Loan payment protection insurance can do the job it's intended to do and it can do it well providing you have first ensured your circumstances are suitable for a policy before you take it out. You have to understand the product before you buy it and read the small print of the policy to make sure that the exclusions which can be found in all payment protection policies won't stop you from making a claim.

When you have made sure it is a suitable product then you can get a quote for loan payment protection insurance with a standalone specialist provider. Historically, the standalone provider is always the cheapest way to purchase the cover and the cover should be avoided being taken out alongside the loan from the high street lender as this can adds hundreds more onto the cost than it need too. The specialist will give you the cheapest quotes along with the advice you need to make sure that you understand what you are buying, whether it is suitable for your needs and how much the cover will cost in total.

Loan payment protection insurance can be taken out if you want to protect your loan repayments against the fact that you might lose your income through suffering an accident, illness or if you were to be made redundant and should be unable to continue repaying what you owe each month. If you get behind on your loan repayments then you will get into debt and earn yourself a bad credit rating which could take years to repair. Loan protection could give you a tax free income each month which enables you to make your monthly repayments without worry, policies generally payout anywhere between the 31st day and the 90th day of being out of work and would then continue for between 12 and 24 months. This is usually more than enough time to get back on your feet and back to work again.

However in the past the protection has been slated and earned itself a bad reputation but it is important to realise that it isn't the products which are to blame but the poor selling techniques of the lenders who have no experience in selling payment protection products. Problems were brought to the attention of the Office of Fair Trading in 2005 after the Citizens Advice made a super complaint. The Financial Services Authority began an investigation and fined several major high street names for mis-selling the cover alongside loans and mortgages.

During a recent review it was found that while some changes had been made many firms were still not making policies clear enough at the time of selling them and consumers were still confused by what they were actually buying, how much the cover cost in total and what the exclusions in a policy meant.

A comparison table is set to make this easier when it is launched in March 2008, the tables will help the consumer to decide what policy is suitable for their needs, it will tell them how much it will cost and what the exclusions mean which should make buying the cover a lot easier than it is at present. As loan payment protection insurance does need careful consideration if it is to work as intended then stick with a standalone specialist who knows the business and who can give you the information you need along with the cheapest quotes for the cover.