
Assuming you have read the news over the last year or so you undoubterdly will be aware of the world wide recession and how it has hampered a great deal of the population across the globe. In the market of personal finance many changes, especially when it comes to mortgages, loans and other credit arrangements.
The chances are that, also, you have read about the numbers of people who are making PPI claims and as a result wondered what it is all about. PPI – short for payment protection insurance – is a controversial part of a good proportion of credit arrangements that is intended to help the customer in the event that they find themselves out of work and no longer able to keep up the agreed repayments.
The payment protection policy is simply an insurance agreement that is paid for in monthly instalments. However, a few years ago the authorities who control the personal finance market noted several complaints from borrowers who believed they might have been mis-sold PPI policies, and a thorough investigation was undertaken.
Those that undertook the investigation saw that there had been many cases of mis-selling of PPI policies, among them many which had been provided to people to whom they were unenforceable and cases in which people were unaware that they had undertaken and were paying for such a policy.
As a result of the outcome of the inquiry a number of financial institutions – some famous high street brands – were handed heavy fines, and the rules covering the sale of PPI policies were totally amended. At the same time, many of the borrowers concerned sought professional help to pursue a mis sold PPI claim for their payments, and many more are finding that they may be due some compensation for mis-sold payment protection insurance.
When the new rules were written they stipulated that there would be alterations to the method in which PPI policies would be sold, and it is subsequently illegal to sell a customer a policy at the point of sale of the loan or mortgage. It is also against the rules to offer the borrower a PPI policy for a set number of days after signing off the loan, giving the consumer time to look for the best opportunity.
The reason for bringing in the fresh regulations was because the investigation discovered that many people had been of the belief that they had no option but to take a branded PPI policy provided by the lender, somethinh that is at the forefront of many PPI compensation claim, as it has always been the consumers right to go elsewhere for the most cost effective option.
The personal finance world and, in particular, PPI is now a far safer place for the customer following the introduction of the new rules, and should you consider that you have a case for seeking compensation we strongly advise you seek expert help in what can be a complex part of law.
