Pohjola Insurance glossary of insurance terms

Do you have trouble understanding insurance terms? Insurance contracts are full of difficult terms whose meaning is not immediately clear. Although we try to explain each term in context as clearly as possible, a glossary is sometimes still necessary.

This insurance glossary provides brief explanations of some of the most commonly used insurance terms.  For the detailed content and restrictions of each insurance policy, see the insurance terms and conditions.

Additional expense

You can report additional expenses to a previous claim by submitting a further claim. You do not need to submit a new loss report for each expense and can instead add additional expenses to a previous claim by filing a further claim. Report additional expenses in OP-mobile by selecting Insurance – Filed claims. From the list, select the claim and tap File a further claim.

Additional information

You can use the additional information form to submit the necessary attachment files related to a claim or message us about a claim. 

Age reduction

Age reduction is the amount deducted from the insurance compensation based on the age of the insured item. In the case of some items, the compensation is lowered after the year of manufacture compared to the value of an equivalent new item. Age reductions are applied to the insurance compensations of items such as home appliances, electronics, eyeglasses and sunglasses, and sports equipment and gear. Age reduction rates and calculation methods vary depending on the type of item and insurance. 

Example: the age reduction rate is calculated by multiplying the age reduction percentage (for example, 10% for home appliances) by the number of full calendar years following the original year when the item was first used.

Accident insurance

Health insurance is Pohjola Insurance's sickness and accident insurance. By selecting health insurance with the accidents coverage, you protect yourself or your loved ones against costs incurred by accidents outside work.
If an accident occurs, the insurance covers treatment expenses such as medical consultations, medication, examinations and surgery. The insurance also gives you access to various musculoskeletal therapy required for the treatment of accidental injuries and functional therapies. In addition to treatment, the insurance covers the cost of rehabilitation after the injury.

Accident insurance

Compensation (amount)

The insurance compensation is the sum paid by Pohjola Insurance. The compensation can be used through our partner to repair the device or to cover the costs of purchasing a replacement device, or it can be paid directly to the bank account indicated in the insurance claim.

Update your bank account details to receive insurance compensations to the correct account

Comprehensive motor vehicle insurance

Comprehensive motor vehicle insurance is a voluntary motor insurance that you should purchase alongside motor liability insurance. Motor liability insurance alone is not enough to protect your vehicle against vandalism, a broken windscreen or damage to the vehicle while parking. For these, you need comprehensive motor vehicle insurance. Choose between Medium Motor Insurance, Standard Motor Insurance and the most comprehensive option, Super Motor Insurance. You can also expand your insurance with optional covers. 

Comprehensive motor vehicle insurance – What does comprehensive motor vehicle insurance cover

Comprehensive motor vehicle insurance bonus 

Comprehensive motor vehicle insurance bonus, or collision cover bonus, is the discount applied to your insurance premium. 
The starting bonus and maximum bonus of comprehensive motor vehicle insurance bonus are always 70%. Claims paid out from the insurance's collision cover lower your bonus. If you have no claims during the insurance period, your bonus increases. 

Comprehensive motor vehicle insurance

Decommissioning (of a vehicle)

If you are not planning on using a vehicle for a longer period of time, you can decommission it on Traficom's or Pohjola Insurance's website. The insurance company will not charge the full motor liability and comprehensive motor vehicle insurance premium for this period. The vehicle may not be driven while decommissioned. If you drive a decommissioned vehicle, you must pay a triple premium.

Laid-up insurance and decommissioning 

Deductible

Your deductible is the amount subtracted from the amount of compensation which you must pay in the event of loss or damage. The amount of the deductible varies. For home insurance covers, for example, you can select a deductible between 150 and 1,000 euros. The deductible of collision cover included in comprehensive motor vehicle insurance is between 200 and 1,500 euros.

As a general rule, the higher the deductible, the lower your insurance premium. If you wish to pay a lower yearly insurance premium, select a higher deductible. 

Extrasure

Extrasure is an insurance contract that includes one or several home, health or property insurance policies, depending on your choice. 

Fair value (Motor vehicle insurance)

Fair value refers to the cash sales price of the vehicle or its part as of the market situation at the time of the loss or damage. In the event of loss or damage, your compensation is based on the fair value of the vehicle or its part immediately before the loss. The maximum compensation is the current value of the vehicle or its relevant part, or the cash sales price of the vehicle in the market situation at the time of loss.

Green Card certificate of insurance

The Green Card is a certificate issued by your insurance company as proof that your car or other vehicle has a valid motor liability insurance.
When driving outside Finland, you must present the Green Card in the event of a road accident and to border authorities when entering the country, if necessary.

