Definition of "Tontine"
Early life insurance that provided benefits only to survivors who lived to the end of a certain period of time. In the mid-17th century, Lorenzo Tonti, an Italian, devised a scheme to raise money for the French government of Louis XIV. It involved a state lottery in which the oldest survivor would collect the pot. One woman, age 96, hit the jackpot shortly before her death. Tontine policies were introduced in the U.S. in the 1860s, but condemned in the Armstrong investigation in 1905 in New York State and subsequently outlawed everywhere 45 years later.
Popular Insurance Terms
Historical mortality table that replaced the group annuity table, 1951, whose statistics at that time were more current than the replaced table. This table was subsequently replaced by the ...
Agents' records showing when clients' policies expire. ...
Combination of the funds of many policyholders held in a single account and invested as a single entity. ...
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Low-cost life insurance providing coverage only for a limited time, such as one year, five years, or to age 65. Term insurance costs less at younger ages than a comparable amount of CASH ...
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Financial incentives credited to the policy to encourage the policyowner to keep the policy in force. The incentives may be utilized by: (1) applying them to the policy cash value after a ...
Inability of the insured to perform one or more of the important daily duties of that insured's occupation. The income payment to the insured is reduced from that of total disability. ...
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