Insurance Company, Choosing An
Consideration should be given to a company's capacity to underwrite a particular risk, as indicated by its financial standing, claims philosophy, price structure, agent representation, loss prevention and reduction services, and risk analysis expertise. Information can be gained in several ways:
- Reputation a prospective insured can fairly easily learn something about an insurance company through business and professional associates (lawyer, accountant, banker), through conversations with others in the same field, and by discussions with agents and brokers.
- Financial capacity larger businesses and public libraries often have up-to-date reference books, such as Best's Insurance Reports(available in Life-Health and Property-Casualty editions) giving detailed analyses of hundreds of companies.
- State Insurance Department information about specific insurance companies may be available from the insurance departments located in state capitals.
Popular Insurance Terms
Commercial life insurers that operate on the legal reserve system as opposed to fraternal life insurance companies, many of which now operate on a legal reserve basis. ...
Coverage against only two perils, fire and lightning. The amount of coverage is per acre of standing timber for either merchantable trees (living trees with no decay, and minimum diameter), ...
Trust in which rights to make any changes therein are surrendered permanently by the grantor. The grantor uses this type of trust to transfer assets and any potential depreciation out of ...
Addition to a basic insurance policy to further explain coverages, add or exclude perils and locations covered, and add or delete positions covered. For example, an endorsement to the ...
Combination of the funds of many policyholders held in a single account and invested as a single entity. ...
State law that stipulates that the worth of separate accounts must be valued at current market with the exception of those separate accounts established and maintained for guaranteed ...
Coverage in which an initial premium is charged, with the stipulation that an additional premium can be charged later if the loss experience of the insurance company warrants it; that is, ...
Vehicle for the deferring of unneeded current income for a later date, such as retirement, providing the following benefits: There is no tax on earnings of the plan until distributed; ...
One of the major underwriting organizations for insurance company pools insuring commercial aircraft liability exposure. ...

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