A standalone provider will usually deal just in protection policies and as such can give excellent advice along with a quality product.



By: Simon Burgess

About the Author:

Trenton

MPPI also known as mortgage payment protection insurance should be looked into by all homeowners as it can mean the difference between you losing your home if you find yourself falling sick or being involved in an accident that meant you were unable to work. It would also payout if you were to become a victim of redundancy. You would still have the money needed to be able to continue paying on the policy despite the fact that you have lost your income.

You would not have to make any huge changes to your lifestyle, nor would you have to scrimp and scrape with the little money you had to be able to keep on paying your mortgage. Instead you would be able to relax for the period of the policy which is usually either 12 or 24 monthly payments which are tax-free. You could concentrate on making a full recovery from accident or illness or look around for work after being made redundant. You would have to wait for a period of time before you would be able to claim on the cover. Some providers start to provide an income after 30 days and others could ask 90 days.

With MPPI behind you there would be no worries about the lender deciding to take you to court and seek repossession of your home. While lender usually give some leeway, if you have not got an income coming into the home on a regular basis you would not be able to come to an agreement with the lender. Not being able to catch up on arrears and also maintain your mortgage repayments would almost certainly see the lender starting proceedings to repossess.

For a small premium paid to a standalone specialist in payment protection for an MPPI policy you would be able to pay your mortgage on time each month and avoid court proceedings. The premium charged for protection would take into account how much you wanted to cover each month, the level of protection needed and age. The level of protection can be accident, sickness and unemployment in one package. You can also choose just to take out insurance for incapacity only or just for unemployment by such as redundancy only. Age based premiums mean the younger you are the cheaper the premiums which is excellent for first time homebuyers who have tight budgets and large mortgage repayments.

MPPI is a more viable option than relying on the State to provide you with an income to cover your mortgage. You may be entitled to receive help from them but they only give so much towards the interest part of the mortgage and not the capitol. You must also not have savings over a certain amount, have a partner in full time work living with you and you would have to wait several months before seeing any money. Relying on savings could also be a let down as they could run out before you are fit and well enough to return to earning a living or you could not have found a job in time.



By: Simon Burgess

About the Author:

Kelis

If you were to find yourself out of work after suffering from an accident, were to become ill or become unemployed then life could get extremely hard and you could be at risk of losing your home if you cannot keep up with the mortgage repayments. However, the solution to this financial nightmare is mortgage payment protection insurance.

Regardless of your circumstances your mortgage would still have to be paid and if you had checked a mortgage payment protection insurance policy against your circumstances and found it suitable, then you would not have to worry. Once you had been out of work for between 31 to 90 days depending on the provider you would receive an income which would allow you to continue repaying your mortgage. The money would be tax free and would then continue paying out each month for between 12 and 24 months depending on the provider.

However you do have to check that a policy would be suitable and you would be eligible to claim because there are exclusions which could mean a policy would be useless in your circumstances. If you only work part time, suffer a pre-existing medical condition, are retired or self-employed then a policy would not be in your best interest. Providers can add in other exclusions so it is essential to read the small print and compare the exclusions in the policy at the same time as comparing the small print. A quality policy would have no excess and very few exclusions whilst being affordable, it should also come with the terms and conditions including the exclusions clearly explained in plain English.

An independent specialist provider will always offer the cheapest quotes for the premiums along with the best advice and all the information needed for you to be able to make an informed decision regarding the suitability of the product. Mortgage payment protection insurance can be hard to understand so it is imperative that you do choose to take the cover out with a specialist and not have it included into the cost of the mortgage at the time of taking the mortgage out. High street lenders give very little advice regarding the exclusions and terms and conditions which has accounted for the majority of mis-selling and the product earning a bad reputation.

Mortgage payment protection insurance should become more transparent in March 2008 with the introduction of comparison tables. The tables will show how much the cover will cost in total along with the exclusions in a policy and through a series of questions which the consumer answers, they will be able to determine which if any of the payment protection policies are most suitable. The cover can work the way it was designed to work but you do have to take the time to read the exclusions and determine for yourself if mortgage cover is the right choice for your circumstances. Mis-selling of policies is only done through ignorance of the product and it is no the actual policy itself that is to blame.



