Chapter 2: Life Insurance Basics Flashcards
What can death benefits be used for with a life insurance policy?
can help cover the ost of final expenses and funeral costs, pay off outstanding debts such as a mortgage, loss of income to a survivor, and even future education expenses for dependents.
Define policyowner
the purchaser of a life insurance policy (applicant or person applying for insurance coverage, and is responsible for completing the application)
What does the policyowner control?
The policy, and they maintain the right to make all decisions regarding coverages
Who is the insured in a life insurance policy?
the insured is the individual whose life is covered under the policy
When are death benefit proceeds payable?
upon death of the insured
Can a policyowner be the insured?
yes
Define third-party ownership
If the policy is owned by a person other than the insured (for example, policies may be owned by a spouse, parent, or even an employer of the insured)
What needs to exist in the agreement for a life insurance contract to be valid?
an insurable interest between the owner (applicant) and insured before the policy will be issued
What constitutes that insurable interest exists in a life insurance policy?
Insurable interest exists if the insured’s death would result in a financial or economic loss by the owner
Give examples of insurable interest
a spouse, other immediate family members, business partners, or creditors of the insured. A person automatically has an unlimited insurable interest in his or her own self
Define beneficiary
Someone who will receive the policy proceeds, or death benefit, under the contract if the insured dies while the policy is in force
Can the insured be the beneficiary of a life insurance policy?
no
What must a producer need to do before taking an application for life insurance?
- assess the potential client’s financial information
- assess the client’s goals
- assess the client’s objectives to calculate the appropriate amount of insurance needed
- recommend which type of policy should be applied for
J is named in a policy as the individual who is entitled to receive the policy proceeds upon the death of T. Which of the following statements best applies to this scenario?
a. J is named as the owner of T’s policy
b. T is the insured in the policy and J is the named beneficiary
c. T is the owner and beneficiary of the policy
d. J is the insured and beneficiary of the policy
B. T is the insured in the policy and J is the named beneficiary
Based on the information provided, the only assumption that can be made is that T is the insured and J is the named beneficiary. The owner of the policy is not specified and could either be J or T.
A life insurance policy is being applied for on Z’s life. In order for the contract to be valid, all of the following have an insurable interest and could be the owner of the policy, except:
a. Z
b. Z’s spouse
c. Z’s neighbor
d. Z’s business partner
C. Z’s neighbor
Insurable interest is defined as having a relationship that would result in a financial or economic loss if the insured dies. A neighbor is not an example of a party that meets this definition
Who are the producers?
The initial point of contact for most insurance transactions.
What can transacting insurance involve?
It can involve any of four different phases in the sale of products: solicitation, negotiation, execution of a contract, and handling matters subsequent to a contract
What must be provided to the applicant at the time of application or no later than policy delivery?
- buyer’s guide
- policy summary
What is a buyer’s guide?
A generic brochure developed by the NAIC to assist prospective buyers of life insurance. Description of all basic types of life insurance as well as comparative costs of each are included
What is a policy summary?
A computer-generated illustration detailing the premiums (current and guaranteed) to be paid, current and guaranteed interest rates, guaranteed and non-guaranteed values, and projected dividends, and the producer/insurer’s name and address
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) what must the insurance do?
- the applicant must be notified and give written consent for a third party
- This information is disclosed as part of the application
- The signature of the applicant give the insurance company the right to obtain the various investigative, medical, and financial reports needed to complete the underwriting process
What does HIPPA require?
all individually identifiable health information obtained on an applicant during the underwriting process must remain confidential and the applicant’s privacy must be protected
Before an insurer can share any medical information what must happen?
- the applicant must be notified of the treatment of the information
- the applicant must be notified of the rights to maintain privacy
- the applicant must be notified of an opportunity to refuse the dissemination of the information
What must insurers avoid when working risks of HIV or AIDS?
They must avoid making or permitting unfair discrimination between individuals of the same class int he underwriting for the risks of HIV or AIDS.
Before testing the applicant for HIV what must the insurer do?
maintain strict confidentiality of personal information of testing and have written consent of the applicant before testing for HIV
What does the HIV Consent Form contain?
Explains the purpose of the test, confidentiality, and that test results will only be disclosed to a physician as directed by the applicant
What must applications be informed about regarding HIV test results come back positive?
The testing for HIV may determine insurability and insurance companies may refuse to issue a policy to individuals based on positive HIV restuls
What is replacement?
any transaction in which a new life policy or annuity is to be purchased, and the producer knows or should know that the existing contract will be:
- lapsed, forfeited, surrendered, or terminated
- Reduced in value
- amended with a reduction in benefit or term
- Reissued with a reduced cash value
- subjected to borrowing
Define conservation
the act of saving or keeping the existing policy and preventing it from being replaced
Define Existing Insurer
the insurer that issued the current policy to be replaced
Define Replacing Insurer
the insurer responsible for issuing the new policy that will replace the existing polcy
What are the responsibilities of the Producer?
- completing a Notice Regarding Raplacement which must be signed by the applicant and producer
- Obtaining information regarding any existing policies, including the names of the existing insurers and policy numbers (this must be provided to the replacing insurer)
- Providing copies of the Notice Regarding Replacement and any sales proposals to the applicant and replacing insurer
What are the responsibilities of the replacing insurer?
- notifying the existing insurer of the planned replacement upon receiving proper notification with the new application
- maintaining copies of the information regarding replacement for a specified period of time
HIPAA’s privacy rules are implemented to:
a. allow an insurer to obtain investigative, medical, and financial reports to complete the underwriting process
b. protect the applicant from providing evidence of insurability
c. require all insurers to perform testing for HIV
d. protect the privacy of all individually identifiable health information
d. protect the privacy of all individually identifiable health information
Information from a third party collected by the insurance company in the application for insurance and during underwriting of the policy may be subject to the jurisdiction of which of the following?
a. Unfair Claims Practices Act
b. USA PATRIOT Act
c. HIPAA
d. Fair Credit Reporting Act
d. Fair Credit Reporting Act
The Fair Credit Reporting Act has jurisdiction over information collected through a third-party for underwriting purposes
Define application
a written formal request, by an applicant, to an insurer requesting the insurer issues a policy based upon the information contained in the application
Short answer: the consumer making an offer to the insurer
Define field underwriting
gathering information beyond the stated questions
What is the primary source of information?
the application
What signatures are required on the application?
the producer’s and the applicant/insured’s signatures
Who needs to initiate changes in the application after the application is complete?
the applicant
Can the producer make changes without the knowledge of the applicant?
No
Who’s responsibility is it to make sure the application is filled out completely, correctly, and to the best of the applicant’s knowledge?
the producer
What does the underwriter do?
they will usually reject an incomplete application and return it to the producer for completion by the applicant