Flood Insurance Friday: The Battle Behind the Desk — Lenders vs. Private Flood Insurance

Frustrated loan officer sitting at a desk with paperwork and a laptop, representing the confusion many lenders face when reviewing private flood insurance policies versus NFIP requirements. — Many loan officers reject private flood insurance policies not because they’re noncompliant — but because they’ve never been properly trained on how to review them.

Every week, I watch the same fight play out — not between agents and clients, but between lenders and flood policies.
The borrower’s ready to close, the private flood insurance policy is bound and compliant, yet the loan stalls because someone in underwriting says:

“We don’t accept private flood. It has to be FEMA.”

That right there is the problem.

The Real Issue: Lack of Education, Not Lack of Coverage

Private flood insurance isn’t new. It’s been around for years — fully recognized by regulators — but many loan officers and processors were never trained on it.

Here’s the truth:
Since July 1, 2019, federal banking regulators (FDIC, OCC, NCUA, FRB) require lenders to accept private flood insurance policies if they meet the official definition under the Flood Disaster Protection Act.

That means:
✅ It’s legally recognized.
✅ It protects the lender’s collateral.
✅ It can (and often does) exceed NFIP coverage.

But too many people in the mortgage world never got that memo.

NFIP Isn’t the Only Game in Town

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was built decades ago when private flood insurance barely existed. It’s slow, outdated, and capped at $250,000 for residential structures — yet some lenders still treat it like gospel.

Meanwhile, private flood insurance:

Offers higher building limits and full replacement cost coverage.
Includes loss of use, additional living expense, and contents coverage.
Allows same-day binding (no waiting period).
Uses modern risk modeling instead of FEMA’s one-size-fits-all maps.

The result?
Clients get better coverage, closings move faster, and lenders are still fully protected — if they understand the rules.

Why Lenders Push Back

Here’s what usually happens behind the scenes:

Loan processors are scared of being out of compliance. They think “private” means “unregulated.”
Underwriters don’t have the checklist. They don’t know what the “meets the definition” clause looks like.
Nobody wants to be the first to say yes. It’s easier to reject a policy than to review it properly.

So the deal gets delayed or killed — not because of risk, but because of fear and confusion.

What Lenders Should Know

Private flood is federally recognized. If the policy includes the required compliance-aid clause, it’s automatically acceptable.
Discretionary acceptance allows lenders to approve other private flood policies that provide “sufficient protection,” even if they don’t contain the exact clause.
Refusing a compliant private policy can be viewed as noncompliance with federal lending rules — that’s how clear the law is.

How We Solve This at Good Good Flood

We’ve made lender education part of our daily routine.
When we send a quote or bound policy, we include:

A compliance letter referencing the 2019 acceptance rule.
A side-by-side comparison with NFIP.
Policy highlights that show stronger protection for the borrower and the lender.

Once they see it in writing, the hesitation disappears.
We turn confusion into confidence — and deals start closing again.

The Takeaway

The problem isn’t private flood insurance — it’s misunderstanding.

Lenders and processors who learn the rules stop fighting the wrong battle.
Private flood isn’t the “alternative.” It’s the upgrade.

And as more of the industry catches up, we’ll all spend less time arguing and more time closing.