By: Simon Burgess

About the Author:

Carina

Mortgage payment protection insurance (MPPI) can give enormous benefits especially when it comes to giving peace of mind, but it is not suitable for all individuals. For those who are eligible to claim against a policy then it would mean a tax free monthly income with which to continue meeting your mortgage repayments each month for between 12 - 24 months depending on the provider.

Polices will usually give you an income from anywhere between day 31 and 90 of being continually unable to work due to unforeseen redundancy, ongoing illness or accident that prevents you from working. As with all insurance, mortgage payment protection has exclusions some of which are to be found in the majority of policies and others which can be added by the provider.

Typically, individuals who are self-employed, suffering an ongoing illness, are retired or who are only working on a part time basis would not benefit from taking out cover. You have to read the terms and conditions over thoroughly before committing yourself to a mortgage payment protection insurance policy and talk to your provider so you will get access to the information needed.

The Mortgage payment protection insurance can provide invaluable cover but only if the individual understands it and ensures that it is right for their circumstances. An ethical specialist will provide the information needed to determine it is suitable, but in the end it is down to those buying the protection to make sure that they would be eligible to claim.

Faith has been lost in the product - along with the family of protection suites - since it was highlighted in the media that mortgage payment protection insurance policies were being mis-sold. In 2005 the investigation into the sector began after a super complaint from the Citizens Advice to the Office of Fair Trading. The Financial Services Authority began their own study in to the market place too, which is currently ongoing and they handed out fines to several well known names on the high street.

The independent body the Competition Commission are now reviewing the protection insurance industry and it is anticipated that their findings will be released early in 2009.

Despite recommendations set out for changes that needed to be made when it came to selling a policy, in 2007 over 4,000 cases were investigated for mis-selling. At the moment around 70,000 payment protection policy holders are seeking compensation for being mis-sold their policy and it is thought that around half of the 20 million policies that have been taken out could have been mis-sold.

Reading the conditions set out in the mortgage payment protection insurance is very essential if you want to be able to claim. In all fairness mortgage insurance does fair better than payment protection has with the majority claims being paid out. Regardless of this those considering taking out cover do have to be on their toes when it comes to buying their policy. A standalone provider will offer a quality product that offers value for money and all the information needed to determine its suitability.



By: Simon Burgess

About the Author:

Tegan

A mortgage is a long-term financial commitment and you have to maintain the monthly repayments for the full duration of the mortgage. That’s going to be over many years but non of us have the benefit of a crystal ball — so no one knows how your circumstances are going to change. So that must represent a big risk.

Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance (MPPI) is just one of a range of valuable insurances which includes critical illness insurance and life insurance, which you can use to reduce that risk and protect your family’s finances. The purpose of MPPI is to ensure that you have the income to continue paying your mortgage repayments if you’re off work for an extended period due to accident, sickness or unemployment.

The Top Tips

• Some mortgage lenders may try to coerce you into taking out an MPPI policy along with your mortgage. If this happens, make sure you find out how much extra the MPPI cover will cost you each month. Then get on the Internet and get some competitive quotations. Most people will find that the Internet saves them up to 60%!

• Mortgage lenders will only quote you for the amount of cover you need to meet your monthly mortgage repayments. The author recommends that you extend the cover to include the cost of your home & contents insurance, mortgage life insurance, and the cost of any investment plan you have arranged to repay your mortgage (the investment plan only applies to mortgages where you are only paying the interest each month and will be repaying the capital at the end of the mortgage).

• You can take out MPPI at any time. Some people wrongly believe that you can only take out MPPI when you arrange the mortgage.

• If your employment is casual or seasonal you will not be able to claim on an MPPI policy. Every policy has what are called exclusions and seasonal and casual work is a typical exclusion. Exclusions are the circumstances under which a claim will be refused. Be sure to read these exclusions before you take out the policy and, if your circumstances mean that you’re unlikely to be able to make a valid claim, don’t buy the insurance! Exclusions on MPPI policies can eliminate 50% of potential claims.

