PMI - Frequently Asked Questions

What is private mortgage insurance?

Mortgage insurance is a type of insurance that helps protect lenders against losses due to foreclosure. This protection is provided by private mortgage insurance companies, and allows lenders to accept lower down payments than would normally be allowed.

Mortgage insurance also enables lenders to grant loans that would otherwise be considered too risky to be purchased by third party investors like the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC). The ability to sell loans to these investors is critical to maintaining mortgage market liquidity, which in turn, allows lenders to continue originating new loans.

Is private mortgage insurance different from other kinds of insurance associated with mortgages?

Private mortgage insurance protects the lender in the event of borrower default and subsequent foreclosure on the home. FHA and VA insurance also protect the lender against borrower default under a government program rather than through the private enterprise system.

Credit insurance, sometimes called mortgage insurance, is life insurance coverage that pays off the mortgage in the event a borrower dies, becomes disabled, or incurs loss of health or income. Fire, liability, and theft insurance cover the homeowner from losses according to the terms and conditions of their respective insurance policies.

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