Whether you’re a young, first-time homeowner or you’re nearing retirement age and have owned several properties during your working life, it’s likely that when times get tough you’ll worry about how you’re going to meet your mortgage payments. After all, your home really is your most important possession and if you fail to pay your mortgage, you – and your family – could be faced with homelessness.
That’s why mortgage insurance is an important product to consider, regardless of whether you’re buying a new home or you’re simply looking for some extra security to ensure that your investment is protected should you be unable to work due to an accident, illness or unemployment. However, when making a decision on mortgage payment protection, it’s important to take your personal circumstances into consideration.
Essentially, mortgage insurance offers you tax free monthly payments that help you pay your mortgage should your income flow happen to cease. This could be due to an accident or long-term illness that has left you unable to work, or because your employer has made you redundant. If any of these eventualities occur, having a comprehensive mortgage payment protection policy in place could ensure that you don’t fall behind on what you owe your mortgage lender – giving you one less household payment to worry about while you’re out of work.
At the same time, it’s important to be aware of the conditions of your mortgage insurance policy. For instance, some policies may not pay out until you have been out of work for a full month, although many will then backdate your first payment to include this period. What’s more, a lot of mortgage insurance policies only cover a designated amount of time, usually 12 months, though some may offer you the option to lengthen your cover period.
Nevertheless, despite the benefits of mortgage insurance, this type of payment protection plan might not be for everyone. For instance, if you already have enough in savings to meet your mortgage payments for a year, paying out towards a mortgage insurance policy may not be necessary. Or, if your office has a well-established sick pay scheme, you may still receive an income if you’re off work due to illness. In addition, if you already pay towards a health insurance plan, this may cover you in the event you should have to leave work due to a medical condition – so it’s crucial to consider your circumstances before choosing to buy a mortgage payment protection policy.
If you do decide to seek the security of mortgage insurance, searching the internet to find the best deal is a must. In recent years, some companies offering payment protection insurance have come under criticism for misselling policies to customers who either did not need them or did not know what they were purchasing. However, with the help of insurance comparison services, like ours, it’s easy to scour the market for a competitive mortgage insurance policy that meets your needs – so you’ll not only be able to receive the best quote, but the most comprehensive way to compare policy information too.
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