Does My Title Insurance Cover Deed Theft After Closing?

If you bought your home, you almost certainly have a title insurance policy. Your lender required it. You paid a one-time premium at closing. And you probably assumed you were protected indefinitely.

You are not. And this gap is one of the most misunderstood aspects of homeownership in America.

What Title Insurance Actually Covers

Title insurance is a backward-looking product. It is designed to protect against defects that existed in the chain of title before you bought the home. Examples include:

• Unpaid liens from a previous owner that were missed in the title search
• Errors in the public record that predate your purchase
• Forged signatures on deeds from previous transactions
• Undisclosed heirs who have a legal claim to the property

These are all legitimate risks, and title insurance covers them well. But notice what is absent from the list: anything that happens after you close.

The Day You Got Your Keys, Your Title Insurance Stopped Growing

The moment the closing was complete, your title insurance coverage became fixed at that point in time. From the day you moved in onward, if a criminal files a forged deed against your property, your title insurance policy does not cover it. It was not designed to.

This is not a fine print gotcha. It is a fundamental design choice. Title insurance is an indemnity product for historical defects, not ongoing monitoring or future-fraud protection.

What Covers the Gap?

There are two things that address forward-looking title fraud risk:

1. Active monitoring. Continuous scanning of county deed records for any new filings on your property. This is what Home Title Alert provides. The earlier you know, the easier it is to act.
2. Identity fraud insurance.Available on our Plus plan through Iris® OnWatch™, this provides up to $2 Million in coverage if title fraud or identity theft does occur after your closing date, including expense reimbursement for legal costs and cash recovery.*

*The Identity Expense Reimbursement and the Unauthorized Electronic Fund Transfer Reimbursement benefits are underwritten and administered by American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida, an Assurant company, under group or blanket policies issued to Iris® OnWatch™ for the benefit of its Members. Please refer to the actual policies for terms, conditions, and exclusions of coverage. Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions. Review the Summary of Benefits at irisidentityprotection.com/terms-conditions.