An applicant signs a life insurance application without reading it and later discovers the agent had written incorrect answers to several health questions. Which statement is most accurate?

Why A is correct

The statements made in a life insurance application are treated as the applicant's own representations, so applicants are expected to review the application carefully before signing. If the applicant signs without reading, the insured generally bears responsibility for what is recorded, and a material misrepresentation, even one the agent wrote, can give the insurer grounds to rescind within the contestable period. This is why agents should read the answers back and applicants should verify every answer. The application becomes part of the policy contract by reference.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) Insurers are entitled to rely on the signed application; the signed document is the basis for the contract.
• C) Agent error does not automatically void the policy; consequences depend on materiality, review, and the contestable period.
• D) The applicant is bound by the signed application's answers; the policy incorporates the application as part of the contract.

Memory hook

Sign it, own it. The application is the policy's foundation — read before you sign.