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Insurance, in law and economics, is
a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the
risk of a contingent loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable
transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in
exchange for a premium, and can be thought of as a guaranteed
small loss to prevent a large, possibly devastating loss. An
insurer is a company selling the insurance; an insured or
policyholder is the person or entity buying the insurance. The
insurance rate is a factor used to determine the amount to be
charged for a certain amount of insurance coverage, called the
premium. Risk management, the practice of appraising and
controlling risk, has evolved as a discrete field of study and
practice.
Any risk that can be quantified can potentially be insured.
Specific kinds of risk that may give rise to claims are known as
"perils". An insurance policy will set out in detail which
perils are covered by the policy and which are not. Below are
(non-exhaustive) lists of the many different types of insurance
that exist. A single policy may cover risks in one or more of
the categories set out below. For example, auto insurance would
typically cover both property risk (covering the risk of theft
or damage to the car) and liability risk (covering legal claims
from causing an accident). A homeowner's insurance policy in the
U.S. typically includes property insurance covering damage to
the home and the owner's belongings, liability insurance
covering certain legal claims against the owner, and even a
small amount of coverage for medical expenses of guests who are
injured on the owner's property.
Business insurance can be any kind of insurance that protects
businesses against risks. Some principal subtypes of business
insurance are (a) the various kinds of professional liability
insurance, also called professional indemnity insurance, which
are discussed below under that name; and (b) the business
owner's policy (BOP), which bundles into one policy many of the
kinds of coverage that a business owner needs, in a way
analogous to how homeowners insurance bundles the coverages that
a homeowner needs.

Auto
Insurance
Auto insurance protects you against financial loss if you have
an accident. It is a contract between you and the insurance
company. You agree to pay the premium and the insurance company
agrees to pay your losses as defined in your policy. Auto
insurance provides property, liability and medical coverage:
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Property
coverage pays for damage to or theft of your car.
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Liability
coverage pays for your legal responsibility to others for
bodily injury or property damage.
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Medical
coverage pays for the cost of treating injuries,
rehabilitation and sometimes lost wages and funeral
expenses.
An auto insurance policy comprises
six kinds of coverage. Most countries require you to buy some,
but not all, of these coverages. If you're financing a car, your
lender may also have requirements. Most auto policies are for
six months to a year.
In the United States, your insurance company should notify you
by mail when it’s time to renew the policy and to pay your
premium.

Homeowner
Insurance
Home insurance provides compensation for damage or destruction
of a home from disasters. In some geographical areas, the
standard insurances excludes certain types of disasters, such as
flood and earthquakes, that require additional coverage.
Maintenance-related problems are the homeowners' responsibility.
The policy may include inventory, or this can be bought as a
separate policy, especially for people who rent housing. In some
countries, insurers offer a package which may include liability
and legal responsibility for injuries and property damage caused
by members of the household, including pets.

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