Financial Services Insurance Policy Information
Financial Services Insurance. If you are in the financial advice business, then there are risks you face every day in the operation of your business. When you are in the business of financial services you help customers with managing their risk, building their wealth and reaching their financial goals. With so many outcomes out of your control, you must protect your business.
Having the right insurance is a good way for you to protect your financial business. Getting the right financial services insurance is a matter of knowing the risks you face and what you need to protect. Speaking with an experienced insurance agent is the way for you to get the best coverage.
Financial services insurance protects your shop from lawsuits with rates as low as $47/mo. Get a fast quote and your certificate of insurance now.
Below are some answers to commonly asked financial services insurance questions:
- What Is Financial Services Insurance?
- How Much Does Financial Services Insurance Cost?
- Why Do Financial Service Advisors Need Insurance?
- What Type Of Insurance Do Financial Services Need?
What Is Financial Services Insurance?
Financial services insurance refers to the coverage provided to financial institutions and their employees against various risks related to their operations. It protects financial institutions and their employees from losses due to fraud, errors, theft, cybercrime, or other criminal activities.
This type of insurance provides coverage for losses incurred due to the failure of products or services offered by the financial institution, such as investment and loan products. The insurance also protects financial institutions from losses due to the failure of third-party service providers, such as software providers or payment processors.
How Much Does Financial Services Insurance Cost?
The average price of a standard $1,000,000/$2,000,000 General Liability Insurance policy for small financial services businesses ranges from $47 to $59 per month based on location, size, payroll, sales and experience.
Why Do Financial Service Advisors Need Insurance?
Financial service advisors need insurance for several reasons:
Protection against liability claims: They may face claims from clients for errors, omissions, or professional malpractice in providing financial advice. Insurance protects them from financial losses in case of such claims.
Coverage for legal defense: If a client files a lawsuit, the advisor will need legal representation to defend themselves. Insurance provides coverage for the cost of legal defense, regardless of the outcome of the case.
Maintains professional reputation: In the event of a claim, insurance helps maintain the professional reputation of the advisor by covering the costs of settlement and avoiding a public legal battle.
Compliance with regulations: Many regulatory bodies require financial service advisors to have liability insurance as part of their licensing and compliance requirements.
Peace of mind: Having insurance provides peace of mind to the financial service advisor, knowing that they are protected against potential losses.
What Type Of Insurance Do Financial Services Need?
It doesn't matter the size of the operation you're running what you must ensure is that your operation is covered. Your business needs protection from things such as property loss, theft, adverse weather or fire, etc. If you're company deals with large sums of money, then ensure you get protection that's suitable for your operation. Most insurance plans you get for your financial services business will include general liability and property damage coverage. Here are some of the insurance plans you can consider for your business:
Professional Liability Insurance - Another name for this insurance is errors and omissions coverage. This insurance provides you with protection from a lawsuit against your business as a result of negligence. This financial services insurance helps with legal fees that come as a consequence of the trial. You must note that this insurance doesn't protect you if you are involved in criminal activity.
Identity Theft Expense Reimbursement Coverage - For financial institutions, this might be the most important part of their insurance portfolio. Losses suffered by your customers are reimbursed with this type of insurance included in your business.
Fidelity And Crime Insurance - If crime causes a loss of money or assets this insurance, this is the coverage you need. Your assets are covered from offenses such as embezzlement, forgery, counterfeiting and other financial crimes. A lawsuit against your company can cost your lots of money. This fact is the main reason why you should make getting financial services insurance for your business a top priority. Without it, you could lose everything you've work so hard to build.
Financial Service's Risks & Exposures
Premises liability exposure is often minimal since much of the client contact is done electronically or by mail. If clients visit the premises, they must be confined to designated areas to prevent them from overhearing conversations regarding other clients' confidential information.
To prevent slips, trips, and falls, all areas accessible to clients should be well lighted with floor coverings in good condition. The number of exits must be sufficient, and be well marked, with backup lighting in case of power failure.
Parking lots and sidewalks need to be in good repair with snow and ice removed, and generally level and free of exposure to slips and falls. Off-premises exposures arise from sales visits, training sessions, and similar work at the customer's premises. There should be policies and training as to off-site conduct by employees.
Professional liability exposures are extensive. Working with individual clients presents fewer professional exposures than working with corporate clients.
The exposure increases if the planner fails to conduct thorough background checks to verify employees' credentials and education, if clerical workers are allowed to do tasks that only professionals should handle, or if error checking procedures are ignored or are inadequate.
All employees must be appropriately certified for the financial planning provided. If financial products are sold, the appropriate licenses must be in place. All advice given must be documented. Very serious losses may result from failure to document decisions and actions or to secure client approval.
Workers compensation exposures are generally limited to those of an office. Since work is done on computers, potential injuries include eyestrain, neck strain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and similar cumulative trauma injuries that can be addressed through ergonomically designed workstations.
Some financial planners travel extensively off site for sales presentations and similar activities. Workers can be injured by slips and falls at clients' premises or in automobile accidents.
Property exposure is generally limited to that of an office, although there may be some incidental storage or an area for meetings. Ignition sources include electrical wiring, heating, and air conditioning systems, wear, and overheating of equipment. Computers and other electronic equipment may be targets for theft.
Crime exposure is from employee dishonesty, which can be quite serious as financial planners routinely have access to their clients' personal financial information, such as banking and investment accounts. Potential for theft, directly or by means of identity theft, is great.
