Glossary
Of Insurance Terms
A-C
D-F G-J
L-P Q-T
U-Z
Abandonment:
As used in property insurance, prohibits the insured from abandoning
damaged property to the insurance company for repair or disposal
Accelerated
Benefits Rider: An adjustment (rider) to a life insurance
policy that allows for the early payment of some portion of the
policy's face amount should the insured suffer from a terminal
illness or injury.
Accidental
Death Benefit Rider: An adjustment (rider) to a life
insurance policy that provides for payment of an additional cash
benefit when death occurs by accidental means. This amount depends
on the value of the policy.
Accidental
Death Insurance: An Insurance poicy that provides payment
if the insured's death occurs as a results from an accident.
Accounts
Receivable Coverage: Covers loss of sums owed to the
insured by its customers that are uncollectible due to damage
by an insured peril to accounts receivable records
Actual
Cash Value (ACV): Cost to repair or replace damaged property
with materials of like kind and quality, less depreciation
Additional
Insured: A person or organization for whom insured status
is arranged by endorsement
Advertising
Injury: General liability coverage that insures against
libel, slander, invasion of privacy, copyright infringement and
misappropriation of advertising in connection with the insured's
advertising of its goods or services
Agent:
An authorized representative of an insurance company.
Aggregate:
The maximum amount an insurance company will pay during the policy
All
Risk Coverage: Property insurance covering loss arising
from all causes of loss except those that are specifically excluded
Annually
Renewable Term: Term insurance that provides coverage
for one year and allows the policy owner to renew his or her coverage
each year.
Application:
A form with the information needed for an insurance company to
underwrite and rate a specific policy
Assignment
Assignment: The transfer of ownership of a Life Insurance
policy from one person to another.
Attained
Age: Your current age. Your attained age is a factors
life insurance companies use to determine premiums.
Audit:
A verification of the financial records, usually payroll or receipts,
of an organization to determine exposures and premiums
Automobile:
A land motor vehicle, trailer or semi-trailer designed for travel
on public roads, not including 'mobile equipment'
Backdating: Making the effective date of a policy
earlier than the date of application. Backdating is often used
to make the age of the applicant lower than it actually was at
the time of application so that he/she can get a lower premium.
State laws often set limits to this.
Bailee
Coverage: Coverage on property left in the care of the
insured for storage, repair or servicing
Basic
Cause of Loss Form: Property coverage for named perils:
Fire, Lightening, Explosion, Smoke, Windstorm, Hail, Riot, Civil
Commotion, Aircraft, Vehicles, Vandalism, Sprinkler Leakage, Sinkhold
Collapse and Volcanic Action
Basic
Limits: The minimum limits of liability that can be carried
by an insured
Beneficiary:
The designated person set to receive the death benefit if the
insured should die.
Best's
Rating: A rating system by A.M. Best Company giving the
financial condition of insurance companies
Binder:
A temporary insurance policy that expires at the end of a specific
time period or when a permanent policy is written. A binder is
given to an applicant for insurance during the time it takes the
an insurance company to complete the policy paperwork.
Bodily
Injury by Accident Limit: The most an insurer will pay
under Part Two of a Workers' Compensation Policy for claims arising
out of any one accident, regardless of how many employee claims
arise out of the accident
Bodily
Injury by Disease, Each Employee : The most an insurer
will pay under Part Two of a Workers' Compensation Policy for
damages due to bodily injury by disease to any one employee
Bodily
Injury by Disease-Policy Limit : The most an insurer
will pay under Part Two of a Workers' Compensation Policy employee
bodily injury by disease claims during the policy period regardless
of the number of employees who make such claims
Bodily
Injury Liability Limit: The insured is legally liable
for damages due to bodily injury, sickness, or disease, including
resulting death
Boiler
& Machinery Insurance: Coverage for loss caused by
mechanical or electrical equipment breakdown, including damage
to the equipment
Bond:
A written agreement in which one party, the surety, guarantees
the performance or honesty of a second party, the principal (obligor),
to the third party (obligee) to whom the performance or debt is
owed
Brands
and Labels Endorsement: Property insurance coverage that
allows the insured to remove labels from damaged goods or mark
the items as 'salvage,' provided the goods are not damaged in
the process
Broad
Causes of Loss Form: Property coverage for the named
perils: Fire, Lightening, Explosion, Smoke, Windstorm, Hail, Riot,
Civil Commotion, Aircraft, Vehicles, Vandalism, Sprinkler Leakage,
Sinkhole Collapse, Volcanic Action, Breakage of Building Glass,
Falling Objects, Weight of Snow, Ice or Sleet, Water Damage (in
the form of leakage from appliances) and Collapse from Specified
Causes
Building
Ordinance Coverage: Covers against loss caused by enforcement
or ordinances or laws regulating construction and repair of damaged
buildings
Burglary:
Theft of property by forcible entry, which is evidenced by visible
signs, in a premises, by a person
Business
Auto Policy: Auto Policy for businesses that includes
auto liability and auto physical damage coverages
Business
Income Coverage: Insurance covering loss of income by
a business when operations are interrupted due to property loss
that is a covered cause of loss
Business
Interruption Coverage: See Business Income Coverage
Business
Owners Policy (BOP): A policy that combines property
and liability coverages for special types of small businesses
Cancellation: The termination of an insurance
policy usually before its expiration
Care,
Custody or Control: An exclusion of liability insurance
which eliminates coverage for damage to property in the insured's
care, custody or control
Carrier:
The insurance company which provides coverage
Cash
Benefits: The Money that is paid to the policy holder
upon settlement of a covered claim.
