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Faq

  • What does my family get on my death?

    If death of the policy holder takes place during the term of the insurance policy, then the nominee designated by the policy holder receives the assured sum plus the accrued bonus, if any.
    If the policy is along with the bonus policy or participative profits, the bonus is payable to the nominee in addition to the sum assured but only for the number of years the premium has been paid.
    If the policy has an accident rider and death takes place due to an accident, then nominee may receive double the sum assured.
    However, if death takes place after the policy has matured, then the nominee does not receive anything from the insurance company. There are certain policies which offer to cover the insurer for the sum assured or a part of the sum assured, even after the policy has matured.
  • What do I need to pay to maintain electronic policies in my e IA? And what is the fee for converting my existing paper polices into electronic policies?

    All the services provided by Insurance Repositories are absolutely FREE of charge to policy holders. Policy holders need not pay anything extra to buy an electronic policy or to convert an existing paper policy into electronic form. Similarly they need not pay anything to avail of any services from the Insurance Repository, including online premium payment and services at the respective online portal.
  • Should I buy a life insurance policy even if my employer has insured me in a group insurance scheme?

    It is always sensible to buy an individual life insurance policy because
    a. The amount of insurance covered by your company may not be a very large cover
    b. If your employer decides to cut cost then you may no longer be covered
    c. If you quit the company then you may no longer be insured
    d. Age also plays a role. The premium goes high as you start getting older.
  • When should I insure?

    When your family members become dependent on your earning income, you should insure yourself. The advantage of starting insurance at an early age is that the premium will be lower at early stages. Even if you are single, earning and planning to get married, you should think of buying a policy now, as it costs less now than it will when you marry.
    Even if you are 45, and not insured, you could still choose insurance plans that provide benefits to your family and provide income during your retirement period.
  • What is an Insurance Repository?

    An Insurance Repository is a facility to help policy holders buy and keep insurance policies in electronic form, rather than as a paper document. Insurance Repositories, like Share Depositories or Mutual Fund Transfer Agencies, will hold electronic records of insurance policies issued to individuals and such policies are called "electronic policies" or "e Policies".
  • Can policy holders have multiple e Insurance Accounts if they have multiple Insurance policies issued by various Insurance Companies?

    No. IRDA stipulates that an individual can have only ONE e Insurance Account across Repositories, irrespective of the number of policies owned by a policy holder – thus, if a person has an e IA with say Repository A, with any other Insurance Repository. All Repositories will have systems in place to check this before opening an e IA – any application for a second or multiple e IA will be rejected by the Insurance Repository. All the electronic policies owned by a policy holder can be credited or held under this single e IA.
    /n Source: CAMS
  • How do I collect the maturity amount from the insurance company?

    Insurance companies send information in advance to the policyholder regarding the maturity of the policy. The policyholder will be required to fill-up the forms along with the documents attached as per requirement. If the paper work is done properly and verified then the payment is either sent by post or directly credited in your bank account.
  • What is "Waiver of Premium"?

    Waiver of premium is an additional clause in an insurance policy which waves the premium of policyholder for the time he is seriously ill or disabled. This feature is however optional and available at an extra cost.
  • Can a policy holder have both paper and electronic policies?

    Policy holders can choose the form in which they want their policies issued – paper or electronic. A policy can be bought or maintained in one form only – either in electronic form or paper but not in both. However, a policy holder can choose to keep some policies in electronic form and others in paper form – only the electronic policies will be reflected in his e IA account and he can use repository services only for the e policies (and not the paper policies)
  • How much does life insurance cost?

