Lance Surety Bond Associates, Inc.

For contractors and business owners in a wide range of industries, surety bonds are an unavoidable part of operating their organization. However, that doesn’t mean they are forced to take on high-cost bonds which can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars more than what is necessary. The key to securing low-rate surety bonds is being informed about the process and knowing what is taken into account when determining your cost. Here are a few things to be aware of before you approach a surety company looking for a bond:

1. Check your credit

The first thing any surety company will do when you walk through the door is run a credit check on you and/or your company. Just like having a good credit rating can get you lower interest rates on car loans, they can also get your company lower costs for bonds. Before applying for a surety bond, check your credit and make sure everything is correct and up-to-date. One or two bad marks can deliver a serious blow to your overall rating. Fortunately, reporting errors or mistakes can generally be cleared up with just a few phone calls.

2. Balance your books

A large part of bonding consideration, especially when it comes to contract bonds, lies in whether or not your company has the capital necessary to complete a job. Have your in-house accountant comb through your company’s financials to make sure you actually have sufficient funds to see the contract through. If necessary, free up capital by selling off investments to keep a majority of funds liquid and easily accessible. Following responsible accounting practices at all times will ensure that you are able to present an accurate picture of your company’s assets to a bonding company.

3. Toot your horn

Having a well-established network of references and contacts can go a long way to getting you a lower bond rate. The amount of experience a company has in the industry where they are seeking work weighs into their overall credibility and reliability to carry out the contract. To apply for a bond, ensure you have proof of previous work which has been completed satisfactorily.

4. Make your choice

Different bonds come with different rules and regulations associated with them. The sheer number of different bond types can be overwhelming, so consult a professional to ensure you are applying for the bond best suited to your company. In many industries there are well-established standards for the kind of bond necessary, but new business owners may need a unique bond specially-tailored for their operation.

5. Read your rules

Bonding guidelines can vary widely by state, but some basic online research should give you a good overview of what you are required to obtain. Unfortunately, you don’t get brownie points for securing a surety bond worth more than your state’s required minimum amount. Save yourself additional costs by knowing the exact amount of bonding you need to operate in your state and locality. You can find this information online or call your state’s licensing board for details.

HB 369: Insurance Code Definitions

This act revises the Insurance Code. This will create separate definitions for surety and fidelity as lines of insurance. Previous law defined fidelity and surety as one line of insurance.

On a national and global scale, more and more vehicles are being purchased and driven than ever before. With the ever increasing amount of vehicle owners on the road, both the value of new and used cars, and the risks associated with car buying have increased alongside. It goes without saying that as more vehicles are being sold at higher prices than ever before, opportunities have arisen and been exploited by dishonest motor vehicle dealers around the country that have sought to take advantage of customers.

Whether it be a used-car dealer masking a vehicle defect from a customer, or a new vehicle dealer taking advantage of car buyers via overly excessive prices, threats certainly exist for today

In each of the 50 states, individuals who sell or serve as brokers for the sale of real estate are required to obtain both the pertinent licenses and real estate agent bonds and/or real estate broker bonds in order to legally conduct business. For these types of surety bonds, the respective state is the obligee (entity requiring the surety bond), while the real estate agent or broker becomes the principal by the nature of them being required to post the bond.

What exactly do they guarantee?

States require these surety bonds in order to guarantee that real estate agents and brokers will abide by all applicable laws governing real estate sales. They also guarantee that agents and brokers will correctly account for and remit money held in trust for their customers. Furthermore, real estate agents and brokers bonds provide protection for the public against any misrepresentation or fraud attempts.

Are real estate agent and broker bonds written freely?

While real estate agent bonds and real estate broker bonds are written frequently, underwriters do apply necessary scrutiny when writing these types of surety bonds. As with most bond types, underwriters are required to conduct a thorough review of both the applicant

Mortgage broker bonds, mortgage banker bonds and mortgage lender bonds are all obviously closely related to one another in that they all provide some sort of guarantee for the performance on a person or entity involved in a mortgage loan. Often times the same (or very similar) bond form may be used for each of these types. However, they differ in who and what exactly they guarantee. These commercial surety bonds are actually named after the principal of each bond. For example, the principal for a mortgage broker bond is the mortgage broker required to obtain the surety bond.

