Jargon Buster

Act of God

How insurance companies refer to an event that isn't any individual's fault. Admiral insures you against most things defined as Acts of God, with just a few exceptions mentioned in your policy.

Additional premium

An extra amount you might have to pay, usually because of a change to your car, your circumstances or who's insured on your policy.

Annual premium

What you pay every year for your insurance. Although it's annual, with Admiral you can pay it over 10 or 12 months so it's easier to budget.

Betterment

If your property is in better condition after an insurance repair than it was before you claimed, you may be asked to make a contribution towards the repair. Usually applies more to house insurance than vehicle insurance.

Bonus Accelerator

A great way to build up your No Claims Bonus, it gives you a year's No Claims Bonus in just 10 months. To find out more take a look at our Bonus Accelerator page.

Buildings insurance

Admiral Buildings insurance covers the structure of your house and some outbuildings, such as your garage.

Certificate

Your certificate is proof that you've taken out insurance for your vehicle. You might need to show it when you're taxing your car or driving abroad, or if asked by the Police to show your documents - so keep it safe!

Claim

If your property (car, house, etc) is damaged, check your Admiral insurance policy to see if its covered then make a claim. If the incident is covered, then we'll compensate you for the damage.

Comprehensive cover

The highest level of car insurance. It covers you for fire, theft and damage to a third party or their property, plus damage to your own vehicle.

Concealment

If you deliberately don't tell us something - for example if your car has a non-standard, high performance engine - then it's likely your insurance will be invalid and won't be able to make a claim. It pays to be honest!

Condition

A policy rule you must comply with to make sure your insurance is valid. For example, the condition might be that no one under 21 can drive your sports car.

Contents insurance

Admiral Home Insurance offers contents insurance, which covers what's inside your house and some outbuildings, including your garage (but not your car).

Direct

Admiral insurance is available direct from our website or over the phone. Because we don't use high street shops, we can keep our costs down, which means your premiums are lower too.

Endorsement

A specific change to your insurance policy. For example, it might say your insurance doesn't cover your car for business purposes (i.e. as a taxi). The endorsement will be shown on your certificate or schedule of insurance.

European cover

Your Admiral car insurance covers you for driving in all the EU countries plus Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Croatia. For more information see Driving abroad.

Excess

The amount of money you have to pay towards a claim, for example the first £50. We explain it all in How the excess works.

Fault claim

This is any claim you make on your insurance, where we can't get back 100% of the claim costs from the other party. Even if you only accept part blame or fault, it still counts as a fault claim, and might affect your No Claims Bonus.

Financial Ombudsman Service

The Financial Ombudsman Service is there to help, in the unlikely event that you and we have tried everything to settle a disagreement between us, and still can't sort it out. The Financial Ombudsman Service is independent. We have to comply with its final decision, but if you're still not happy you can take the dispute to court.

FSA - Financial Services Authority

The Financial Services Authority is an independent organisation, which regulates our services.

Green card

If you're driving abroad, you need to take this document to prove you have insurance cover. You don't need it for most of the countries in Europe, but a few still expect it.

Home Insurance

Admiral Home Insurance offers cover whether you want buildings insurance, contents insurance or buildings and contents insurance combined.

Insurance Premium Tax

A tax the government imposes on most insurance policies. Our quotes always include Insurance Premium Tax.

Key features

When you insure your car, bike or whatever through Admiral we are required to provide a document showing the key features of the insurance. It's something we'd do anyway, because we like to make everything clear and helpful.

Knock for knock

You might have heard of this practice, where each insurance company paid for the damage to its policyholder's car (as long as they had comprehensive insurance), regardless of who was to blame. It wasn't fair on careful drivers, who could lose their no claims bonus, so the practice was stopped.

Lapse

If you tell us you don't want to renew your insurance, it lapses and no longer covers whatever was insured. At Admiral, we give you plenty of notice and reminders when your insurance is due for renewal.

Legal expenses insurance

Your Admiral policy may well include this, and it's worth having, because it covers the cost of solicitors, uninsured losses and other legal expenses (up to the limit shown in your policy) if a claim has to go to court.