    The cost of buying an insurance policy depends on the following factors:
    The insured person’s age, health and his nature of work
    Type of policy selected
    Sum assured
    Policy terms
    Term for paying premium and payment frequency
    Riders (if any) attached to the policy

insurance glossary

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
  • Abstract

    A brief history of title to land
  • Accelerated death benefit

    A percentage of the policy?s face amount, discounted for interest, that can be paid to the insured prior to death, under specified circumstances. This is in lieu of a traditional policy that pays beneficiaries after the insured?s death. Such benefits kick in if the insured becomes terminally ill, needs extreme medical intervention, or must reside in a nursing home. The payments made while the insured is living are deducted from any death benefits paid to beneficiaries.
  • Accident & Accidental Death Benefit

    In the context of life insurance, accident or accidental death is defined as a sudden and unforeseen happening that causes disability or death of the policyholder.
  • Accident and health insurance

    Coverage for acci-dental injury, accidental death, and related health expenses. Benefits will pay for preventative services, medical expenses, and catastrophic care, with limits.
  • Accidental death benefit

    An endorsement that pays the beneficiary an additional benefit if the insured dies from an accident.
  • Accidental Death Insurance

    Accidental Death Insurance provides coverage in the event of death due to accidental injuries, but not illness. In the event of death, payment is made to the insured\'s beneficiary. And most of these covers provide for cases for bodily injury (e.g., the loss of a limb), where the insured receives a specificed sum.
  • Accounts receivable (debtors) insurance

    Indemnifies for losses that are due to an inability to collect from open commercial account debtors because records have been destroyed by an insured peril.
  • Accumulation Period

    The time interval between the commencement of the policy and the time when benefits are paid out. It is established by the insured.
  • Activities of daily living

    Activities-such as eating, bathing, toileting, dressing, and continence-that trig-ger payment in a long-term care insurance policy, if at least some of them cannot be performed by the insured.
  • Acts of god

    Perils that cannot reasonably be guarded against, such as floods and earthquakes.
  • Actual cash value

    A form of insurance that pays damages equal to the replacement value of damaged property minus depreciation.
  • Actual loss ratio

    The ratio of losses incurred to premiums earned actually experienced in a given line of insurance activity in a previous time period.
  • Actuarial cost assumptions

    Assumptions about rates of investment earnings, mortality, turnover, salpatterns, probable expenses, and distribution or actual ages at which employees are likely to retire.
  • Actuarial Cost Method

    A method that determines contributions that would be made under an insurance plan.
  • Actuary

    An insurance professional skilled in the analysis, evaluation, and management of statistical information. Evaluates insurance firms? reserves, determines rates and rating methods, and determines other business and financial risks.
  • AD&D

    Accidental Death and Dismemberment Benefits
  • Additional insureds

    Persons who have an insurable interest in the property/person covered in a policy and who are covered against the losses outlined in the policy. They usually receive less coverage than the pri-mary named insured.
  • Additional living expenses

    Extra charges covered by homeowners policies over and above the policy-holder?s customary living expenses. They kick in when the insured requires temporary shelter due to damage by a covered peril that makes the home temporarily uninhabitable.
  • Adjustable Life Insurance

    A facility allowing a life insurance policy owner to change the insurance plan, increase or decrease the premium and make changes in the protection period.
  • Adjuster

    An individual employed by a property/cas-ualty insurer to evaluate losses and settle policyholder claims. These adjusters differ from public adjusters, who negotiate with insurers on behalf of policyhold-ers, and receive a portion of a claims settlement. Inde-pendent adjusters are independent contractors who adjust claims for different insurance companies.
  • Admitted company

    An insurance company licensed and authorized to do business in a particular state or country.
  • Adverse selection

    The tendency of those exposed to a higher risk to seek more insurance coverage than those at a lower risk. Insurers react either by charging higher premiums or not insuring at all. In the case of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, adverse selection concentrates risk instead of spreading it. Insurance. works best when risk is shared among large numbers of policyholders.
  • Affinity sales

    Selling insurance through groups such as professional and business associations.
  • Affirmative warranty

    An agreement between an insurance company and an agent, granting the agent authority to write insurance from that company. It specifies the duties, rights, and obligations of both parties.
  • After Tax Rupees

    This refers to the disposable income that the policy holder has in his hands after paying all tax dues during a particular financial year under the Income Tax Act.
  • Age Limits

    The maximum and minimum ages above or below which an insurance company will not accept applications for insurance from or will not renew a policy with a person.
  • Agent

    Insurance is sold by two types of agents: inde-pendent agents, who are self-employed, represent several insurance companies and are paid on commission, and exclusive or captive agents, who represent only one insurance company and are either salaried or work on commission. Insurance companies that use exclusive or captive agents are called direct writers.
  • Agent (Life Advisor)

