
Loan payment protection insurance can be a lifesaver if you're struggling to make payments on a loan. This type of insurance helps ensure you can still pay off your loan even if you're unable to work due to illness or injury.
The cost of loan payment protection insurance varies depending on the lender and the policy. Typically, it's around 0.5% to 1% of the loan amount per year.
Having loan payment protection insurance can give you peace of mind, knowing you're protected in case of an unexpected event.
What is Loan Payment Protection Insurance?
Loan payment protection insurance is an insurance product that lenders sometimes offer borrowers with certain types of loans, including personal loans. Typically, the insurer makes the loan payments for a set period of time if the policyholder can’t keep up with the obligation because of a covered event.
It's specifically designed to keep a policyholder from defaulting on a personal loan in the event of a financial hardship. Job loss is one of the events that are often covered by personal loan insurance.
The payments go to the lender, not to the policyholder, which is what makes credit insurance unlike other types of insurance policies. You’re the one paying the premiums for credit insurance, but the payout actually goes to your lender.
For example, let’s say you take out a personal loan and opt to purchase credit insurance. If at some point during your repayment term, you lose your job, the insurance can help ensure your debts are paid.
What Are the Benefits of?
Loan protection insurance can provide peace of mind by taking some of the pressure off of loan repayment.
Having credit insurance can give you the comfort of knowing that, should something happen that makes you unable to pay your debt, you'll be protected.
A SoFi personal loan for credit card debt can substantially decrease your monthly bills, especially with lower fixed interest rates on loans of $5K to $100K.
With loan protection, you can trust that you and your family will have financial support to cover loan and debt payments in a time of need, providing extra financial security for your loved ones.
Loan protection can provide some peace of mind by helping you cope with anxiety caused by job loss or major illness.
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Cost and Coverage
Loan protection insurance can be expensive compared to stand-alone disability and life insurance policies. It's worth assessing what type of coverage you already have and comparing the cost of loan insurance to other types of coverage.
The cost of loan protection insurance varies widely depending on the insurer, the coverage amount, the length of coverage, your age, the state you live in, and other factors. Typically, the cost is calculated as a percentage of the monthly loan payment, ranging from 1% to 5%.
You can reduce the cost of loan protection insurance by paying the premium in a single payment instead of rolling it into your monthly loan payments. Some credit insurers will offer a sizable discount if you’re willing to pay the full cost of the insurance up front and in full.
Here's a rough estimate of the cost of payment protection plans:
Loan protection insurance can provide up to $100,000 in coverage if you select the life insurance option, and up to 12 monthly payments covered if you choose coverage for an unexpected disability.
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Cost
Loan protection insurance can be expensive compared to other types of coverage.
The cost of loan protection insurance varies widely, typically ranging from 1% to 5% of the monthly loan payment. This means that the larger the loan balance, the more it costs to insure it.
Paying the premium in a single payment instead of rolling it into your monthly loan payments can sometimes result in a discount.
For example, paying the full cost of the insurance up front and in full can get you a sizable discount with some credit insurers.
You may want to compare the cost of loan protection insurance to other types of insurance, such as life insurance or disability insurance, especially if these types of coverage are offered for free or at a subsidized rate through your employer.
A payment protection plan can cost between $1 to $2 per month for each $100 in credit card balance, which can add up quickly, especially for cardholders with larger balances.
For instance, a cardholder with a balance of $5,000 could pay around $50 or $100 a month and $600 to $1,200 a year for coverage.
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Up to $100,000 in Coverage
Up to $100,000 in coverage is available with some loan protection policies. This means that if you select the life insurance option, you could have up to $100,000 of the remaining balance of your loan(s) covered.
The cost of loan protection insurance varies widely, but it's typically calculated as a percentage of the monthly loan payment, ranging from 1% to 5%. This means that the larger the loan balance is, the more it costs to insure it.
You may want to compare the cost of the policy to other types of insurance, such as life insurance, disability insurance, or accident insurance, especially if these types of coverage are offered for free or at a subsidized rate through your employer.
Paying the premium in a single payment instead of rolling it into your monthly loan payments can help reduce the cost of loan protection insurance. Some credit insurers offer a sizable discount if you pay the full cost of the insurance up front and in full.
Here's a rough estimate of the cost of payment protection plans:
Keep in mind that these prices are just estimates and can vary depending on the issuer and the type of coverage provided.
Eligibility and Requirements
To be eligible for loan payment protection insurance, you need to meet certain requirements. You must be between 18 and 63 years of age.
To qualify for coverage, you'll need to be a resident of Norway with an address listed in the National Registry and a member of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme. This is a crucial factor in determining your eligibility.
You'll also need to be able to work and be employed full-time (at least 16 hours per week), or be self-employed in Norway. This ensures that you're financially stable and able to make payments.
Here are the key eligibility requirements at a glance:
- Age: 18-63 years old
- Residency: Norway, with an address listed in the National Registry and a member of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme
- Employment: Full-time or self-employed in Norway
- Health: No known illness, symptoms, or injury that will lead to a future examination, treatment, or hospital stay
- Unemployment: No known unemployment or temporary lay-off
Credit Score
Having a good credit score is essential for loan eligibility, and loan protection insurance can help prevent a hit to your credit score if you're unable to make payments.
