Explain insurance, importance of insurance and types of insurance policies.

Answer:
Insurance:
An arrangement by which a company or the state undertakes to provide a guarantee of compensation for specified loss, damage, illness, or death in return for payment of a specified premium.
Risk-transfer mechanism that ensures full or partial financial compensation for the loss or damage caused by event(s) beyond the control of the insured party. Under an insurance contract, a party (the insurer) indemnifies the other party (the insured) against a specified amount of loss, occurring from specified eventualities within a specified period, provided a fee called premium is paid. 
Importance of Insurance:
            There are some points of importance of insurance.
1.      Provide safety and security:
Insurance provide financial support and reduce uncertainties in business and human life. It provides safety and security against particular event. There is always a fear of sudden loss. Insurance provides a cover against any sudden loss. For example, in case of life insurance financial assistance is provided to the family of the insured on his death. In case of other insurance security is provided against the loss due to fire, marine, accidents etc.
2.      Generates financial resources:
Insurance generate funds by collecting premium. These funds are invested in government securities and stock. These funds are gainfully employed in industrial development of a country for generating more funds and utilized for the economic development of the country. Employment opportunities are increased by big investments leading to capital formation.
3.      Life insurance encourages savings:
Insurance does not only protect against risks and uncertainties, but also provides an investment channel too. Life insurance enables systematic savings due to payment of regular premium. Life insurance provides a mode of investment. It develops a habit of saving money by paying premium. The insured get the lump sum amount at the maturity of the contract. Thus, life insurance encourages savings.
4.      Promotes economic growth:
Insurance generates significant impact on the economy by mobilizing domestic savings. Insurance turn accumulated capital into productive investments. Insurance enables to mitigate loss, financial stability and promotes trade and commerce activities those results into economic growth and development. Thus, insurance plays a crucial role in sustainable growth of an economy.
5.      Medical support:
A medical insurance considered essential in managing risk in health. Anyone can be a victim of critical illness unexpectedly. And rising medical expense is of great concern. Medical Insurance is one of the insurance policies that cater for different type of health risks. The insured gets a medical support in case of medical insurance policy.
6.      Spreading of risk:
Insurance facilitates spreading of risk from the insured to the insurer. The basic principle of insurance is to spread risk among a large number of people. A large number of persons get insurance policies and pay premium to the insurer. Whenever a loss occurs, it is compensated out of funds of the insurer.
7.      Source of collecting funds:
Large funds are collected by the way of premium. These funds are utilized in the industrial development of a country, which accelerates the economic growth. Employment opportunities are increased by such big investments. Thus, insurance has become an important source of capital formation.
Types of Insurance Policies:
1.      Gap insurance
Guaranteed Auto Protection (GAP) insurance is also known as GAPS and was established in North American financial industry. GAP insurance is the difference between the actual cash value of a vehicle and the balance still owed on the financing (car loan, lease, etc.).
2.      Health insurance
Health insurance is a type of insurance coverage that covers the cost of an insured individual's medical and surgical expenses. Depending on the type of health insurance coverage, either the insured pays costs out-of-pocket and is then reimbursed, or the insurer makes payments directly to the provider.

3.      Income protection insurance

Income Protection Insurance (IPI) is an insurance policy, available principally in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, paying benefits to policyholders who are incapacitated and hence unable to work due to illness or accident.

4.      Casualty insurance
Casualty insurance is a problematically defined term, which broadly encompasses insurance not directly concerned with life insurance, health insurance, or property insurance. It is mainly liability coverage of an individual or organization for negligent acts or omissions.
5.      Life insurance
Insurance that pays out a sum of money either on the death of the insured person or after a set period.
6.      Burial insurance
“Burial insurance” usually refers to a whole life insurance policy with a death benefit of from $5,000 to $25,000. As its nickname implies, people buy this type of policy to provide money for funeral and burial costs for themselves and/or family members.
7.      Property insurance
Property insurance is a policy that provides financial reimbursement to the owner or renter of a structure and its contents, in the event of damage or theft. Property insurance can include homeowner’s insurance, renter’s insurance, flood insurance and earthquake insurance.
8.      Liability insurance
Liability insurance is a part of the general insurance system of risk financing to protect the purchaser (the "insured") from the risks of liabilities imposed by lawsuits and similar claims. It protects the insured in the event he or she is sued for claims that come within the coverage of the insurance policy.
9.      Credit insurance

Credit insurance is a type of life insurance policy purchased by a borrower that pays off one or more existing debts in the event of a death, disability, or in rare cases, unemployment.

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