Mortgage insurance, no matter what kind, protects the lender – not you – in the event that you fall behind on your payments. If you fall behind, your credit score could suffer and you can lose your home through foreclosure. Then, in the worst-case scenario, supposing your property is sold through foreclosure and the sale is not enough to cover your mortgage balance in full, mortgage insurance makes up the difference so that the company that holds your mortgage is repaid the full amount.