Types of insurance
Any risk that can be quantified can potentially be insured. Specific kinds of risk that may give rise to claims are known as "perils". An insurance policy will set out in detail which perils are covered by the policy and which are not. Below are (non-exhaustive) lists of the many different types of insurance that exist. A single policy may cover risks in one or more of the categories set out below. For example, auto insurance would typically cover both property risk (covering the risk of theft or damage to the car) and liability risk (covering legal claims from causing an accident). A [[home insurance|homeowner]]'s insurance policy in the U.S. typically includes property insurance covering damage to the home and the owner's belongings, liability insurance covering certain legal claims against the owner, and even a small amount of coverage for medical expenses of guests who are injured on the owner's property.
[[Business insurance]] can be any kind of insurance that protects businesses against risks. Some principal subtypes of business insurance are (a) the various kinds of ''professional liability insurance'', also called ''professional indemnity insurance'', which are discussed below under that name; and (b) the business owner's policy (BOP), which bundles into one policy many of the kinds of coverage that a business owner needs, in a way analogous to how homeowners insurance bundles the coverages that a homeowner needs.[{{cite web | author = Insurance Information Institute | authorlink = Insurance Information Institute | title = Business insurance information. What does a businessowners policy cover? | url = http://www.iii.org/individuals/business/basics/bop/ | accessdate = 2007-05-09 }}]
===Auto insurance===
{{Main|Vehicle insurance}}
[[File:2008-07-23 Wrecked car in Durham 2.jpg|thumb|180px|right|A wrecked vehicle]]
Auto insurance protects you against financial loss if you have an accident. It is a contract between the insured and the insurance company. You agree to pay the premium and the insurance company agrees to pay losses as defined in the policy.
Auto insurance provides property, liability and medical coverage:
# Property coverage pays for damage to or theft of the car.
# Liability coverage pays for the legal responsibility to others for bodily injury or property damage.
# Medical coverage pays for the cost of treating injuries, rehabilitation and sometimes lost wages and funeral expenses.
An auto insurance policy comprises six kinds of coverage. Most countries require you to buy some, but not all, of these coverages. If you're financing a car, the lender may also have requirements. Most auto policies are for six months to a year.
In the [[United States]], the insurance company should notify you by mail when it’s time to renew the policy and to pay the premium.[{{cite web | author = Insurance Information Institute | authorlink = Insurance Information Institute | title = What is auto insurance? | url = http://www.iii.org/individuals/auto/a/whatis/ | accessdate = 2008-11-11 }}]
===Home insurance===
{{Main|Home insurance}}
Home insurance provides compensation for damage or destruction of a home from disasters. In some geographical areas, the standard insurances exclude certain types of disasters, such as flood and earthquakes, that require additional coverage. Maintenance-related problems are the homeowners' responsibility. The policy may include inventory, or this can be bought as a separate policy, especially for people who rent housing. In some countries, insurers offer a package which may include liability and legal responsibility for injuries and property damage caused by members of the household, including pets.[{{cite web | author = Insurance Information Institute | authorlink = Insurance Information Institute | title = What is homeowners insurance? | url = http://www.iii.org/individuals/homei/hbasics/whatis/ | accessdate = 2008-11-11 }}]
===Health===
{{Main|Health insurance|Dental insurance}}
[[File:NHS NNUH entrance.jpg|right|thumb|NHS Facility]]
Health insurance policies by the [[National Health Service]] in the [[United Kingdom]] (NHS) or other publicly-funded health programs will cover the cost of medical treatments. Dental insurance, like medical insurance, is coverage for individuals to protect them against dental costs. In the U.S. and Canada, dental insurance is often part of an employer's benefits package, along with health insurance.
===Accident, Sickness and Unemployment Insurance===
* [[Disability insurance]] policies provide financial support in the event the policyholder is unable to work because of disabling illness or injury. It provides monthly support to help pay such obligations as [[mortgage loan]]s and [[credit card]]s.
*[[Business overhead expense disability insurance|Disability overhead insurance]] allows business owners to cover the overhead expenses of their business while they are unable to work.
* [[Total permanent disability insurance]] provides benefits when a person is permanently disabled and can no longer work in their profession, often taken as an adjunct to life insurance.
