PMI Exit Plan method
How we research
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The method behind PMI Exit Plan is simple to state: find the governing document, quote it accurately, explain it plainly and link it. The Homeowners Protection Act, as explained by the CFPB, and Fannie Mae servicing rules on mortgage insurance are the main references, rechecked first.
Last reviewed against the primary sources listed below.
Where questions come from
Search suggestions show how people phrase their questions. We collect those for free, group them and answer the ones inside this site's scope.
Sources we rely on
Pages cite these primary sources, among others. Each guide lists the exact sources it used at the bottom of the page.
- CFPB: When can I remove private mortgage insurance from my loan?
- CFPB: What is private mortgage insurance?
- CFPB: What is mortgage insurance and how does it work?
- CFPB: What is a loan-to-value ratio and how does it relate to my costs?
- CFPB: Conventional loans
- CFPB: What is amortization? (explained with an auto loan example)
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B2-1.3-02: Limited cash-out refinance
- CFPB: Consumer Complaint Database
How a page is checked
- Each rule is checked against the current version of its source document.
- Plain-language wording is compared back to the source so meaning is not lost.
- The review date at the top of the page is updated only after that check.
Pages written this way
- The Homeowners Protection Act: your PMI rights in plain language
- How to request PMI cancellation at 80 percent
- PMI automatic termination at 78 percent: how it works
- Remove PMI with a new appraisal: when rising value helps
- Refinancing to remove PMI: when it makes sense
- Writing to your servicer to cancel PMI: what to include
- Can you remove lender-paid mortgage insurance?
- Can home improvements help you remove PMI sooner?
About the PMI Exit Plan milestone estimator
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The law and the guides
- CFPB: When can I remove private mortgage insurance from my loan?
- CFPB: What is private mortgage insurance?
- CFPB: What is mortgage insurance and how does it work?
- CFPB: What is a loan-to-value ratio and how does it relate to my costs?
- CFPB: Conventional loans
- CFPB: What is amortization? (explained with an auto loan example)
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B2-1.3-02: Limited cash-out refinance
- CFPB: Consumer Complaint Database