Green card

Health declaration

A health declaration is a query about the state of health and previous illnesses and injuries of the person or animal to be insured. In order to be granted a personal or animal insurance, you may need to submit a health declaration. A health declaration is easy to fill in the op.fi service, and we use it to determine whether we can grant the policy. 

Health declaration

Health insurance

Health insurance gives you access to treatment for accidents and illnesses without needing to worry about extra costs. Health insurance coverage options can provide just what you need when you want protection against both illnesses and accidents, or only in case of accidents. You will receive treatment and help flexibly in a number of life situations. The insurance is always valid until the age of 100. 

What is covered by health insurance - examples and covers

Home insurance

Home insurance protects your home and personal property. Home insurance is used to cover losses and damage to the home and movable property. The insurance protects your home against fire, water damage and storm damage, for example. You can extend the insurance to cover your home contents against losses and damage, such as an item breaking or theft. 

Home insurance

Insurance beneficiary

The beneficiary is the person to whom the insurance payout is paid if the insured person dies during the insurance's period of validity. 

Life insurance beneficiary

Insurance covers

An insurance policy often includes many different covers for different losses. Insurance covers refer to the individual components of an insurance policy.

Some covers are available as optional extras and are not automatically included in the policy. By adding or removing optional additional covers, you can influence the price of the insurance and protect yourself against different losses and damage. For example, Windscreen Cover is an optional additional cover in all comprehensive motor vehicle insurance options for passenger cars and vans, Super Motor Insurance for lorries and Maxi Motor Insurance for campervans. 

Insurance of the person

An insurance of the person is an insurance policy that protects yourself or your loved ones in case of an illness or accident, for example. Insurance of the person also protects against injuries while travelling and during sports. Insurance of the person also provides protection against temporary disability, serious illness and permanent disability, or if the family's livelihood is weakened when a family member dies in an accident.

Insurance of the person | Personal insurance for private individuals | OP

Insurance period

The insurance period is the agreed period recorded in the policy document, during which the insurance is valid. The insurance contract continues for one agreed insurance period at a time, unless either contracting party gives notice of termination.

Insured person

The insured person is the person for whom the insurance has been taken out.

Insurance premium

The insurance premium is the price of the insurance policy. The insurance premium can be paid in one or several instalments.

Change the number of your premium instalments 

Insurance terms and conditions

Insurance terms and conditions are the terms of agreement defined by the insurance company. Whether or not a loss is covered is determined based on the insurance terms and conditions. 

General terms and conditions of OP Financial Group's banking and insurance services

Joint cover

Joint cover is a life insurance policy for two persons. If one of the persons insured with joint cover dies during the validity of the insurance, the insurance can provide financial assistance. With joint cover, you protect your family's livelihood if the worst comes to pass.

Joint cover – Protect yourself and your partner with life insurance

Kela reimbursement

Kela reimbursement is a monetary compensation paid by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, Kela. You can receive a reimbursement from Kela for prescription medication, clinical nutritional supplements and medical ointments for which coverage has been confirmed. 

Kela – Reimbursements for medicine expenses

Liability insurance

You need liability insurance if you accidentally injure or damage another person or their property. Liability insurance also covers injuries and damage caused accidentally by persons living permanently in the same household with you. Liability insurance and legal expenses insurance are automatically included in Pohjola Home insurance.  

Home insurance liability and legal expenses insurance

Legal expenses insurance

Legal expenses insurance as part of home insurance covers legal expenses you have incurred as a result of resorting to legal counsel in a disputed civil case, criminal case or non-contentious civil case concerning your private life. You can claim compensation from legal expenses insurance in a dispute concerning the sale of the home, for example. Liability insurance and legal expenses insurance are automatically included in Pohjola Home insurance.  

Home insurance liability and legal expenses insurance

Life insurance

Life insurance secures the livelihood of your loved ones in the event of your death. If you have life insurance and you die in an accident or from an illness, the insurance payout is paid to your beneficiaries of choice. 
Life insurance is particularly important when you have a family or debt. The insurance provides protection in case of serious illness or accidental death.

Life insurance – Check the price and buy insurance easily | OP

Life insurance beneficiary

Your life insurance beneficiary is the person to whom the life insurance payout is paid in the event of your death. The beneficiary can be anyone whose financial wellbeing is close to your heart. In most cases, the beneficiary is your next of kin, such as a spouse. 
Life insurance payout

The life insurance payout helps your loved ones get by in a difficult situation. Your loved ones can spend the life insurance payout as they wish, such as to cover inheritance taxes and to pay back loans. 

