assignment insurance term

Collateral assignment of life insurance

Advertiser disclosure.

We are an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. Our goal is to help you make smarter financial decisions by providing you with interactive tools and financial calculators, publishing original and objective content, by enabling you to conduct research and compare information for free - so that you can make financial decisions with confidence.

Our content is backed by Coverage.com, LLC, a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in states where it is licensed . Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way.

How We Make Money

The offers that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within the listing categories, except where prohibited by law for our mortgage, home equity and other home lending products. But this compensation does not influence the information we publish, or the reviews that you see on this site. We do not include the universe of companies or financial offers that may be available to you.

• Share this article on Facebook Facebook
• Share this article on Twitter Twitter
• Share this article on LinkedIn Linkedin
• Share this article via email Email

At Bankrate, we take the accuracy of our content seriously.

“Expert verified” means that our Financial Review Board thoroughly evaluated the article for accuracy and clarity. The Review Board comprises a panel of financial experts whose objective is to ensure that our content is always objective and balanced.

Their reviews hold us accountable for publishing high-quality and trustworthy content.

• • Auto insurance
• • Life insurance
• Connect with Mary Van Keuren on LinkedIn Linkedin
• Get in contact with Mary Van Keuren via Email Email

• Connect with Natasha Cornelius, CLU on LinkedIn Linkedin

The Bankrate promise

At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity , this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for how we make money . This content is powered by HomeInsurance.com (NPN: 8781838). For more information, please see our Insurance Disclosure .

Founded in 1976, Bankrate has a long track record of helping people make smart financial choices. We’ve maintained this reputation for over four decades by demystifying the financial decision-making process and giving people confidence in which actions to take next.

Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy , so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. All of our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts , who ensure everything we publish is objective, accurate and trustworthy.

Our banking reporters and editors focus on the points consumers care about most — the best banks, latest rates, different types of accounts, money-saving tips and more — so you can feel confident as you’re managing your money.

Editorial integrity

Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy , so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions.

Key Principles

We value your trust. Our mission is to provide readers with accurate and unbiased information, and we have editorial standards in place to ensure that happens. Our editors and reporters thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate. We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and our editorial team. Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our advertisers.

Editorial Independence

Bankrate’s editorial team writes on behalf of YOU – the reader. Our goal is to give you the best advice to help you make smart personal finance decisions. We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. Our editorial team receives no direct compensation from advertisers, and our content is thoroughly fact-checked to ensure accuracy. So, whether you’re reading an article or a review, you can trust that you’re getting credible and dependable information.

How we make money

You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey.

Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers.

We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money.

Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories, except where prohibited by law for our mortgage, home equity and other home lending products. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range, can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service.

Insurance Disclosure

This content is powered by HomeInsurance.com, a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 8781838) and a corporate affiliate of Bankrate.com. HomeInsurance.com LLC services are only available in states where it is licensed and insurance coverage through HomeInsurance.com may not be available in all states. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way.

Secured loans are often used by individuals needing financial resources for any reason, whether it’s to fund a business, remodel a home or pay medical bills. One asset that may be used for a secured loan is life insurance. Although there are pros and cons to this type of financial transaction, it can be an excellent way to access needed funding. Bankrate’s insurance editorial team discusses what a collateral assignment of life insurance is and when it might—or might not—be the best loan option for you.

What is collateral assignment of life insurance?

A collateral assignment of life insurance is a method of securing a loan by using a life insurance policy as collateral . If you pass away before the loan is repaid, the lender can collect the outstanding loan balance from the death benefit of your life insurance policy . Any remaining funds from the death benefit would then be disbursed to the policy’s designated beneficiary(ies).

Why use life insurance as collateral?

Collateral assignment of life insurance may be a useful option if you want to access funds without placing any of your assets, such as a car or house, at risk. If you already have a life insurance policy, it can be a simple process to assign it as collateral. You may even be able to use your policy as collateral for more than one loan, which is called cross-collateralization, if there is enough value in the policy.

Collateral assignment may also be a credible choice if your credit rating is not high, which can make it difficult to find attractive loan terms. Since your lender can rely on your policy’s death benefit to pay off the loan if necessary, they are more likely to give you favorable terms despite a low credit score.

Pros and cons of using life insurance as collateral

If you are considering collateral assignment, here are some pros and cons of this type of financial arrangement.

• It may be an affordable option, especially if your life insurance premiums are less than your payments would be for an unsecured loan with a higher interest rate.
• You will not need to place personal property, such as your home, as collateral, which you would need to do if you take out a secured loan. Instead, if you pass away before the loan is repaid, lenders will be paid from the policy’s death benefit. Any remaining payout goes to your named beneficiaries.
• You may find lenders who are eager to work with you since life insurance is generally considered a good choice for collateral.
• The amount that your beneficiaries would have received will be reduced if you pass away before the loan is paid off since the lender has first rights to death benefits.
• You may not be able to successfully purchase life insurance if you are older or in poor health.
• If you are using a permanent form of life insurance as collateral, there may be an impact on your ability to use the policy's cash value during the life of the loan. If the loan balance and interest payments exceed the cash value, it can erode the policy's value over time.

What types of life insurance can I use as collateral for a loan?

You may use either of the main types of life insurance— term and permanent —for collateral assignment. If you are using term life insurance, you will need a policy with a term length that is at least as long as the term of the loan. In other words, if you have 20 years to pay off the loan, the term insurance you need must have a term of at least 20 years.

Subcategories of permanent life insurance, such as whole life , universal life and variable life, may also be used. Depending on lender requirements, you may be able to use an existing policy or could purchase a new one for the loan. A permanent policy with cash value may be especially appealing to a lender, considering the added benefit of the cash reserves they could access if necessary.

How do I take out a loan using a collateral assignment of life insurance?

If you already have enough life insurance to use for collateral assignment, your next step is to find a lender who is willing to work with you. If you don’t yet have life insurance, or you don’t have enough, consider the amount of coverage you need and apply for a policy . You may need to undergo a medical exam and fill out an application .

Once your policy has been approved, ask your insurance company or agent for a collateral assignment form, which you will complete and submit with your loan application papers. The form names your lender as an assignee of the policy—meaning that they have a stake in its benefits for as long as the loan exists. You will also name beneficiaries or a single beneficiary, who will receive whatever is left over from the death benefits after the loan is repaid.

Note that you will need to stay current on your life insurance premium payments while the collateral assignment is active. This will be stated in the loan agreement, and failure to do so could have serious repercussions.

Alternatives to life insurance as collateral

If you are considering a collateral assignment of life insurance, there are a few alternative funding options that might be worth exploring. Since many factors determine each option, working with a financial advisor may be the best way to find the ideal solution for your situation.

Unsecured loan

Depending on your situation, an unsecured loan may be more affordable than a secured loan with life insurance as collateral. This is more likely to be the case if you have good enough credit to qualify for a low-interest rate without having to offer any type of collateral. There are many different types of unsecured loans, including credit cards and personal loans.

Secured loan

In addition to life insurance, there are other items you can use as collateral for a secured loan . Your home, a car or a boat, for example, could be used if you have enough equity in them. Typically, secured loans are easier to qualify for than unsecured, since they are not as risky for the lender, and you are likely to find a lower interest rate than you would with an unsecured loan. The flip side, of course, is that if you default on the loan, the lender can take the asset that you used to secure it and sell it to recoup their losses.

Life insurance loan

Some permanent life insurance policies accumulate cash value over time that you can use in different ways. If you have such a policy, you may be able to partially withdraw the cash value or take a loan against your cash value. However, there are implications to using the cash value in your life insurance policy, so be sure to discuss this solution with a life insurance agent or your financial advisor before making a decision.

Home equity line of credit (HELOC)

A home equity line of credit (HELOC) is a more flexible way to access funds than a standard secured loan. While HELOCs carry the downside of risking your home as collateral, you retain more control over the amount you borrow. Instead of receiving one lump sum, you will have access to a line of credit that you can withdraw from as needed. You will only have to pay interest on the actual amount borrowed.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best life insurance company, what type of loans are collateral assignments usually associated with, what are other common forms of collateral, what are the two types of life insurance assignments.

Related Articles

What is collateral insurance and how does it work?

What does life insurance cover?

What is an irrevocable beneficiary?

Life insurance death benefits

Policygenius does not allow the submission of personal information by users located within the EU or the UK. If you believe this action is in error, or have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]

• Search Search Please fill out this field.
• Life Insurance
• Definitions

What Is a Collateral Assignment of Life Insurance?

Charlene Rhinehart is a CPA , CFE, chair of an Illinois CPA Society committee, and has a degree in accounting and finance from DePaul University.

A collateral assignment of life insurance is a conditional assignment appointing a lender as an assignee of a policy. Essentially, the lender has a claim to some or all of the death benefit until the loan is repaid. The death benefit is used as collateral for a loan.

The advantage to using a collateral assignee over naming the lender as a beneficiary is that you can specify that the lender is only entitled to a certain amount, namely the amount of the outstanding loan. That would allow your beneficiaries still be entitled to any remaining death benefit.

Lenders commonly require that life insurance serve as collateral for a business loan to guarantee repayment if the borrower dies or defaults. They may even require you to get a life insurance policy to be approved for a business loan.

Key Takeaways

• The borrower of a business loan using life insurance as collateral must be the policy owner, who may or may not be the insured.
• The collateral assignment helps you avoid naming a lender as a beneficiary.
• The collateral assignment may be against all or part of the policy's value.
• If any amount of the death benefit remains after the lender is paid, it is distributed to beneficiaries.
• Once the loan is fully repaid, the life insurance policy is no longer used as collateral.

How a Collateral Assignment of Life Insurance Works

Collateral assignments make sure the lender gets paid only what they are due. The borrower must be the owner of the policy, but they do not have to be the insured person. And the policy must remain current for the life of the loan, with the policy owner continuing to pay all premiums . You can use either term or whole life insurance policy as collateral, but the death benefit must meet the lender's terms.

A permanent life insurance policy with a cash value allows the lender access to the cash value to use as loan payment if the borrower defaults. Many lenders don't accept term life insurance policies as collateral because they do not accumulate cash value.

Alternately, the policy owner's access to the cash value is restricted to protect the collateral. If the loan is repaid before the borrower's death, the assignment is removed, and the lender is no longer the beneficiary of the death benefit.

Insurance companies must be notified of the collateral assignment of a policy. However, other than their obligation to meet the terms of the contract, they are not involved in the agreement.

Example of Collateral Assignment of Life Insurance

For example, say you have a business plan for a floral shop and need a $50,000 loan to get started. When you apply for the loan, the bank says you must have collateral in the form of a life insurance policy to back it up. You have a whole life insurance policy with a cash value of $65,000 and a death benefit of $300,000, which the bank accepts as collateral.

So, you then designate the bank as the policy's assignee until you repay the $50,000 loan. That way, the bank can ensure it will be repaid the funds it lent you, even if you died. In this case, because the cash value and death benefit is more than what you owe the lender, your beneficiaries would still inherit money.

Alternatives to Collateral Assignment of Life Insurance

Using a collateral assignment to secure a business loan can help you access the funds you need to start or grow your business. However, you would be at risk of losing your life insurance policy if you defaulted on the loan, meaning your beneficiaries may not receive the money you'd planned for them to inherit.

Consult with a financial advisor to discuss whether a collateral assignment or one of these alternatives may be most appropriate for your financial situation.

Life insurance loan (policy loan) : If you already have a life insurance policy with a cash value, you can likely borrow against it. Policy loans are not taxed and have less stringent requirements such as no credit or income checks. However, this option would not work if you do not already have a permanent life insurance policy because the cash value component takes time to build.

Surrendering your policy : You can also surrender your policy to access any cash value you've built up. However, your beneficiaries would no longer receive a death benefit.

Other loan types : Finally, you can apply for other loans, such as a personal loan, that do not require life insurance as collateral. You could use loans that rely on other types of collateral, such as a home equity loan that uses your home equity.

What Are the Benefits of Collateral Assignment of Life Insurance?

A collateral assignment of a life insurance policy may be required if you need a business loan. Lenders typically require life insurance as collateral for business loans because they guarantee repayment if the borrower dies. A policy with cash value can guarantee repayment if the borrower defaults.

What Kind of Life Insurance Can Be Used for Collateral?

You can typically use any type of life insurance policy as collateral for a business loan, depending on the lender's requirements. A permanent life insurance policy with a cash value allows the lender a source of funds to use if the borrower defaults. Some lenders may not accept term life insurance policies, which have no cash value. The lender will typically require the death benefit be a certain amount, depending on your loan size.

Is Collateral Assignment of Life Insurance Irrevocable?

A collateral assignment of life insurance is irrevocable. So, the policyholder may not use the cash value of a life insurance policy dedicated toward collateral for a loan until that loan has been repaid.

What is the Difference Between an Assignment and a Collateral Assignment?

With an absolute assignment , the entire ownership of the policy would be transferred to the assignee, or the lender. Then, the lender would be entitled to the full death benefit. With a collateral assignment, the lender is only entitled to the balance of the outstanding loan.

The Bottom Line

If you are applying for life insurance to secure your own business loan, remember you do not need to make the lender the beneficiary. Instead you can use a collateral assignment. Consult a financial advisor or insurance broker who can walk you through the process and explain its pros and cons as they apply to your situation.

Progressive. " Collateral Assignment of Life Insurance ."

Fidelity Life. " What Is a Collateral Assignment of a Life Insurance Policy? "

Kansas Legislative Research Department. " Collateral Assignment of Life Insurance Proceeds ."

• Terms of Service
• Editorial Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Your Privacy Choices

Shop for Car Insurance

Other Insurance Products

Types of mortgages

Calculators

Find & Compare Credit Cards

Cards with Rewards

Cards for a Purpose

Cards for Building Credit

Credit Card Reviews

Understanding Credit & Score

Student Loans

Paying for College

Personal Finance for College Students

Life Events

What Is Collateral Assignment of Life Insurance?

Quality Verified

Updated: December 14, 2023

• How It Works
• Overview of Application Process
• Pros and Cons
• Impact on Beneficiaries
• Alternatives

Related Content

Advertising & Editorial Disclosure

Collateral assignment of life insurance is an arrangement where a policyholder uses the face value of their life insurance policy, which can be a term or permanent life insurance policy, as collateral to secure a loan. If the policyholder dies before the loan is paid off, the lender is prioritized to receive a portion of the death benefit equivalent to the outstanding loan balance. The remaining benefit then goes to the policy's beneficiaries.

• Collateral assignment involves using a life insurance policy as security for a loan , where the lender has a claim on the death benefit if the borrower defaults or passes away before repaying the loan.
• The lender receives priority over the death benefit , which means they are paid first from the policy's payout before any beneficiaries if the loan remains unpaid.
• Various life insurance policies, including term, whole and universal, can be used for collateral assignment , depending on the insurance company's policies and the policy's value.
• If a life insurance policy lapses or is canceled during a collateral assignment, it can breach the loan agreement , potentially resulting in immediate loan repayment demands.
• After the loan is fully repaid, the policyholder must formally release the collateral assignment to restore the policy to its original status and ensure beneficiaries receive the full death benefit.

How Collateral Assignment of Life Insurance Works

The collateral assignment allows you to use your life insurance policy as security for a loan. The process involves legally designating your policy as collateral, which means if you pass away before fully repaying the loan, the lender can claim the death benefit to cover the remaining balance. You start by choosing either a term policy or whole life insurance and then complete a collateral assignment agreement. This agreement is legally binding and sets the terms for the lender to access the death benefit .

For your beneficiaries, this arrangement means the death benefit they receive could be reduced. If you die with an outstanding loan balance, the lender is paid first from the policy's proceeds. Any remaining amount goes to your beneficiaries only after the loan is settled.

For example, a policyholder with a $500,000 policy was assigned as collateral for a $200,000 loan. If the policyholder dies before settling the loan, the lender will receive $200,000 from the policy's death benefit. Meanwhile, the remaining $300,000 gets disbursed to the policy's beneficiaries.

Applying for Collateral Assignment

Applying for collateral assignment is a process moderated by your life insurance company designed to secure loans using your life insurance policy as collateral. It involves a series of steps:

Obtain a Collateral Assignment Form

Request a collateral assignment form from your life insurance provider. This form is crucial for designating the lender as a beneficiary for the loan amount. Ensure you obtain the correct form, as forms vary based on policy type and insurer.

Fill Out the Form Correctly

Complete the form with accurate details, including policy number, loan amount and lender information. Pay close attention to all sections to avoid errors that could delay or invalidate the assignment. Incomplete or incorrect information can lead to processing delays or rejection.

Signed by Both Policyholder and Lender

Ensure both the policyholder and lender sign the form, confirming the agreement. This dual signature legally binds both parties to the terms of the collateral assignment. Any discrepancy in signatures may question the form's validity.

Submit Completed Form

Submit the signed form back to the insurance company for processing. Consider using a traceable delivery method for submission to confirm receipt. Delays in submission can impact the timeline of the loan approval process.

Await Approval or Rejection From Insurance Company

Wait for the insurer to review and approve or reject the collateral assignment. The insurer may request additional information or clarification, which can extend the approval timeline.

Receive a Letter of Acknowledgment

You and your lender will receive a letter of acknowledgment from the insurer if your collateral assignment application is approved.

Obtaining Required Documentation

The required documentation for collateral assignment of life insurance is straightforward. Typically, you'll need to provide two main types of documents:

• Collateral Assignment Form: This form is critical because it officially transfers a portion of your life insurance policy benefits to the lender as collateral. It demonstrates to the lender that you have taken the requisite steps to secure your loan against your life insurance policy.
• Original Life Insurance Policy and Proof of Loan: Lenders may require your original life insurance policy to ensure it is valid and enforceable. Proof of the loan agreement or obligation, such as a mortgage note or other loan document, is also commonly required. This establishes the legitimacy of your loan and substantiates the collateral assignment.

Pros and Cons of Collateral Assignment

Utilizing a life insurance policy for collateral assignment can offer a range of benefits and potential drawbacks. This method allows you to secure loans and is often safer than using physical assets as collateral. However, you should also note the inherent risks, primarily that the lender retains the first right to your policy’s death benefit upon your death.

Impact of Collateral Assignment on Beneficiaries

While the collateral assignment of life insurance has its benefits, it’s important to remember that it can impact the amount your beneficiaries receive. If you pass away with an outstanding balance on your loan:

Your Lender Will Be Paid First

In the collateral assignment arrangement, the lender is designated as the primary beneficiary for the outstanding loan amount. This means if you pass away before fully repaying the loan, the lender is entitled to receive payment from the death benefit first. The amount collected by the lender is limited to the remaining loan balance.

Any Remaining Death Benefit Will Be Disbursed to Your Beneficiaries

After the lender's claim is satisfied, the remaining death benefit is disbursed to your policy’s designated beneficiaries. The amount they receive depends on the loan balance at the time of your death. If the loan balance is substantial, your beneficiaries will receive significantly less than the policy's full death benefit.

Alternatives to Collateral Assignment

Alternatives to collateral assignment include personal loans , home equity loans , or surrendering the life insurance policy for its cash value. None of these options require using life insurance as collateral. Each option offers different benefits and risks compared to using life insurance as collateral.

These questions covers various topics related to collateral assignments, including the requirements, implications for beneficiaries and what happens under various scenarios.

These related sections offer additional insights into concepts and alternatives connected to collateral assignments and life insurance:

Using Collateral for a Personal Loan — This link explains how to use various types of collateral for securing a personal loan, providing a broader context to the specific use of life insurance as collateral.

