Definition of "Power of attorney"

Legal instrument whereby an individual is given the right to act on behalf of another individual. For example, the right to buy and sell stock and to sign all brokerage papers relating to buying and selling in a stockholder's account is given by the stockholder to another individual through power of attorney. Or the right to decide which settlement option is to be used under a life insurance policy may be given by a policy owner to another individual. Experts often advise extreme care in assigning a power of attorney since that person becomes free to make financial decisions that can enhance or ruin an individual represented.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Insurance Terms

Liability insurance coverage for claims arising from acts that occurred before the beginning of the policy period. Policies written on a claims made basis, such as malpractice liability ...

Rule for accounting for contingencies that has application for the accounting of liabilities under the comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act of 1980 ...

Cost of replacing damaged or destroyed property with comparable new property, minus depreciation and obsolescence. For example, a 10-year-old living room sofa will not be replaced at ...

Since a mobile home can literally be both mobile and a house, it obviously requires its own kind of insurance. A mobile home insurance policy is sort of a hybrid between auto insurance and ...

Range of administrative and risk management services that can be purchased by an insured. Increasingly, insurance can be purchased unbundled so that policy-holders may pay for straight ...

Treaty adopted by most major countries to determine adjustment for general average in ocean marine insurance. ...

Classification at death of all pension plans, profit-sharing plans, individual retirement accounts (IRAS), annuities, and installment payments to the extent to which the deceased was ...

Coverage for less than one year in duration. ...

Describing the process of developing the ultimate losses and then adjusting them to the cost levels projected for the period of time to be forecasted. ...

Popular Insurance Questions