Payment Protection Insurance, or ‘PPI’, is insurance designed to cover credit payments in the event of accident, sickness or unemployment. For this reason, it is also sometimes referred to as ‘ASU cover’. PPI was sold by finance companies and banks alongside a number of financial products, including loans, mortgages, credit cards and finance agreements. In most cases, the PPI was unsuitable for that customer and will not have been purchased but for the various mis-selling practices adopted by banks and lenders. Among the most common mis-selling practices included neglecting to explain whether the PPI was optional or implying that it was compulsory and deciding not to discuss crucial elements of the plan, including the exclusions and limitations or the ‘cooling-off’ period.