Liability

The legal term for being responsible for injuring someone or damaging their property.

Lord Nelson

Not an insurance term - just the most famous Admiral we could think of!

Loss

Sometimes used instead of claim.

Loss assessor

Someone who decides the amount of a claim. For example, if your car is damaged in an accident, the loss assessor will have a look at it and work out how much it would cost to repair, which then becomes the amount of the claim.

Market value

What your car, bike, van or house would be worth if it was sold today on the open market.

Material fact

An important fact that would affect our decision to cover you, and how much the premium would be. For example, if you had motoring convictions, that would be a material fact and you'd need to tell us about it.

Motor policies

Simply another way of describing insurance for cars, motorbikes and vans.

Motor insurance anti-fraud and theft register

Every motor insurance company notifies this register when there's a claim for a vehicle that's stolen or a write-off. It means we can check that no one's claimed twice or more for the same vehicle.

Named driver

Anyone named on your policy who isn't the main driver.

New for old

This mostly applies to contents insurance. New for old cover means that if you have something stolen or damaged, the insurance pays for it to be replaced by the new equivalent. Admiral Home Insurance don't take any money off for wear or tear, or betterment.

No claims bonus

Your reward for driving carefully and not making a claim, which entitles you to a no claims bonus that reduces your premium. See How the No Claims Bonus works.

Non-disclosure

Similar to concealment, where you forget - accidentally or on purpose - to tell us a material fact that could affect your insurance. Unfortunately, it could mean your insurance isn't valid, so please remember to tell us everything relevant.

Non-fault claim

Any claim you make where we determine the accident wasn't your fault and can recover 100% of the claim costs from the other party's insurers.

Policy

The document that gives full details of your insurance - so keep it safe! You can also find a copy of your Admiral policy document here.

Policyholder

This is you, when you take out our insurance.

Premium

The amount you pay for your insurance - in one go or spread out over the duration of the policy, if you prefer.

Property damage

Damage caused to your house or insured outbuildings by events like a fire, flood or storm.

Proposal form

The document you complete so you can apply for insurance. With Admiral, you can fill it in online or if you call us, we'll fill it in for you over the phone.

Quote

The price we say your insurance will cost. As long as you've given us all the correct details, what we quote is what you'll pay.

Renewal

When your period of insurance ends, and it's time to take out insurance for the next period.

Renewal notice

A reminder that your insurance will run out soon, and that you need to renew it. Admiral automatically sends you a renewal notice in plenty of time for you to arrange renewal.

Schedule

The document that describes the specific terms of your insurance. The policy tells you the general terms, while the schedule shows the details that are unique to you, such as any extra excess or conditions.

Third party

Someone involved in a claim who isn't you the policyholder or us, the insurance provider.

Third Party Only

By law, this is the minimum insurance you can have for your car, bike or van. It just covers you against injuring someone or damaging their property. There are more details at Which level of cover?

Third Party, Fire & Theft

Insurance that covers your car, motorbike or van for damage by fire or if it's stolen. It's one step up from Third Party Only insurance, but doesn't give you as much protection as comprehensive. To help you choose what level you want, look at our Which level of cover? page.

Total loss

The same as a write-off: a total loss is when your car, motorbike or van is so badly damaged that it would cost more to repair than it's worth (its market value). Rather than pay for uneconomic repairs, we'll give you a cheque for the market value.

Underwriter

A person (or usually a company) who decides if they're going to take on an insurance risk, and what it will cost to insure.

Warranty

Another sort of insurance, which covers your car against mechanical breakdown. With labour and parts costs being so high these days, Car Warranty cover premiums can be very good value.

Wear and tear

This mostly applies to buildings and contents insurance. When you use anything frequently, whether it's your fridge or your front door, it will start to wear. Some parts of your insurance will take this into account, and pay less when you claim based on how old and worn out an item is likely to be. If you have new for old cover, you'll get a brand new item no matter how worn out the old one was.

Write-off

Another way of saying total loss: your car, bike or van is so badly damaged it would cost more to repair than it's worth.