* [[Workers' compensation]] insurance replaces all or part of a worker's [[wage]]s lost and accompanying medical expenses incurred because of a job-related injury.
===Casualty===
Casualty insurance insures against accidents, not necessarily tied to any specific property.
{{Main|Casualty insurance}}
* [[Crime insurance]] is a form of casualty insurance that covers the policyholder against losses arising from the [[criminal act]]s of third parties. For example, a company can obtain crime insurance to cover losses arising from [[theft]] or [[embezzlement]].
* [[Political risk insurance]] is a form of casualty insurance that can be taken out by businesses with operations in [[country|countries]] in which there is a risk that [[revolution]] or other [[politics|political]] conditions will result in a loss.
===Life===
{{Main|Life insurance}}
Life insurance provides a monetary benefit to a decedent's family or other designated beneficiary, and may specifically provide for income to an insured
person's family, [[burial]], [[funeral]] and other final expenses. Life insurance policies often allow the option of having the proceeds paid to the beneficiary
either in a lump sum cash payment or an annuity.
[[Annuity (financial contracts)|Annuities]] provide a stream of payments and are generally classified as insurance because they are issued by insurance
companies and regulated as insurance and require the same kinds of actuarial and investment management expertise that life insurance requires. Annuities
and [[pension]]s that pay a benefit for life are sometimes regarded as insurance against the possibility that a [[retirement|retiree]] will outlive his
or her financial resources. In that sense, they are the complement of life insurance and, from an underwriting perspective, are the mirror image of life
insurance.
Certain life insurance contracts accumulate [[cash]] values, which may be taken by the insured if the policy is surrendered or which may be borrowed against. Some policies, such as annuities and [[endowment policy|endowment policies]], are financial instruments to accumulate or [[liquidation|liquidate]] [[wealth]] when it is needed.
In many countries, such as the U.S. and the UK, the [[tax law]] provides that the interest on this cash value is not taxable under certain circumstances. This leads to widespread use of life insurance as a tax-efficient method of [[saving]] as well as protection in the event of early death.
In U.S., the tax on interest income on life insurance policies and annuities is generally deferred. However, in some cases the benefit derived from tax deferral may be offset by a low return. This depends upon the insuring company, the type of policy and other variables (mortality, market return, etc.). Moreover, other income tax saving vehicles (e.g., IRAs, 401(k) plans, Roth IRAs) may be better alternatives for value accumulation.
===Property===
{{Main|Property insurance}}
[[File:Tornado Damage, Illinois 2.JPG|right|thumb|This [[tornado]] damage to an [[Illinois]] home would be considered an "[[Act of God]]" for insurance purposes]]
Property insurance provides protection against risks to property, such as fire, [[theft]] or [[weather]] damage. This includes specialized forms of insurance such as [[fire insurance]], [[flood insurance]], [[earthquake insurance]], [[home insurance]], inland marine insurance or [[boiler insurance]].
* [[Auto insurance|Automobile insurance]], known in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] as ''motor insurance'', is probably the most common form of insurance and may cover both legal [[Legal liability|liability]] claims against the [[Driving|driver]] and loss of or damage to the insured's [[vehicle]] itself. Throughout the [[United States]] an auto insurance policy is required to legally operate a motor vehicle on public roads. In some jurisdictions, bodily injury compensation for automobile accident victims has been changed to a [[No-fault insurance|no-fault]] system, which reduces or eliminates the ability to sue for compensation but provides automatic eligibility for benefits. Credit card companies insure against [[Damage waiver|damage]] on rented cars.
** Driving School Insurance provides cover for any authorized driver whilst undergoing tuition, cover also unlike other motor policies provides cover for instructor liability where both the pupil and driving instructor are equally liable in the event of a claim.
* [[Aviation insurance]] insures against hull, spares, deductibles, hull wear and liability risks.
* [[Boiler insurance]] (also known as boiler and machinery insurance or equipment breakdown insurance) insures against accidental physical damage to equipment or machinery.
