The program, developed by Liberty’s Lending & Collateral Specialty Group, consolidates lender-placed insurance (LPI), real estate owned (REO) coverage, and collateral protection insurance (CPI) into a single framework. It also includes insurance tracking, compliance oversight, and claims administration.
Jose Fontes, president of the Lending & Collateral Specialty Group, leads the program alongside senior vice president Chris Bowers and program manager Kayla Dowell.
“Too many lenders are operating within collateral protection programs that don’t evolve with their portfolios, their geographies, or today’s regulatory expectations,” Fontes said. “Liberty Collateral Protection was built to function as an extension of our clients’ risk and servicing teams, delivering customizable, compliance-ready, portfolio-wide protection aligned with how lenders actually operate.”
Unlike single-carrier or vendor-controlled models, L.C.P. operates through a broker-driven structure with access to multiple A-rated carriers, providing flexibility across residential, commercial, auto, and equipment collateral.
“Lenders need more than a policy,” Bowers said. “They need a partner who understands portfolio risk, compliance, and execution at scale – and Liberty Collateral Protection was designed to deliver exactly that.”
Bill Johnson, founder and CEO of The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers, said the launch reflects the company’s broader strategic direction.
“Liberty Collateral Protection reflects exactly where Liberty is headed,” Johnson said. “We invest in people and expertise that solve real, high-impact problems for our clients. Lending and collateral insurance is a critical, highly regulated area where flexibility, service, and insight truly matter, and this solution brings that specialization directly to the market.”
In October, Liberty closed a $525 million first-lien credit facility led by J.P. Morgan to support its strategic expansion plans, including technology investment, talent development, and new partnerships as part of broader national growth ambitions. Proceeds from the financing were earmarked for refinancing debt, enhancing infrastructure, and bolstering the company’s pipeline of collaborations and producer hires.
In November, Liberty announced a new partnership with Global Risk Partners, a property and casualty agency with deep experience in real estate and hospitality sectors. Under the agreement, Global Risk Partners principal Guy Riska joined Liberty as a partner and director of hospitality and habitational programs, bringing nearly four decades of experience and reinforcing Liberty’s expanding footprint across specialized industry niches.