Term vs. Permanent Life Insurance — This resource compares term and permanent life insurance, helping to understand which types of policies can be used for collateral assignments.

Permanent Life Insurance — This page details permanent life insurance, a type commonly used in collateral assignments due to its cash value component.

Life Insurance Calculator — This page lets you calculate the appropriate amount of life insurance coverage needed, which is crucial when considering using a policy for collateral.

About Nathan Paulus

Nathan Paulus is the Head of Content Marketing at MoneyGeek, with nearly 10 years of experience researching and creating content related to personal finance and financial literacy.

Paulus has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of St. Thomas, Houston. He enjoys helping people from all walks of life build stronger financial foundations.

What Is A Collateral Assignment Of Life Insurance?

Our content follows strict guidelines for editorial accuracy and integrity. Learn about our editorial standards and how we make money.

A collateral assignment is sometimes a necessity if you’re applying for larger financing amounts such as a mortgage or business loan.

But what is a collateral assignment and how do you go about getting it on your life insurance policy? 

In this article, we’ll cover what collateral assignment is, how you can add it to your life insurance, and what alternatives there are out there. 

What Is Collateral Assignment? 

A collateral assignment is a process by which a person uses their life insurance policy as collateral for a secured loan.

In simple terms, collateral assignment is reassigning priorities for who gets paid the death benefit of your life insurance policy.

What Is a death benefit?

A death benefit or face value of a life insurance contract is the amount of money that your beneficiaries will receive from your policy when you die.

Once you apply for collateral assignment and it’s approved, your specified debtor (the loan provider) will be paid first and then your beneficiaries will receive what is left over in your life insurance policy.

This is different from using your cash value to loan money as you are taking out a loan from another financial institution and using your policy as a guarantee that you’ll cover any debt when you die. 

For example, let’s say you want to take out a secured loan from your local bank and want to use your life insurance policy as a collateral assignment.

In this situation, you’d still have to pay back any debt you have with interest during the loan period. 

However, the life insurance policy would be used if the borrower dies and there was an outstanding loan balance remaining. 

Secured Loans vs. Unsecured Loans

Secured loans are debts that are backed by assets that a lender can claim if the debt isn’t repaid. These types of loans often offer better interest rates and more generous payment terms.

Unsecured loans are debts that don’t have collateral. These types of loans are more expensive to repay and considered riskier than secured loans.

Source: Pexels

How Does Applying for Collateral Assignment Work?

The process for getting collateral assignments for life insurance is the same as when you apply for new life insurance coverage. 

All you’ll be doing is indicating to your life insurance provider that your lender will be given priority for the amount of money you have borrowed through them.

There is an:

Application process.

Underwriting process.

Offer that you’ll receive.

You’ll be required to name beneficiaries as well as indicate ownership of the life insurance policy in the collateral assignment form which will be provided by your life insurance company.

This is because you’re changing the terms of your payout and your life insurance provider will need to follow these instructions once you die.

NB Some insurance companies don’t offer collateral assignment on new loans and generally only provide this feature to an existing life insurance policy.

You should check beforehand to see what will be required to apply for a collateral assignment. If you need help finding plans that offer this, send an email to a licensed insurance agent today.

Once you’ve assigned a new collateral assignee to your life insurance policy, they will be entitled to lay a claim on your death benefit for any debt you have with them.

For example, let’s say you take out a collateral assignment life insurance policy worth $200,000 for a loan of $75,000 over 7 years at an interest rate of 18%.

If you die after five years, based on these figures, you’ll still have $41,231.02 owed on your loan.

Your $200,000 life insurance plan will be used to cover this and your beneficiaries will receive the remaining $158 768.98 from your life insurance policy.

Your lender is only allowed to take the amount outstanding on the debt owed and cannot take more. 

What about Missed Payments and Cash Value Life Insurance?

If you have a permanent life policy with a cash value account, sometimes called cash value life insurance, your lender will have access to it to cover missed payments on your loan.

For example, let’s say you miss a payment on your loan and have a collateral assignment. Your lender will be able to access your cash value account and withdraw that month’s payment to cover your debt.

Who Can You Add as a Collateral Assignee?

You can add any person or institution as a collateral assignee to your life insurance policy if you owe them money.

This can include banks, lenders, private individuals, businesses, or credit card companies. 

The most common collateral assignments are for business loans and mortgages. This is because they are loans for high amounts that are paid off over several years. 

In fact, some banks and financial lenders may require that you add them as collateral assignees when you apply for any of the financing options mentioned below.

Common Collateral Assignees Include:

💵 Bank loans

💳 Credit cards

🏡 Mortgages

💼 Business loans

What Do I Do If I’ve Paid Off My Debt?

If you’ve managed to pay off your debt - firstly, congratulations! Secondly, you’ll want to notify your life insurance company that you’ll be changing your collateral assignments on your life policy.

While there is no legal claim that a company can make to debts that aren’t owed anymore, there may be a hold up in paying out the death benefit to your beneficiaries and other collateral assignees.

Life insurance companies will have to figure out who must be paid first, according to the order stated in your collateral assignment terms.

In general, life insurance policies will settle claims within 24 hours of being notified of a policyholder’s death.

The process can be delayed if you do not release your collateral assignees from your life insurance contract. 

Tips to Make Sure Your Life Policy Is Paid Out Quickly

Here are some tips if you want your beneficiary claims to be handled as fast as possible:

1) Keep a copy of your life insurance policy and policy number in a safe place or with your lawyer, financial advisor, or estate planner.

2) Speak to your beneficiaries about your policies and give them the contact details of the relevant life insurance company.

3) Make sure your life insurance contract is updated to reflect your latest list of beneficiaries.

4) Make sure you have your beneficiaries' details listed in the contract or with your lawyer.

The Benefits of Using Collateral Assignment of Life Insurance

While adding a collateral assignment to your current life insurance policy may require an application, paperwork, and time, there are benefits:

Many lenders like it: Banks and financial institutions sometimes prefer it when applicants use their life insurance policy as collateral for a loan. This is because they know that their debt will be serviced long-term by your insurance company which makes their loan to you a lower risk.

Your private property won’t be jeopardized: The last thing you want when you go into debt is to put your personal items, such as your car, investments, or home on the line as collateral. Using collateral assignment is an alternative to this and can protect you in the event that you can’t service your debt.

It can be affordable for some people: If you’re in good health and young, you may be paying affordable rates for permanent life cover. In situations like this, it can make sense to use your life cover as collateral for debts you’ve incurred.

What Are Some Alternatives to Collateral Assignment?

Term Life Insurance: Getting a term life insurance contract to cover specific debts is one way of ensuring your estate and family are protected when you die.

There are multiple types of term life insurance plans and they are more affordable than permanent life insurance. This makes options like level term life insurance and decreasing term life insurance ideal for different types of debts you may have over your lifetime.

What Is Term Life?

Term life is a temporary life coverage option that lasts for a specific period of time. It is different from permanent life insurance which lasts until you die or you stop paying premiums.

Term life contracts are typically between 5 to 20 years, however, you can get renewable term life plans and even a forty-year term life plan .

Borrow from your life insurance: If you have a permanent life insurance policy, such as universal, whole, or indexed life cover, you can borrow money from your cash value account. 

However, keep in mind that you’ll be required to pay interest on any amount that you borrow and any amount of debt incurred will be deducted from your policy’s death benefit when you die.

What Is Cash Value?

Cash value is a feature of permanent life insurance plans that policyholders can contribute additional money toward while they have a policy in force.

This money is set aside in a cash value account which is tax-deferred and can be used in a number of ways.

In some cases, if your policy allows it, you can end your contract and get the cash surrender value of it. This amount is usually much less than the value of your total life insurance contract. 

Our Verdict on Collateral Assignment

Many banks, lenders, and financial institutions want long-term guarantees that you’ll be able to service your debt if anything happens to you.

In some situations, getting collateral assignments on your life insurance to cover these debts is a good option for people who are trying to access finance from these institutions. 

However, there is a risk that your death benefit payout may be delayed for your beneficiaries if you don’t keep your different collateral assignees up to date.

If you already have a life insurance policy, you should contact your provider to find out what the process is and what you’ll need to do to change the collateral assignees on your policy.

If you don’t have a policy yet, our advice is to look at all of your options before you decide to take a permanent life insurance contract with a collateral assignment.

There are alternatives out there that are more affordable if you’re looking to protect your family and estate from debt.

Term life is one such option that is adaptable to your life and easy to get. 

For example, a decreasing term life insurance policy might be the right choice for someone who has recently bought a home and wants to cover their mortgage while they pay it back.

Another option is final expense insurance, which is a permanent life policy for smaller amounts, usually under $50,000.

With final expense insurance, your beneficiaries can pay for anything they want, including any debts you may have had in your life.

The process for applying is simple and you won't have to go through a medical exam or intensive underwriting as you would with traditional permanent life insurance. 

If you need any assistance with finding, comparing, or learning about the different life insurance options to cover your debts, speak to one of our expert advisors today at 1-888-912-2132 or [email protected] .

Where Can I Learn More about Life Insurance?

If you’re looking to learn more about life insurance, different kinds of coverage, or costs, visit our life insurance hub to find our latest articles.

We do the research so that you don’t have to and our articles cover complicated topics like what is a cash value account, what is key person insurance, or how long life insurance takes to pay out a death benefit.  

If you need help with quotes, try out a life insurance quote finder or reach out to us via email at [email protected] to get in touch with a licensed life insurance agent for your state.

Understanding Life Insurance Assignments: Your Complete Guide

Your life insurance policy offers more than just a death benefit. By temporarily or permanently transferring the rights to your policy, you can use it for loans, estate planning, and other financial needs.

Learn how collateral and absolute assignments work in this article.

Medicaid Planning

What is a collateral assignment.

Collateral assignments are used to secure a lender’s financial interest in your policy in exchange for lending you money.

If you die, the collateral assignment allows the lender to collect your policy’s death benefit up to the amount of the outstanding loan balance.

How Do Collateral Assignments Work?

A typical scenario involves taking out a business loan .

The lender may require a life insurance policy as collateral.

The type of life insurance policy used, whether a term, whole life, or universal life doesn’t matter.

The insurance policy will pay off the balance if you die while the loan is outstanding.

One of the most common uses for collateral assignments is with SBA loans , especially if you do not have other assets to post as collateral.

The collateral assignment applies to the entire policy, including any life insurance rider benefits that may be included.

The Collateral Assignment Process: A Step-by-Step Guide

The process is similar whether you are adding the assignment to an existing policy or buying new coverage.

There are two parties to a collateral assignment.

• Assignor – Is the owner of the life insurance policy
• Assignee – Is the lender

Life insurance companies have standardized forms used for this purpose.

• The owner completes the form and sends it to the lender for review and signature.
• Once completed by the lender, the form is sent to the insurance company.
• The insurance company records the assignment and confirms to the owner and lender that it is complete.

This may all seem confusing if you haven’t used an assignment before, but the reality is that most life insurers make it pretty easy to complete.

Releasing a Collateral Assignment

When you pay off your loan, you have the right to have the collateral assignment released.

It’s a simple process :

• The policy owner completes the form and sends it to the lender.
• The lender signs off on the release. Many companies require a notary as a witness. The lender may return the form to the owner or the insurance company.
• Once completed and returned to the insurance company, the release is recorded, and all parties are notified.

Companies typically complete this process in about a week, and it’s a good idea to confirm everything with the home office to avoid potential issues.

Your agent can help with this.

What Happens to a Collateral Assignment if You Die?

How do collateral assignments work when you die?

Your beneficiary will file a death claim with the life insurer at some point.

Collateral Assignment Tip # 1

If your beneficiary is a loved one, it’s a good idea to let them know that your policy has a collateral assignment so they are not surprised when they file the claim.

Here’s an example of how a death claim with a collateral assignment works:

• Policy Face Amount = $1,000,000
• Beneficiary = Your Spouse
• Original Bank Loan = $200,000
• Outstanding Loan Balance at Death = $100,000

What happens next?

• Your beneficiary will file the death claim with the life insurance company.
• The life insurance company will review the claim and see a collateral assignment attached to your policy.
• The life insurer contacts the lender for an updated payoff figure.
• Payoff amounts are sent directly to the lender.
• Your beneficiary receives the balance of the policy death benefit .

For the above example, your lender would receive $100,000, and your beneficiary would receive the remaining $900,000.

Collateral Assignment Tip # 2

NEVER name your lender directly as a beneficiary. If you do, the lender will receive the entire death benefit, and your intended beneficiary will have to go through the lender to receive their share.

Collateral Assignments and Health Issues

While lenders may want a life insurance policy as collateral, obtaining life insurance can sometimes be difficult if the insured has substantial health issues .

If you have an existing life insurance policy in effect, you can use that for the assignment.

Another option that exists in some states is contingent coverage.

Contingent coverage is a one-year policy that you can renew.

The policy will exclude death from the known health issue but provide coverage for new health issues that develop or from accidental deaths .

Many lenders accept this coverage when it’s the only option available. And we’ve also seen lenders waive the collateral assignment requirement at times.

What is an Absolute Assignment?

An absolute assignment is a change of ownership of the policy.

When you want to permanently relinquish your rights to the life insurance policy, an absolute assignment is used.

Examples where absolute assignments are used include:

Life Insurance Settlements

1035 exchange, gifting life insurance to charities, irrevocable life insurance trusts (ilit), business insurance planning.

With this transaction, you are selling your life insurance policy to a third party.

If it is a term policy, you would convert a term policy to permanent insurance before it is sold. In some cases, a company will buy the term policy.

Another example may involve admitting seniors to a nursing home, where the nursing home may take over the policy you have.

A 1035 exchange is a tax-free transfer of cash value from universal life or whole life policy to another similar policy.

You can use absolute assignments to transfer your policy to your favorite charity.

You use absolute assignments to transfer your policy to an ILIT permanently.

An example would be a survivorship policy you and your spouse own that you are transferring to the trust.

Many other potential issues may arise with transfers to an ILIT that are beyond the scope of this article.

If you purchase key person life insurance on an employee, absolute assignments transfer ownership to the employee.

Many times, this happens if the employee leaves the company or retires.

You may have a policy permanently assigned to a nursing home or assisted living facility to help with long-term care expenses.

How Do Absolute Assignments Work?

Life insurance companies have forms used for Absolute Assignments.

Absolute assignment forms require:

• Current owner name, address, and tax ID information.
• New owner name, address, and tax ID information.
• Relationship to the proposed insured.
• Spousal consent in some states and situations.

The completed forms are submitted to the insurance company, recorded, and confirmations are sent to all parties.

Frequently Asked Questions About Life Insurance Assignments

You may have questions about your life insurance assignment and how it works.

The following are general guidelines, as each situation is uniquely different.

Can the collateral assignment change the beneficiary?

No, the collateral assignment does not change the beneficiary.

The life insurance assignment gives the lender the right to receive proceeds equal to their outstanding loan balance.

Can a business be a beneficiary in a collateral assignment of life insurance?

A business can be the beneficiary of a life insurance policy that is collaterally assigned.

Final Words

Life insurance assignments are common for absolute and collateral assignments.

What is most important is that you understand what is involved with this process.

That’s where we’ll help you make the best decision for your life insurance.

There is never any pressure or obligation with our life insurance service.

Please take a few minutes to submit your quote request today. Thank you.

Recent Articles

Seniors: Compare Our Life Insurance to Your AARP Coverage!

Replacing Life Insurance in New York

Cigar Smokers Never Pay Smoker Life Insurance Rates!

Chewing Tobacco Life Insurance – Get the Best Rates Here!

Cigarette Smokers Life Insurance

Pipe Smokers Life Insurance

About the author.

Michael Horbal

• Search Search Please fill out this field.
• Life Insurance

What Is Collateral Assignment (of a Life Insurance Policy)?

Meredith Mangan is a senior editor for The Balance, focusing on insurance product reviews. She brings to the job 15 years of experience in finance, media, and financial markets. Prior to her editing career, Meredith was a licensed financial advisor and a licensed insurance agent in accident and health, variable, and life contracts. Meredith also spent five years as the managing editor for Money Crashers.

Definition and Examples of Collateral Assignment

How collateral assignment works, alternatives to collateral assignment.

Kilito Chan / Getty Images

If you assign your life insurance contract as collateral for a loan, you give the lender the right to collect from the policy’s cash value or death benefit in two circumstances. One is if you stop making payments; the other is if you die before the loan is repaid. Securing a loan with life insurance reduces the lender’s risk, which improves your chances of qualifying for the loan.

Before moving forward with a collateral assignment, learn how the process works, how it impacts your policy, and possible alternatives.

Collateral assignment is the practice of using a life insurance policy as collateral for a loan . Collateral is any asset that your lender can take if you default on the loan.

For example, you might apply for a $25,000 loan to start a business. But your lender is unwilling to approve the loan without sufficient collateral. If you have a permanent life insurance policy with a cash value of $40,000 and a death benefit of $300,000, you could use that life insurance policy to collateralize the loan. Via collateral assignment of your policy, you authorize the insurance company to give the lender the amount you owe if you’re unable to keep up with payments (or if you die before repaying the loan).

Lenders have two ways to collect under a collateral assignment arrangement:

• If you die, the lender gets a portion of the death benefit—up to your remaining loan balance.
• With permanent insurance policies, the lender can surrender your life insurance policy in order to access the cash value if you stop making payments.

Lenders are only entitled to the amount you owe, and are not generally named as beneficiaries on the policy. If your cash value or the death benefit exceeds your outstanding loan balance, the remaining money belongs to you or your beneficiaries.

Whenever lenders approve a loan, they can’t be certain that you’ll repay. Your credit history is an indicator, but sometimes lenders want additional security. Plus, surprises happen, and even those with the strongest credit profiles can die unexpectedly.

Assigning a life insurance policy as collateral gives lenders yet another way to secure their interests and can make approval easier for borrowers.

Types of Life Insurance Collateral

Life insurance falls into two broad categories: permanent insurance and term insurance . You can use both types of insurance for a collateral assignment, but lenders may prefer that you use permanent insurance.

• Permanent insurance : Permanent insurance, such as universal and whole life insurance, is lifelong insurance coverage that contains a cash value. If you default on the loan, lenders can surrender your policy and use that cash value to pay down the balance. If you die, the lender has a right to the death benefit, up to the amount you still owe.
• Term insurance : Term insurance provides a death benefit, but coverage is limited to a certain number of years (20 or 30, for example). Since there’s no cash value in these policies, they only protect your lender if you die before the debt is repaid. The duration of a term policy used as collateral needs to be at least as long as your loan term.

A Note on Annuities

You may also be able to use an annuity as collateral for a bank loan. The process is similar to using a life insurance policy, but there is one key difference to be aware of. Any amount assigned as collateral in an annuity is treated as a distribution for tax purposes. In other words, the amount assigned will be taxed as income up to the amount of any gain in the contract, and may be subject to an additional 10% tax if you’re under 59 ½.

A collateral assignment is similar to a lien on your home . Somebody else has a financial interest in your property, but you keep ownership of it.

The Process

To use life insurance as collateral, the lender must be willing to accept a collateral assignment. When that’s the case, the policy owner, or “assignor,” submits a form to the insurance company to establish the arrangement. That form includes information about the lender, or “assignee,” and details about the lender’s and borrower’s rights.

Policy owners generally have control over policies. They may cancel or surrender coverage, change beneficiaries, or assign the contract as collateral. But if the policy has an irrevocable beneficiary, that beneficiary will need to approve any collateral assignment.

