The surety bond insurance industry is vast and complex. Surety bonds are among the most misunderstood contract types in the insurance industry. Even seasoned professionals may struggle to understand the nuances of this market. Perhaps that’s why so many people have misconceptions about surety bonds. However, we believe that clear communication is the way forward for any industry, so we’ve listed five common myths about surety bonds below, along with explanations for why they’re not necessarily true. If you doubt any of these statements regarding surety bonds, read more about this type of contract and how it can protect your business and others.

Repossession is the only reason for requiring a Surety Bond. While repossession is a common reason for requiring a surety bond, it’s by no means the only one. As we’ll discuss in the “why they’re not” section below, surety bonds often function as guarantor bonds, giving the principal surety (the company with the surety bond) responsibility for the actions of their contractors. Surety bonds also provide surety for insurance contracts, and they’re even occasionally asked to serve as security for real estate transactions and court decisions. You might require a surety bond if you need a third party to guarantee one party’s responsibility for another action. Surety bonds are trusted and reliable contracts that protect all parties involved in a given transaction or legal agreement. 

A Surety Bond and Collateral are the same things. While the two terms might be related, they’re not the same—although they’re often confused. Surety bonds are an agreement between two parties: The principal, or person requesting the bond, and the surety, or the party providing the bond. A surety bond is essentially a promise made by the surety to the principal that their contractor (or others involved in the transaction) will perform the way they should. If they don’t, the surety is responsible for either fixing the situation themselves or paying the principal the amount of the loss. Surety bonds typically require collateral, which can be almost anything of value, but is usually something easy to liquidate, like cash or stocks/shares. Surety bonds guarantee that one party will do what they promise, while the bond itself promises that the surety will cover the loss if the contractor or other party doesn’t perform as expected.

A Surety Bond is similar to a Certificate of Deposit. A surety bond is a contract, and a certificate of deposit or CD is a financial instrument. While these items may be similar in some ways, they’re quite different in others. For one, a CD is a financial product typically offered by a bank and is meant to be left untouched for a set amount of time (the “term” of the CD). You’ll likely have to pay a hefty fee if you withdraw your money before the CD’s term is up. Surety bonds, on the other hand, are contracts between two parties: The principal, or person requesting the bond, and the surety, or the party providing the bond. Surety bonds are meant to be in effect for as short or as long a time as the parties involved determine, with the rule of thumb generally being that the shorter the bond, the less it will cost.

Surety Bonds don’t have an up-front cost Bonds are paid out of the surety company’s pocket. Surety companies are the ones that pay out if the contractor or other party doesn’t perform as expected. Surety companies cover the losses out of their funds and will often charge the contractor a fee for this coverage, even if no claims are filed. That’s why some say that surety bonds have no up-front cost—they shift the bond’s price (which is determined by risk). All bonds have an up-front cost, but the contractor doesn’t pay it. It’s paid by the surety company, which then charges the contractor a fee for using their services.

There are no alternatives to Surety Bonds. While it’s true that surety bonds are one of the most popular methods for indemnifying—or guaranteeing—contractors, lawyers, and other parties, there are different ways to do so. For example, you may get by without a bond if the other party is willing to sign an indemnity agreement. An indemnity agreement is essentially a promise from the contractor to pay for any losses if they don’t perform as expected. Surety bonds, on the other hand, are legally enforceable. This means that if the contractor doesn’t act according to the terms of the agreement, you have a much better chance of getting your money back with a surety bond than you do with an indemnity agreement. 

Conclusion Surety bonds provide a layer of protection between contractors and their clients. While bonds are a relatively common practice in the construction and insurance industries, they may be less familiar to other sectors. While surety bonds provide a great deal of security and protection to contractors, they can also be daunting and opaque for contractors who don’t work in this sphere. Understanding how surety bonds work and navigating them can be difficult for contractors. Unfortunately, many contractors are unaware they can be covered by a surety bond or how to obtain one. If you’re in the contracting business, we hope you’ll keep these seven myths about surety bonds in mind so you can better protect yourself, your clients, and your business.

A surety bond is an insurance policy that protects your business or organization if something goes wrong. It covers any financial losses caused by a lawsuit or other legal action.

Know what type of Surety bond you need.

Agricultural & Citrus Bonds
Alcoholic Beverage & Tobacco Tax Bonds
Auto Dealer Bonds
Collection Agency Bonds
Contractor License Bonds
Court & Fiduciary Bonds
ERISA Bonds
Fuel Tax Bonds
License & Permit Bonds
Probate Bonds
Public Official Bonds

Understand the different types of Surety bonds that are available.

A performance bond guarantees that a contractor will perform a job as promised. It protects the owner of the property by guaranteeing that the contractor will finish the project. A payment bond ensures that subcontractors and suppliers who do work for the contractor will be paid.

Determine which Surety company will best fit your needs.

Before choosing a surety company, understand what type of bond you need. It would help if you also considered how much money you are willing to spend on a bond. If you are not comfortable with the cost, you might be better off using an alternative protection method, such as a letter of credit.

Learn how to get started with a new business.

A surety bond is required when you do business in certain states. It protects you against any losses caused by a defaulting contractor. This includes unpaid bills, damaged property, and lawsuits.

Discover how to find the right Surety agent.

You will likely work with a surety agent if you need to obtain a surety bond. Surety agents are licensed professionals who help businesses secure surety bonds. They typically charge a fee for their services. It would help if you chose an agent based on their knowledge of the industry and ability to provide you with the best service possible.

You can trust SuretyBonds.co (SBC) not only as a local surety bonding company near me but also as being on the lists of the largest surety bond companies and best surety companies that also offer bad credit surety bonds. Our prices are displayed on each bond online, so there is no need to wait for a quote; just transparent and cheap surety bond prices. Most of our surety bonds are an instant issue: instant surety bonds, and you’ll have same-day surety bond service delivery via PDF Download.