* [[Builder's risk insurance]] insures against the risk of physical loss or damage to property during construction. Builder's risk insurance is typically written on an "all risk" basis covering damage due to any cause (including the negligence of the insured) not otherwise expressly excluded. Builder's risk insurance is coverage that protects a person's or organization's insurable interest in materials, fixtures and/or equipment being used in the construction or renovation of a building or structure should those items sustain physical loss or damage from a covered cause.[{{cite web |url= http://www.adjustersinternational.com/AdjustingToday/ATfullinfo.cfm?start=1&page_no=1&pdfID=4 |title= Builder's Risk Insurance |accessdate= 2009-10-16 |publisher= Adjusters International }}]
* [[Crop insurance]] "Farmers use crop insurance to reduce or manage various risks associated with growing crops. Such risks include crop loss or damage caused by weather, hail, drought, frost damage, insects, or disease, for instance."[{{US patent application|20060287896}} “Method for providing crop insurance for a crop associated with a defined attribute”]
* [[Earthquake insurance]] is a form of property insurance that pays the policyholder in the event of an [[earthquake]] that causes damage to the property. Most ordinary [[homeowners insurance]] policies do not cover earthquake damage. Most earthquake insurance policies feature a high [[deductible]]. Rates depend on location and the probability of an earthquake, as well as the [[Earthquake engineering|construction of the home]].
* A [[fidelity bond]] is a form of casualty insurance that covers policyholders for losses that they incur as a result of fraudulent acts by specified individuals. It usually insures a business for losses caused by the dishonest acts of its employees.
* [[Flood insurance]] protects against property loss due to flooding. Many insurers in the U.S. do not provide flood insurance in some portions of the country. In response to this, the federal government created the [[National Flood Insurance Program]] which serves as the insurer of last resort.
* [[Home insurance]], also commonly called hazard insurance or homeowners insurance (often abbreviated in the real estate industry as HOI), is the type of property insurance that covers private homes.
* [[Landlord insurance]] covers residential and commercial properties which are rented to others. Most homeowner's insurance covers only owner-occupied homes.
* [[Marine insurance]] and marine cargo insurance cover the loss or damage of ships at sea or on inland waterways, and of cargo in transit, regardless of the method of transit. When the owner of the cargo and the carrier are separate corporations, marine cargo insurance typically compensates the owner of cargo for losses sustained from fire, shipwreck, etc., but excludes losses that can be recovered from the carrier or the carrier's insurance. Many marine insurance underwriters will include "time element" coverage in such policies, which extends the indemnity to cover loss of profit and other business expenses attributable to the delay caused by a covered loss.
* [[Surety bond]] insurance is a three party insurance guaranteeing the performance of the principal.
* [[Terrorism insurance]] provides protection against any loss or damage caused by [[terrorist]] activities.
* Volcano insurance is an insurance that covers volcano damage in Hawaii.
* Windstorm insurance is an insurance covering the damage that can be caused by hurricanes and tropical cyclones.
===Liability===
{{Main|Liability insurance}}
Liability insurance is a very broad superset that covers legal claims against the insured. Many types of insurance include an aspect of liability coverage. For example, a homeowner's insurance policy will normally include liability coverage which protects the insured in the event of a claim brought by someone who slips and falls on the property; automobile insurance also includes an aspect of liability insurance that indemnifies against the harm that a crashing car can cause to others' lives, health, or property. The protection offered by a liability insurance policy is twofold: a legal defense in the event of a lawsuit commenced against the policyholder and indemnification (payment on behalf of the insured) with respect to a settlement or court verdict. Liability policies typically cover only the negligence of the insured, and will not apply to results of wilful or intentional acts by the insured.
* Public [[liability insurance]] covers a business against claims should its operations injure a member of the public or damage their property in some way.
* [[Directors and officers liability insurance]] protects an organization (usually a corporation) from costs associated with litigation resulting from mistakes made by directors and officers for which they are liable. In the industry, it is usually called "D&O" for short.
* Environmental liability insurance protects the insured from bodily injury, property damage and cleanup costs as a result of the dispersal, release or escape of pollutants.
* Errors and omissions insurance: See "Professional liability insurance" under "Liability insurance".
* [[Prize indemnity insurance]] protects the insured from giving away a large prize at a specific event. Examples would include offering prizes to contestants who can make a half-court shot at a basketball game, or a hole-in-one at a golf tournament.
* [[Professional liability insurance]], also called ''professional indemnity insurance'', protects insured professionals such as architectural corporation and medical practice against potential negligence claims made by their patients/clients. Professional liability insurance may take on different names depending on the profession. For example, professional liability insurance in reference to the medical profession may be called ''malpractice insurance.'' Notaries public may take out ''errors and omissions insurance (E&O).'' Other potential E&O policyholders include, for example, real estate brokers, Insurance agents, home inspectors, appraisers, and website developers.
