How to read an insurance exhibit before you sign.

Your new agreement may describe the services clearly and put the insurance requirements somewhere else. Before you sign, find those requirements and give your broker enough context to review them.

You do not need to become a policy specialist. Your first job is to identify what the agreement requests, which wording is unclear, and what needs an answer before you make a commitment.

Find the complete requirement

Look for an insurance exhibit, attachment, numbered section, or reference in the general terms. Check whether the agreement incorporates another document, includes an insurance checklist, or has amendments that change the original wording.

Keep the full exhibit and its references together. A screenshot of a limit can omit the sentence that defines its scope, names the parties, or explains how long coverage must continue. Record the document's title, version, and section or page references so everyone reviews the same material.

Once you have the complete wording, locate these five things.

1. Which coverage lines are requested?

A coverage line is a type of insurance, such as general liability, professional liability, auto liability, or cyber liability. Copy the agreement's actual terms rather than replacing them with the coverage names you recognize from your certificate.

Identify any activity-specific wording. An agreement may connect an insurance request to transportation, professional services, participants, or subcontracted work. Ask your broker which policy would address each requested item and what evidence would support that conclusion.

Do not assume general liability answers every liability question, or that one policy's name establishes coverage for all your services. If the agreement uses an unfamiliar term, ask the contracting party what it means in that agreement.

2. How are the limits expressed?

A limit describes a stated amount of insurance, subject to the policy's terms. An agreement may distinguish an amount for one claim or occurrence from an aggregate, which is a total limit over a specified period or scope.

Keep those distinctions intact when sending the requirement to your broker. Also identify any separate limits, deductibles, or self-insured retentions. A deductible or retention concerns an amount your organization may bear before or alongside the insurer's payment, depending on the wording.

Ask how the requested amounts compare with the relevant policy provisions. If someone proposes combining coverage layers to reach a requested limit, ask your broker to explain the relationship and any unresolved issue. Do not add limits together yourself.

3. What policy provisions or endorsements are requested?

An endorsement changes policy terms and becomes part of the policy. Additional insured status gives another party specified protection under your insurance. Primary and non-contributory wording addresses how your insurance responds relative to that party's insurance. A waiver of subrogation restricts specified insurer rights to seek recovery after a covered payment.

These are separate requests. Identify which coverage each applies to and exactly which parties are named. If a term appears under one section, do not assume it automatically applies to every policy.

A certificate of insurance is an informational summary. It does not create, extend, or change coverage; only the policy and its endorsements do. Ask your broker for the actual provisions that support the requested treatment, including any conditions that must be met.

4. What does the agreement say about notice?

Find any provisions addressing cancellation, nonrenewal, or changes to insurance. Note who must give notice, who must receive it, which events trigger it, and what timing or delivery method the agreement describes.

Ask your broker what the policy supports and whether the agreement places a separate responsibility on your organization. Do not assume a statement on the certificate creates a duty for the insurer. If the request does not match the available policy wording, raise that difference with the contracting party in writing before treating it as resolved.

5. How long must coverage be maintained?

Look beyond the service start date. Check the end date, any requirement to maintain insurance afterward, and any instructions for supplying renewal evidence.

If the policy expires during a longer agreement, ask how continuing coverage and updated evidence will be handled. That date difference alone does not establish a coverage lapse or a contract violation.

Some policies use a claims-made basis, where claim timing matters, subject to the policy terms. If the agreement mentions a retroactive date or extended reporting period, ask your broker to explain both. A retroactive date can limit which earlier events are eligible for coverage; an extended reporting period can allow later reporting under specified conditions. It does not automatically insure new work performed after the policy ends.

Put unclear wording into a written question

Flag terms such as “all applicable insurance,” undefined party names, conflicting limits, or references to missing attachments. Ask the contracting party to identify the intended requirement and confirm which version governs. Your broker can help identify the insurance question; do not guess at a legal interpretation yourself.

Make the question specific: “This section names several related entities. Which entities need the requested insurance status, and under which coverage?” Keep the written response with the agreement and share it with your broker.

What to send your broker

• The complete insurance exhibit, referenced sections, and amendments.
• A short description of your services, locations, and participants.
• The proposed signing date, service period, and submission deadline.
• Current insurance documents and any written clarification already received.
• The contracting party's contact and a list of your unresolved questions.

Where MissionShield fits

If you want a second set of eyes before signing, a MissionShield advisor can compare the agreement's wording with your insurance documents and report what is Documented, a Potential mismatch, or Not verified, with a next action for each. There is no obligation to move your insurance.