Payment protection insurance: tips

The British Insurance Brokers' Association recently issued some tips and advice about payment protection insurance or PPI (which "protects a borrower’s ability to maintain repayments on the specific amount borrowed and helps them avoid getting into debt should they be unable to work because of an accident, illness or it they lose their job through no fault of their own, such as being made redundant"). Their guidance, called "Payment protection insurance – know the facts before you decide", includes this paragraph:

Many people do not realise that they have a choice other than the cover offered direct by a lender – such as the bank, building society or credit cared provider. Moreover the purchase of PPI cover should not be viewed as ensuring that a loan will be granted. Instead, you often find there is better insurance both in the cover and price available from an independent specialist intermediary available on the BIBA website www.biba.org.uk – and this also means you will benefit from expert advice.

For some people it's a needless expense, or at least not worth the money compared with the risk that it might be needed. So it always merits thinking about the issues before deciding whether or not to take out PPI.

Tags: consumer, insurance, payment protection insurance, PPI, tips, advice, Improbulus, Consuming Experience, A Consuming Experience