In tough times, finding new ways to cut your insurance costs are important. But sometimes savings go hand in hand with risks. In the latest online-only article from Risk Management, Dr. William Warfel, professor of insurance and risk management at Indiana State University and Dr. Stanley Adamson, the Baker Chair of Insurance at Missouri State University, discuss the perils of overreliance on certificates of insurance.

Shifting the responsibility to procure insurance coverage to a business partner is a useful strategy for reducing insurance costs, but it is not without risk. Relying solely on the resulting certificate of insurance can be problematic. If commercial property/casualty insurance coverage is not in place as anticipated, or otherwise fails to respond as anticipated to a loss because of an unknown coverage limitation, the firm may find itself unexpectedly underinsured.

For more information on an often-overlooked insurance tool, be sure to read their article exclusively at RMmagazine.com.