FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions...
Plenty! There are a number of things that all lenders will look for in a mortgage application no matter how much of a deposit you have and irrespective of your salary level or occupation. There are also some Central Bank of Ireland macro prudential lending guidelines (read this as 'rules') that you need to be aware of, as these affect how much money you can borrow. The best first step that you can make is to book in an appointment with a qualified Family Cover mortgage adviser as soon as you begin the conversation or notion of buying a home, whether for the first time or if you are thinking of moving house. Your adviser will detail exactly the steps and actions you need to take in order to prepare for your mortgage application. This meeting can save you a considerable amount of time, money & hassle.
We deal with every major life assurance company in Ireland. The list includes Aviva, Irish Life, New Ireland, Zurich, Standard Life & Royal London. Through our partnership agreements with these companies, we make sure we can offer you advice on every major insurance policy available to you. This is useful for you because it means we can talk about the products from many life assurance companies - not just one. This means better choice - and choice is a good thing.
No. Definitely not. When you go direct to an insurance company, they will quote you the same prices as we quote, except without any discounts they may allow us to pass on to you. Likewise, not all insurance companies deal direct with the public - Some deal through the intermediary market only. FamilyCover are an intermediary. Knowing which company to go to for the product that suits your needs best is how people get the best value. We provide advice based on what you tell us your financial protection concerns are.
No. We do not charge our clients a fee directly. We get paid by life assurance companies, in the form of a commission payment, for any business that we place with that company. This would be for any life assurance policies, section 72 insurance, income protection plans, mortgage protection policies or specified serious illness policies.
For mortgage services, we are paid a commission of 1% of the loan amount, by the lender, approximately 1 month after your mortgage is drawn down. In certain circumstances, depending on the complexity of the mortgage application, we may look to charge an additional fee, but this would be agreed with you in advance of any work being carried out.
We do love a good discussion with an underwriter! We have very good relationships with various life assurance companies and we feel that this allows us the opportunity to discuss certain cases directly with a decision making underwriter. When someone receives a decision from a life assurance company that is either decline, postponed or accepted at a much higher rate, it can sometimes be due to a lack of complete information and sometimes it can be because that particular company have a very strict view of certain illnesses. We have had a number of cases where someone has approached us having been declined for some type of life assurance cover through their bank, and we have been able to secure them cover with another life assurance company. Come and talk to us... we're advisers, which means we can advise you on how to get what it is that you need!
Our offices are based in the middle of The Triangle in Ranelagh Village. Our full address is 7 Field's Terrace, The Triangle, Ranelagh, Dublin 6. D06 Y2N6.