===Credit===
{{Main|Credit insurance}}
Credit insurance repays some or all of a [[loan]] when certain things happen to the borrower such as [[unemployment]], [[disability]], or [[death]].
* [[Mortgage insurance]] insures the lender against default by the borrower. Mortgage insurance is a form of credit insurance, although the name ''credit insurance'' more often is used to refer to policies that cover other kinds of debt.
* Many credit cards offer payment protection plans which are a form of credit insurance.
===Other types===
* [[All-risk insurance]] is an [[insurance]] that covers a wide-range of incidents and perils, except those noted in the policy. All-risk insurance is different from peril-specific insurance that cover losses from only those perils listed in the policy.[http://www.business.gov/manage/business-insurance/insurance-types.html] In [[car insurance]], all-risk policy includes also the damages caused by the own driver.
* [[Collateral protection insurance]] or CPI, insures property (primarily vehicles) held as collateral for loans made by lending institutions.
* [[Defense Base Act]] Workers' compensation or DBA Insurance provides coverage for civilian workers hired by the government to perform contracts outside the U.S. and Canada. DBA is required for all U.S. citizens, U.S. residents, U.S. Green Card holders, and all employees or subcontractors hired on overseas government contracts. Depending on the country, Foreign Nationals must also be covered under DBA. This coverage typically includes expenses related to medical treatment and loss of wages, as well as disability and death benefits.
* [[Expatriate insurance]] provides individuals and organizations operating outside of their home country with protection for automobiles, property, health, liability and business pursuits.
* Financial loss insurance or Business Interruption Insurance protects individuals and companies against various financial risks. For example, a [[business]] might purchase coverage to protect it from loss of [[sales]] if a fire in a [[factory]] prevented it from carrying out its business for a time. Insurance might also cover the failure of a [[creditor]] to pay [[money]] it owes to the insured. This type of insurance is frequently referred to as "business interruption insurance." [[Fidelity bond]]s and [[surety bond]]s are included in this category, although these products provide a benefit to a third party (the "obligee") in the event the insured party (usually referred to as the "obligor") fails to perform its obligations under a contract with the obligee.
* [[Kidnap and ransom insurance]]
* [[Legal Expenses Insurance]] covers policyholders against the potential costs of legal action against an institution or an individual.
* [[Locked funds insurance]] is a little-known hybrid insurance policy jointly issued by governments and banks. It is used to protect public funds from tamper by unauthorized parties. In special cases, a government may authorize its use in protecting semi-private funds which are liable to tamper. The terms of this type of insurance are usually very strict. Therefore it is used only in extreme cases where maximum security of funds is required.
* Media Insurance is designed to cover professionals that engage in film, video and TV production.
* Nuclear incident insurance covers damages resulting from an [[nuclear and radiation accidents|incident involving radioactive materials]] and is generally arranged at the national level. See the [[Nuclear exclusion clause]] and for the United States the [[Price-Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act]])
* [[Pet insurance]] insures pets against accidents and illnesses - some companies cover routine/wellness care and burial, as well.
* Pollution Insurance which consists of first-party coverage for contamination of insured property either by external or on-site sources. Coverage for liability to third parties arising from contamination of air, water, or land due to the sudden and accidental release of hazardous materials from the insured site. The policy usually covers the costs of cleanup and may include coverage for releases from underground storage tanks. Intentional acts are specifically excluded.
* Purchase insurance is aimed at providing protection on the products people purchase. Purchase insurance can cover individual purchase protection, [[warranties]], [[guarantees]], care plans and even mobile [[phone insurance]]. Such insurance is normally very limited in the scope of problems that are covered by the policy.
* [[Title insurance]] provides a guarantee that title to [[real property]] is vested in the purchaser and/or [[mortgage law|mortgagee]], free and clear of [[lien]]s or encumbrances. It is usually issued in conjunction with a search of the public records performed at the time of a [[real estate]] transaction.
* [[Travel insurance]] is an insurance cover taken by those who travel abroad, which covers certain losses such as medical expenses, loss of personal belongings, travel delay, personal liabilities, etc.
