7 - Life Insurance Policy Provisions Flashcards
Free Look
what is it and what are the rules?
- Policy owner can return the policy for a complete refund
- Usually 10 days or more
- Begins when the owner receives the policy
Insuring Clause
What is it?
- Policy clause with a promise from the insurance company to pay
- Includes face amount
- Signed by an officer of the company
- Usually found on first page of the policy
Ownership Rights
What does this mean and what are the rights?
- The owner of the policy has the right to make changes and act upon the policy without consent from the beneficiary
- Name or change beni
- select settlement options
- Borrow or withdraw cash values
- Surrender or cancel the policy
- Assign or transfer ownership
- Select/change the premium payment mode
- Select nonforfeiture options
Assignment
What is it and what are the 2 types?
- Assigning ownership to another party
- Collateral Assignment - temporary assignment. Ex: pledge the death benefit to a loan.
- Absolute or Permanent - Change the owner to a child
Entire Contract
What makes up the entire contract?
- Policy
- Copy of application
- Any riders or amendments
Endorsements
What is an endorsement and what are the rules?
- Changes to the policy
- Must be aggreed upon by insurer and policy owner
- The agent cannot make changes only an executive officer can
Consideration
What is it and what does it mean for the insurer and the insured?
- Consideration is the exchange of value that is agreed upon
- Think of money
- Insured’s consideration - Premiums and truthful statements on the application
- Insurer’s consideration - pay benefits at the time of claim
Grace Period
What is it and how long does it last?
- If the insured forgets or misses a payment due date there is a grace period where the policy will stay in force
- Usually 31 days following the due date
- If insured dies during the grace period the policy will pay out minus the premium
Reinstatement
What is it and what are the rules?
- Reinstatment is the restoration of a lapsed policy as originally purchased.
- Reinstated up to 3 years
- The policy can not have been surrendered for cash
- Must pay missed premiums plus interest
- Prove insurability with a medical exam
- Premium will stay the same
Incontestability
What is this and how long does the period last?
- Incontestability starts two years after the policy is in force.
- The first two years the company can contest any part of the application and look into the accuracy of your claims
- After two years the company cannot contact your policy even if they have found you purposefully gave fraudulent information
- If a policy lapsed and was reinstated, a new contestability period starts
Suicide Clause
- Less then two years premiums are paid back
- Over two years face value paid in full
Misstatement of Age
What is it and how does the policy deal with it?
- Misrepresenting your age
- If older then stated, the policy will take out the difference in the premium payments that should have been paid given your age
- If younger, the policy will pay out more
- Incontestability provisions do not apply
Payment of Claims
How quickly do insurance companies have to pay claims?
- Payments are made immediately and no longer then 60 days
What are the 13 Life Insurance Policy Provisions?
- Free Look
- Insuring Clause
- Ownership Rights
- Assignment
- Entire Contract
- Modifications
- Consideration
- Payment of Premiums
- Grace Period
- Reinstatement
- Incontestability Provisions
- Misstatement of age or sex
- payment of claims
Beneficiaries
Who can be beneficiaries?
- Individuals
- Classes - “my children” “my siblings”
- Trusts
- Minors
- Estates
- Charities
- Universities