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Retroactive date

Canonical definition

The earliest date from which an act, omission, injury, or damage may fall within a claims-made policy's prior-acts coverage. A claim may still need to be made and reported within the required window.

A retroactive date is the earliest date from which a claims-made policy will consider prior acts, injuries, or damage for coverage. It is not the same thing as the policy effective date, and it is not a substitute for timely reporting.

Iowa’s real-estate E&O regulatory notice defines the term as a provision under which the policy will not cover injuries or damages occurring before the date even if the claim is made during the policy period. Connecticut’s claims-made rules also treat moving the date forward as a significant event.

When changing carriers or firms, compare the retroactive date on both declarations and ask how it connects to prior-acts coverage. Read more in career coverage and claims-made versus occurrence.

Sources

  1. Primary source: Connecticut Agencies Regulations § 38a-327-3 — Sets standards for retroactive dates in covered claims-made policies, including written consent before the date is advanced.
  2. Primary source: Iowa Administrative Bulletin ARC 7460C — E&O insurance definitions — Official regulatory notice defining retroactive date as the point before which injuries or damages are not covered even if the claim is first made during the policy period.