• The cheapest is not always the best. So don’t automatically opt for the cheapest policy. The circumstances under which policies pay out do vary - so check them out cautiously. The premium quoted will be a reflection of the extent of the exclusions in the policy, the level of cover provided and the insurers general pricing policy.

• MPPI is sold under a number of alternative names. So don’t get confused. It can also be described as Accident Sickness and Unemployment Insurance, Payment Care and Payment Cover. In principle, they are the same — but remember to check out the exclusions!

• Most MPPI policies say that you must be off work for a minimum period before you can claim. The longest period you’ll find is 60 days but many policies reduce this to 30 days. Some will then backdate the payment to the first day you were off work. Look out for the details which you’ll find in the policy’s Terms and Conditions. Always check these out before you buy - and remember to compare like with like when you’re comparing prices.

• Don’t confuse Mortgage Indemnity Insurance (MIG) with Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance. MIG provides insurance cover for a lender for any losses they might suffer as a result of a property on which they provided a mortgage being sold for less than the value of the outstanding mortgage. All payments under a MIG policy go to the lender, not you!

• If you have Permanent Health Insurance your may not need MPPI. Check out the terms of you PHI policy and then make your mind up whether MPPI is adding anything extra.

• If you already have Critical Illness Insurance be aware that there is a level of duplication with MPPI. MPPI will pay an income during the insured period for any illness that prevents you from working. Critical illness Insurance pays out a lump sum if you have any of the chronic illnesses listed on the critical illness policy (other conditions apply). So if you have a valid claim under your critical illness policy, you will probably also have a valid claim under your MPPI policy. However, if the illness that’s keeping you off work is not listed on the chronic list then only your MPPI policy will payout.

• Do shop around. You’ll find that the Internet is the cheapest place to shop for MPPI and many web sites enable you to arrange cover immediately online.



By: Michael Challiner

About the Author:

Ashleigh

If you should lose your income then you could be left with a big struggle on your hands when it comes to meeting your monthly mortgage repayments if you should find yourself out of work due to having an accident, sickness or be made unemployed. If the product is suitable then UK mortgage payment protection insurance could give you the income needed so you would not be left struggling or worrying.

Mortgage payment protection insurance (MPPI) could mean the difference between you losing the roof over your head and unfortunately many homeowners think that the State would be able to step in and help. While you are able to get help from the State, the financial assistance that you may be entitled to is often very little and cannot be relied upon. Providing a policy would be suitable for your needs then it can make a huge difference and be a valuable safety net on which to fall.

UK mortgage payment protection insurance is offered when you take out the mortgage and while you might think this is the easiest way to take the cover it is not the cheapest by any means. In fact the Competition Commission has recently announced that they are doing everything in their power to take a look at the high street lenders books. It is thought that the high street lenders are making up to 80% profits on selling mortgage and loan payment protection. If you want to make huge savings on mortgage cover then you have to take out the cover with an independent specialist provider.

Independent specialist providers offer cheaper premiums along with making sure that they give you the key facts needed so you are able to determine the policies suitability. Common exclusions in all policies include being of retirement age, if you only work part time, are self-employed or suffer from an ongoing illness at the time of taking out the cover. Exclusions can be added by the provider so you will have to read the small print defined in the terms and conditions before buying.

A quality UK mortgage payment protection insurance policy could begin to give you a tax free income once you had been out of work for between 31 and 90 days and continue for 12 to 24 months depending on providers. Again you have to read the terms and conditions to determine when cover would begin and end and when comparing premiums you should also compare key facts as they can differ. One of the biggest benefits besides saving you money is the experience that a standalone provider can give; a lack of experience is what led to the majority of mis-selling and problems for the payment protection sector.

Although there are many problems including a lack of information and high street lenders charging huge premiums this could soon change with the comparison tables being introduced in March 2008. The tables should help consumers to decide if UK mortgage payment protection insurance is suitable and will highlight the exclusions and tell the consumer how much the cover would cost.



By: Simon Burgess

About the Author:

Aliana