Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss. It is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss.

It is a contract between the insured and the insurance company whereby the insured financial risk is covered by the insurance company. The risk can be of your vehicle, property, legal etc. So effectively, you pass on the risk to the insurance company and they charge you a nominal sum of money for taking that risk which is called Insurance Premium

An entity which provides insurance is known as an insurer, insurance company, insurance carrier or underwriter.

A person or entity who buys insurance is known as an insured or policyholder.

The insurance transaction involves the insured assuming a guaranteed and known relatively small loss in the form of payment to the insurer in exchange for the insurer’s promise to compensate the insured in the event of a covered loss. The loss may or may not be financial, but it must be reducible to financial terms, and usually involves something in which the insured has an insurable interest established by ownership, possession, or preexisting relationship.