Mortgage brokers submit mortgage loan applications on behalf of their customers to individual banks and lenders, and then assemble loan costs and escrow funds to submit to banks and lenders they

There are numerous types of surety bonds that fall under the license and permit bond category, and they can come with a wide variety of guarantees. Below is a list of the primary classifications for guarantees that accompany different types of license and permit bonds.

Compliance-only Bonds: These types of surety bonds guarantee that principals will be in compliance with all pertinent laws for a specific activity or business.

Compliance bonds with third-party liability: Similar to compliance-only bonds, these types of license and permit bonds guarantee that the principal will comply with the laws pertaining to the activity they are licensed for. However, they also come with a guarantee that the surety will pay damages to any third-party group or individual that happens to suffer from any losses incurred due to non-compliance by the principal.

Forfeiture Bonds: When dealing with this classification of license and permit bond, a surety must forfeit the entire amount of the surety bond in the unfortunate event that the principal does not complete a project per the terms of the contract, or is otherwise found to be non-compliant. What makes this different from many other guarantees, is that instead of simply paying for damages incurred as a result of a contract violation the surety must forfeit the entire amount of the surety bond. This is common for license and permit bonds that come with a financial guarantee.

Tax or Fee Bonds: This type of license and permit bond guarantees that the principal will both properly account for and remit taxes and fees collected through the their business operations. Common examples are liquor tax bonds, fuel tax bonds, and sales tax bonds.

Merchandising and Dealer Bonds: Simply put, this classification of license and permit bond guarantees that a principal partaking in merchandising activities will comply with all applicable laws and regulations. Essentially, they act to deter fraudulent practices or misrepresentation by a principal, and provide the necessary protection for the public. A common example would be an auto dealer bond, which protects the public from fraudulent practices by a motor vehicle dealer.

Reclamation and Environmental Protection Bonds: These types of surety bonds guarantee that any land altered or damaged during the course of business operations by a principal will be fully restored to its original state upon completion of work. Details on what specific restoration must take place should be included in the permit filing, and often times can include actions such as planting grass seed, replacing topsoil, etc. In regards to the environmental protection guarantee, principals must promptly clean up any spillage or runoff that could unintentionally pollute local land or water in the vicinity of the principals operation.

For more information, see our section on License and Permit Bonds.

Whether it be local, state, or federal government, it seems as if they all are extremely interested in the surety bond industry. The bottom line is that government entities require various forms of surety bonds by companies hired to work for them because the government needs to ensure that the money they are paying on behalf of U.S. taxpayers is guaranteed, and not wasted. Because the government is spending money on behalf of U.S. citizens, they are obligated to ensure that companies given government contracts do what they say they

If you don

Today, a majority of surety bonds are purchased by principals through surety bond producers, also referred to as surety bond agents. This does not only pertain to contract bonds, but all other surety bonds to include the numerous commercial bonds available, as well as court bonds. Surety bond producers serve as middlemen between those in need of bonds, and the deep-pocketed surety bond companies. These agents are knowledgeable about the surety bond industry, and the industries in which they provide bond service, such as the construction industry. They work as part of bond agencies that focus on suretyship, but can also be a part of certain insurance agencies that have surety departments. The best, most professional surety bond producers have well-established relationships with multiple surety bond companies. This allows the agents to help find their customers (principals) the surety company that is the best fit for their particular needs.

When it comes to the construction business, surety bond producers not only help contractors obtain their required surety bonds, but they also can provide additional business advice, technical expertise, and managerial consulting. A good surety bond producer can become part of a contractor

While most of the larger property and casualty insurance companies out there have their own surety departments, there are also some companies (surety companies) that focus most, if not all, of their business efforts on the surety bond industry. Regardless of whether it