State laws typically require you to notify the insurer that you intend to pledge your insurance policy as collateral, and you must do so in writing. In practice, most insurers have specific forms that detail the terms of your assignment.

Some lenders might require you to get a new policy to secure a loan, but others allow you to add a collateral assignment to an existing policy. After submitting your form, it can take 24 to 48 hours for the assignment to go into effect.

Lenders Get Paid First

If you die and the policy pays a death benefit , the lender receives the amount you owe first. Your beneficiaries get any remaining funds once the lender is paid. In other words, your lender takes priority over your beneficiaries when you use this strategy. Be sure to consider the impact on your beneficiaries before you complete a collateral assignment.

After you repay your loan, your lender does not have any right to your life insurance policy, and you can request that the lender release the assignment. Your life insurance company should have a form for that. However, if a lender pays premiums to keep your policy in force, the lender may add those premium payments (plus interest) to your total debt—and collect that extra money.

There may be several other ways for you to get approved for a loan—with or without life insurance:

• Surrender a policy : If you have a cash value life insurance policy that you no longer need, you could potentially surrender the policy and use the cash value. Doing so might prevent the need to borrow, or you might borrow substantially less. However, surrendering a policy ends your coverage, meaning your beneficiaries will not get a death benefit. Also, you’ll likely owe taxes on any gains.
• Borrow from your policy : You may be able to borrow against the cash value in your permanent life insurance policy to get the funds you need. This approach could eliminate the need to work with a traditional lender, and creditworthiness would not be an issue. But borrowing can be risky, as any unpaid loan balance reduces the amount your beneficiaries receive. Plus, over time, deductions for the cost of insurance and compounding loan interest may negate your cash value and the policy could lapse, so it’s critical to monitor.
• Consider other solutions : You may have other options unrelated to a life insurance policy. For example, you could use the equity in your home as collateral for a loan, but you could lose your home in foreclosure if you can’t make the payments. A co-signer could also help you qualify, although the co-signer takes a significant risk by guaranteeing your loan.

Key Takeaways

• Life insurance can help you get approved for a loan when you use a collateral assignment.
• If you die, your lender receives the amount you owe, and your beneficiaries get any remaining death benefit.
• With permanent insurance, your lender can cash out your policy to pay down your loan balance.
• An annuity can be used as collateral for a loan but may not be a good idea because of tax consequences.
• Other strategies can help you get approved without putting your life insurance coverage at risk.

NYSBA. " Life Insurance and Annuity Contracts Within and Without Tax Qualified Retirement Plans and Life Insurance Trusts ." Accessed April 12, 2021.

IRS. " Publication 575 (2020), Pension and Annuity Income ." Accessed April 12, 2021.

Practical Law. " Security Interests: Life Insurance Policies ." Accessed April 12, 2021.

What Is a Life Insurance Assignment?

More articles.

•   1. What Is the Collateral Assignment of a Life Insurance Policy?
•   2. What Is the Assignment of Insurance Benefits?
•   3. Absolute Assignment of Life Insurance Policies

Although the basic element of a life insurance policy is financial security protection in the event of a premature death, the variety of products available in the marketplace provides you with many financial planning options. A life insurance assignment is a document that allows you to transfer the ownership rights of your policy to a third party, transferring to that third party all rights of ownership under your policy, including the rights to make decisions regarding coverage, beneficiary and investment options. The two kinds of life insurance assignments are conditional and absolute.

Conditional Assignment

With a conditional assignment, although you transfer your life insurance policy’s ownership rights to another party, the assignment stipulates that if a certain specified event occurs, the assignment can be suspended or revoked in whole or in part. The event in question cannot be something that you can cause to happen. If you assigned your life insurance policy to a business partner, for example, with the explicit agreement that on the death of that business partner the assignment is revoked, that assignment is deemed conditional.

Absolute Assignment

When you make an absolute assignment, the rights, title and interest in the life insurance policy pass on to another party without the possibility of reversal. The assignment provides security to the assignee in that you can no longer make decisions regarding the policy that would jeopardize it, such as taking out a policy loan or withdrawing cash values.

Secured Loan

If you own a business, and you wish to take out a loan for your business, the lender may require you to purchase life insurance on your own life as security for the loan. Initially you make the request for the insurance. Once the policy is approved and issued, you make an assignment to the bank. The bank now controls the decisions and can make changes to the policy, including naming itself as beneficiary.

Collateral Loan

If you own a life insurance policy with cash values, you might wish to access those cash values to increase your income flow. Withdrawals from life insurance policy cash values can result in taxes due and might reduce your death benefit. An alternative is to assign the life insurance policy to a lender in exchange for a line of credit or regular loan payments. These loans are generally not taxable, and you can typically borrow up to a stated maximum percentage of the cash value. Since the policy is assigned to the bank, your failure to pay the premiums on the policy will cause the bank to call the loan, cancel the insurance policy and use the cash values as payment of the loan. If you maintain the policy in force until your death, the bank is generally the beneficiary of the tax-free policy proceeds up to and including the outstanding amount of the loan, with any remaining policy proceeds paid tax free to your named beneficiary.

• AXA Life: Know Your Insurance

Philippe Lanctot started writing for business trade publications in 1990. He has contributed copy for the "Canadian Insurance Journal" and has been the co-author of text for life insurance company marketing guides. He holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the University of Montreal with a minor in English.

Related Articles

What is the collateral assignment of a life insurance policy, what is the assignment of insurance benefits, absolute assignment of life insurance policies, is mortgage insurance better than life insurance to pay off a mortgage upon death, tapping the cash in life insurance, how does renewing a loan work, tax on withdrawal from life insurance, is life insurance taxed at payout, boat financing tips for consumers, how long can co-signers stay on a mortgage loan, cancelling whole life insurance, how much can i borrow against cash value.

Zacks Research is Reported On:

Zacks Investment Research

is an A+ Rated BBB

Accredited Business.

Copyright © 2024 Zacks Investment Research

At the center of everything we do is a strong commitment to independent research and sharing its profitable discoveries with investors. This dedication to giving investors a trading advantage led to the creation of our proven Zacks Rank stock-rating system. Since 1986 it has nearly tripled the S&P 500 with an average gain of +26% per year. These returns cover a period from 1986-2011 and were examined and attested by Baker Tilly, an independent accounting firm.

Visit performance for information about the performance numbers displayed above.

NYSE and AMEX data is at least 20 minutes delayed. NASDAQ data is at least 15 minutes delayed.

Assignment of Life Insurance Policy

The person who assigns the policy, i.e. transfers the rights, is called the Assignor and the one to whom the policy has been assigned, i.e. the person to whom the policy rights have been transferred is called the Assignee.

Assignment of a Life Insurance Policy simply means transfer of rights from one person to another. The policyholder can transfer the rights of his insurance policy to another for various reasons and this process is called Assignment.

The person who assigns the policy, i.e. transfers the rights, is called the Assignor and the one to whom the policy has been assigned, i.e. the person to whom the policy rights have been transferred is called the Assignee. Once the rights have been transferred to the Assignee, the rights of the Assignor stands cancelled and the Assignee becomes the owner of the policy.

here are 2 types of Assignment:

• Absolute Assignment – This means complete Transfer of Rights from the Assignor to the Assignee, without any further conditions applicable.
• Conditional Assignment – This means that the Transfer of Rights will happen from the Assignor to the Assignee subject to certain conditions. If the conditions are fulfilled then only the Policy will get transferred from the Assignor to the Assignee.

Let’s take an example:

Rahul owns 2 Life Insurance policies of value Rs 2 lakhs and Rs 5 lakhs respectively. He would like to gift one policy of Rs 2 lakhs to his best friend Ajay. In that case, he would like to absolutely assign the policy in his name such that the death or maturity proceeds are directly paid to him. Thus, after the assignment, Ajay becomes the absolute owner of the policy. If he wishes, he may again transfer it to someone else for any other reason. This type of Assignment is called Absolute Assignment.

Now, Rahul needed to take a loan for Rs 5 lakhs. So, he thought of doing so against the other policy that he owned for Rs 5 lakhs. To take a loan from ABC bank, he needed to conditionally assign the policy to that Bank and then the bank would be able to pay out the loan money to him. If Rahul failed to repay the loan, then the bank would surrender the policy and get their money back.

Once Rahul’s loan is completely repaid, then the policy would again come back to him. In case, Rahul died before completely repaying the loan, then also the bank can surrender the policy to get their money back. This type of Assignment is called Conditional Assignment.

Sachin Telawane is a Content Manager and writes on various aspects of the Insurance industry. His enlightening insights on the insurance industry has guided the readers to make informed decisions in the course of purchasing insurance plans.

Financial Tips, Guides & Know-Hows

Home > Finance > What Is An Assignee On A Life Insurance Policy?

What Is An Assignee On A Life Insurance Policy?

Published: October 14, 2023

Learn the role of an assignee on a life insurance policy and how it can impact your finances. Discover what it takes to become a finance-savvy assignee.

(Many of the links in this article redirect to a specific reviewed product. Your purchase of these products through affiliate links helps to generate commission for LiveWell, at no extra cost. Learn more )

Table of Contents

Introduction, definition of assignee, role of assignee in a life insurance policy, rights and responsibilities of an assignee, process of assigning a life insurance policy, benefits of assigning a life insurance policy, considerations before assigning a life insurance policy, potential challenges and risks for assignees.

Life insurance is a crucial financial tool that provides protection and financial security to individuals and their loved ones in case of unexpected events. While the primary purpose of life insurance is to provide a death benefit to beneficiaries, policy owners also have the flexibility to assign or transfer their policy rights to another person or entity. This is where an assignee comes into play.

An assignee on a life insurance policy refers to the individual or entity who is designated to receive the policy benefits or be the recipient of any policy changes. Assigning a life insurance policy can be a strategic move for policyholders who want to transfer ownership rights or allocate the proceeds to a specific person or organization.

In this article, we will delve deeper into the role of an assignee in a life insurance policy, their rights and responsibilities, as well as the process of assigning a policy. We will also explore the benefits and considerations involved in assigning a life insurance policy, along with potential challenges and risks that assignees may encounter.

Understanding the concept of assignees in life insurance policies is essential for policyholders who may be considering transferring their policy rights or for beneficiaries who need to comprehend the implications of an assigned policy. Without further ado, let’s dive into the details of assignees on a life insurance policy.

An assignee on a life insurance policy is an individual or entity that is designated to receive the policy benefits or take over the ownership rights and responsibilities. When a policyholder assigns their life insurance policy, they transfer their rights to the assignee, who then becomes the new owner of the policy.

The assignee can be a spouse, child, relative, friend, or even a business entity such as a trust or corporation. The assignee can be named at the time the policy is initially taken out, or the policyholder can choose to assign the policy at a later date. In some cases, a policyholder may assign their policy to a lender or creditor as collateral for a loan.

It is important to note that the assignee is distinct from the beneficiary. The beneficiary is the person or entity who receives the death benefit proceeds upon the death of the insured. While the assignee assumes ownership of the policy, they may or may not be the same person as the beneficiary.

Assigning a life insurance policy can be a way for policyholders to ensure that the intended recipient receives the policy benefits or to transfer the financial responsibility and management of the policy to someone else.

Now that we have established the definition of an assignee in a life insurance policy, let’s explore their role in more detail.

The assignee plays a significant role in a life insurance policy once they have been designated as the new owner. Their responsibilities and authority may vary depending on the terms of the policy and the specific agreement between the policyholder and the assignee. Here are some key roles an assignee may have:

• Policy Ownership: As the assignee, they become the legal owner of the life insurance policy. This means they have the rights to manage and make decisions regarding the policy, subject to any limitations or conditions outlined in the assignment agreement.
• Premium Payments: The assignee is generally responsible for paying the premiums to keep the policy in force. They may choose to use their own funds or utilize the policy’s cash value, if available, to cover the premiums.
• Beneficiary Designation: The assignee may have the authority to change the beneficiary designation if permitted by the policy terms. This gives them the ability to redirect the policy’s death benefit to another individual or entity.
• Policy Modifications: Depending on the specific agreement, the assignee may have the power to make changes to the policy, such as increasing or decreasing the coverage amount, adjusting the policy term, or adding additional riders.
• Access to Policy Information: As the new policy owner, the assignee has the right to access and review the policy information, including the policy terms, conditions, and any associated documents.
• Claims Processing: In the event of the insured’s death, the assignee is responsible for initiating the claims process and ensuring that the death benefit proceeds are disbursed to the designated beneficiary.

It’s important to note that the specific roles and authority of the assignee can vary based on the terms of the assignment agreement. It is essential for both the policyholder and the assignee to have a clear understanding of their respective roles and responsibilities to avoid any confusion or disputes in the future.

Now that we have examined the role of an assignee in a life insurance policy, let’s explore the rights and responsibilities they have in more detail.

When an individual or entity becomes the assignee of a life insurance policy, they acquire certain rights and responsibilities associated with the policy. These rights and responsibilities can vary depending on the terms of the assignment agreement and the specific provisions of the policy. Let’s take a closer look at the rights and responsibilities of an assignee:

Rights of an Assignee:

• Ownership Rights: As the assignee, they have the right to the policy benefits and any cash value that has accumulated. They can make decisions regarding the policy, such as changing the beneficiary, modifying coverage, or accessing policy information.
• Premium Payments: The assignee has the right to receive premium payments from the policyholder, which they can use to keep the policy in force. They may also have the right to access the policy’s cash value, if available.
• Policy Modifications: Depending on the terms of the assignment agreement, the assignee may have the right to make changes to the policy, such as adjusting the coverage amount, policy term, or adding additional riders.
• Access to Policy Information: The assignee has the right to access and review the policy information, including the terms, conditions, and any associated documents. This allows them to stay informed about the policy’s provisions and make informed decisions.
• Claims Processing: In the event of the insured’s death, the assignee has the right to initiate the claims process and receive the death benefit proceeds. They are responsible for disbursing the proceeds to the designated beneficiary, if applicable.

Responsibilities of an Assignee:

• Premium Payments: As the assignee, they are responsible for making premium payments to keep the policy in force. This ensures that the policy remains active and the coverage continues.
• Policy Management: The assignee has the responsibility to manage and maintain the policy. This includes reviewing the policy regularly, staying informed about any changes in the terms and conditions, and making decisions that align with the policyholder’s intentions.
• Beneficiary Designation: If authorized by the assignment agreement, the assignee may have the responsibility to change the beneficiary designation if necessary. This involves ensuring that the intended recipient of the death benefit is correctly designated.
• Communication: The assignee has the responsibility to maintain open communication with the policyholder, beneficiaries, and any other parties involved. This helps in addressing any questions, concerns, or changes that may arise regarding the policy.

It’s important for both the assignee and the policyholder to have a clear understanding of these rights and responsibilities to ensure a smooth and effective management of the policy. Now that we have explored the rights and responsibilities of an assignee, let’s move on to understand the process of assigning a life insurance policy.

The process of assigning a life insurance policy involves transferring the ownership rights and control of the policy from the policyholder to the assignee. While the specific steps may vary based on the insurance company and policy terms, the general process typically includes the following:

• Review Policy Terms: The policyholder should carefully review the terms and conditions of their life insurance policy to understand any limitations or restrictions on assigning the policy.
• Choose an Assignee: The policyholder selects an individual or entity to be the assignee. This can be a family member, friend, trust, or even a business entity. It is essential to consider the long-term goals and intentions when choosing an assignee.
• Obtain Consent: The policyholder must obtain the consent of the proposed assignee to ensure they are willing to assume the responsibilities and obligations associated with the policy.
• Prepare Assignment Agreement: The policyholder and the assignee should work together to prepare an assignment agreement. This is a legal document that outlines the terms of the assignment, including the assignee’s rights, responsibilities, and any potential compensation or considerations involved.
• Notify the Insurance Company: The policyholder must contact their insurance company to inform them of the intention to assign the policy. The insurance company may require specific forms to be filled out, along with a copy of the assignment agreement.
• Insurance Company Approval: The insurance company will review the assignment request and the assignment agreement to ensure they comply with their policies and regulations. Once approved, they will update their records to reflect the new assignee.
• Update Beneficiary Designation: If the assignee is different from the original beneficiary, the policyholder may need to update the beneficiary designation to ensure that the intended recipient receives the death benefit.

It is crucial for both the policyholder and the assignee to consult with legal and financial professionals to ensure that the assignment process is conducted properly, adhering to any legal requirements and optimizing the financial outcomes for all parties involved.

Now that we have discussed the process of assigning a life insurance policy, let’s move on to explore the benefits of assigning a life insurance policy.

Assigning a life insurance policy can offer several benefits for both the policyholder and the assignee. Here are some key advantages of assigning a life insurance policy:

• Control and Flexibility: Assigning a life insurance policy allows the policyholder to have control over who will manage and benefit from the policy. It provides flexibility to designate a specific person or entity to take over the ownership rights and responsibilities.
• Estate Planning: Assigning a life insurance policy can be an effective estate planning strategy. It allows the policyholder to transfer assets outside of their estate, which may help in minimizing estate taxes and ensuring a smooth transfer of wealth to the intended recipients.
• Creditor Protection: By assigning a life insurance policy to a trust or business entity, the policy cash value and death benefit may be protected from potential creditors. This provides an added layer of financial security for the assignee and the intended beneficiaries.
• Financial Assistance: Assigning a life insurance policy can be beneficial in scenarios where the assignee needs financial assistance. For example, if the assignee is facing financial hardship or requires funds for a specific purpose, they may be able to access the policy’s cash value or even borrow against the policy.
• Charitable Giving: Assigning a life insurance policy to a charitable organization can be a meaningful way to support a favorite cause. It allows the policyholder to make a significant charitable contribution, and the assignee, in this case, would be responsible for managing the policy and ensuring that the proceeds benefit the designated charity.

It’s important to note that the benefits of assigning a life insurance policy can vary depending on the specific circumstances and goals of the policyholder. Therefore, it is advisable to consult with financial advisors, estate planning professionals, and insurance experts to assess the suitability of assigning a policy and to maximize the potential benefits.

Now that we have explored the benefits of assigning a life insurance policy, let’s move on to discuss some considerations before making the decision to assign a policy.

Before deciding to assign a life insurance policy, it is crucial to carefully consider a few key factors. These considerations will help ensure that the decision aligns with your financial goals and meets your specific needs. Here are some important points to ponder:

• Impact on Beneficiaries: Assigning a life insurance policy may have implications for the intended beneficiaries. It is essential to consider their needs and financial security before assigning the policy to someone else or an entity. Make sure to have open conversations with the beneficiaries to discuss any changes in the policy ownership and how it may impact them.
• Future Financial Needs: Assess your own future financial needs before assigning a life insurance policy. Life circumstances can change, and it is crucial to determine if the policy’s cash value or death benefit might be required for your own financial stability or long-term goals. Balancing immediate financial needs with the desire to assign the policy is important.
• Trustworthiness of the Assignee: Consider the trustworthiness and reliability of the proposed assignee. Assigning a life insurance policy involves transferring ownership rights and responsibilities, so it is crucial to choose someone who will effectively manage the policy and fulfill the agreed-upon obligations. Conduct thorough due diligence and consider seeking legal advice to ensure the assignee is the right choice.
• Tax Implications: Assigning a life insurance policy may have tax implications. Consult with tax professionals to understand any potential tax consequences of the assignment, such as gift tax or estate tax considerations. Proper planning and knowledge of tax laws will help mitigate any unexpected tax liabilities.
• Insurance Company Policy: Review the terms and conditions of your life insurance policy regarding assignments. Some policies may have restrictions or limitations on assigning a policy, and it’s important to understand these provisions. Contact your insurance company directly to clarify any concerns or questions related to the assignment process.
• Legal Considerations: Assigning a life insurance policy involves legal documentation and agreements. It is advisable to consult with legal professionals who specialize in insurance and estate planning to ensure that the assignment is conducted in compliance with applicable laws and meets your specific needs.

