Premium Refund (2024)

What Does Premium Refund Mean?

A premium refund is a clause in some insurance policies that grants the beneficiaries a refund to the total amount of premiums paid to date.

Depending on the contract and type of insurance, it will grant a refund of the premiums you paid if you die before that term runs out or if you voluntarily end your coverage. With this provision, an insurance provider will pay back a portion or all of the policyholder's premiums under certain circ*mstances.

Premium refunds are not limited to whole life insurance. It is also available for different policies, including travel, health, auto and credit insurance, to name a few. These riders can often make your monthly premiums more expensive for your policy.

Such a feature can help those on the fence about buying insurance or getting more specialized coverages like critical illness and disability. For those concerned about affordability, should you decide you don't need or cannot afford the policy, you can cancel or surrender your policy and access those funds.

This clause is sometimes referred to as a return of premium insurance rider.

Insuranceopedia Explains Premium Refund

The most common type of premium refund occurs when the insurance is purchased for a specific time frame, but the policyholder cancels it before that time is up. If the insurance has gone unused, a refund is issued. Refunds are still possible if some money has been paid through the policy, but it is more difficult to acquire.

To qualify for a premium refund, the policyholder must contact the insurance company to request a cancellation. They will then need to sign a form that the insurer will provide them. In most cases, the insurance company will issue a check for the premium refund amount.

The premium refund is, generally, significantly lower than the premium. Insurance is something you buy and hope you never need. And such a feature can help push those on the fence about getting more specialized coverages like critical illness and disability.

Premium refund also acts as guaranteed savings that simultaneously provides you with income protection if you need to cancel and get the extra premium back, which can provide reassurance to policyholders, particularly those who are risk-averse.

Premium Refund (2024)

FAQs

What is a premium refund in insurance? ›

Insurance Premium Refund. ★ 2.9. Rated by 14 readers. An insurance refund refers to when the insurance company returns a part of the premium paid by the policyholder, usually due to the cancellation of the policy before its expiration date, overpayment of premiums, or adjustments made to the policy terms.

Why did I get a premium refund check? ›

A premium refund is a clause in some insurance policies that grants the beneficiaries a refund to the total amount of premiums paid to date. Depending on the contract and type of insurance, it will grant a refund of the premiums you paid if you die before that term runs out or if you voluntarily end your coverage.

What disqualifies you from the premium tax credit? ›

A19. If you enroll in an employer-sponsored plan, including retiree coverage, that is minimum essential coverage you are not eligible for the Premium Tax Credit for your Marketplace coverage, even if the employer plan is unaffordable or fails to provide minimum value.

Is an insurance premium refund considered income? ›

@pgarside You will report your Refund of Premiums as 'Other Income'. You are only being taxed on this income once. If you were able to deduct all or part of the premiums as a Self Employment Expense previously, you are actually only paying tax on any amount that exceeded your expenses.

What is experience premium refund? ›

Experience refund is the portion of an insurance company's premiums or profits that is returned to the policyholder if the insurer's loss experience is better than expected. An experience refund is provided to a policyholder by the insurer, or to a ceding insurer by a reinsurer.

How do insurance refunds work? ›

Insurance refunds are typically issued through the same payment method you use to pay for your insurance. So, if you pay your premium with a check, you'll usually get an insurance refund check. Likewise, if you pay with a credit card, your refund will appear as a credit on your card balance.

Can I spend my refund check? ›

You are allowed to spend your refund check in whatever manner that you want to; just keep in mind the options that will keep you in a comfortable place.

Why did I get an unearned premium refund? ›

Unearned premiums may be subject to return if a client ends coverage before the term covered by the premium is complete. An unearned premium may be returned when an insured item is declared a total loss and coverage is no longer required, or when the insurance provider cancels the coverage.

What is the minimum and deposit premium refund? ›

Minimum and deposit premium is a premium that is fully earned by the insurer at the inception of the policy and is nonrefundable if the policy is canceled.

Who cannot claim premium credit? ›

To be eligible for the premium tax credit, your household income must be at least 100 percent and, for years other than 2021 and 2022, no more than 400 percent of the federal poverty line for your family size, although there are two exceptions for individuals with household income below 100 percent of the applicable ...

How do I know if I had premium tax credit? ›

If you had a Marketplace plan with the premium tax credit. You should get your 1095-A form by mail no later than mid-February. It may be available in your Marketplace account as soon as mid-January.

What happens to unused premium tax credit? ›

This means that each time you pay your monthly health insurance premium, the cost will be reduced. month. This means you'll pay more for your health insurance each month and receive the remainder of the unused APTC as a refund when you file your taxes next year.

Is a return premium a refund? ›

Return premium, a term commonly used in the insurance industry, refers to the amount of money refunded to a policyholder when certain conditions result in the policyholder overpaying for insurance coverage.

Does refund count as income? ›

If you receive a refund of (or credit for) state or local income taxes in a year after the year in which you paid them, you may have to include the refund in income in the year you receive it.

Why do I owe taxes because of health insurance? ›

If there's a difference between the amount of the premium tax credit you used during the year and the amount you actually qualify for, it will impact your refund or the amount of taxes you owe. You'll include Form 8962 with your federal tax return. Get details on how to reconcile.

What is the return premium on insurance? ›

What is a Return Premium? Return premium, a term commonly used in the insurance industry, refers to the amount of money refunded to a policyholder when certain conditions result in the policyholder overpaying for insurance coverage.

What is a premium refund check state farm? ›

At the end of the term, if the death benefit hasn't been paid and you've made your scheduled premium payments, you'll be refunded the money you've paid over the level premium period less any loan you may have taken, and accrued loan interest not paid on the policy. You can use that money however you wish.

What does plans that return my premium mean? ›

A term insurance plan with return of premium is a pure protection plan that offers to return all the premiums paid during the policy term if the policyholder outlives it. Policyholder may add other family members for the life cover.

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