Specialty Insurance

Financial institutions are one of the most difficult classes of directors and officers liability to insure because they are subject to significant regulatory and civil actions against their directors and officers. This explanation of insurance benefits is provided by Insurance Marketplace.

Farms and ranches have always been considered a specialty line of insurance. Some major carriers have separate divisions to underwrite farm, ranch and/or agribusiness risks. Dwellings, farm buildings, equipment, and livestock at one location can expose significant values to a single loss. Most farm properties are unprotected and do not have readily available water or paid fire department service. Policies written on farms and agribusinesses often combine both personal and commercial property and liability exposures. Larger farms and corporate farms are usually underwritten as commercial lines while family farms are underwritten as more personal lines. This explanation of insurance benefits is provided by Insurance Marketplace.

Financial institutions' theft and trust exposures are significant and require underwriting specialists to analyze and insure them. Banks, savings and loan associations, mortgage bankers, and other financial institutions' exposures are based on their balance sheets, services offered, contractual obligations, and regulatory compliance. The exposures must be analyzed thoroughly to determine the exposures that must be insured and the ones that can be minimized or self-insured. By using deductibles, large cash and securities exposures can be covered more efficiently and proper attention paid to the truly catastrophic exposures. Some of the more important specialized coverages include financial institution bonds, errors and omissions coverage for trust department operations, lenders' single interest coverage on auto and vehicle loans, mortgage errors and omissions, and financial consultants' errors and omissions coverages. Directors and officers' liability coverage must also be considered. This explanation of insurance benefits is provided by Insurance Marketplace.

Fine arts insurance coverage on both personal and commercial exposures and collections is usually written under inland marine coverage forms. In most cases, each item is scheduled and insured for specific stated amount. Because statuary, sculptures, paintings, and antiques are "one-of-a-kind" art objects, competent appraisers must determine their values. These values should be adjusted regularly because of the inconstancy in the art market that can cause values to skyrocket and then plunge. Security and loss prevention measures that are subject to enforceable warranties are often required. This explanation of insurance benefits is provided by Insurance Marketplace.

Comprehensive insurance programs are available for firearms wholesalers, distributors, retailers, gunsmiths, ammunition manufacturers, and indoor and outdoor shooting ranges. They are treated as specialty business because of the hazards that firearms and live ammunition present. Commercial general liability, products liability, and broad form vendors' coverages are important because many state and federal regulations require them. Property coverage on firearms and ammunition may also be available. Deductibles usually apply to premises hazards. This explanation of insurance benefits is provided by Insurance Marketplace.

Health foods have become more popular because of concerns about the potential problems with foods grown using a variety of pesticides, herbicides, and other chemical compounds. Property and casualty insurance programs that include products liability coverage are available to manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers of a wide range of health food products. This industry includes natural foods, organic foods, food supplements, and personal care products. This explanation of insurance benefits is provided by Insurance Marketplace.

Inland marine coverage forms and policies insure owned vending machines when located away from the insured's premises. Coverage extends to such property while in transit but not when on the insured’s premises. This explanation of insurance benefits is provided by Insurance Marketplace.