Considering these factors will help you make an informed decision about whether assigning a life insurance policy is the right choice for you. Assess your individual situation, speak with professionals, and review your long-term goals to determine if assigning the policy aligns with your overall financial plan.

Now that we have explored the considerations before assigning a life insurance policy, let’s discuss some potential challenges and risks for assignees.

While assigning a life insurance policy can have its benefits, there are also potential challenges and risks that assignees should be aware of. Understanding these risks will help you make informed decisions and take necessary precautions. Here are some potential challenges and risks for assignees:

• Financial Responsibility: As the assignee, you become responsible for paying the policy premiums to keep the coverage in force. Failure to pay the premiums can result in the policy lapsing, causing loss of coverage and potential loss of the policy’s cash value.
• Potential Conflict: Assigning a life insurance policy may lead to conflicts, especially if the policyholder has multiple beneficiaries or if the assigned policy conflicts with other estate planning arrangements. It is important to communicate and coordinate with all involved parties to minimize potential disputes.
• Changing Circumstances: Life circumstances can change, and the assigned policy may no longer align with the assignee’s needs or financial goals. Review the policy periodically to ensure it still meets your objectives. If necessary, consult with professionals to explore options for policy modifications or changes.
• Loss of Control: By assigning a policy, you relinquish control over certain aspects of the policy. The assignee may need to consult the policyholder or beneficiaries before making any changes or important decisions. This loss of control should be carefully considered before proceeding with the assignment.
• Insurance Company Approval: The insurance company typically has the final say in approving the assignment. They will review and confirm the assignment agreement to ensure compliance with their policies. If the assignment is not approved, it can impede the intended transfer of ownership.
• Tax Implications: Assigning a life insurance policy may have tax consequences for the assignee, such as potential income tax on the policy’s cash value or estate tax implications. Consult with tax professionals before finalizing the assignment to fully understand these potential tax implications.

It is crucial for assignees to carefully weigh these challenges and risks against the potential benefits before accepting the assignment of a life insurance policy. Be proactive in communicating with the policyholder and beneficiaries, stay informed about policy details, and seek professional guidance to navigate any potential challenges or risks.

Now that we have discussed the potential challenges and risks for assignees, let’s wrap up our article.

Assigning a life insurance policy can be a strategic financial move that offers flexibility and control over the policy’s ownership and benefits. By designating an assignee, individuals can ensure that the policy proceeds are directed to the intended recipient or utilize the expertise of an entity to manage the policy. However, before proceeding with an assignment, it is important to carefully consider various factors.

Understanding the role, rights, and responsibilities of an assignee is vital to ensure a smooth transition and effective management of the policy. The assignee assumes ownership of the policy, enjoying benefits such as decision-making authority and control over premiums. They also have responsibilities, including making premium payments, managing the policy, and initiating claims if the insured passes away.

The process of assigning a life insurance policy involves reviewing policy terms, choosing an assignee, obtaining consent, preparing an assignment agreement, and notifying the insurance company. It is crucial to review the policy specifics and consult legal and financial professionals to ensure compliance with regulations and optimize financial outcomes.

Assigning a life insurance policy offers numerous benefits, such as control, estate planning opportunities, creditor protection, and financial assistance. However, there are considerations to keep in mind, including the impact on beneficiaries, future financial needs, and tax implications.

Assignees may face potential challenges, such as financial responsibility, conflicts of interest, changing circumstances, loss of control, and insurance company approval. These risks should be carefully assessed, and open communication with the policyholder and beneficiaries is essential to minimize disputes and ensure a smooth transition.

In conclusion, assigning a life insurance policy requires thoughtful deliberation and consultation with professionals. Assessing your financial goals, considering the needs of beneficiaries, and understanding the potential risks will help make an informed decision. Assigning a life insurance policy can provide peace of mind, but careful consideration and planning are essential to ensure the assigned policy aligns with your long-term financial goals.

20 Quick Tips To Saving Your Way To A Million Dollars

Our Review on The Credit One Credit Card

Placement Agent Definition, Role, Compensation

When Does HBO Billing Cycle Begin?

Latest articles.

Navigating Crypto Frontiers: Understanding Market Capitalization as the North Star

Written By:

Financial Literacy Matters: Here’s How to Boost Yours

Unlocking Potential: How In-Person Tutoring Can Help Your Child Thrive

Understanding XRP’s Role in the Future of Money Transfers

Navigating Post-Accident Challenges with Automobile Accident Lawyers

Related post.

By:  •  Finance

Please accept our Privacy Policy.

We uses cookies to improve your experience and to show you personalized ads. Please review our privacy policy by clicking here .

• https://livewell.com/finance/what-is-an-assignee-on-a-life-insurance-policy/

Search NAIC

Recommended, glossary of insurance terms.

This page provides a glossary of insurance terms and definitions that are commonly used in the insurance business. New terms will be added to the glossary over time.

The definitions in this glossary are developed by the NAIC Research and Actuarial Department staff based on various insurance references. These definitions represent a common or general use of the term. Some words and/or phrases may be defined differently by other entities, or used in a context such that the definition shown may not be applicable.

(Click on the letter to view terms beginning with that alphabet.)

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Accident - an unexpected event or circumstance without deliberate intent.

Accident Insurance - insurance for unforeseen bodily injury.

Accident Only - an insurance contract that provides coverage, singly or in combination, for death, dismemberment, disability, or hospital and medical care caused by or necessitated as a result of accident or specified kinds of accident.

Accident Only or AD&D - policies providing coverage, singly or in combination, for death, dismemberment, disability, or hospital and medical care caused by or necessitated as a result of accident or specified kinds of accidents. Types of coverage include student accident, sports accident, travel accident, blanket accident, specific accident or accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D).

Accidental Bodily Injury - unexpected injury to a person.

Accidental Death & Dismemberment - an insurance contract that pays a stated benefit in the event of death and/or dismemberment caused by accident or specified kinds of accidents.

Accumulation Period - period of time insured must incur eligible medical expenses at least equal to the deductible amount in order to establish a benefit period under a major medical expense or comprehensive medical expense policy.

Actual Cash Value - repayment value for indemnification due to loss or damage of property; in most cases it is replacement cost minus depreciation

Actuarial Report - (PC Insurance)a document or other presentation, prepared as a formal means of conveying to the state regulatory authority and the Board of Directors, or its equivalent, the actuary's professional conclusions and recommendations, of recording and communicating the methods and procedures, of assuring that the parties addressed are aware of the significance of the actuary's opinion or findings and that documents the analysis underlying the opinion. (In Life and Health) this document would be called an "Actuarial Memorandum."

Actuary - business professional who analyzes probabilities of risk and risk management including calculation of premiums, dividends and other applicable insurance industry standards.

Adjuster - a person who investigates claims and recommends settlement options based on estimates of damage and insurance policies held.

Admission - hospital inpatient care for any medical condition.

Admitted Assets - insurer assets which can be valued and included on the balance sheet to determine financial viability of the company.

Admitted Company - an insurance company licensed to do business in a state(s), domiciled in an alternative state or country.

Advance Premiums - occur when a policy has been processed, and the premium has been paid prior to the effective date. These are a liability to the company and not included in written premium or the unearned premium reserve.

Adverse Selection - the social phenomenon whereby persons with a higher than average probability of loss seek greater insurance coverage than those with less risk.

Advisory Organization - a group supported by member companies whose function is to gather loss statistics and publish trended loss costs.

Affiliate - a person or entity that directly, or indirectly, through one or more other persons or entities, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the insurer.

Agent - an individual who sells, services, or negotiates insurance policies either on behalf of a company or independently.

Aggregate - the maximum dollar amount or total amount of coverage payable for a single loss, or multiple losses, during a policy period, or on a single project.

Aggregate Cost Payments - method of reimbursement of a health plan with a corporate entity that directly provides care, where (1) the health plan is contractually required to pay the total operating costs of the corporate entity, less any income to the entity from other users of services, and (2) there are mutual unlimited guarantees of solvency between the entity and the health plan that put their respective capital and surplus at risk in guaranteeing each other.

Aircraft - coverage for aircraft (hull) and their contents; aircraft owners' and aircraft manufacturers liability to passengers, airports and other third parties.

ALAE - an estimate of the claims settlement associated with a particular claim or claims.

Alien Company - an insurance company formed according to the laws of a foreign country. The company must conform to state regulatory standards to legally sell insurance products in that state.

Allied Lines - coverages which are generally written with property insurance, e.g., glass, tornado, windstorm and hail; sprinkler and water damage; explosion, riot, and civil commotion; growing crops; flood; rain; and damage from aircraft and vehicle, etc.

All-Risk - also known as open peril, this type of policy covers a broad range of losses. The policy covers risks not explicitly excluded in the policy contract.

Alternative Workers' Compensation - other than standard workers' compensation coverage, employer's liability and excess workers' compensation (e.g., large deductible, managed care).

Ambulatory Services - health services provided to members who are not confined to a health care institution. Ambulatory services are often referred to as "outpatient" services.

Annual Statement - an annual report required to be filed with each state in which an insurer does business. This report provides a snapshot of the financial condition of a company and significant events which occurred throughout the reporting year.

Annuitant - the beneficiary of an annuity payment, or person during whose life and annuity is payable.

Annuities – Immediate Non-variable - an annuity contract that provides for the fixed payment of the annuity at the end of the first interval of payment after purchase. The interval may vary, however the annuity payouts must begin within 13 months.

Annuity - a contract providing income for a specified period of time, or duration of life for a person or persons.

Appraisal - an estimate of value.

Arbitration - a binding dispute resolution tactic whereby a conciliator with no interest in the outcome intercedes.

Assessed Value - estimated value for real or personal property established by a taxing entity

Asset - probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by a particular entity as a result of past transactions or events. An asset has three essential characteristics: It embodies a probable future benefit that involves a capacity, singly or in combination with other assets, to contribute directly or indirectly to future net cash inflows; A particular entity can obtain the benefit and control others' access to it; and The transaction or other event-giving rise to the entity's right to or control of the benefit has already occurred.

Asset Risk - in the risk-based capital formula, risk assigned to the company's assets.

Assigned Risk - A governmental pool established to write business declined by carriers in the standard insurance market.

Assisted Living Care - a policy or rider that provides coverage only while a policyholder is confined to an assisted living facility and meets the policy requirements for coverage.

Assumed Reinsurance - the assumption of risk from another insurance entity within a reinsurance agreement or treaty.

Authorized Company - an insurer licensed or admitted to do business in a particular state.

Authorized Control Level Risk Based Capital - theoretical amount of capital plus surplus an insurance company should maintain.

Authorized Reinsurance - reinsurance placed with a reinsurer who is licensed or otherwise allowed to conduct reinsurance within a state.

Auto Liability - coverage that protects against financial loss because of legal liability for motor vehicle related injuries (bodily injury and medical payments) or damage to the property of others caused by accidents arising out of ownership, maintenance or use of a motor vehicle (including recreational vehicles such as motor homes). Commercial is defined as all motor vehicle policies that include vehicles that are used primarily in connection with business, commercial establishments, activity, employment, or activities carried on for gain or profit. No Fault is defined by the state concerned.

Auto Physical Damage - motor vehicle insurance coverage (including collision, vandalism, fire and theft) that insures against material damage to the insured's vehicle. Commercial is defined as all motor vehicle policies that include vehicles that are used in connection with business, commercial establishments, activity, employment, or activities carried on for gain or profit.

Automobile Liability Insurance - coverage for bodily injury and property damage incurred through ownership or operation of a vehicle.

Back to the Top

Balance Sheet - accounting statement showing the financial condition of a company at a particular date.

BCEGS - Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule - classification system for assessment of building codes per geographic region with special emphasis on mitigation of losses from natural disasters.

Beneficiary - an individual who may become eligible to receive payment due to will, life insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, trust, or other contract.

Benefits (Medical & Hospital Expenses) - total expenditures for health care services paid to or on behalf of a member.

Blanket coverage - coverage for property and liability that extends to more than one location, class of property or employee.

Boatowners/Personal Watercraft - covers damage to pleasure boats, motors, trailers, boating equipment and personal watercraft as well as bodily injury and property damage liability to others.

Bodily Injury - physical injury including sickness or disease to a person.

Boiler & Machinery or Equipment Breakdown & Machinery - coverage for the failure of boilers, machinery and other electrical equipment. Benefits include (i) property of the insured, which has been directly damaged by the accident; (ii) costs of temporary repairs and expediting expenses; and (iii) liability for damage to the property of others. Coverage also includes inspection of the equipment.

Bonds - a form of debt security whereby the debt holder has a creditor stake in the company. Obligations issued by business units, governmental units and certain nonprofit units having a fixed schedule for one or more future payments of money; includes commercial paper, negotiable certificates of deposit, repurchase agreements and equipment trust certificates.

Book Value - original cost, including capitalized acquisition costs and accumulated depreciation, unamortized premium and discount, deferred origination and commitment fees, direct write-downs, and increase/decrease by adjustment.

Broker - an individual who receives commissions from the sale and service of insurance policies. These individuals work on behalf of the customer and are not restricted to selling policies for a specific company but commissions are paid by the company with which the sale was made.

Builders' Risk Policies - typically written on a reporting or completed value form, this coverage insures against loss to buildings in the course of construction. The coverage also includes machinery and equipment used in the course of construction and to materials incidental to construction.

Burglary and Theft - coverage for property taken or destroyed by breaking and entering the insured's premises, burglary or theft, forgery or counterfeiting, fraud, kidnap and ransom, and off-premises exposure.

Business Auto - coverage for motor vehicles, other than those in the garage business, engaged in commerce. Business auto filings include singularly or in any combination coverage such as the following: Auto Liability, PIP, MP, Uninsured Motorist and/or Underinsured Motorists (UM/UIM); Specified Causes of Loss, Comprehensive, and Collision.

Business Interruption - loss of income as a result of property damage to a business facility.

Business owners Policy - business insurance typically for property, liability and business interruption coverage.

Calendar Year Deductible - in health insurance, the amount that must be paid by the insured during a calendar year before the insurer becomes responsible for further loss costs.

Capital and Surplus - a company's assets minus its liabilities.

Capital and Surplus Requirement - statutory requirement ordering companies to maintain their capital and surplus at an amount equal to or in excess of a specified amount to help assure the solvency of the company by providing a financial cushion against expected loss or misjudgments and generally measured as a company's admitted assets minus its liabilities, determined on a statutory accounting basis.

Capital Gains (Loss) - excess (deficiency) of the sales price of an asset over its book value. Calculated on the basis of original cost adjusted, as appropriate, for accrual of discount or amortization of premium and for depreciation.

Capitation Arrangement - a compensation plan used in connection with some managed care contracts where a physician or other medical provider is paid a flat amount, usually on a monthly basis, for each subscriber who has elected to use that physician or medical provider. Capitated payments are sometimes expressed in terms of a "per member/per month" payment. The capitated provider is generally responsible, under the conditions of the contract, for delivering or arranging for the delivery of all contracted health services required by the covered person.

Captive Agent - an individual who sells or services insurance contracts for a specific insurer or fleet of insurers.

Captive Insurer - an insurance company established by a parent firm for the purpose of insuring the parent's exposures.

Carrying Value (Amount) - the SAP book value plus accrued interest and reduced by any valuation allowance and any nonadmitted adjustment applied to the individual investment.

Cash - a medium of exchange.

Cash Equivalent - short-term, highly liquid investments that are both (a) readily convertible to known amounts of cash, and (b) so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Investments with original maturities of three months or less qualify under this definition.

Cash Value - amount due to the policyholder upon surrender of the insurance or annuity product

Casualty Insurance - a form of liability insurance providing coverage for negligent acts and omissions such as workers compensation, errors and omissions, fidelity, crime, glass, boiler, and various malpractice coverages.

Catastrophe Bonds - Bonds issued by an insurance company with funding tied to the company's losses from disasters, or acts of God. A loss exceeding a certain size triggers a reduction in the bond value or a change in the bond structure as loss payments are paid out of bond funds.

Catastrophe Loss - a large magnitude loss with little ability to forecast.

Ceded Premium - amount of premium (fees) used to purchase reinsurance.

Ceding Company - an insurance company that transfers risk by purchasing reinsurance.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) - U.S. governmental agency responsible for the licensing of federally qualified HMOs. This was formerly the Health Care Financing Administration.

Change in Valuation Basis - a change in the interest rate, mortality assumption or reserving method or other factors affecting the reserve computation of policies in force.

Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) - a professional designation awarded by the American College to persons in the life insurance field who pass a series of exams in insurance, investment, taxation, employee benefit plans, estate planning, accounting, management, and economics.

Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) - a professional designation awarded by the American Institute of Property and Casualty Underwriters to persons in the property and liability insurance field who pass a series of exams in insurance, risk management, economics, finance, management, accounting, and law. Designates must also have at least three years experience in the insurance business or related field.

Claim - a request made by the insured for insurer remittance of payment due to loss incurred and covered under the policy agreement.

Claims Adjustment Expenses - costs expected to be incurred in connection with the adjustment and recording of accident and health, auto medical and workers' compensation claims.

Claims-made Form - A type of liability insurance form that only pays if the both event that causes (triggers)the claim and the actual claim are submitted to the insurance company during the policy term

Class Rating - a method of determining rates for all applicants within a given set of characteristics such as personal demographic and geographic location.

Coinsurance - A clause contained in most property insurance policies to encourage policy holders to carry a reasonable amount of insurance. If the insured fails to maintain the amount specified in the clause (Usually at least 80%), the insured shares a higher proportion of the loss. In medical insurance a percentage of each claim that the insured will bear.

Collar - an agreement to receive payments as the buyer of an Option, Cap or Floor and to make payments as the seller of a different Option, Cap or Floor.

Collateral Loans - unconditional obligations for the payment of money secured by the pledge of an investment.

Collateralized Bond Obligations (CBOs) - an investment-grade bond backed by a pool of low-grade debt securities, such as junk bonds, separated into tranches based on various levels of credit risk.

Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs) - a type of mortgage-backed security (MBS) with separate pools of pass-through security mortgages that contain varying classes of holders and maturities (tranches) with the advantage of predictable cash flow patterns.

Combinations - a special form of package policy composed of personal automobile and homeowners insurance.

Combined Ratio - an indication of the profitability of an insurance company, calculated by adding the loss and expense ratios.

Commencement Date - date when the organization first became obligated for any insurance risk via the issuance of policies and/or entering into a reinsurance agreement. Same as "effective date" of coverage.

Commercial Auto - coverage for motor vehicles owned by a business engaged in commerce that protects the insured against financial loss because of legal liability for motor vehicle related injuries, or damage to the property of others caused by accidents arising out of the ownership, maintenance, use, or care-custody & control of a motor vehicle. This includes Commercial Auto Combinations of Business Auto, Garage, Truckers and/or Other Commercial Auto.

Commercial Earthquake - earthquake property coverage for commercial ventures.

