Surety bonds
Surety bonds
Surety bonds are bonds issued by an organization or a unit usually on behalf of the contractual party or the second party. Here the organization guarantees that the second party, who is into a contractual agreement, will fulfill the obligations that they have made to the third party. In the event the third party fails to meet the obligations, then the second party promises to fulfill them on their behalf. The entity or the organization issuing surety bonds is known as guarantor, while the second party who has made the obligations to the third party is known as principal. The third party is usually called the oblige and the oblige protected by the bond. In case of default, the surety may pay the amount so as to fulfill the contractual terms or they may arrange for it to be paid by some other party. Thus, surety bonds explain the roles and responsibilities of all the parties involved in very clear terms. The entire purpose is to ensure that the contractual terms are met, and the interests of all the parties are looked after. They act as a form of reinforcement. Surety bonds have been in existence for more than a few hundred years ago. Long back, during the early days of trading, these surety bonds were used to guarantee long distance trading deals. In 1880, United States Fidelity and Casualty Company of New York was the first corporate entity to issue a surety bond. As per the current estimates revealed by the Surety and Fidelity Association of America, as much as $3.5 billion is the amount of annual premiums paid towards US surety bonds. Surety bonds are in great demand in all kinds of business transactions. There are various types of surety bonds, some of them being commercial bonds, contract bonds, license and permit bonds and performance and payment bonds. Contract bonds are one type of surety bonds which guarantees a particular contract and the fulfillment of all its associated terms and conditions. Construction surety bonds are one of the most popular. Contractors generally need to give a bond to the prospective owners that their property will be delivered and the contractual terms will be met. Generally, the constructors need to pay an annual premium to the surety companies in lieu of providing these bonds. Surety bonds thus give a great deal of credibility to the principal and also provide them financial support. Many a times, surety is provided by banks and insurance companies. Today, there are also dedicated companies which issue only these bonds. One such example would be surety1 which provides an extensive gamut of bonds.