Life Insurance✓ Verified · outline & fact-checked · Sep 2026Difficulty 1/5
After a life insurance policy is issued, what is the legal status of the signed application?
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
The signed application, once attached to the policy, becomes part of the contract and is incorporated into the policy by reference. Because the policy and application together form the entire contract, the insured's statements in the application can be relied on by the insurer and are relevant to later questions such as misrepresentation or incontestability. The policyowner should review both documents, since together they define the rights and obligations of the parties.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) The application is not discarded; it is attached to the policy and becomes part of the contract.
- C) An agent may not change application answers without the applicant's written knowledge and consent; unauthorized changes are prohibited.
- D) The application has clear contractual effect as part of the entire contract between the parties.
Memory hook
Application plus policy equals the whole contract. The application follows the policy, not the recycling bin.