Commercial Farm and Ranch - a commercial package policy for farming and ranching risks that includes both property and liability coverage. Coverage includes barns, stables, other farm structures and farm inland marine, such as mobile equipment and livestock.

Commercial Flood - separate flood insurance policy sold to commercial ventures.

Commercial General Liability - flexible & broad commercial liability coverage with two major sub-lines: premises/operations sub-line and products/completed operations sub-line.

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities - a type of mortgage-backed security that is secured by the loan on a commercial property.

Commercial Multiple Peril - policy that packages two or more insurance coverages protecting an enterprise from various property and liability risk exposures. Frequently includes fire, allied lines, various other coverages (e.g., difference in conditions) and liability coverage. Such coverages would be included in other annual statement lines, if written individually. Include under this type of insurance multi-peril policies (other than farmowners, homeowners and automobile policies) that include coverage for liability other than auto.

Commercial Package Policy - provides a broad package of property and liability coverages for commercial ventures other than those provided insurance through a business owners policy.

Commercial Property - property insurance coverage sold to commercial ventures.

Commission - a percentage of premium paid to agents by insurance companies for the sale of policies.

Community Rating - a rating system where standard rating is established and usually adjusted within specific guidelines for each group on the basis of anticipated utilization by the group's employees.

Company Code - a five-digit identifying number assigned by NAIC, assigned to all insurance companies filing financial data with NAIC.

Completed Operations Liability - policies covering the liability of contractors, plumbers, electricians, repair shops, and similar firms to persons who have incurred bodily injury or property damage from defective work or operations completed or abandoned by or for the insured, away from the insured's premises.

Comprehensive (Hospital and Medical) - line of business providing for medical coverages; includes hospital, surgical, major medical coverages; does not include Medicare Supplement, administrative services (ASC) contracts, administrative services only (ASO) contracts, federal employees health benefit plans (FEHBP), medical only programs, Medicare and Medicaid programs, vision only and dental only business.

Comprehensive General Liability (CGL) - coverage of all business liabilities unless specifically excluded in the policy contract.

Comprehensive Personal Liability - comprehensive liability coverage for exposures arising out of the residence premises and activities of individuals and family members. (Non-business liability exposure protection for individuals.)

Comprehensive/Major Medical - policies that provide fully insured indemnity, HMO, PPO, or Fee for Service coverage for hospital, medical, and surgical expenses. Coverage excludes Short-Term Medical Insurance, the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program and non-comprehensive coverage such as basic hospital only, medical only, hospital confinement indemnity, surgical, outpatient indemnity, specified disease, intensive care, and organ and tissue transplant coverage.

Concurrent Causation - property loss incurred from two or more perils in which only one loss is covered but both are paid by the insurer due to simultaneous incident.

Conditions - requirements specified in the insurance contract that must be upheld by the insured to qualify for indemnification.

Condos - homeowners insurance sold to condominium owners occupying the described property.

Construction and Alteration Liability - covering the liability of an insured to persons who have incurred bodily injury or property damage from alterations involving demolition, new construction or change in size of a structure on the insured's premises.

Contingency Reserves - required by some jurisdictions as a hedge against adverse experience from operations, particularly adverse claim experience.

Contingent Liability - the liability of an insured to persons who have incurred bodily injury or property damage from work done by an independent contractor hired by the insured to perform work that was illegal, inherently dangerous, or directly supervised by the insured

Continuation of Care Requirement - statutory or contractual provision requiring providers to deliver care to an enrollee for some period following the date of a Health Plan Company's insolvency.

Continuing Care Retirement Communities - senior housing arrangements that in addition to housing include some provision for skilled nursing care.

Contract Reserves - reserves set up when, due to the gross premium structure, the future benefits exceed the future net premium. Contract reserves are in addition to claim and premium reserves.

Contractual Liability - liability coverage of an insured who has assumed the legal liability of another party by written or oral contract. Includes a contractual liability policy providing coverage for all obligations and liabilities incurred by a service contract provider under the terms of service contracts issued by the provider.

Convertible Term Insurance Policy - an insurance policy that can be converted into permanent insurance without a medical assessment. The insurer is required to renew the policy regardless of the health of the insured subject to policy conditions.

Coordination of Benefits (COB) - provision to eliminate over insurance and establish a prompt and orderly claims payment system when a person is covered by more than one group insurance and/or group service plan.

Copay - a cost sharing mechanism in group insurance plans where the insured pays a specified dollar amount of incurred medical expenses and the insurer pays the remainder.

Corrective Order - commissioner's directive of action to be completed by an insurer.

Covered Lives - The total number of lives insured, including dependents, under individual policies and group certificates.

Credit - individual or group policies that provide benefits to a debtor for full or partial repayment of debt associated with a specific loan or other credit transaction upon disability or involuntary unemployment of debtor, except in connection with first mortgage loans.

Credit – Assumption Agreement - an insurance certificate issued on an existing insurance contract indicating that another insurer has assumed all of the risk under the contract from the ceding insurance company.

Credit - Credit Default - coverage purchased by manufacturers, merchants, educational institutions, or other providers of goods and services extending credit, for indemnification of losses or damages resulting from the nonpayment of debts owed to them for goods or services provided in the normal course of their business.

Credit – Involuntary Unemployment - makes loan/credit transaction payments to the creditor when the debtor becomes involuntarily unemployed.

Credit Accident and Health (group and individual) - coverage provided to or offered to borrowers in connection with a consumer credit transaction where the proceeds are used to repay a debt or an installment loan in the event the consumer is disabled as the result of an accident, including business not exceeding 120 months duration.

Credit Disability - makes monthly loan/credit transaction payments to the creditor upon the disablement of an insured debtor.

Credit Health Insurance - policy assigning creditor as beneficiary for insurance on a debtor thereby remitting balance of payment to creditor should the debtor become disabled.

Credit Involuntary Unemployment - credit insurance that provides a monthly or lump sum benefit during an unpaid leave of absence from employment resulting from specified causes, such as layoff, business closure, strike, illness of a close relative and adoption or birth of a child. This insurance is sometimes referred to as Credit Family Leave.

Credit Life Insurance - policy assigning creditor as beneficiary for insurance on a debtor thereby remitting balance of payment to creditor upon death of debtor.

Credit Personal Property Insurance - insurance written in connection with a credit transaction where the collateral is not a motor vehicle, mobile home or real estate and that covers perils to the goods purchased through a credit transaction or used as collateral for a credit transaction and that concerns a creditor's interest in the purchased goods or pledged collateral, either in whole or in part; or covers perils to goods purchased in connection with an open-end transaction.

Credit Placed Insurance - insurance that is purchased unilaterally by the creditor, who is the named insured, subsequent to the date of the credit transaction, providing coverage against loss, expense or damage to property as a result of fire, theft, collision or other risks of loss that would either impair a creditor's interest or adversely affect the value of collateral. "Creditor Placed Home" means "Creditor Placed Insurance" on homes, mobile homes and other real estate. "Creditor Placed Auto" means insurance on automobiles, boats or other vehicles.

Credit Risk - part of the risk-based capital formula that addresses the collectability of a company's receivables and the risk of losing a provider or intermediary that has received advance capitation payments.

Creditor-Placed Auto - single interest or dual interest credit insurance that is purchased unilaterally by the creditor, who is the named insured, subsequent to the date of the credit transaction, providing coverage against loss to property that would either impair a creditor's interest or adversely affect the value of collateral on automobiles, boats, or other vehicles.

Creditor-Placed Home - single interest or dual interest credit insurance purchased unilaterally by the creditor, who is the named insured, subsequent to the date of the credit transaction, providing coverage against loss to property that would either impair a creditor's interest or adversely affect the value of collateral on homes, mobile homes, and other real estate.

Crop - coverage protecting the insured against loss or damage to crops from a variety of perils, including but not limited to fire, lightening, loss of revenue, tornado, windstorm, hail, flood, rain, or damage by insects.

Crop-Hail Insurance - coverage for crop damage due to hail, fire or lightning.

Date of Issue - date when an insurance company issues a policy.

Declarations - policy statements regarding the applicant and property covered such as demographic and occupational information, property specifications and expected mileage per year .

Deductible - Portion of the insured loss (in dollars) paid by the policy holder

Deferred Annuity - annuity payment to be made as a single payment or a series of installments to begin at some future date, such as in a specified number of years or at a specified age.

Deferred Annuities  - a contract providing income at a specified point in the future, either for a defined duration of time or for the remaining life or lives of the annuitant(s)

Demutualization - conversion of a mutual insurance company to a capital stock company.

Dental Insurance - policies providing only dental treatment benefits such as routine dental examinations, preventive dental work, and dental procedures needed to treat tooth decay and diseases of the teeth and jaw.

Dental Only - line of business providing dental only coverage; coverage can be on a stand-alone basis or as a rider to a medical policy. If the coverage is as a rider, deductibles or out-of-pocket limits must be set separately from the medical coverage. Does not include self-insured business as well as FEHBP or Medicare and Medicaid programs.

Derivative - securities priced according to the value of other financial instruments such as commodity prices, interest rates, stock market prices, foreign or exchange rates.

Difference In Conditions (DIC) Insurance - special form of open-peril coverage written in conjunction with basic fire coverage and designed to provide protection against losses not reimbursed under the standard fire forms. Examples are flood and earthquake coverage.

Direct Incurred Loss - loss whereby the proximate cause is equivalent to the insured peril.

Direct Loss - Damage to covered real or personal property caused by a covered peril.

Direct Writer - an insurance company that sells policies to the insured through salaried representatives or exclusive agents only; reinsurance companies that deal directly with ceding companies instead of using brokers.

Direct Written Premium - total premiums received by an insurance company without any adjustments for the ceding of any portion of these premiums to the Reinsurer.

Directors & Officers Liability - liability coverage protecting directors or officers of a corporation from liability arising out of the performance of their professional duties on behalf of the corporation.

Disability Income - a policy designed to compensate insured individuals for a portion of the income they lose because of a disabling injury or illness.

Disability Income - Long-Term - policies that provide a weekly or monthly income benefit for more than five years for individual coverage and more than one year for group coverage for full or partial disability arising from accident and/or sickness.

Disability Income - Short-Term - policies that provide a weekly or monthly income benefit for up to five years for individual coverage and up to one year for group coverage for full or partial disability arising from accident and/or sickness.

Dividend - a refund of a portion of the premium paid by the insured from insurer surplus.

Domestic Insurer - an insurance company that is domiciled and licensed in the state in which it sells insurance.

Dual Interest - insurance that protects the creditor's and the debtor's interest in the collateral securing the debtor's credit transaction. "Dual Interest" includes insurance commonly referred to as "Limited Dual Interest."

Dwelling Property/Personal Liability - a special form of package policy composed of dwelling fire and/or allied lines, and personal liability insurance.

Early warning system - a system designed by insurance industry regulators of identifying practices and risk-related trends that contribute to systemic risk by measuring insurer' financial stability.

Earned Premium - portion of insured's prepaid premium allocated to the insurance company's loss experience, expenses, and profit year- to -date.

Earthquake - property coverages for losses resulting from a sudden trembling or shaking of the earth, including that caused by volcanic eruption. Excluded are losses resulting from fire, explosion, flood or tidal wave following the covered event.

EBNR - Earned but not reported - premium amount insurer reasonably expects to receive for which contracts are not yet final and exact amounts are not definite.

EDP Policies - coverage to protect against losses arising out of damage to or destruction of electronic data processing equipment and its software.

Effective Date - date at which an insurance policy goes into force.

Elevators and Escalators Liability - liability coverage for bodily injury or property damage arising from the use of elevators or escalators operated, maintained or controlled by the insured.

Employee Benefit Liability - liability protection for an employer for claims arising from provisions in an employee benefit insurance plan provided for the economic and social welfare of employees. Examples of items covered are pension plans, group life insurance, group health insurance, group disability income insurance, and accidental death and dismemberment.

Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) - a federal statute governing standards for private pension plans, including vesting requirements, funding mechanisms, and plan design.

Employers Liability - employers' liability coverage for the legal liability of employers arising out of injuries to employees. This code should be used when coverage is issued as an endorsement, or as part of a statutory workers' compensation policy.

Employment Practices Liability Coverage - liability insurance for employers providing coverage for wrongful termination, discrimination, or sexual harassment of the insured's current or former employees.

Encumbrance - outstanding mortgages or other debt related to real estate and any unpaid accrued acquisition or construction costs.

Endorsement - an amendment or rider to a policy adjusting the coverages and taking precedence over the general contract.

Enrollment – The total number of plans, not the total number of covered lives, providing coverage to the enrollee and their dependents.

Environmental Impairment Liability (EIL) - coverage for negligence or omission resulting in pollution or environmental contamination.

Environmental Pollution Liability - liability coverage of an insured to persons who have incurred bodily injury or property damage from acids, fumes, smoke, toxic chemicals, waste materials or other pollutants.

Equity Indexed Annuity - a fixed annuity that earns interest or provides benefits that are linked to an external reference or equity index, subject to a minimum guarantee.

Errors and Omissions Liability | Professional Liability other than Medical - liability coverage of a professional or quasi professional insured to persons who have incurred bodily injury or property damage, or who have sustained any loss from omissions arising from the performance of services for others, errors in judgment, breaches of duty, or negligent or wrongful acts in business conduct.

Event Cancellation - coverage for financial loss because of the cancellation or postponement of a specific event due to weather or other unexpected cause beyond the control of the insured.

Excess and Umbrella Liability - liability coverage of an insured above a specific amount set forth in a basic policy issued by the primary insurer; or a self insurer for losses over a stated amount; or an insured or self insurer for known or unknown gaps in basic coverages or self insured retentions.

Excess of Loss Reinsurance - loss sharing mechanism where an insurer pays all claims up to a specified amount and a reinsurance company pays any claims in excess of stated amount.

Excess Workers' Compensation - either specific and/or aggregate excess workers' compensation insurance written above an attachment point or self-insured retention.

Expense Ratio - percentage of premium income used to attain and service policies. Derived by subtracting related expenses from incurred losses and dividing by written premiums.

Experience Rating - rating system where each group is rated entirely on the basis of its own expected claims in the coming period, with retrospective adjustments for prior periods. This method is prohibited under the conditions for federal qualification.

Exposure - risk of possible loss.

Extra Expense Insurance - a type of property insurance for extraordinary expenses related to business interruption such as a back-up generator in case of power failure.

Face Amount - the value of a policy to be provided upon maturity date or death.

Facultative Reinsurance - reinsurance for a specific policy for which terms can be negotiated by the original insurer and reinsurer.

FAIR Plan - Fair Access to Insurance Requirements - state pools designed to provide insurance to property owners who are unable to obtain property insurance through conventional means.

Fair Value - the amount at which an asset (or liability) could be bought (or incurred) or sold (or settled) in a current transaction between willing parties, that is, other than in a forced or liquidation sale. Quoted market prices in active markets are the best evidence of fair value and shall be used as the basis for the measurement, if available. If a quoted market price is available, the fair value is the product of the number of trading units times market price.

Farmowners Insurance - farmowners insurance sold for personal, family or household purposes. This package policy is similar to a homeowners policy, in that it has been developed for farms and ranches and includes both property and liability coverage for personal and business losses. Coverage includes farm dwellings and their contents, barns, stables, other farm structures and farm inland marine, such as mobile equipment and livestock.

Federal Flood Insurance - coverage for qualifying residents and businesses in flood prone regions through the National Flood Insurance Act, a federally subsidized flood insurance program enacted in 1968.

Federally Reinsured Crop - crop insurance coverage that is either wholly or in part reinsured by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) under the Standard Reinsurance Agreement (SRA). This includes the following products: Multiple Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI); Catastrophic Insurance, Crop Revenue Coverage (CRC); Income Protection and Revenue Assurance.

Fees Payable - fees incurred but not yet paid.

FEMA - Federal Emergency Management Agency - an independent agency, tasked with responding to, planning for, mitigating and recovery efforts of natural disasters.

Fidelity - a bond or policy covering an employer's loss resulting from an employee's dishonest act (e.g., loss of cash, securities, valuables, etc.).

Financial Guaranty - a surety bond, insurance policy, or an indemnity contract (when issued by an insurer), or similar guaranty types under which loss is payable upon proof of occurrence of financial loss to an insured claimant, obligee or indemnitee as a result of failure to perform a financial obligation or any other permissible product that is defined as or determined to be financial guaranty insurance.

Financial Reporting - insurance companies are required to maintain records and file annual and quarterly financial statements with regulators in accordance with statutory accounting principles (SAP). Statutory rules also govern how insurers should establish reserves for invested assets and claims and the conditions under which they can claim credit for reinsurance ceded.

Financial Responsibility Law - a statute requiring motorists to show capacity to pay for automobile-related losses.

Financial Statement - balance sheet and profit and loss statement of an insurance company. This statement is used by the NAIC, and by State Insurance Commissioners to regulate an insurance company according to reserve requirements, assets, and other liabilities.

Fire - coverage protecting the insured against the loss to real or personal property from damage caused by the peril of fire or lightning, including business interruption, loss of rents, etc.

Fire Legal Liability - coverage for property loss liability as the result of separate negligent acts and/or omissions of the insured that allows a spreading fire to cause bodily injury or property damage of others. An example is a tenant who, while occupying another party's property, through negligence causes fire damage to the property.

Fixed Deferred Annuities - a specific type of deferred annuity where the account value increases based on the relatively stable performance of an annuity provider's general account investments and often subject to a guaranteed minimum return in each year.

Flood - coverage protecting the insured against loss or damage to real or personal property from flood. (Note: If coverage for flood is offered as an additional peril on a property insurance policy, file it under the applicable property insurance filing code.)

Foreign Insurer - an insurance company selling policies in a state other than the state in which they are incorporated or domiciled.

Foreign Investment - an investment in a foreign jurisdiction, or an investment in a person, real estate or asset domiciled in a foreign jurisdiction. An investment shall not be deemed to be foreign if the issuing person, qualified primary credits source or qualified guarantor is a domestic jurisdiction or a person domiciled in a domestic jurisdiction, unless: a) The issuing person is a shell business entity; and b) The investment is not assumed, accepted, guaranteed or insured or otherwise backed by a domestic jurisdiction or a person, that is not a shell business entity, domiciled in a domestic jurisdiction.

Foreign jurisdiction - a jurisdiction outside of the United States, Canada or any province or political subdivision of the foregoing.

Fraternal Insurance - a form of group coverage or disability insurance available to members of a fraternal organization.

Fronting - an arrangement in which a primary insurer acts as the insurer of record by issuing a policy, but then passes the entire risk to a reinsurer in exchange for a commission. Often, the fronting insurer is licensed to do business in a state or country where the risk is located, but the reinsurer is not.

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) - an aggregate of the accounting standards, principles and best practices for the preparation of financial statements allowing for consistency in reporting.

Gramm-Leach Bliley Act (GLBA) - act, repealing Glass-Steagal Act of 1933, allows consolidation of commercial banks, investment institutions and insurance companies. Established a framework of responsibilities of federal and state regulators for these financial industries. It permits financial services companies to merge and engage in a variety of new business activities, including insurance, while attempting to address the regulatory issues raised by such combinations.

Goodwill - the difference between the cost of acquiring the entity and the reporting entity's share of the book value of the acquired entity.

Gross Paid-in and Contributed Surplus - amount of capital received in excess of the par value of the stock issued.

Gross Premium - the net premium for insurance plus commissions, operating and miscellaneous commissions. For life insurance, this is the premium including dividends.

