UK Mortgage Protection

This is an article by Sara Anne Burgess, a UK mortgage protection specialist:
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 UK mortgage protection insurance and other similar ytpes of cover.

It is a disgrace that these companies line their pockets with in excess of £4bn in profits every year from this invaluable insurance – preying on a consumer’s financial vulnerability by selling them poor value cover at an over the top price.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Payment protection insurance shouldn’t be expensive and of an inferior quality. Burgesses, for example, offer high quality, low cost protection insurance products to suit even the most modest of budgets and circumstances. Our products also feature additional benefits not always offered by those policies on the high street.

Another concern for me – and one which I regularly comment on in the media - is the lack of information readily available to people who are considering payment protection insurance.

Many believe it is compulsory at the time of taking out some form of borrowing such as loan, mortgage or credit card. Others are sold policies that they are not actually eligible to claim upon should they need to.

I believe that the consumer should have the resources needed to enable them to make a well-informed choice about payment protection insurance – and this is one of the aims of this blog.

Sadly, many people do not value the importance of payment protection insurance – or are put off by the horror stories they read in the press (Which is not surprising really, when you hear about the 4,000 cases of mis-sold payment protection insurance cases being investigated by the independent regulatory body, the Financial Services Authority in 2007).

However, when bought correctly, payment protection insurance can quite literally save you from financial distress if you were to lose your income.

Think about it - how would you cope if you became unable to work? How would you service your mortgage repayments or rent? How would you pay your day-to-day living expenses such as food and clothing?

The solution is payment protection - income, mortgage or loan payment protection insurance. Should you unexpectedly lose your income as a result of unforeseen redundancy; due to an ongoing illness; or accident, then the cover would pay you a tax free monthly income until you were back to work.

But it is not as simple as just going out and buying a policy along with your loan, mortgage or credit card. As with all purchases, you need to do your research first. If you don’t, you could end up paying much more than you have to for the insurance and run the risk of paying for something that is not worth the paper it is written is on.

I know about payment protection insurance – the whys, the wherefores and the what nots. I know it provides invaluable protection but have seen how, in the wrong hands, it can be a rip-off.

I believe that using one of British Insurance's UK mortgage protection insurance policies is the best way to keep a roof over your head.