So, you have been made redundant, unexpectedly, or you are off sick from work for a prolonged length of time and are without an income. How will you still pay the bills without an income? How will you pay for the roof over your head and to put food on the table? It is a worrying thought, especially in the current uncertain economic climate. However, the solution could be mortgage protection insurance.
Mortgage payment protection insurance (to give it its full name) – also known as MPPI - will provide you with a tax free sum, every month, that will help replace your lost earnings in the event of involuntary redundancy or incapacity.
Usually the mortgage cover will start to provide these benefits anywhere between one to three months after you losing your job or becoming unable to work, though there are some policies which will back date the benefits to the first day you are unable to work.
Subject to the individual provider’s policy terms and conditions, the insurance would then continue to provide the income - and therefore some financial peace of mind - for between 12 and 24 months, or until you are back at work, whichever event happens first. For most people, this should be more than enough time to find another job or recover.
Most importantly, it takes away a lot of the financial worry associated with being unable to work or redundant.
The cost
In todays troubled financial times and with every one of us feeling the pinch financially, paying out for yet something else may seem to be not a viable option. However, the true price and value of mortgage protection insurance is limitless. It can literally save the roof over your head, stopping you getting in to arrears and helping you maintain your mortgage repayments.
It is not always cost prohibitive either, if you know where to look. Mortgage protection insurance premiums can start from as low as a few pounds a month for every £100 worth of cover required if you buy from a standalone provider.
One such provider is the ethical British Insurance who has won many awards for their low cost, comprehensive mortgage payment protection insurance cover. Their policies are around 40% cheaper than those on the high street offered by banks and lenders.
Considerations
When choosing your mortgage protection insurance cover, do be aware that all policies come with exclusions. These are things that render a policy useless in the event of a claim. Such exclusions would be things such as a pre-existing medical condition or those in part time employment or of retirement age.
For many years I have been a staunch campaigner against the major names in finance who, I believe, rip-off their customers by selling over priced, often unsuitable payment protection insurance (PPI) cover.