Group Accident and Health - coverage written on a group basis (e.g., employees of a single employer and their dependents) that pays scheduled benefits or medical expenses caused by disease, accidental injury or accidental death. Excludes amounts attributable to uninsured accidents and health plans and the uninsured portion of partially insured accident and health plans.

Group Annuities – Deferred Non- Variable and Variable - an annuity contract that provides an accumulation based on both (1) funds that accumulate based on a guaranteed crediting interest rates or additional interest rate applied to designated considerations, and (2) funds where the accumulation vary in accordance with the rate of return of the underlying investment portfolio selected by the policyholder. The contract provides for the initiation of payments at some designated future date.

Group Annuities – Deferred Variable - an annuity contract that provides an accumulation based fund where the accumulation varies in accordance with the rate of return of the underlying investment portfolio selected by the policyholder. Must include at least one option to have the accumulation vary in accordance with the rate of return of the underlying investment portfolio selected by the policyholder and may include at least one option to have the series of payments vary in accordance with the rate of return of the underlying investment portfolio selected by the policyholder. This annuity contract provides for the initiation of payments at some designated future date.

Group Annuities – Immediate Non-Variable and Variable - an annuity contract that provides an accumulation based on both (1) funds that accumulate based on a guaranteed crediting interest rates or additional interest rate applied to designated considerations, and (2) funds where the accumulation vary in accordance with the rate of return of the underlying investment portfolio selected by the policyholder. The contract provides for the initiation of payments at some interval that may vary, however the annuity payouts must begin within 13 months.

Group Annuities – Immediate Variable - an annuity contract that provides for the first payment of the annuity at the end of the fixed interval of payment after purchase. The interval may vary, however the annuity payouts must begin within 13 months. The amount varies with the value of equities (separate account) purchased as investments by the insurance companies.

Group Annuities – Unallocated - annuity contracts or portions thereof where the Insurer purchases an annuity for the retirees.

Group Annuity - a contract providing income for a specified period of time, or duration of life for a person or persons established to benefit a group of employees.

Group Health - health insurance issued to employers, associations, trusts, or other groups covering employees or members and/or their dependents, to whom a certificate of coverage may be provided.

Group Code - a unique three to five digit number assigned by the NAIC to identify those companies that are part of a larger group of insurance companies.

Group Credit – Life - contracts sold in connection with loan/credit transactions or other credit transactions, which do not exceed a stated duration and/or amount and provide insurance protection against death.

Group Health Organizations – Health Maintenance (HMO) - a plan under which an enrollee pays a membership fixed fee in advance in return for a wide range of comprehensive health care services with the HMO's approved providers in a designated service area.

Guaranty Fund - funding mechanism employed by states to provide funds to cover policyholder obligations of insolvent reporting entities.

Hard Market - a market characterized by high demand and low supply.

Hazard - circumstance which tends to increase the probability or severity of a loss.

Health – Excess/Stop Loss - this type of insurance may be extended to either a health plan or a self-insured employer plan. Its purpose is to insure against the risk that any one claim will exceed a specific dollar amount or that an entire plan's losses will exceed a specific amount.

Health Insurance - a generic term applying to all types of insurance indemnifying or reimbursing for losses caused by bodily injury or illness including related medical expenses.

Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) - a medical group plan that provides physician, hospital, and clinical services to participating members in exchange for a periodic flat fee.

Health Plan - written promise of coverage given to an individual, family, or group of covered individuals, where a beneficiary is entitled to receive a defined set of health care benefits in exchange for a defined consideration, such as a premium.

Hold-Harmless Agreement - A risk transfer mechanism whereby one party assumes the liability of another party by contract

Homeowners Insurance - a package policy combining real and personal property coverage with personal liability coverage. Coverage applicable to the dwelling, appurtenant structures, unscheduled personal property and additional living expense are typical. Includes mobile homes at a fixed location.

Hospital Indemnity Coverage - coverage that provides a pre-determined, fixed benefit or daily indemnity for contingencies based on a stay at a hospital or intensive care facility.

Hull Insurance - coverage for damage to a vessel or aircraft and affixed items.

Incontestability Provision - a life insurance and annuity provision limiting the time within which the insurer has the legal right to void the contract on grounds of material misrepresentation in the policy application.

Incurred But Not Reported (IBNR) - (Pure IBNR) claims that have occurred but the insurer has not been notified of them at the reporting date. Estimates are established to book these claims. May include losses that have been reported to the reporting entity but have not yet been entered into the claims system or bulk provisions. Bulk provisions are reserves included with other IBNR reserves to reflect deficiencies in known case reserves. IBNR can sometimes include estimates of incurred but Not Enough Reported (IBNER)

Incurred Claims - paid claims plus amounts held in reserve for those that have been incurred but not yet paid.

Incurred Losses - sustained losses, paid or not, during a specified time period. Incurred losses are typically found by combining losses paid during the period plus unpaid losses sustained during the time period minus outstanding losses at the beginning of the period incurred in the previous period.

Indemnity, Principle of - a general legal principle related to insurance that holds that the individual recovering under an insurance policy should be restored to the approximate financial position he or she was in prior to the loss. Legal principle limiting compensation for damages be equivalent to the losses incurred.

Independent Adjuster - freelance contractor paid a fee for adjusting losses on behalf of companies.

Independent Agent - a representative of multiple insurance companies who sells and services policies for records which they own and operate under the American Agency System.

Independent Contractor - an individual who is not employed for a company but instead works for themselves providing goods or services to clients for a fee.

Index Annuity - an interest bearing fixed annuity tied to an equity index, such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average or S & P 500.

Individual Annuities – Deferred Variable - an annuity contract that provides an accumulation based fund where the accumulation varies in accordance with the rate of return of the underlying investment portfolio selected by the policyholder. Must include at least one option to have the accumulation vary in accordance with the rate of return of the underlying investment portfolio selected by the policyholder and may include at least one option to have the series of payments vary in accordance with the rate of return of the underlying investment portfolio selected by the policyholder. This annuity contract provides for the initiation of payments at some designated future date.

Individual Annuities – Immediate Variable - an annuity contract that provides for the first payment of the annuity at the end of the fixed interval of payment after purchase. The interval may vary, however the annuity payouts must begin within 13 months. The amount varies with the value of equities (separate account) purchased as investments by the insurance companies.

Individual Annuities – Special - contracts with certain noteworthy attributes.

Individual Annuities- Deferred Non-Variable and Variable - an annuity contract that provides an accumulation based on both (1) funds that accumulate based on a guaranteed crediting interest rates or additional interest rate applied to designated considerations, and (2) funds where the accumulation vary in accordance with the rate of return of the underlying investment portfolio selected by the policyholder. The contract provides for the initiation of payments at some designated future date.

Individual Annuities- Deferred Non-Variable - an annuity contract that provides an accumulation based on funds that accumulate based on a guaranteed crediting interest rate or additional interest rate. This annuity contract provides for the initiation of payments at some designated future date.

Individual Annuities- Immediate Non-Variable - an annuity contract that provides for the fixed payment of the annuity at the end of the first interval of payment after purchase. The interval may vary, however the annuity payouts must begin within 13 months.

Individual Annuities- Immediate Non-Variable and Variable - an annuity contract that provides an accumulation based on both (1) funds that accumulate based on a guaranteed crediting interest rates or additional interest rate applied to designated considerations, and (2) funds where the accumulation vary in accordance with the rate of return of the underlying investment portfolio selected by the policyholder. The contract provides for the initiation of payments at some interval that may vary, however the annuity payouts must begin within 13 months.

Individual Health - health insurance where the policy is issued to an individual covering the individual and/or their dependents in the individual market. This includes conversions from group policies.

Individual Credit – Credit Disability - makes monthly loan/credit transaction payments to the creditor upon the disablement of an insured debtor.

Individual Credit – Life - contracts sold in connection with loan/credit transactions or other credit transactions, which do not exceed a stated duration and/or amount and provide insurance protection against death.

Industrial Life - Industrial life insurance, also called "debit" insurance, is insurance under which premiums are paid monthly or more often, the face amount of the policy does not exceed a stated amount, and the words "industrial policy" are printed in prominent type on the face of the policy.

Inland Marine - coverage for property that may be in transit, held by a bailee, at a fixed location, a movable good that is often at different locations (e.g., off road constructions equipment), or scheduled property (e.g., Homeowners Personal Property Floater) including items such as live animals, property with antique or collector's value, etc. This line also includes instrumentalities of transportation and communication, such as bridges, tunnels, piers, wharves, docks, pipelines, power and phone lines, and radio and television towers.

Insurable Interest - A right or relationship in regard to the subject matter of the insured contract such that the insured can suffer a financial loss from damage, loss or destruction to it. (Bickelhaupt and Magee )

Insurance - an economic device transferring risk from an individual to a company and reducing the uncertainty of risk via pooling.

Insurance Holding Company System - consists of two or more affiliated persons, one or more of which is an insurer.

Insurance Regulatory Information System (IRIS) - a baseline solvency screening system for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and state insurance regulators established in the mid-1970s.

Insurance to Value - Amount of insurance purchased vs. the actual replacement cost of the insured property expressed as a ratio.

Insured - party(ies) covered by an insurance policy.

Insurer - an insurer or reinsurer authorized to write property and/or casualty insurance under the laws of any state.

Intermediary - a person, corporation or other business entity (not licensed as a medical provider) that arranges, by contracts with physicians and other licensed medical providers, to deliver health services for a health insurer and its enrollees via a separate contract between the intermediary and the insurer.

International - includes all business transacted outside the U.S. and its territories and possessions where the appropriate line of business is not determinable.

Internet Liability Insurance/Cyber Insurance - coverage for cyber commerce including copyright infringement, libel, and violation of privacy.

Investment grade - the obligation has been determined to be in one of the top four generic lettered rating classifications by a securities rating agency acceptable to the commissioner, that the obligation has been identified in writing by such a rating agency to be of investment grade quality, or, if the obligation has not been submitted to any such rating agency, that the obligation has been determined to be investment grade (Class 1 and Class 2) by the Securities Valuation Office of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Investment Income Accrued - investment income earned as of the reporting date but not legally due to be paid to the reporting entity until subsequent to the reporting date.

Investment Income Due - investment income earned and legally due to be paid to the reporting entity as of the reporting date.

Investment Income Gross - shall be recorded as earned and shall include investment income collected during the period, the change in investment income due and accrued, the change in unearned investment income plus any amortization (e.g., discounts or premiums on bonds, origination fees on mortgage loans, etc.)

Irrevocable Beneficiary - a life insurance policy beneficiary who has a vested interest in the policy proceeds even during the insured's lifetime because the policy owner has the right to change the beneficiary designation only after obtaining the beneficiary's consent.

Joint and Last Survivor Annuity - retirement plan that continues to payout so long as at least one, of two or more, annuitants is alive.

Joint Underwriting Association (JUA) - a loss-sharing mechanism combining several insurance companies to provide extra capacity due to type or size of exposure.

Joint-Life Annuity - an annuity contract that ceases upon the death of the first of two or more annuitants.

Key-Persons Insurance - a policy purchased by, for the benefit of, a business insuring the life or lives of personnel integral to the business operations.

Kidnap/Ransom Insurance - coverage for ransom or extortion costs and related expenses.

Lapse - termination of a policy due to failure to pay the required renewal premium.

Level Premium Insurance - life insurance policy for which the cost is equally distributed over the term of the premium period, remaining constant throughout.

Liability - a certain or probable future sacrifice of economic benefits arising from present obligations of a particular entity to transfer assets or to provide services to other entities in the future as a result of a past transactions(s) or event(s). three essential characteristics: a)    It embodies a present duty or responsibility to one or more other entities that entails settlement by probable future transfer or use of assets at a specified or determinable date, on occurrence of a specified event, or on demand; b)    The duty or responsibility obligates a particular entity, leaving it little or no discretion to avoid the future sacrifice; and c)    The transaction or other event obligating the entity has already happened.

Life – Endowment - insurance that pays the same benefit amount should the insured die during the term of the contract, or if the insured survives to the end of the specified coverage term or age.

Life – Flexible Premium Adjustable Life - a group life insurance that provides a face amount that is adjustable to the certificate holder and allows the certificate holder to vary the modal premium that is paid or to skip a payment so long as the certificate value is sufficient to keep the certificate in force, and under which separately identified interest credits (other than in connection with dividend accumulation, premium deposit funds or other supplementary accounts) and mortality and expense charges are made to individual certificates while providing minimum guaranteed values.

Life Settlements - a contract or agreement in which a policyholder agrees to sell or transfer ownership in all or part of a life insurance policy to a third party for compensation that is less than the expected death benefit of a policy.

Lifetime Disability Benefit - a provision in some disability income policies to recoup lost wages for the term of disability or remainder of insured's life in case of permanent disability.

Limited Benefit - policies that provide coverage for vision, prescription drug, and/or any other single service plan or program. Also include short-term care policies that provide coverage for less than one year for medical and other services provided in a setting other than an acute care unit of the hospital.

Limited Payment Life Insurance - a form of whole-life insurance with a pre-defined number of premiums to be paid.

Limited Policies - health insurance coverage for a certain ailment, such as cancer.

Limits - maximum value to be derived from a policy.

Line of Business - classification of business written by insurers.

Liquor Liability - coverage for the liability of an entity involved in the retail or wholesale sales of alcoholic beverages, or the serving of alcoholic beverages, to persons who have incurred bodily injury or property damage arising from an intoxicated person.

Living benefits rider - a rider attached to a life insurance policy providing long term care for the terminally ill.

Lloyd's of London - association offering membership in various syndicates of wealthy individuals organized for the purpose of writing insurance for a particular hazard.

Loan-backed Securities - pass-through certificates, collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), and other securitized loans not included in structured securities where payment of interest and/or principal is directly proportional to the interest and/or principal received by the issuer from the mortgage pool or other underlying securities.

Long Duration Contracts - contracts, excluding financial guaranty contracts, mortgage guaranty contracts and surety contracts, that fulfill both of the following conditions: (1) the contract term is greater than or equal to thirteen months and (2) the insurer can neither cancel nor increase the premium during the contract term.

Long-Term Care - policies that provide coverage for not less than one year for diagnostic, preventive, therapeutic, rehabilitative, maintenance, or personal care services provided in a setting other than an acute care unit of a hospital, including policies that provide benefits for cognitive impairment or loss of functional capacity. This includes policies providing only nursing home care, home health care, community based care, or any combination. The policy does not include coverage provided under comprehensive/major medical policies, Medicare Advantage, or for accelerated heath benefit-type products.

Long-Term Disability Income Insurance - policy providing monthly income payments for insureds who become disabled for an extensive length of time, typically two years or longer.

Loss - physical damage to property or bodily injury, Including loss of use or loss of income

Loss Adjustment Expense (LAE) - expected payments for costs to be incurred in connection with the adjustment and recording of losses. Can be classified into two broad categories: Defense and Cost Containment (DCC) and Adjusting and Other (AO). Can also be separated into (Allocated Loss Adjustment Expense) and (Unallocated Loss Adjustment Expense for ratemaking purposes.

Loss Frequency - incidence of claims on a policy during a premium period.

Loss of Use Insurance - policy providing protection against loss of use due to damage or destruction of property.

Loss Payable Clause - coverage for third party mortgagee in case of default on insured property, secured by a loan, that has been lost or damaged.

Loss Ratio - the percentage of incurred losses to earned premiums.

Loss Reserve - the amount that insurers set aside to cover claims incurred but not yet paid.

Loss Reserves - an estimate of liability or provision in an insurer's financial statement, indicating the amount the insurer expects to pay for losses incurred but not yet reported or reported claims that haven't been paid.

Losses Incurred - Includes claims that have been paid and/or have amounts held in reserve for future payment

Losses Incurred But Not Reported (IBNR) - An estimated amount set aside by the insurance company to pay claims that may have occurred, but for some reason have not yet been reported to the insurance company.

Major Medical - a hospital/surgical/medical expense contract that provides comprehensive benefits as defined in the state in which the contract will be delivered.

Malpractice - alleged misconduct or negligence in a professional act resulting in loss or injury.

Managed Care - system of health care delivery that attempts to influence the utilization, quality, and cost of services provided.

Mandated benefits - insurance required by state or federal law.

Manufacturers Output Policies - provides broad form coverage of personal property of an insured manufacturer including raw material, goods in process, finished goods and goods shipped to customers.

Margin Premium - a deposit that an organization is required to maintain with a broker with respect to the Futures Contracts purchased or sold.

Market Value - fair value or the price that could be derived from current sale of an asset.

Mechanical Breakdown Insurance - premiums attributable to policies covering repair or replacement service, or indemnification for that service, for the operational or structural failure of property due to defects in materials or workmanship, or normal wear and tear. (May cover motor vehicles, mobile equipment, boats, appliances, electronics, residual structures, etc.)

Medicaid - policies issued in association with the Federal/State entitlement program created by Title XIX of the Social Security Act of 1965 that pays for medical assistance for certain individuals and families with low incomes and resources.

Medical & Hospital Expenses (Benefits or Claims) - total expenditures for health care services paid to or on behalf of members.

Medical Malpractice - insurance coverage protecting a licensed health care provider or health care facility against legal liability resulting from the death or injury of any person due to the insured's misconduct, negligence, or incompetence, in rendering or failure to render professional services.

Medical Only - line of business that provides medical only benefits without hospital coverage. An example would be provider-sponsored organizations where there is no coverage for other than provider (non-hospital) services. Does not include self-insured business, FEHBP, Medicare and Medicaid programs, or dental only business.

Medical Professional Liability - insurance coverage protecting a licensed health care provider or health care facility against legal liability resulting from the death or injury of any person due to the insured's misconduct, negligence, or incompetence in rendering professional services. Medical Professional Liability is also known as Medical Malpractice.

Medicare - a state assistance program, passed under Title XVIII of the Social Security Amendments of 1965, to provide hospital and medical expense insurance to those over 65 years of age.

Medicare + Choice - a major initiative in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (also called Medicare Part C), under which Medicare beneficiaries may select from among several managed care options or a Medicare system.

Medicare Advantage Plan - an HMO, PPO, or Private Fee-For Service Plan that contracts with Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan also includes drug benefits. The plan may provide extra coverage such as vision, hearing, dental, and/or health and wellness programs. Medicare pays a fixed amount for insured's care every month to the companies offering Medicare Advantage plans.

Medicare Cost - contract with Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for Medicare coverage. These contracts with CMS provide reimbursement through pre-determined monthly amount per member based on a total estimated budget. The beneficiary may use providers outside the provider network. Does not include stand alone Medicare Part D Plans.

Medicare Part D - Stand-Alone - stand-alone Part D coverage written through individual contracts; stand-alone Part D coverage written through group contracts and certificates; and Part D coverage written on employer groups where the reporting entity is responsible for reporting claims to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Medicare Supplement - Insurance coverage sold on an individual or group basis to help fill the "gaps" in the protections granted by the federal Medicare program. This is strictly supplemental coverage and cannot duplicate any benefits provided by Medicare. It is structured to pay part or all of Medicare's deductibles and co-payments. It may also cover some services and expenses not covered by Medicare. Also known as Medigap" insurance.

Medigap - supplementary private health insurance products to Medicare insurance benefits.

Minimum Premium Plan - an arrangement under which an insurance carrier will, for a fee, handle the administration of claims and insure against large claims for a self-insured group. The employer self-funds a fixed percentage (e.g. 90%) of the estimated monthly claims, and the insurer covers the remainder.

Mobile Homes - Homeowners - homeowners insurance sold to owners occupying the described mobile home.