Loss report

The loss report is the claim submitted by the insured person or the policyholder about a loss or damage. We will make our claim settlement decision on the basis of the loss report. You can file a loss report easily in the op.fi service or in OP-mobile.

Pohjola Insurance – Filing a loss report online 

Luggage insurance

Luggage insurance protects luggage you have taken with you or purchased during the trip. When your travel insurance includes luggage insurance, you can claim compensation if your luggage is broken, damaged or stolen during the trip. 

Maximum compensation

Maximum compensation is the upper limit which we can pay out from your insurance in the event of loss or damage. In the case of home insurance, for example, we pay compensation according to the actual amount of loss, up to the maximum compensation you have selected. When insuring home contents, we recommend a maximum compensation based on your home’s floor area. 

Motor liability insurance

Motor liability insurance is mandatory for all motor vehicles listed in the Motor Liability Insurance Act. According to the Motor Liability Insurance Act, all motor vehicles used in traffic must have a valid motor liability insurance. Either the owner or the permanent holder of the vehicle must insure the vehicle.

Motor liability insurance

Motor liability insurance bonus

Motor liability insurance bonus is the discount applied to the insurance premium based on your insurance and claims history. The larger your motor liability insurance bonus, the lower your insurance premium.  

Motor liability insurance

Movable property

Movable property refers to belongings which are stored in your home and in daily use, such as home electronics (phone and TV), tableware, clothes, furniture, hobby and sports gear and various valuables.

Home contents insurance  Insurance for household items

MyHome Insurance

Pohjola Insurance's home insurance is called MyHome Insurance. The insurance name is the same whether you insure a flat, terraced house, semi-detached house, detached house, summer cottage or a villa.

Home insurance

Personal ID code

The personal ID code is unique and is used to identify individual persons even if they have the same name.   
We use personal ID codes to ensure that the information is registered for the correct individual. 

Read more about the personal ID code from Finnish Digital Agency's webpage

Parts of a home

Parts of a home refer to a home's surface materials and fittings, such as the parquet flooring and fixed cupboards and cabinets in the kitchen and bedroom.

Policy document

The policy document is a document that contains the details of the insurance policy. It explains what is covered by the insurance and what is excluded from coverage, what are the restrictions on insurance cover, where the insurance is valid, what are the policyholder's obligations, how and when the insurance premium must be paid, when does the insurance cover begin and how is the insurance contract terminated.

See the policy document for example for Motor liability insurance and crisis cover

Policyholder

The policyholder is the person who has taken out the insurance and signed the insurance contract. The policyholder and the insured do not need to be the same person. For example, you can take out an insurance policy for your child.

Seasonal rating

In seasonal rating, your insurance policy's premiums are higher for the months when the vehicle is used the most and lower during off-season months. For example, the premium payments of a motorcycle insurance are automatically higher during the spring and summer months, while those of a snowmobile insurance are higher during the autumn and winter months. 

Thanks to the seasonally rated premiums, you do not need to decommission the vehicle for the off-season months. You can maintain the insurance in force throughout the year and use the vehicle whenever conditions allow, while enjoying lower premiums during the off-season months.

Laid-up insurance and decommissioning

Safety regulations

Safety regulations are guidelines issued by the insurance company aimed at increasing everyone's safety and preventing accidents. By following the safety regulations, you look after your property and are entitled to the compensation specified in the insurance terms and conditions. If you have failed to follow the safety regulations and this contributed to the loss or damage, the compensation may be reduced or refused entirely.

Sum insured

The sum insured indicated in the policy document can be the maximum compensation for each individual insurance event, or a maximum sum insured during the period of validity of the insurance. The sum insured varies depending on the insurance line and product. You can check the sums insured of your insurance policies in the respective policy document. 

Travel insurance

Travel insurance consists of traveller’s insurance, which covers your health, and luggage insurance that covers your luggage. You can choose one or both covers depending on your need.

Travel insurance

Traveller's insurance

Traveller's insurance usually includes medical treatment cover for travel illness and travel accident expenses, as well as travel cancellation and travel interruption cover. You can also select other optional coverage depending on your need. The insurance covers things such as missed and delayed departures and evacuation in the event of a crisis. You can also select disability and death cover for the insurance. The insurance can be personalised from different coverage options according to your travel needs. 

You can choose to also include domestic travel within the scope of insurance coverage. Travel insurance can be valid either for a fixed term for an individual trip or continuously valid. If you travel in Finland or abroad more frequently than once a year, we recommend choosing a continuous travel insurance. Continuous travel insurance is also often less expensive than fixed-term travel insurance and is conveniently valid whenever you go on a trip.

Travel insurance