THE ELEMENTS OF THE CONTRIBUTION

THE ELEMENTS OF THE CONTRIBUTION

    Net subscription

The net contribution: amount to pay the claims and operating costs of the Company including, where appropriate, the commissions of the intermediaries (general agents and brokers).

    The accessories

The accessories (or fresh): sum covering certain management fees as the establishment of maturity notice. If the insurance company establishes an amendment to modify the contract, it can collect additional accessories.

    The index

If the subscribed contract is indexed, the notice of maturity probably has the amount of the index. The chosen index is usually an outdoor insurance index, but it remains at risk: building cost index for housing insurance, price of the hospitalization day for health insurance ... Indexation allows to readjust automatically in the same proportion the amount of the contributions and that of the guarantees. It is desirable, particularly for the insurance of goods whose value increases over the years. Without indexing, very quickly the insured capital would no longer correspond to the value of the guaranteed property due to the depreciation of the currency and the rise in prices. The allowance paid to the insured would then be reduced.

    The taxes

Taxes are sums donated by public treasury insurers. They vary according to the risks supported: 30% for the fire risk of individuals, 9% for water damage, etc. The automotive compulsory insurance tax (18%) is increased by certain contributions (social security, the guarantee fund). All taxes are calculated on the basis of net contribution, fees or accessories included.

    The evolution of the contribution

If the increase is linked to the index, the principle of this increase has been accepted by signing an indexed contract. To verify that the increase does not exceed the increase of the index, simply perform the following operation:

    Previous year assessment x New index of the previous year

If the increase is related to the application of a malus (auto insurance), the increase results from the bonus-penalty clause provided for in the contract. It does not only constitute a cause of termination.

If the increase is linked to a change in taxes, they may vary by legal or regulatory decision. This increase is needed to all and does not give rise to termination.

If the increase is linked to the addition of new mandatory guarantees, the increase that sometimes accompanies it is itself (example, the natural disaster guarantee). Similarly, since the law of 9 September 1986, all property contracts automatically comprise the guarantee of material damage resulting from acts of terrorism and attacks.

If the increase is linked to a variation in the insurer's tariffs, two hypotheses are possible:

    The contract includes a "Revision of Contributions" or "Adaptation of Contributions" clause: This clause authorizes the insurance company to increase its tariffs. The insured has fifteen days or a month from the moment he is aware of the increase, to request the termination of the contract by registered letter. Some contracts specify the minimum rate of increase below which the insured does not benefit from this faculty of termination. In this case, the insurer will claim the contribution part between the due date and termination, calculated according to the old tariff. But it is possible that the insurance company will not terminate the contract at the next annual maturity. The insured is not required to accept an increase in fees or accessories. This can be refused under the same conditions;
    The contract does not contain a contribution revision clause: the insurer does not have the right to amend the contribution without the agreement of the insured. It is therefore permissible to refuse the increase and request to recalculate the contribution.

If the increase is linked to a contribution reminder, only the mutual insurance companies with variable contributions have the right to send contribution reminders to their members. The legal form of an insurance company is indicated in the header of the documents delivered to the insured, below the name of the company, with the mention "Variable contributions" or "fixed contributions". Contribution reminders are decided by the Board of Directors of the Company. They apply to a given exercise. All the people who have contributed that year must pay the reminder, even if, since then, they are no longer members.

    THE PAYMENT OF THE CONTRIBUTION

The Insured is obliged to pay its contributions to the agreed dates, and has ten days after the due date to do so.