Mobile Homes under Transport - coverage for mobile homes while under transport for personal or commercial use.

Modified Guaranteed - an annuity that contains a provision that adjusts the value of withdrawn funds based on a formula in the contract. The formula reflects market value adjustments.

Member - A person who has enrolled as a subscriber or an eligible dependent of a subscriber and for whom the health organization has accepted the responsibility for the provision of health services as may be contracted for.

Moral Hazard - personality characteristics that increase probability of losses. For example not taking proper care to protect insured property because the insured knows the insurance company will replace it if it is damaged or stolen.

Morale Hazard - negligence or disregard on the part of the insured which could lead to probable loss.

Morbidity - the frequency or severity of disease or illness within a subset of the population.

Morbidity Risk - the potential for a person to experience illness, injury, or other physical or psychological impairment, whether temporary or permanent. Morbidity risk excludes the potential for an individual's death, but includes the potential for an illness or injury that results in death.

Morbidity Table - a statistical record of the rate of illness among the defined age groups.

Mortality Table - chart that shows the death rates of a particular population at each age displayed as the number of deaths per thousand.

Mortgage - a note used to secure a loan for real property.

Mortgage Guaranty - insurance that indemnifies a lender for loss upon foreclosure if a borrower fails to meet required mortgage payments.

Mortgage Insurance - a form of life insurance coverage payable to a third party lender/mortgagee upon the death of the insured/mortgagor for loss of loan payments.

Mortgage-Backed Securities - a type of asset-backed security that is secured by a mortgage or collection of mortgages. These securities must also be grouped in one of the top two ratings as determined by an accredited credit rating agency, and usually pay periodic payments that are similar to coupon payments. Furthermore, the mortgage must have originated from a regulated and authorized financial institution.

Multi-Peril Insurance - personal and business property coverage combining several types of property insurance in one policy.

Municipal Bond Guarantee Insurance - coverage sold to municipalities to guarantee the principle payment on bonds issued.

Municipal Liability - liability coverage for the acts of a municipality.

Municipal obligation bond - any security, or other instrument, including a state lease but not a lease of any other governmental entity, under which a payment obligation is created, issued by or on behalf of a governmental unit to finance a project servicing a substantial public purpose, and 1) Payable from tax revenues, but not tax allocations, within the jurisdiction of such governmental unit; 2) Payable or guaranteed by the United States of America or any agency, department or instrumentality thereof, or by a state housing agency; 3) Payable from rates or charges (but not tolls) levied or collected in respect of a non-nuclear utility project, public transportation facility (other than an airport facility) or public higher education facility; or 4) With respect to lease obligations, payable from future appropriations.

Mutual Insurance Company - a privately held insurer owned by its policyholders, operated as a non-profit that may or may not be incorporated.

Mutual Insurance Holding Company - a company organized as a mutual and owning a capital stock insurer or insurers for the benefit of pooling risk for many people, typically those in the same industry.

Named Insured - the individual defined as the insured in the policy contract. .

Named Peril Coverage - insurance for losses explicitly defined in the policy contract.

National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) - the U.S. standard-setting and regulatory support organization created and governed by the chief insurance regulators from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. Through the NAIC, state insurance regulators establish standards and best practices, conduct peer review, and coordinate their regulatory oversight. NAIC staff supports these efforts and represents the collective views of state regulators domestically and internationally. NAIC members, together with the central resources of the NAIC, form the national system of state-based insurance regulation in the U.S.

Negligence - failure to exercise reasonable consideration resulting in loss or damage to oneself or others.

Net Admitted Assets - total of assets whose values are permitted by state law to be included in the annual statement of the insurer.

Net Income - total revenues from an insurer's operations less total expenses and income taxes

Net Premiums Earned - premiums on property/casualty or health policies that will not have to be returned to the policyholder if the policy is cancelled.

NFIP - National Flood Insurance Program - flood insurance and floodplain management for personal and business property administered under the National Flood Act of 1968. Encourages participation by private insurers through a flood insurance pool .

Nonadmitted Assets - assets having economic value other than those which can be used to fulfill policyholder obligations, or those assets which are unavailable due to encumbrances or other third party interests and should not be recognized on the balance sheet.

Nonadmitted Insurer - insurance company not licensed to do business within a given state.

Non-controlled stock insurers - insurers in which a parent company has: 1) a financial interest represented by the direct or indirect ownership of less than 50% of voting shares, and 2) does not have the ability to exercise control over the insurer, e.g., through voting stock or management contract

Non-proportional Reinsurance - reinsurance that is not secured on individual lives for specific individual amount of reinsurance, but rather reinsurance that protects the ceding company's overall experience on its entire portfolio of business, or at least a broad segment of it. The most common forms of non-proportional reinsurance are stop loss and catastrophe.

Notional Value - the principal value upon which future payments are based in a derivative transaction as at a specific period in time (the "as of" reporting date) in the reporting currency.

Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization (NRSRO) - refers to rating organizations so designated by the SEC whose status has been confirmed by the Securities Valuation Office. Examples are: Moody's Investors Service, Inc., Standard & Poor's (S&P), A.M. Best Company (A.M. Best) and Fitch Ratings and Dominion Bond Rating Service (DBRS).

Nuclear Energy Liability - coverage for bodily injury and property damage liability resulting from the nuclear energy material (whether or not radioactive) on the insured business's premises or in transit.

Occurrence - an accident , including injurious exposure to conditions, which results, during the policy period in bodily injury or property damage neither expected or intended from the standpoint of the insured. (Bickelhaupt and Magee)

Ocean Marine - coverage for ocean and inland water transportation exposures; goods or cargoes; ships or hulls; earnings; and liability.

Officer - a president, vice-president, treasurer, actuary, secretary, controller and any other person who performs for the company functions corresponding to those performed by the foregoing officers.

Option - an agreement giving the buyer the right to buy or receive, sell or deliver, enter into, extend or terminate, or effect a cash settlement based on the actual or expected price, level, performance or value of one or more Underlying Interests.

Other Accident and Health - accident and health coverages not otherwise properly classified as Group Accident and Health or Credit Accident and Health (e.g., collectively renewable and individual non-cancelable, guaranteed renewable, non-renewable for stated reasons only, etc.). Include all Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Coverage, whether sold on a stand-alone basis or through a Medicare Advantage product and whether sold directly to an individual or through a group.

Other Considerations - Unallocated annuity considerations and other unallocated deposits that incorporate any mortality or morbidity risk and are not reported as direct premiums, direct annuity considerations or deposit-type contract funds.

Other Liability - coverage protecting the insured against legal liability resulting from negligence, carelessness, or a failure to act resulting in property damage or personal injury to others.

Other Underwriting Expenses - allocable expenses other than loss adjustment expenses and investment expenses.

Owner Occupied - homeowners insurance sold to owners occupying the described property.

Package Policy - two or more distinct policies combined into a single contract.

Par Value - the nominal or face value of a stock or bond.

Peril - the cause of property damage or personal injury, origin of desire for insurance. "Cause of Loss"

Permanent Life Insurance - policy that remains active for the life of the insured.

Personal Auto Policy - coverage designed to insure private passenger automobiles and certain types of trucks owned by an individual or husband and wife.

Personal Earthquake - earthquake property coverage for personal, family or household purposes.

Personal Flood - separate flood insurance policy sold for personal, family or household purposes.

Personal GAP Insurance - credit insurance that insures the excess of the outstanding indebtedness over the primary property insurance benefits in the event of a total loss to a collateral asset.

Personal Injury Liability - liability coverage for those who have been discriminated against, falsely arrested, illegally detained, libeled, maliciously prosecuted, slandered, suffered from identity theft, mental anguish or alienation of affections, or have had their right of privacy violated.

Personal Injury Protection Coverage/PIP - automobile coverage available in states that have enacted no-fault laws or other auto reparation reform laws for treatment of injuries to the insured and passengers of the insured.

Personal Property - single interest or dual interest credit insurance (where collateral is not a motor vehicle, mobile home, or real estate) that covers perils to goods purchased or used as collateral and that concerns a creditor's interest in the purchased goods or pledged collateral either in whole or in part; or covers perils to goods purchased in connection with an open-end credit transaction.

Pet Insurance Plans - veterinary care plan insurance policy providing care for a pet animal (e.g., dog or cat) of the insured owner in the event of its illness or accident.

Policy - a written contract ratifying the legality of an insurance agreement.

Policy Dividend - a refund of part of the premium on a participating life insurance policy. Amount of payment is determined by subtracting the actual premium expense from the premium charged. The payment can be taken as cash, applied to a purchase an increment of paid-up insurance, left on deposit with the insurance company or applied to purchase term insurance for one year.

Policy Period - time period during which insurance coverage is in effect.

Policy Reserve - the amount of money allocated specifically for the fulfillment of policy obligations by a life insurance company; reserves are in place to safeguard that the company is able to pay all future claims.

Policyholders Surplus - assets in excess of the liabilities of a company or net income above any monies indebted to legal obligation.

Pollution - environmental contamination.

Pool - an association organized for the purpose of absorbing losses through a risk-sharing mechanism thereby limiting individual exposures.

Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) - arrangement, insured or uninsured, where contracts are established by Health Plan Companies (typically, commercial insurers, and, in some circumstances, by self-insured employers) with health care providers. The Health Plans involved will often designate these contracted providers as "preferred" and will provide an incentive, usually in the form of lower deductibles or co-payments, to encourage covered individuals to use these providers. Members are allowed benefits for non-participating provider services on an indemnity basis with significant copayments and providers are often, but not always, paid on a discounted fee for service basis.

Preferred Risk - insured, or applicant for insurance, who presents likelihood of risk lower than that of the standard applicant.

Premises and Operations - policies covering the liability of an insured to persons who have incurred bodily injury or property damage on an insured's premises during normal operations or routine maintenance, or from an insured's business operations either on or off of the insured's premises.

Premium - Money charged for the insurance coverage reflecting expectation of loss.

Premiums Earned - the portion of premium for which the policy protection or coverage has already been given during the now-expired portion of the policy term.

Premiums Net - is the amount calculated on the basis of the interest and mortality table used to calculate the reporting entity's statutory policy reserves.

Premiums Written - total premiums generated from all policies (contracts) written by an insurer within a given period of time.

Primary Insurance - coverage that takes precedence when more than one policy covers the same loss.

Prior Approval Law - a state regulatory requirement for pre-approval of all insurance rates and forms.

Private Passenger Auto (PPA) - filings that include singularly or in any combination coverage such as the following: Auto Liability, Personal Injury Protection (PIP), Medical Payments (MP), Uninsured/Underinsured (UM/UIM); Specified Causes of Loss, Comprehensive, and Collision.

Producer - an individual who sells, services, or negotiates insurance policies either on behalf of a company or independently.

Product Liability - insurance coverage protecting the manufacturer, distributor, seller, or lessor of a product against legal liability resulting from a defective condition causing personal injury, or damage, to any individual or entity, associated with the use of the product.

Professional Errors and Omissions Liability - coverage available to pay for liability arising out of the performance of professional or business related duties, with coverage being tailored to the needs of the specific profession. Examples include abstracters, accountants, insurance adjusters, architects, engineers, insurance agents and brokers, lawyers, real estate agents, stockbrokers.

Property - coverage protecting the insured against loss or damage to real or personal property from a variety of perils, including but not limited to fire, lightening, business interruption, loss of rents, glass breakage, tornado, windstorm, hail, water damage, explosion, riot, civil commotion, rain, or damage from aircraft or vehicles.

Pro-rata (proportional) Reinsurance - portion of the losses and premium reinsurer shares with the ceding entity.

Protected Cell - an insurance-linked security retained within the insurance or reinsurance company and is used to insulate the proceeds of the securities offering from the general business risks of the insurer, granting an additional comfort level for investors of the securitized instrument.

Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Insurance - a broad form of marine legal liability insurance coverage.

Provider Sponsored Network (PSN) - formal affiliations of providers, sometimes called "integrated delivery systems", organized and operated to provide an integrated network of health care providers with which third parties, such as insurance companies, HMOs, or other Health Plan Companies, may contract for health care services to covered individuals. Some models of integration include Physician Hospital Organizations, Management Service Organizations, Group Practices Without Walls, Medical Foundations, and Health Provider Cooperatives.

Provisions - contingencies outlined in an insurance policy.

Proximate Cause - event covered under insured's policy agreement.

Public Adjuster - independent claims adjuster representing policyholders instead of insurance companies.

Pure Premium - that portion of the premium equal to expected losses void of insurance company expenses, premium taxes, contingencies, or profit margin.

Pure Risk - circumstance including possibility of loss or no loss but no possibility of gain.

Qualified Actuary - a person who meets the basic education, experience and continuing education requirements (these differ by line of business) of the Specific Qualification Standard for Statements of Actuarial Opinion, NAIC Property and Casualty Annual Statement, as set forth in the Qualification Standards for Actuaries Issuing Statements of Actuarial Opinion in the United States, promulgated by the American Academy of Actuaries, and is in good standing of the American Academy of Actuaries who has been approved as qualified for signing casualty loss reserve opinions by the Casualty Practice Council of the American Academy of Actuaries.

Rate - value of insured losses expressed as a cost per unit of insurance.

Risk Based Capital (RBC) Ratio - ratio used to identify insurance companies that are poorly capitalized. Calculated by dividing the company's capital by the minimum amount of capital regulatory authorities have deemed necessary to support the insurance operations.

Rebate - a refund of part or all of a premium payment.

Reinsurance - a transaction between a primary insurer and another licensed (re) insurer where the reinsurer agrees to cover all or part of the losses and/or loss adjustment expenses of the primary insurer. The assumption is in exchange for a premium. Indemnification is on a proportional or non-proportional basis.

Reinsurer - company assuming reinsurance risk.

Renewable Term Insurance - insurance that is renewable for a limited number of successive terms by the policyholder and is not contingent upon medical examination.

Renters Insurance - liability coverage for contents within a renter's residence. Coverage does not include the structure but does include any affixed items provided or changed by the renter.

Replacement Cost - the cost of replacing property without a reduction for depreciation due to normal wear and tear.

Reported Losses - Includes both expected payments for losses relating to insured events that have occurred and have been reported to the insurance company, but not yet paid.

Reserve - A portion of the premium retained to pay future claims

Reserve Credit - reduction of reserve amounts for reinsurance ceded. Reductions may include the claim reserve and/or the unearned premium reserve.

Residence - the domicile location of a member as shown by his or her determination as a resident.

Residual Market Plan - method devised for coverage of greater than average risk individuals who cannot obtain insurance through normal market channels.

Retention - a mechanism of internal fund allocation for loss exposure used in place of or as a supplement to risk transfer to an insurance company.

Retention Limit - maximum amount of medical and hospital expense an insurer will carry on its own. The limit can be for an individual claim and/or for the insurers total claims, depending upon the terms of the reinsurance contract.

Retrocession - the portion of risk that a reinsurance company cedes or amount of insurance the company chooses not to retain.

Retrospective Rating - the process of determining the cost of an insurance policy based on the actual loss experience determined as an adjustment to the initial premium payment.

Rider - an amendment to a policy agreement.

Risk - Uncertainty concerning the possibility of loss by a peril for which insurance is pursued.

Risk Retention Act - a 1986 federal statute amending portions of the Product Liability Risk Retention Act of 1981 and enacted to make organization of Risk Retention Groups and Purchasing Groups more efficient.

Risk Retention Group - group-owned insurer organized for the purpose of assuming and spreading the liability risks to its members.

Salvage - value recoverable after a loss.

Statutory Accounting Principles (SAP) - a set of accounting principles set forth by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners used to prepare statutory financial statements for insurance companies.

Securitization of Insurance Risk - a method for insurance companies to access capital and hedge risks by converting policies into securities that can be sold in financial markets.

Security - a share, participation, or other interest in property or in an enterprise of the issuer or an obligation of the issuer.

Self-Insurance - type of insurance often used for high frequency low severity risks where risk is not transferred to an insurance company but retained and accounted for internally.

Separate Account - segregated funds held and invested independently of other assets by an insurer for the purpose of a group retirement fund.

Short-term Disability - a company standard defining a period of time employees are eligible for short-term disability coverage, typically for 2 years or less.

Short-Term Medical - policies that provide major medical coverage for a short period of time, typically 30 to 180 days. These policies may be renewable for multiple periods.

Situs of Contract - the jurisdiction in which the contract is issued or delivered as stated in the contract.

Social Insurance - compulsory insurance plan administered by a federal or state government agency with the primary emphasis on social adequacy.

Soft Market - a buyer's market characterized by abundant supply of insurance driving premiums down.

Special revenue bond - any security, or other instrument under which a payment obligation is created, issued by or on behalf of a governmental unit to finance a project serving a substantial public purpose and not payable from the sources in connection with the payment of municipal obligation bonds.

Specified Disease Coverage - coverage that provides primarily pre-determined benefits for expenses of the care of cancer and/or other specified diseases.

Specified/Named Disease - policies that provide benefits only for the diagnosis and/or treatment of a specifically named disease or diseases. Benefits can be paid as expense incurred, per diem or as a principal sum.

Standard Risk - a person who, according to a company's underwriting standards, is considered a normal risk and insurable at standard rates. High or low risk candidates may qualify for extra or discounted rates based on their deviation from the standard.

State Children's Health Insurance Program - policies issued in association with the Federal/State partnership created by title XXI of the Social Security Act.

State of Domicile - the state where a company's home office is located.

State Page - Exhibit of Premiums and Losses for each state a company is licensed. The state of domicile receives a schedule for each jurisdiction the company wrote direct business, or has amounts paid, incurred or unpaid.

Statement Type - refers to the primary business type under which the company files its annual and quarterly statement, such as Life, Property, Health, Fraternal, Title.

Statement Value - the Statutory Accounting Principle book value reduced by any valuation allowance and non-admitted adjustment applied to an individual investment or a similar group of investments, e.g., bonds, mortgage loans, common stock.

Statutory Accounting - method of accounting standards and principles used by state regulatory authorities to measure the financial condition of regulated companies and other insurance enterprises. This method tends to be more conservative than the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles used by most businesses. Compliance with solvency and other standards is determined using financial documents prepared in accordance with Statutory Accounting Principles.

Stock Insurance Company - business owned by stockholders.

Stop Loss/Excess Loss - individual or group policies providing coverage to a health plan, a self-insured employer plan, or a medical provider providing coverage to insure against the risk that any one claim or an entire plan's losses will exceed a specified dollar amount.

Structured Securities - loan-backed securities that have been divided into two or more classes of investors where the payment of interest and/or principal of any class of securities has been allocated in a manner that is not proportional to interest and/or principal received by the issuer from the mortgage pool or other underlying securities.

Structured Settlements - periodic fixed payments to a claimant for a determinable period, or for life, for the settlement of a claim.

Subrogation - situation where an insurer, on behalf of the insured, has a legal right to bring a liability suit against a third party who caused losses to the insured. Insurer maintains the right to seek reimbursement for losses incurred by insurer at the fault of a third party.

Subrogation Clause - section of insurance policies giving an insurer the right to take legal action against a third party responsible for a loss to an insured for which a claim has been paid.

Subsequent Event - events or transactions that occur subsequent to the balance sheet date, but before the issuance of the statutory financial statements and before the date the audited financial statements are issued, or available to be issued.

Substandard Risk - (impaired risk) risks deemed undesirable due to medical condition or hazardous occupation requiring the use of a waiver, a special policy form, or a higher premium charge.