Hazards increase without proper background checks, along with monitoring procedures and securing of all records to prevent unauthorized access.
All job duties, such as ordering, billing and disbursing should be separate and reconciled on a regular basis. Receipts should be issued for any cash payments received. Bank deposits should be made on a timely basis to limit the buildup of cash on premises. Audits should be performed at least annually.
Inland marine exposures consist of accounts receivable if the firm offers credit, computers, and valuable papers and records for customers' and vendors' information. Clients' records and approvals are typically originals that are difficult to re-create.
Power failure and power surges are potentially severe hazards. A morale hazard may be indicated if the insured does not keep valuable papers and disks in fireproof file cabinets to protect them from smoke, water, and fire. Duplicates should be kept off-site to allow for re-creation in the event of a loss.
Business auto exposure is generally limited to hired and non-owned. If vehicles are provided to employees, there should be written procedures in place regarding personal use by employees and their family members.
All drivers must have appropriate licenses and acceptable MVRs. Vehicles must be maintained, and records kept in a central location.
Commercial Insurance And Business Industry Classification
- SIC CODE: 6282 Investment Advice
- NAICS CODE: 523930 Investment Advice, 523920 Portfolio Management
- Suggested Workers Compensation Code(s): 8803 Auditor, Accountant, or Computer System Designer or Programmer - Traveling, 8810 Clerical Office Employees NOC
Description for 6282: Investment Advice
Division H: Finance, Insurance, And Real Estate | Major Group 62: Security And Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges, And Services | Industry Group 628: Services Allied With The Exchange Of Securities
6282 Investment Advice Establishments primarily engaged in furnishing investment information and advice to companies and individuals concerning securities and commodities on a contract or fee basis. Establishments that provide advice and also act as brokers or dealers are classified in Industry 6211.
- Futures advisory service
- Investment advisory service
- Investment counselors
- Investment research
- Manager of mutual funds, contract or fee basis
Financial Services Insurance - The Bottom Line
Protecting your business is important. Without the proper financial services insurance protection in place, you could lose everything in your business. When running your financial services business, you must always be prepared.
Many things can go wrong in your finance and insurance business, and this is the reason you must have the best insurance when it does. Being sued is one of the worst things that can happen to your business but when you are insured you minimize loss.
Additional Resources For Professional Services Insurance
Get informed about small business professional services insurance, including Professional liability, aka errors and omissions (E&O insurance), that protects your business against claims that a professional service you provided caused your client financial loss.
- Accounting
- Actuaries
- Answering Service
- Architects
- Armored Car
- Attorney Lawyer
- Auctioneer
- Auditor
- Background Music Services
- Bookkeeping
- Business Consulting
- Chemical Engineers
- Civil Engineers
- Claims Adjuster
- Commercial Laundries
- Commodity Broker
- Corporate Wellness
- Couriers
- Court Reporter
- Credit Bureaus
- Debt Collection Agency
- Draftsman
- Detective Agency
- Diaper Services
- Electrical Engineering
- Engineering
- Environmental Consultant
- Executive, Career & Life Coaching
- Executive Search Firm
- Expert Witness
- Financial Planner
- Financial Services
- Funeral Directors
- HR Consultant
- Inspection Bureaus
- Insurance Agents & Brokers Insurance
- Interpreter
- Mediator - Arbitrator
- Medical Billing
- Music, Drama & Dance Therapy
- Notary
- Office Machine Repair & Maintenance
- Piano Tuners
- Project Management
- Safety Consultants
- Speakers Bureaus
- Stockbrokers
- Surveyor
- Temporary Staffing
- Tax Preparer
- Title Abstractors
- Valet Parking
- Specialty Consultants
- Specialty Service Business
The professional services industry, which includes occupations such as lawyers, doctors, accountants, and architects, often deals with sensitive and complex issues that carry a high risk of liability. These professionals are expected to provide their clients with expert advice and guidance, and any mistakes or oversights can result in significant financial consequences for both the client and the professional. This is where insurance comes into play.
Business insurance provides protection against the financial repercussions of potential mistakes or accidents that may occur while providing professional services. For example, a lawyer may make an error in their legal representation that leads to a financial loss for their client. Without insurance, the lawyer would be personally responsible for covering the cost of this loss. Insurance helps to protect professionals from these types of financial burdens and allows them to focus on providing high-quality services to their clients.
In addition to protecting against financial losses, commercial insurance can also provide legal defense for professionals facing legal action as a result of their work. This can be especially important for professionals in high-stress or high-risk fields, such as doctors or architects, who may be at a higher risk of being sued for professional negligence.
Overall, the professional services industry needs insurance to protect against financial losses and legal action, ensuring that professionals can continue to provide high-quality services to their clients without the added stress and burden of potential financial consequences.
Minimum recommended small business insurance coverage: Business Personal Property, Employee Dishonesty, Accounts Receivable, Computers, Valuable Papers and Records, General Liability, Employee Benefits Liability, Professional Liability, Umbrella Liability, Hired and Non-owned Auto Liability & Workers Compensation.
Other commercial insurance policies to consider: Building, Business Income with Extra Expense, Earthquake, Equipment Breakdown, Flood, Computer Fraud, Forgery, Money and Securities, Special Floater, Cyber Liability, Employment-related Practices Liability, Business Auto Liability and Physical Damage and Stop Gap Liability.
