House and Home Insurance Glossary of Terms
This article supplements our main guide on house and home insurance for Spain, due to the complex jargon, definitions and terms that the house insurance industry uses, we have put together this glossary which gives you definitions and explanations of the various terms used when looking into taking out insurance cover for your buildings cover or house and home contents in Spain.
Glossary of Home Owners Insurance Terms
By Howard Bell
Actual Cash Value (ACV): It is the dollar amount that a buyer is willing to pay to a seller who is willing to accept without undue pressure. FMV: It is also an estimate or appraisal based on comparisons to other like structures.
Actuary: An insurance professional trained in assessing risk and pricing policies. The actuary creates the methodology that determines rates.
Additional Living Expense: Covers additional living expenses when incurred due to a loss.
Adjuster: An individual employed by the insurance company to evaluate loss and settle policyholder claims. Independent adjusters: Independent contractors who work for different insurance companies.
Appraisal: A survey to estimate a property’s insurable value or the amount of a loss.
Agent: A licensed individual trained authorized to represent an insurance company to interested buyers and to be their representative.
Arbitration: The insurance company and the insured agree to a procedure to settle a dispute by accepting the decision made by a third party.
Binder: A short-term agreement providing temporary insurance coverage until the policy can be issued.
Broker: A licensed individual who transacts insurance on your behalf.
Claim: Notice to an insurance company from a policyholder that a loss has occurred that may be covered under the terms of the policy
Declarations: The first page of a policy that contains the legal name of the insurance company, your name and address and policy number. It may also print the effective and expiration dates, premium amount and any deductibles.
Deductible: That portion of the total loss that a policyholder is responsible for before the insurance company has an obligation to pay.
Depreciation: A decrease in value due to age, wear and tear or obsolescence.
Endorsement: A written agreement that changes the terms of an insurance policy.
Exclusion: A provision in an insurance policy that denies or restricts coverage of something specific.
Medical Expense: Medical coverage per person and per accident for injuries occurring on your premises to someone other than an insured. Personal Liability: See Medical Expense.
Mobile Homes: This coverage is considered residential if the mobile home is an established permanent residence.
Premium: The price of insurance paid to the insurance company for a policy.
Quote: An estimate of the cost of insurance.
Replacement Cost Coverage: Provides money to repair or replace damaged property with new, like kind property, without deductions fro depreciation. Replacement cost policies cover the full cost of replacing the damage to your home up to your policy’s limits.
* Extended Replacement Cost Coverage that will provide a certain percentage over the policy limit to rebuild. When building costs rise you will have some extra money to cover the bill.
* Guaranteed Replacement Cost This policy pays out whatever it costs to rebuild your home as it was before the disaster, regardless of the increase in value.
About the author: Howard Bell for http://yourpropertypath.com
Related Pages: This article on buildings insurance in Spain comes under the main section of home and house insurance in Spain.