Superfund - federal act mandating retroactive liability for environmental pollution where responsible party maintains accountability for environmental clean-up regardless of length of time since polluting event occurred.

Surety Bond - a three-party agreement whereby a guarantor (insurer) assumes an obligation or responsibility to pay a second party (obligee) should the principal debtor (obligor) become in default.

Surplus - insurance term referring to retained earnings.

Surplus Line - specialized property or liability coverage available via nonadmitted insurers where coverage is not available through an admitted insurer, licensed to sell that particular coverage in the state.

Swap - an agreement to exchange or net payments as the buyer of an Option, Cap or Floor and to make payments as the seller of a different Option, Cap or Floor.

Tenants - homeowners insurance sold to tenants occupying the described property.

Term - period of time for which policy is in effect.

Term Insurance - life insurance payable only if death of insured occurs within a specified time, such as 5 or 10 years, or before a specified age.

Third Party - person other than the insured or insurer who has incurred losses or is entitled to receive payment due to acts or omissions of the insured.

Title Insurance - coverage that guarantees the validity of a title to real and personal property. Buyers of real and personal property and mortgage lenders rely upon the coverage to protect them against losses from undiscovered defects in existence when the policy is issued.

Total Liabilities - total money owed or expected to be owed by the insurance company.

Total Revenue - premiums, revenue, investment income, and income from other sources.

Travel Coverage - covers financial loss due to trip cancellation/interruption; lost or damaged baggage; trip or baggage delays; missed connections and/or changes in itinerary; and casualty losses due to rental vehicle damage.

Treaty - a reinsurance agreement between the ceding company and reinsurer.

Unallocated Loss Adjustment Expense (ULAE) - loss adjustment expenses that cannot be specifically tied to a claim.

Umbrella and Excess (Commercial) - coverage for the liability of a commercial venture above a specific amount set forth in a basic policy issued by the primary insurer; or a self-insurer for losses over a stated amount; or an insured or self-insurer for known or unknown gaps in basic coverages or self-insured retentions.

Umbrella and Excess (Personal) - non-business liability protection for individuals above a specific amount set forth in a basic policy issued by the primary insurer; or a self-insurer for losses over a stated amount; or an insured or self-insurer for known or unknown gaps in basic coverages or self-insured retentions.

Unauthorized Reinsurance - reinsurance placed with a company not authorized in the reporting company's state of domicile.

Underinsured Motorist Coverage - policy option for bodily injury or property losses caused by a motorist with coverage insufficient to cover total dollar amount of losses. Compensation for the injured party is equal to the difference between the losses incurred and the liability covered by the motorist at fault.

Underlying Interest - the asset(s), liability(ies) or other interest(s) underlying a derivative instrument, including, but not limited to, any one or more securities, currencies, rates indices, commodities, derivative instruments, or other financial market instruments.

Underwriter - person who identifies, examines and classifies the degree of risk represented by a proposed insured in order to determine whether or not coverage should be provided and, if so, at what rate.

Underwriting - the process by which an insurance company examines risk and determines whether the insurer will accept the risk or not, classifies those accepted and determines the appropriate rate for coverage provided.

Underwriting Risk - section of the risk-based capital formula calculating requirements for reserves and premiums.

Unearned Premium - amount of premium for which payment has been made by the policyholder but coverage has not yet been provided.

Unearned Premium Reserve - all premiums (fees) received for coverage extending beyond the statement date; appears as a liability on the balance sheet.

Universal Life Insurance - adjustable life insurance under which premiums and coverage are adjustable, company expenses are not specifically disclosed to the insured but a financial report is provided to policyholder's annually.

Unpaid Losses - claims that are in the course of settlement. The term may also include claims that have been incurred but not reported.

Valued Policy - an insurance contract for which the value is agreed upon in advance and is not related to the amount of the insured loss.

Valued Policy Law - state legislation which specifies that the insured shall receive the face amount of the policy in the event of a total loss to a dwelling rather than the actual cash value regardless of the principle of indemnity.

Variable Annuity - an annuity contract under which the premium payments are used to purchase stock and the value of each unit is relative to the value of the investment portfolio.

Variable Life Insurance - life insurance whose face value and/or duration varies depending upon the value of underlying securities.

Variable Universal Life - combines the flexible premium features of universal life with the component of variable life in which excess credited to the cash value of the account depends on investment results of separate accounts. The policyholder selects the accounts into which the premium payments are to be made.

Viatical Settlements - contracts or agreements in which a buyer agrees to purchase all or a part of a life insurance policy.

Vision - limited benefit expense policies. Provides benefits for eye care and eye care accessories. Generally provides a stated dollar amount per annual eye examination. Benefits often include a stated dollar amount for glasses and contacts. May include surgical benefits for injury or sickness associated with the eye.

Warrant - an agreement that gives the holder the right to purchase an underlying financial instrument at a given price and time or at a series of prices and times according to a schedule or warrant agreement.

Warranty - coverage that protects against manufacturer's defects past the normal warranty period and for repair after breakdown to return a product to its originally intended use. Warranty insurance generally protects consumers from financial loss caused by the seller's failure to rectify or compensate for defective or incomplete work and cost of parts and labor necessary to restore a product's usefulness. Includes but is not limited to coverage for all obligations and liabilities incurred by a service contract provider, mechanical breakdown insurance and service contracts written by insurers.

Whole Life - life insurance that may be kept in force for a person's entire life and that pays a benefit upon the person's death, whenever that may be.

Whole Life Insurance - life insurance that may be kept in force for the duration of a person's life and pays a benefit upon the person's death. Premiums are made for same time period.

Workers' Compensation - insurance that covers an employer's liability for injuries, disability or death to persons in their employment, without regard to fault, as prescribed by state or federal workers' compensation laws and other statutes.

Written Premium - the contractually determined amount charged by the reporting entity to the policyholder for the effective period of the contract based on the expectation of risk, policy benefits, and expenses associated with the coverage provided by the terms of the insurance contract.

• Life Insurance
• Assignment Vs Nomination In Life Insurance Know The Difference
• Understanding Nomination and its Types
• Understanding Assignment and its Types
• Key Differences Between Nomination and Assignment

Buy Policy in just 2 mins

2 lakh + Happy Customers

Free Comparison

Customized Term Insurance Plan for you.

Get upto 10% Online Discount*

Select Your City

Popular Cities

Delhi Gurgaon Noida Bengaluru Chennai Ahmedabad Hyderabad Kolkata Mumbai

Select Your Annual Income Your life insurance cover limit will be calculated based on your income. You may be asked to provide income proof at the time of purchase.

15 Lacs+ P.A. 10-15 Lacs P.A. 7-10 Lacs P.A. 5-7 Lacs P.A. 3-5 Lacs P.A. Upto 3 Lacs P.A.

Enter Your Name

Mobile Number

By proceeding you are accepting our T&C and privacy policy

Confused? No Worries, We Are Here To Help!

Health offer, invest offer.

Assignment vs Nomination in Life Insurance

In life insurance plans, Nomination and Assignment are the two important terms that are frequently used. Acknowledging these terms helps the policyholder to extract the benefits available under the life insurance policy without making a hole in his/her pocket.

Policyholders should know the exact difference between the two before making any decision to purchase the policy. It is required that individuals should read terms and conditions carefully so that one doesn't make any mistake and use the policy in the right way.

What is the Nomination?

The nomination is a right given to the policyholder that authorizes him/her to appoint a person (usually a close family member) to receive the benefits in the event of the death of the life assured. The person who is appointed by the policyholder to receive the benefit is called a Nominee. The nomination is governed under Section 39 of the Insurance Act, 1938.

Types of Nominees

Under the life insurance policy , the policyholder nominates a person who is entitled to receive the benefits in case something happens to the life assured. Some of the different types of nominees given below:

Beneficial Nominees

As per the law, any immediate family member (like spouse, children or parents) nominated by the policyholder is entitled to receive the monetary benefits and will be the beneficial owner of the claim benefits. It is important to note that only immediate family members can be termed as Beneficial Nominees.

Minor Nominees

Many individuals appoint their children as beneficiaries of their life insurance policies. Minor nominees (who are less than 18 years of age) are not considered eligible to handle claim amounts. For this, the policyholder needs to assign an appointee or custodian. The claim amount is paid to the appointee until the minor turns 18.

Non-family Nominees

These types of nominees can be distant relatives or even friends as the beneficiary of the life insurance policy.

Changing Nominees

Policyholders can change their nominees as many times as they want, but the latest nominee should supersede all previous ones.

Life Insurance Companies

Compare and buy the most suitable Life Insurance Plan from the below-mentioned IRDAI-approved Life Insurance companies.

• Term Insurance

LIC Of India

Hdfc life insurance, icici prudential life insurance, sbi life insurance, max life insurance, tata aia life insurance, pnb metlife india insurance, bajaj allianz life insurance, bandhan life insurance, kotak mahindra life insurance, canara hsbc life insurance, bharti axa life insurance, aviva life insurance, indiafirst life insurance, exide life insurance, edelweiss tokio life insurance, ageas federal life insurance, future generali life insurance, birla sun life insurance, reliance life insurance, pramerica life insurance limited, shri ram life insurance, sahara india life insurance.

Know More About Life Insurance Companies

LIC Term Insurance

Hdfc term insurance, icici term insurance, sbi life term insurance, max life term insurance, tata aia term insurance, pnb metlife term insurance, bajaj allianz term insurance, bandhan life term insurance, kotak life term insurance, canara hsbc obc term insurance, bharti axa term insurance, aviva term insurance, indiafirst term insurance, exide life term insurance, edelweiss tokio term life insurance, ageas federal term insurance, future generali term insurance, birla sun life term insurance, reliance term insurance, pramerica term insurance.

Know More About Term Insurance Companies

Key Points to Know Regarding Nomination

• The nomination is possible only when the policyholder and life assured are the same. In case, the policyholder and life assured are different, the claim benefits will be availed by the policyholder only.
• The nominee cannot ask for changes/modifications to the policy.
• There can be more than one nominee in the policy.
• In the successive nomination, if the life assured appoints person A to be the first person to receive the claim benefits in case of assured's death and person A is no more, then the claim benefits will be passed to person B. However, if Nominee A and Nominee B have passed away, later Nominee C will be appointed to avail the benefits and so on.

What is Assignment?

Assignment of the policy refers to the transfer of rights, title, and policy ownership from the policyholder to another person or entity. The person involved in assigning/transferring the policy is called assignor, and the person/institution to which it is assigned is called the assignee. The assignment is regulated under Section 38 of the Insurance Act, 1938.

The assignment is categorized under two different types, i.e. Absolute Assignment and Conditional Assignment.

Absolute Assignment

Under the absolute assignment, all rights, title and interest are transferred by the assignor to an assignee without reversion to the assignor (in case of any event). It shifts the ownership of the insurance policy to other parties without any terms and conditions. This assignment is usually done for money consideration such as raising a loan, out of love or affection towards family members.

Conditional Assignment

It means that the transfer of rights will happen from the Assignor to the Assignee subject to certain terms and conditions. If the conditions are fulfilled, only then the policy will be transferred.

Key Points to know Regarding Assignment

• Under the assignment, only the ownership is transferred/changed, not the risk of the policy. This means the life assured is/will be considered as the person insured.
• The assignment may lead to cancellation of the nomination in the policy only when it is done in favour of the insurance company due to a policy loan.
• The assignment applies to all the insurance plans except Pensions Plan and Married Women's Property Act (MWP).
• The assignment is effected through an endorsement on the policy contract.

Difference Between Assignment and Nomination

Let's discuss how assignment differs from nomination.

Nomination and Assignment serve different purposes. The nomination protects the interests of the insured as well as an insurer in offering claim benefits under the life insurance policy. On the other hand, assignment protects the interests of an assignee in availing the monetary benefits under the policy. The policyholder should be aware of both of them before buying life insurance.

Life Insurance Articles

Top 5 Benefits of Life Insurance Jan, 2024

GST On Life Insurance Aug, 2023

Importance of Life Insurance Aug, 2023

Factors That Affect Life Insurance Premiums July, 2023

Life Insurance For Cancer Patients July, 2023

Difference Between ULIP and Traditional Plans July, 2023

Grace Period In Life Insurance Policy July, 2023

Life Insurance With Maturity Benefits July, 2023

Difference Between Life Insurance and Health July, 2023

Benefits of Life Insurance July, 2023

Advantages and Disadvantages Of Life July, 2023

Life Insurance Premium June, 2023

Cash Value Of Life Insurance June, 2023

Free Look Period in Life Insurance June, 2023

Ladli Laxmi Yojana Policy May, 2023

Group Term Life Insurance March, 2023

Bima Sugam Life Insurance December, 2022

Whole Life Insurance Policy September, 2022

Sabse Pehle Life Insurance April, 2022

Life Insurance FAQs September, 2021

Pandemic Challenges in Life Insurance May, 2021

Term Life vs. Traditional Life Insurance- Which Is Better? January, 2021

How to Get Duplicate LIC Policy Bond? October, 2020

How To Check ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Policy Status? May, 2020

What Are Late Payment Charges For LIC Premiums? September, 2020

How To Check SBI Life Insurance Policy Status? April, 2020

Life Insurance Claim Process & Requirements July, 2020

SBI Life Insurance Premium Payment April, 2020

Guaranteed Income Plan June, 2020

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Login and Registration April, 2020

ICICI Prudential Premium Payment May, 2020

Revival of Lapsed LIC Policy - Steps to Revive It Online December, 2019

See More Life Insurance Articles

Top 10 Indian Life Insurance Companies Jan, 2024

How To Download LIC Premium Receipt Online? December, 2019

Top 10 Pension Plans in India December, 2019

How To Check HDFC Life Policy Status? November, 2019

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana Vs LIC Kanyadan Policy September, 2019

Best Single Premium Insurance Plans in India December, 2019

How To Update HDFC Life Insurance Policy Online? November, 2019

Max Life Premium Payment November, 2019

What our customers have to say.

SUD Life term plan truly stands out my expectations as I got SUD Life term plan along with additional riders at very affordable premiums.

I am impresses with the hassle free and quick claim settlement process of SUD Life. Thanks to PolicyX who guided me to get my claim settled.

Bought SUD Life Family Income Benefit Rider plan to secure the future of my plan financially even in my absence.

I was looking for a term plan to secure the future of my family. So I contacted PolicyX and one of their representatives Mr. Vaibhav helped me choose SUD Life term plan.

Armaan khan

May 17, 2024

I recently purchased a Pramerica term insurance policy from Policyx.com. The customer service team was very helpful in answering all my queries and guiding me through the application process. I...

Rahul Yadav

PolicyX’s dedicated support made renewing my Bandhan Life Insurance policy easy. I’m absolutely delighted with the service offered by PolicyX Insurance Advisor.

Priyanshu Sharma

I bought a Bandhan Life Insurance through PolicyX, and I must say the level of communication and assistance I have received has been truly impressive.

After getting advice from the PolicyX experts, I chose a Bandhan Life Insurance term plan. Thank you, PolicyX, for helping me buy a term plan at such a low premium.

Reviewed By: Naval Goel

Naval Goel is the CEO & founder of PolicyX.com. Naval has an expertise in the insurance sector and has professional experience of more than a decade in the Industry and has worked in companies like AIG, New York doing valuation of insurance subsidiaries. He is also an Associate Member of the Indian Institute of Insurance, Pune. He has been authorized by IRDAI to act as a Principal Officer of PolicyX.com Insurance Web Aggregator.

Talk to our Trusted Insurance Advisors for Best Plans

Search Anything

Most Searched:

Assignment in Insurance Policy | Meaning | Explanation | Types

Table of Contents

• 1 What is Assignment in an Insurance Policy?
• 2 Who can make an assignment?
• 3 What happens to the ownership of the policy upon Assignment?
• 4 Can assignment be changed or cancelled?
• 5 What happens if the assignment dies?
• 6 What is the procedure to make an assignment?
• 7 Is it necessary to Inform the insurer about assignment?
• 8 Can a policy be assigned to a minor person?
• 9 Who pays premium when a policy is assigned?
• 10.1 1. Conditional Assignment
• 10.2 2. Absolute Assignment

What is Assignment in an Insurance Policy?

Assignment means a complete transfer of the ownership of the policy to some other person. Usually assignment is done for the purpose of raising a loan from a bank or a financial institution .

Assignment is governed by Section 38 of the Insurance Act 1938 in India. Assignment can also be done in favour of a close relative when the policyholder wishes to give a gift to that relative. Such an assignment is done for “natural love and affection”. An example, a policyholder may assign his policy to his sister who is handicapped.

Who can make an assignment?

A policyholder who has policy on his own life can assign the policy to another person. However, a person to whom a policy has been assigned can reassign the policy to the policyholder or assign it to any other person. A nominee cannot make an assignment of the policy. Similarly, an assignee cannot make a nomination on the policy which is assigned to him.

What happens to the ownership of the policy upon Assignment?

When a policyholder assign a policy, he loses all control on the policy. It is no longer his property. It is now the assignee’s property whether the policyholder is alive or dead, the assignee alone will get the policy money from the insurance company.

If the assignee dies, then his (assignee’s) legal heirs will be entitled to the policy money.

Can assignment be changed or cancelled?

An assignment cannot be changed or cancelled. The assignee can of course, reassign the policy to the policyholder who assigned it to him. He can also assign the policy to any other person because it is now his property. We can think of a bank reassigning the policy to the policyholder when their loan is repaid.

What happens if the assignment dies?

If the assignee dies, the assignment does not get cancelled. The legal heirs of the assignee become entitled to the policy money. Assignment is a legal transfer of all the interests the policyholder has in the policy to the assignee.

What is the procedure to make an assignment?

Assignment can be made only after issue of the policy bond. The policyholder can either write out the wording on the policy bond (endorsement) or write it on a separate paper and get it stamped. (Stamp value is the same, as the stamp required for the policy — Twenty paise per one thousand sum assured). When assignment is made by an endorsement on the policy bond, there is no need for stamp because the policy is already stamped.

Is it necessary to Inform the insurer about assignment?

Yes, it is necessary to give information about assignment to the insurance company. The insurer will register the assignment in its records and from then on recognize the assignee as the owner of the policy. If someone has made more than one assignment, then the date of the notice will decide which assignment has priority. In the case of reassignment also, notice is necessary.

Can a policy be assigned to a minor person?

Assignment can be made in favour of a minor person. But it would be advisable to appoint a guardian to receive the policy money if it becomes due during the minority of the assignee.

Who pays premium when a policy is assigned?

When a policy is assigned normally, the assignee should pay the premium, because the policy is now his property. In practice, however, premium is paid by the assignor (policyholder) himself. When a bank gives a loan and takes the assignment of a policy a security, it will ask the assignor himself to pay the premium and keep it in force. In the case of an assignment as a gift, the assignor would like to pay the premium because he has gifted the policy.

Types of assignment

Assignment may take two forms:

• Conditional Assignment.
• Absolute Assignment.

1. Conditional Assignment

It would be useful where the policyholder desires the benefit of the policy to go to a near relative in the event of his earlier death. It is usually effected for consideration of natural love and affection. It generally provides for the right to revert the policyholder in the event of the assignee predeceasing the policyholder or the policyholder surviving to the date of maturity.

2. Absolute Assignment

This assignment is generally made for valuable consideration. It has the effect of passing the title in the policy absolutely to the assignee and the policyholder in no way retains any interest in the policy. The absolute assignee can deal with the policy in any manner he likes and may assign or transfer his interest to another person.

Related Posts

• Privacy Policy