===Insurance financing vehicles===
* Fraternal insurance is provided on a cooperative basis by [[Benefit society|fraternal benefit societies]] or other social organizations.[Margaret E. Lynch, Editor, "Health Insurance Terminology," Health Insurance Association of America, 1992, ISBN 1-879143-13-5]
* [[No-fault insurance]] is a type of insurance policy (typically automobile insurance) where insureds are indemnified by their own insurer regardless of fault in the incident.
* Protected Self-Insurance is an alternative risk financing mechanism in which an organization retains the mathematically calculated cost of risk within the organization and transfers the catastrophic risk with specific and aggregate limits to an insurer so the maximum total cost of the program is known. A properly designed and underwritten Protected Self-Insurance Program reduces and stabilizes the cost of insurance and provides valuable risk management information.
* [[Retrospectively Rated Insurance]] is a method of establishing a premium on large commercial accounts. The final premium is based on the insured's actual loss experience during the policy term, sometimes subject to a minimum and maximum premium, with the final premium determined by a formula. Under this plan, the current year's premium is based partially (or wholly) on the current year's losses, although the premium adjustments may take months or years beyond the current year's expiration date. The rating formula is guaranteed in the insurance contract. Formula: retrospective premium = converted loss + basic premium × tax multiplier. Numerous variations of this formula have been developed and are in use.
* Formal [[self insurance]] is the deliberate decision to pay for otherwise insurable losses out of one's own money. This can be done on a formal basis by establishing a separate fund into which funds are deposited on a periodic basis, or by simply forgoing the purchase of available insurance and paying out-of-pocket. Self insurance is usually used to pay for high-frequency, low-severity losses. Such losses, if covered by conventional insurance, mean having to pay a premium that includes loadings for the company's general expenses, cost of putting the policy on the books, acquisition expenses, premium taxes, and contingencies. While this is true for all insurance, for small, frequent losses the transaction costs may exceed the benefit of volatility reduction that insurance otherwise affords.
* [[Reinsurance]] is a type of insurance purchased by insurance companies or self-insured employers to protect against unexpected losses. [[Financial reinsurance]] is a form of reinsurance that is primarily used for capital management rather than to transfer insurance risk.
* [[Social insurance]] can be many things to many people in many countries. But a summary of its essence is that it is a collection of insurance coverages (including components of life insurance, disability income insurance, unemployment insurance, health insurance, and others), plus retirement savings, that requires participation by all citizens. By forcing everyone in society to be a policyholder and pay premiums, it ensures that everyone can become a claimant when or if he/she needs to. Along the way this inevitably becomes related to other concepts such as the justice system and the [[welfare state]]. This is a large, complicated topic that engenders tremendous debate, which can be further studied in the following articles (and others):
** [[National Insurance]]
** [[Social safety net]]
** [[Social security]]
** [[Social Security debate (United States)]]
** [[Social Security (United States)]]
** [[Social welfare provision]]
* Stop-loss insurance provides protection against catastrophic or unpredictable losses. It is purchased by organizations who do not want to assume 100% of the liability for losses arising from the plans. Under a stop-loss policy, the insurance company becomes liable for losses that exceed certain limits called deductibles.
===Closed community self-insurance===
Some communities prefer to create virtual insurance amongst themselves by other means than contractual risk transfer, which assigns explicit numerical values to risk. A number of [[religion|religious]] groups, including the [[Amish]] and some [[Muslim]] groups, depend on support provided by their [[community|communities]] when [[disaster]]s strike. The risk presented by any given person is assumed collectively by the community who all bear the cost of rebuilding lost property and supporting people whose needs are suddenly greater after a loss of some kind. In supportive communities where others can be trusted to follow community leaders, this tacit form of insurance can work. In this manner the community can even out the extreme differences in insurability that exist among its members. Some further justification is also provided by invoking the [[moral hazard]] of explicit insurance contracts.
In the [[United Kingdom]], [[The Crown]] (which, for practical purposes, meant the [[Civil service]]) did not insure property such as government buildings. If a government building was damaged, the cost of repair would be met from public funds because, in the long run, this was cheaper than paying insurance premiums. Since many UK government buildings have been sold to property companies, and rented back, this arrangement is now less common and may have disappeared altogether.
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