A credit score is a three-digit number that represents your creditworthiness.
Credit scores range from 300 to 850, with higher scores indicating better credit.
You can check your credit score for free on various websites, such as Credit Karma or Credit Sesame.
A bad credit score is considered anything below 620, but the exact definition can vary depending on the lender.
Loan protection insurance can help prevent you from defaulting on a loan, which can further damage your credit score.
This type of insurance can also help prevent you from missing payments, which is a major factor in determining your credit score.
Part-Time Employment
If you lose your job, taking on part-time work might not be enough to trigger a credit insurance policy, so you'll still need to cover your loan payments.
You might think that having a part-time job would automatically qualify you for credit insurance, but that's not always the case.
Having a part-time job can be a great way to make ends meet, but it may not meet the requirements for credit insurance to kick in.
The key thing to remember is that credit insurance policies have specific eligibility criteria, and part-time employment might not meet those requirements.
You'll need to carefully review your credit insurance policy to understand what's required to qualify for benefits.
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Self-Employment
Self-employed workers might be able to make a claim if they become sick or disabled.
However, it's essential to note that self-employed individuals are not eligible for payment protection insurance if they lose the work that provides their income.
If you're self-employed, you're likely aware of the importance of having a stable income stream.
For more insights, see: Self Employed Income Protection Insurance
Qualifying for a Plan
To qualify for a payment protection plan, you'll need to meet certain requirements. You must be between 18 and 63 years of age and a resident of Norway with an address listed in the National Registry and a member of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme. You'll also need to be able to work and be employed full-time, or be self-employed in Norway.
You can't purchase a payment protection plan if you're already unemployed or know of any illness, symptoms, or injury that will lead to a future examination, treatment, or hospital stay. To qualify for benefits, you must be under the care of a physician for an accident or injury that makes you unable to work in any job you're qualified for, not just your current job.
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Here are some specific requirements to qualify for a payment protection plan's coverage if you become disabled:
- Must be under the care of a physician for an accident or injury that makes you unable to work in any job you're qualified for, not just your current job
- Must have been working for several months at the time you signed up for the payment protection plan, meaning you can't purchase it if you're already unemployed
- Disability must have lasted for more than 30 consecutive days before payment protection will become active
Keep in mind that even if you meet these requirements, coverage will only last for a limited period of time, such as 12 months, regardless of whether your disability extends beyond that period.
Risks and Alternatives
Loan payment protection insurance can be a costly and inflexible option. In fact, 85% of all insurance sold being taken as profit means that either the costs are too high or the cover is too limited.
You might end up paying for something you never use, with 1% or 2% monthly fees adding up over time. Consider putting that money into an emergency fund instead, which can be used for many purposes besides repaying debt.
It's worth noting that policyholders have a history of complaining about claims being rejected, with few providers now selling PPI in some countries. If you do decide to buy PPI, make sure you understand the terms and conditions, including any potential refunds or cooling-off periods.
Here are some alternatives to consider:
- Income protection insurance, which pays you an income if you cannot go to work for any reason covered by the insurance.
- Sick pay, which can continue to be paid (and make loan repayments) until you're well enough or until the sick leave runs out.
- ACC, which can use ACC payments to pay debts until you return to work.
- Emergency fund and savings, which can provide financial security and peace of mind.
Emergency Fund Requirements
Having three to six months' worth of living expenses in a liquid account is a common recommendation from financial experts.
This can vary depending on your individual circumstances, such as having other financial resources to draw on in an emergency.
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Pros, Cons, Alternatives
Payment protection insurance (PPI) has its drawbacks. PPI policies can be added to loans automatically without sufficient questioning, and the entire premium is often added to the loan upfront, with interest charged on the premium at the same rate as the loan.
The traps of PPI are numerous. Media reports and government research suggest that PPI policies have been mis-sold to many people, with some paying $1,500+ in insurance premiums on $5,000 or $10,000 loans.
Insured events covered vary by policy type, and you'll need to purchase all of the covers offered by the applicable policy type rather than being able to choose insurance for specific events.
Pre-existing conditions are the major reason for denied claims, with 57% of declined claims due to pre-existing conditions, based on three years of data.
PPI policies are often inflexible, meaning you may pay for things you don't need. You may want redundancy cover but not medical cover, but PPI is an 'all-inclusive' policy which means you may pay for both.
Here are some alternatives to consider:
- Income protection insurance, which pays you an income if you cannot go to work for any reason covered by the insurance
- Sick pay, if you have a job which pays sick leave
- ACC, if the reason you can't work is covered by ACC
- Emergency fund and savings, which can help you cover unexpected expenses and maintain loan repayments
Sources
- https://www.sofi.com/learn/content/loan-protection/
- https://heartlandcu.org/loans/loan-protection-insurance/loan-protection/
- https://www.dnb.no/en/insurance/payment-protection-insurance
- https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/payment-protection-insurance.html
- https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/payment-protection-plan.asp
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