Professional indemnity explained

Acre AI tools and professional indemnity for mortgage brokers

Reviewed by the Apex broking team · Last reviewed 2026-11-06

Acre is a mortgage broker platform whose AI tools, according to Acre, transcribe client meetings, compare them with the fact find and check client documents for errors. It matters because the broker usually remains responsible for the advice and the file.

Part of: Mortgage brokers PI insurance

What Acre says its AI tools do

Acre is a platform that mortgage brokers use to run cases, from fact find to application. On 23 February 2026, trade press reported that Acre had released two AI features, initially to "a small group of clients". In plain terms:

• Meeting Assistant. Records and transcribes conversations between broker and client, and checks what the client said against the fact find. According to Acre, capture can be live, from uploaded video-call recordings, or from phone calls through an integration.
• Document Checker. Classifies the documents a client provides and flags errors at source. Acre says it "reviews paperwork to ensure GDPR and Consumer Duty compliance requirements are met".

Separately, on 12 March 2026 Acre announced a full mortgage application with a lender inside its CRM, which Acre says saves "up to 20 minutes per case". That is a workflow feature rather than an AI one, but it means more of the case sits in one system.

What we could not find: Acre's security certifications, where data is stored, whether data is used to train AI models, and any statement that brokers must review AI output. Ask Acre directly and keep the answers on file.

What the FCA has said about AI in mortgage advice

The short answer: there are no AI-specific mortgage rules. The FCA expects firms to manage AI risks through rules that already apply.

We found no AI-specific provision in MCOB. The general MCOB requirements on advice and suitability continue to apply to the advice a firm gives, however it was prepared, as does the Consumer Duty, in force for open products since 31 July 2023. More in mortgage brokers and the FCA AI rules explained.

Suitability and affordability evidence

A mortgage complaint often turns on what the client told the broker and what the broker did with it. A transcript compared with the fact find could help show that the recommendation fitted the client's stated needs and circumstances. It can also work against the firm: if the transcript records something the fact find or recommendation ignored, that gap is now in writing.

The checks Acre describes are prompts for the broker, not conclusions. If the Meeting Assistant flags a mismatch on income, commitments or plans, someone needs to resolve it and record how. See AI notetakers and fact finds and AI affordability checks. Recording also raises transparency duties: clients should be told the call is recorded and processed by an AI tool, as covered in telling clients you use AI.

Document checks and fraud

A document checker can catch a missing payslip or a mismatched name early. It does not make the broker a guarantor of the client's documents. Where a client supplies forged documents and the broker had no reason to suspect them, the loss usually rests with the fraudster, though lenders sometimes bring claims against brokers alleging they should have spotted the warning signs.

The risk shifts if a tool flags a problem and the case goes ahead anyway. A record showing an unresolved alert is unhelpful evidence in a lender claim. Firms should decide who clears Document Checker flags and how that is recorded. See AI document and fraud checks.

Networks and appointed representatives

Many mortgage brokers trade as appointed representatives. Under FSMA 2000 s39(3), the principal "is responsible, to the same extent as if he had expressly permitted it, for anything done or omitted by the representative" in the business for which it has accepted responsibility. A network that allows an AR to use Acre's AI features is therefore responsible for how they are used, and may set conditions, approved tool lists or file-checking rules.

ARs commonly rely on their principal's PI arrangements, though some are required to hold their own cover. Either way, the network will want to know which AI features are switched on. See adviser networks, AI tools and AR PI and AI and network file checking.

Mortgage broker PI: how it usually responds

PI usually responds to claims that the firm gave negligent advice or made an error in its professional service, subject to the policy terms, whether or not an AI tool was involved. A data breach involving recordings or client documents is usually a matter for cyber cover. Mortgage broker PI may restrict or exclude some activities, so check that the activities you declare match what you actually do. More in does PI cover AI errors and PI versus cyber.

Illustrative example 1

A client mentions in a recorded meeting that they plan to go part time within a year. The transcript captures it, but the fact find is not updated and the recommended term and payments assume full time income. When the client struggles and complains, the transcript is central evidence. A resulting claim is a professional advice claim and PI usually responds, subject to the policy terms.

Illustrative example 2

An attacker gains access to a broker's account and downloads stored recordings and ID documents. This is a security incident, so cyber cover is usually the first policy to look at.

Common mistakes, and what to check with your broker

• Treating a transcript as a file note. It records what was said, not the adviser's reasoning.
• Leaving flags unresolved. An ignored alert can be worse than no alert.
• Assuming data terms. Acre's certifications, storage and training position were not published on the pages we read.

1. List the Acre AI features in use and who reviews their output.
2. Tell clients about recording and AI processing.
3. Agree with your network how AI output is checked.
4. Ask your broker whether your PI wording has any AI exclusion, condition or endorsement.
5. Review cyber cover for stored recordings and documents.

See also the mortgage brokers AIpedia, the AI tools by profession hub and our mortgage brokers PI insurance guide.

Apex arranges PI and cyber insurance for mortgage brokers; a broker reads every enquiry.

Sources

• FCA: FS25/6 Mortgage Rule Review feedback (Dec 2025)
• FCA: AI and the FCA, our approach
• FCA: Mills Review
• FSMA 2000 s39 (legislation.gov.uk)
• FCA: PS22/9 A new Consumer Duty
• Mortgage Solutions: Acre releases AI features (23 Feb 2026)

Frequently asked

Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales, company number 07014570. This page is general information, not advice on your individual circumstances, and it does not guarantee that cover will be available or on what terms.