Cash
Value: The equity amount or "savings" accumulation
in a whole life insurance policy.
Casualty
Insurance: Insurance that covers loss caused by injuries
to persons and the legal liability imposed on the insured for
injury or for damage to property of others
Catastrophe:
A severe loss causing sizable financial loss
Causes
of Loss Forms: The commercial property forms that define
the covered causes of loss for which coverage is provided. Commonly,
there are 3 Cause of Loss Forms: Basic, Broad and Special
Certificate
of Insurance: A document providing evidence that insurance
has been purchased
Claim:
A request by a policyholder or a claimant for payment under a
policy of insurance
Claim
Expense: Expenses of settling or investigating a claim
Claimant:
The person presenting a claim
Claims
Reserve: An amount of money set aside to meet claims
reported but not paid
Class:
A group of businesses who have common or similar exposures
and are grouped together for rating purposes
Classification:
The arranging or establishing of business groups or categories
for rating purposes
Coinsurance
Provision: An insurance provision for property coverages
in which the policyholder must carry an amount of insurance that
is at least equal to a set percentage of the value of the property
in order to receive full payment of a loss
Collapse:
Collapse of a building and collapse of personal property within
a building due to specified causes (such as weight of snow, ice
or rain). Does not include collapse due to design error or due
to faulty workmanship or materials if the collapse occurs after
construction is complete
Collision
Insurance: Provides for payment to a covered automobile
resulting from the striking of another object by a moving vehicle
Commercial
General Liability Policy (CGL): A coverage which protects
business organizations against liability claims for bodily injury
and property damage. Those claims may be the result of events
at your place of business, from your business operations, the
products or services you make or do, communications or advertisements
your business broadcasts
Competitive
State Funds: State-owned and operated facilities that
write Workers' Compensation Insurance solely for that state
Completed
Operations: A General Liability coverage for the work
of the insured that has been completed away from the business
premises
Comprehensive
Auto Coverage: Covers an automobile for loss or damage
for all causes except for those specifically excluded
Compulsory
Insurance: Insurance that is required by law
Concealment:
Failure to disclose facts which may void an insurance policy
Conditional
Receipt: Given to policy owners when they pay a premium
at the time of the application. These receipts bind the insurance
company, provided your policy is approved, but are subject to
any other conditions stated on the receipt.
Conditions:
Things agreed upon in an insurance policy that state the rights
and the requirements of the insured and the insurer
Consequential
Loss: An indirect loss such as the reduction in value
of property that is the result of a direct damage loss
Constructive
Total Loss: Term used when damage to property is more
than the value of the property
Contestable
Clause: A provision in an insurance policy setting forth
the conditions or time period under which the insurance company
may contest or void the policy. After this time has lapsed, typically
two years, the policy cannot be contested. Example: Suicide.
Contingent
Beneficiary: Person or persons designated to receive
the value of an insurance policy in case the original beneficiary
is not alive.
Contract:
An agreement between two or more parties with characteristics
of mutual assent, competent parties, a valid consideration and
legal subject
*Coverage:
Coverage is just another term for Insurance. It can be used to
mean either the dollar amounts of insurance purchased ($500,000
of liability coverage), or the type of loss covered (coverage
for theft).
Convertible
Term: A policy that may be changed to another form by
contractual provision and without evidence of insurability. Most
term policies are convertible into permanent insurance.
Countersignature:
The signature of a licensed agent or representative on a policy
that is required to validate the policy
Cross-Purchase
Plan: An agreement that provides that upon a business
owner's death, surviving owners will purchase the deceased's interest,
often with funds from life insurance.
Cumulative
Injury: A type of injury which occurs from the repetition
of tasks over an extended length of time
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