“Many mortgage borrowers are losing out by limiting choice and sacrificing value”
One in five (21%) mortgage holders believe it is compulsory to take out home insurance and/or mortgage protection with their lender. This is one of the primary findings of a nationwide survey from Insuremyhouse.ie, carried out by iReach. Of the 1,000 survey respondents from around the country, 52% said they bought insurance from their mortgage provider either because they thought they had to, they felt pressurised or obligated to do so, or they thought it would help with their application.
Deirdre McCarthy, Manager with Insuremyhouse.ie spoke of the “concerning” findings,
“The results of this survey are really important as they lend weight to the contention that thousands of mortgagees are unnecessarily paying more than they should on their insurance policies because they are ill informed as to their obligations to their lender. Industry figures have shown that home-buying has remained resilient in 2020, despite the pandemic, but with finances undoubtedly tighter for many people, it’s more important than ever to let people know their options to ensure they don’t end up paying over the odds”.
The experts at Insuremyhouse.ie describe people’s rationale for taking out the insurance with their bank as “worrying”.
Ms. McCarthy continued, “Pressure, obligation and compulsion are being reported as the primary drivers as to why people take out their insurance products directly from their lender. But all homeowners should be explicitly told by the bank that they are free to take out their mortgage protection or home insurance with whichever provider or broker they wish.
With 14 different home insurance providers in the market, it’s clear that those who limit themselves to just one are unlikely to get the best deal. Last year we ran a cost comparison analysis which revealed that some banks are giving home insurance quotes which are up to 90% higher than the best rates achievable on the market”.