    A representative of an insurance company authorized to sell insurance policies.
  • Aggregate deductible

    A type of deductible that applies for an entire year in which the insured absorbs all losses until the deductible level is reached, at which point the insurer pays for all loses over the specified amount.
  • Aggregate limits

    A yearly limit, rather than a ?per occurrence? limit. Once an insurance company has paid up to the limit, it will pay no more during that year.
  • Aleatory contract

    A legal contract in which the outcome depends on an uncertain event. Insurance contracts are aleatory in nature.
  • All-risk agreement

    A property or liability insur-ance contract in which all risks of loss are covered except those specifically excluded; also called ?open perils policy.?
  • Alternative dispute resolution (ADR)

    Alternative to going to court to settle disputes. Methods include arbitration, where disputing parties agree to be bound to the decision of an independent third party, and mediation, where a third party tries to arrange a settlement between the two sides.
  • Alternative markets

    Mechanisms used to fund self-insurance. This includes captives, which are insurers owned by one or more non-insurers to provide owners with coverage. Risk-retention groups, formed by members of similar professions or businesses to obtain liability insurance, are also a form of self-insurance.
  • Ancillary charges

    In hospital insurance, covered charges other than room and board.
  • Annual statement

    Summary of an insurer?s or rein-surer?s financial operations for a particular year, including a balance sheet.
  • Annual-premium annuity

    An annuity whose purchase price is paid in annual installments.
  • Annuitant

    : An individual receiving benefits under an annuity.
  • Annuity Certain

    An insurance contract that provides an annuity for a certain number of years, irrespective of whether the insured is alive or dead.
  • Annuity Consideration

    The payment that an annuitant makes for an annuity.
  • Annuity units

    A measure used in valuing a variable annuity during the time it is being paid to the annui-tant. Each unit?s value fluctuates with the performance of an investment portfolio.
  • Apportionment

    The dividing of a loss proportion-ately among two or more insurers that cover the same loss.
  • Appraisal

    A survey to determine a property?s insura-ble value, or the amount of a loss.
  • Arbitration

    Procedure in which an insurance company and the insured or a vendor agree to settle a claim dispute by accepting a decision made by a third party.
  • Arson

    The deliberate setting of a fire
  • Assessable policy

    A policy subject to additional charges, or assessments, on all policyholders in the company.
  • Asset-backed securities

    Bonds that represent pools of loans of similar types, duration and interest rates. Almost any loan with regular repayments of principal and interest can be securitized, from auto loans and equipment leases to credit card receivables and mortgages.
  • Assign

    To use life insurance policy benefits as collat-eral for a loan.
  • Assignee

    Assignee is the person to whom the title, rights and benefits under a life policy are assigned.
  • Assignor

    Assignor is the policyholder who transfers the title, beneficial interest and rights under the policy to another individual.
  • Asymmetric information

    An insured?s knowledge of likely losses that is unavailable to insurers.
  • Attained Age

    It is your current age.Your attained age is one of the factors life insurance companies use to determine your premiums. As the older you are, the probability of death during the period of insurance cover i.e life insurance risk increases and so does the premium. Higher the risk, higher the premium.
  • Authority

    The Insurance Regulatory and Development authority, IRDA established under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999 is the regulator for the insurance sector.
  • Auto insurance premium

    The price an insurance company charges for coverage, based on the frequency and cost of potential accidents, theft and other losses.
  • Automatic coverage

    An insurer agrees to cover accidents from all machinery of the same type as that specifically listed in the endorsement.
  • Automatic treaty

    An agreement whereby the ceding company is required to cede some certain amounts of business and the reinsurer is required to accept them.
  • Average adjusters

    A name applied to claims adjusters in the field of marine insurance.
  • Aviation insurance

    Commercial airlines hold prop-erty insurance on aeroplanes and liability insurance for negligent acts that result in injury or property damage to passengers or others. Damage is covered on the ground and in the air. The policy limits the geographical area and individual pilots covered.