When it comes to understanding payment protection insurance it can be hard. Depending on where you go for the protection, you can be given very little information on the subject which could at the very worst leave you being mis-sold a policy on which you cannot possibly hope to claim should you become unable to work due to accident, long term sickness or involuntary redundancy.

At the very least, you could end up paying well over the odds for a policy that only provides basic cover.

As recent research from the Financial Services Authority has shown, the majority of those policyholders who have been mis-sold a policy have bought it from the high street banks and lenders who tend to sell it alongside a credit card, loan or mortgage.

The key to buying the right cover for you is to shop around and thoroughly investigate the market place. Standalone providers can not only help you to save a substantial sum of money on the quote for the premium but you can get a better quality product.

Payment protection insurance is taken out if you want to safeguard your monthly credit repayments in case you should find yourself out of work due to an accident, sickness or unemployment. A good policy will normally pay out for up to a period of 12 months (some pay for up to 24 months) which is usually more than enough time to get yourself back on your feet.

It is essential that you understand payment protection insurance as there can be hidden exclusions in the small print. For instance, if you are self employed or over a certain age then you will probably be ineligible for cover, so always check before signing on the dotted line.

Always make sure that the payment protection insurance isn't already included in the loan. Sometimes the high street lender will include the cost of the cover without asking if you want it. If you do want the cover, then simply ask that you be given a quote for the loan without protection and go to an independent provider for your policy.