<p>ATLANTA – Members who have been approved for mortgages or auto loans should be able to focus on moving into their new home or driving away in their vehicle of choice. But being a new home or car owner brings a battery of concerns that can weigh on a member's mind. Assurant Group has developed an innovative product for homeowners and car owners that can ameliorate their concerns and creates a cross-selling opportunity for credit unions to leverage their relationship with their members. Home and Auto Protector is designed to be sold point-of-sale in connection with home mortgages, home equity loans, auto and other installment loans, and is intended to serve as a supplement or enhancement to homeowners or auto insurance policies. The program rewards members who join with year-round rebates, a variety of discounts and services, and access to experts to help them deal with ownership and maintenance issues. "If I'm a new homeowner and have just gotten my mortgage approved, there's a host of things that are going through my mind, like making arrangements for my utilities, fixing up the house. I'm immediately thinking about things like getting assistance in case something goes wrong in my home or I want to build or fix something. The Home and Auto Protector program offers products that address members' concerns by offering them rebates right off the top," says Assurant Group's Jim Sykes. Among the products the Home and Auto Protector program offers are: $100 on their utility bills by sending in a coupon each month that's provided to the member; $1,000 in grocery coupons; a photo inventory of personal property; tradesmen referrals and 24/7 emergency assistance; credit card and other important document registry; car and home locksmith services The Home and Auto Protector program can be purchased separately – as the Home Protector or Auto Protector. Individual, single parent and family versions are also available. With available rebates, Sykes said members in the program could receive as much as half the annual membership price of the program back in one year. "One of a new homeowner's or car owner's biggest fears is having no one to turn to for help when something goes wrong. The Home and Auto Protector program addresses their concerns and is an opportunity for lending institutions to strengthen their relationships with borrowers with a competitively-priced product," said Sykes. [email protected]</p>