Mis-Selling Of Payment Protection Policies And Life Cover Policies Should Be Addressed
Posted in Uncategorized on July 31st, 2010 by admin – Be the first to commentSummary
The ways in which the insurance industry is dealing with the mis-selling of life insurance. The problemslinked to payment protection policies are emphasized.
The mis-selling of life insurance cover by a sizeable amount of mortgage providers has to be attended todealt with|tackled} by the Government. Action has been taken by the DTI, who have almost completed their investigationinto the lock in of home insurance with mortgages. A press releasebarring the procedure is to be expected very soon.
However the investigation has been criticised by some senior figures in the industry for disregarding the selling of life cover. The criticism concentrates around the practise of overcharging for life insurance, while not providing adequate choice of productsgoods as part of their mortgage packaging. Peter Sissons, the independent financial adviser, says that the Department of Trade and Industry’s understanding of mortgages fall short of the criteria wanted to make their investigation credible. The answer being that life cover has been overlooked.
Mr Sissons says that just as some mortgage providers have been asked to account for tying building and content insurance to a mortgage, so should the sizeable amount of mortgage lenders who mislead customers intobelieving that they have to take out life cover with their mortgage. Mr Bolgergoes on saying that even though lenders may not demand that customers take out Life Insurance Quotations , they can be convinced that they have no choice through the provider being evasive with the truth.
48 per cent of life insurance is sold by mortgageproviders, however it can be bought through independent advisers, direct providers or via the internet.
However a Department of Trade and Industry spokesman has said that their investigation carries on into a large range of insurance lock ins. A provider who met Edward Milibrand has said that life cover has been glanced at, while more importance has been centred on home and contents.
The trouble with customers being forced to buy uncompetitive life cover and home insurance plans is similarly essential for both commodities.
The problems are especially serious with payment protection insurance. Around 1/2 of all clients who have been influenced into taking out a PPI may have been provided with the wrong the wrong kind of policy. In addition the majority of individuals who purchased one of these suspect policies expect far more than they would actually be given should they not be able to pay their bills.
A wide-ranging investigation has found that approximately twentysix per cent of the population believe that they will be paid a monthly income from their PPI policy, rather than understanding the policy would only cover their debts.
A further 15 per cent said they thought the policy would protect them if they if they were unable to meet their repayment commitments for any reason, and 7% said they thought| their medical costs would be paid if they suffered ill health.
Many people thought the insurance would keep going indefinitely to cover their debt repayments, others thought their insurance would cover breakdowns and living expenses.
Yearly sales of Payment Protection Insurance policies are said to create premiums of about five billion four hundred thousand pounds for the insurance industry. However an astounding 3 9 billion pounds of this is said to be sheer profit. Analysis suggests that a number of banks can charge up to five hundred per cent more than others for the same product.
The OFT is examining the sale of PPI following objections from the National Consumer Council and Citizens Advice. It recently highlighted concerns that banks are tempting customers by advertising seemingly cheap loans and then hammering them with huge extra costs by selling expensive Payment Protection Insuranceas part of the agreement.
As a result, a loan which seems to give good value becomes far more expensive.
