Insurance Basics

Certificates of insurance, policy structure, claims, and the vocabulary every buyer needs.

Guides

Admitted vs Non Admitted Carriers: What the Difference Means for PlacementWhat admitted vs non admitted means in practice, filed rates and guaranty fund protection versus surplus lines freedom of rate and form, and when to use each.

What Is a BOP? The Business Owners Policy ExplainedWhat a businessowners policy (BOP) bundles, who qualifies for one, what it excludes, how it compares to separate policies, and what drives its annual cost.

Certificate Holder vs. Additional Insured: What Is the Difference?Certificate holder vs additional insured compared. What each status grants, what it costs, how to upgrade to real policy rights, and contract mistakes to avoid.

How to Read Loss Runs Like an UnderwriterHow to read loss runs column by column. Paid, reserved, and incurred amounts, valuation dates, how underwriters score them, and pre-marketing cleanup.

What Is a Certificate of Insurance (COI) and When Do You Need One?What a certificate of insurance proves, when landlords and contractors will ask for one, and why a COI alone never makes anyone an additional insured.