Surety Bond Glossary

Someone appointed by a probate court to act as an administrator of the assets of a deceased person. This includes managing their estates, paying out any outstanding claims and debts, and more. See Fiduciary Bond.

A bond that guarantees that sellers of alcohol will pay any taxes or fees they owe to their local government for the manufacturing, storage or sale of alcoholic beverages. Also known as a liquor tax bond.

A person who has the Power of Attorney, granted to him or her by a surety company. This allows them to enforce or execute a surety bond on behalf of that company.

Bonds required in most states by individuals who wish to open a car dealership. See License and Permit Bond.

A business financial statement that demonstrates a company’s assets, liabilities and equity.

A bond required by contractors in order for them to be able to bid on a contract. The bid bond guarantees that a contractor will execute a contract at the bid price they have offered. See Contract Bond.

A legal agreement between three parties: the surety, the bond obligee, and the bond principal. Under the bond agreement, the surety agrees to answer in front of the obligee for the default of the principal.

A requirement by the surety for subcontractors on a project to be “bonded back” to the general contractor.

The duration of the bond. A term may be a fixed amount of time, typically annual or biennial, or a continuous term which means it is automatically extended until cancelled or terminated by one of the parties to the bond.

A clause in the bond agreement allowing a surety to cancel any future liability under the bond. The surety must inform the obligee of its cancellation through written notice.

A check issued and guaranteed by a bank. Often required as a form of collateral, these are guaranteed by a bank, and should be safeguarded.

A party defined within a surety bond agreement or a statute as being entitled to make a claim against a bond to be compensated for losses or damages it has suffered.

Assets or anything else of value pledged with the surety to protect it from loss due to a principal defaulting on their bond agreement. Collateral can be used as a principal’s indemnity in case of default.

The sum of money paid by the client, or owner, to the contractor. The contract price is the basis for the bond cost or premium that contractors need to pay to get bonded.

A general term for any type of bond required by a court. Court bonds may be required by probate courts, to guarantee for the trustworthiness of a fiduciary, and appeal courts when a litigant wants to appeal a court judgment. See Fiduciary Bond.

The violation of the terms of a surety bond or a contract due to failure to perform the duties set forth therein.

The date on which the coverage provided by a bond becomes effective.

Bond estimates are often provided prior to reviewing an application. They provided as ballpark estimtes to give an idea of what type of costs an applicant may expect.

The date a bond policy is set to expire or be canceled.

A general term for any type of bond that is intended to protect employers and companies from employee dishonesty, theft, fraud or else.

A pre-licensing requirement for freight brokers. This bond is required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and guarantees that freight brokers will conduct business honestly, and fulfill their contractual obligations towards carriers and shippers. Also known as a $75,000 BMC-84 bond.

The guarantee, under a bond agreement, that a principal will reimburse the surety for any compensation it extends to a claimant under that bond.

Financial instrument issued by a bank to which guarantees payment. An ILOC offers additional protection in mitigating risk. This is often an acceptable form of collateral by most bond companies, whenever it may be required.

The license and permit bond is a pre-licensing requirement for individuals and companies who need to obtain a business license in order to operate their business. This bond guarantees that the business will operate in accordance with all laws and regulations pertaining to its industry. It is also known as a commercial bond.

The 1935 Miller Act requires contractors working on federal government projects to obtain a performance bond that guarantees their performance on the contract. The Act further requires contractors to obtain a payment bond to guarantee that they will pay their subcontractors and material suppliers. Most states have so-called Little Miller Acts that pose a similar requirement on state projects.

The party protected by loss or damages under a bond agreement; a bond ‘runs to’ the obligee. The obligee can be an individual, company, government or government agency.

A type of contract bond that serves as a guarantee that a contractor will pay the subcontractors, suppliers and laborers they work with on a contract. Typically issued alongside a performance bond. See Contract Bond.

The cost of the bond paid by the principal to the surety in exchange for the financial guarantee provided by the bond. The bond premium is typically a percentage of the total bond amount.

The party that is bonded to the obligee under the surety bond agreement. The bond is put in place to guarantee the principal’s honesty, integrity and compliance with legal requirements.

A firm offer made by a bond agent to an applicant. They are often valid for anywhere from 30 to 90 days, but may be subject to change at the discretion of the bond company.

Bond rates are a percentage of the bond amount used to determine premium. These are determined by underwriters, and offered based on the risk associated with a particular application.

Notice provided by an agent that a quote is no longer valid. This can happen due to a quote expiring or at the discretion of a bond underwriter.

A type of financial guarantee bond. The sales tax bond guarantees that businesses will pay any outstanding taxes or dues to the government as well as file business tax information within the legal deadlines.

A three-party agreement between a principal, an obligee and a surety. Backed by the surety, the bond guarantees to the obligee that the principal will keep their contractual obligations.

A surety must meet the qualifying limits imposed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to be eligible to issue bonds on federal contracts. These limits are determined by the U.S. DoT on the basis of the “qualifying power”, or financial capability, of the surety.

The process of qualifying for a bond. During underwriting, the surety investigates the character, capacity and capital of the bond applicant to assess the risk involved in issuing a bond to them.