Forced placed insurance can cost three times more than a consumer-purchased policy

Forced Placed Insurance

Standard homeowners insurance often costs a third of the premiums of lender-placed coverage. When forced placed insurance is purchased on behalf of a mortgage customer who has not kept up with homeowners insurance payments or who has failed to obtain coverage, it is typically to the property owner’s detriment, as many of these individuals are being severely gouged by their loan servicers for this protection. This form of coverage is designed to provide banks and other mortgage lenders with protection against losses on properties on which they have loaned money…

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CFPB considers new rules for fair force placed insurance

Forced placed insurance gets the squeeze. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the country’s consumer watchdog agency, has put forward newly proposed rules for mortgage servicers which would require them to provide borrowers with better disclosure of fees, force placed insurance, and interest rates. According to the director of this newly formed organization, Richard Cordray, “The mortgage servicing rules we are considering reflect two basic, common-sense principles – no surprises and no runarounds.” The CFPB provided the proposal details, in a statement which included information about a measure that would…

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Force-placed coverage causes probe of New York insurance companies

A closer look into forced placed insurance practices The state insurance regulator in New York is currently performing an investigation as to whether or not the rates for force-placed insurance that are being charged by companies should be deemed excessive, and is requesting data from insurers such as Assurant Inc. The New York Department of Financial Services released a statement that said that it is trying to obtain basis for “consistently high profits” that are occurring at the investors’ and homeowners’ expense. It is also requiring that insurers such as…

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New York regulators pressure Citigroup to comply with subpoena

New York insurance regulators are pressuring Citigroup to comply with a subpoena regarding investigations into force-placed insurance. Force-placed insurance has long been a source of controversy. These policies require homeowners to purchase coverage that is much more expensive than conventional policies. This is often done for the sake of lenders who hold sway with insurance companies and the tactic is used to secure returns on these investments. The New York Department of Financial Services has been investigating a number of insurance companies and financial institutions that may have been conducting…

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Investigation over home insurance includes Bank of America and Citigroup, among others

The state financial regulator in New York is currently conducting an inquiry regarding the possible overcharging of customers for force-place insurance, into large organizations such as Citigroup Inc. and Bank of America Corp. The focus of the probe is the service known as force-place insurance, which requires the a loan provider to purchase an insurance policy in the circumstance that a homeowner is unable to maintain insurance premiums on the property. According to industry experts, this practice is becoming increasingly common. The probe is being conducted by the office of…

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