WealthPulse.
21 terms

Dictionary — E

Economic Damages, Employer of Record, Equity, Escrow and more. Each definition explains what the term means and why it changes a number.

E DICTIONARY

Economic Damages

Losses with a receipt behind them: medical bills, lost wages, property damage, future care.

Why it matters: They form the floor of a claim and the base from which non-economic damages are usually calculated.

Run the personal injury settlement →

Employer of Record

A company that legally employs staff on your behalf in a country where you have no entity.

Why it matters: It turns a months-long incorporation project into a hiring decision you can reverse.

Run the global eor cost →

Equity

The difference between a property's market value and the debt secured against it.

Why it matters: It is an asset you cannot spend without either borrowing against it or selling.

Run the home sale net proceeds →

Escrow

An account held by the lender to collect and pay property tax and insurance alongside the mortgage payment.

Why it matters: It is why the quoted principal and interest figure is rarely what actually leaves your account.

Run the mortgage payment →

Expected Value

The probability-weighted average of all possible outcomes of a decision.

Why it matters: It is the correct way to compare a certain settlement against an uncertain trial, provided the probability is honest.

Run the settlement vs trial →

Exclusive Remedy

The rule that workers compensation is generally the only claim an employee may bring against their employer.

Why it matters: It is why identifying a liable third party is the single most valuable step in a workplace injury case.

Run the construction accident claim →

Excess Layer

Coverage sitting above a primary policy, paying only once the primary limit is exhausted.

Why it matters: It is why commercial vehicle claims are valued differently from ordinary collisions.

Run the truck accident claim →

Excess Coverage

A policy that pays only after an underlying primary limit is exhausted.

Why it matters: It is the layer that makes large commercial claims collectible rather than theoretical.

Run the truck accident claim →

Exclusion

A clause removing a specific cause of loss from cover, such as flood, wear or gradual seepage.

Why it matters: Most denied claims turn on an exclusion rather than on a dispute about the facts.

Run the water damage restoration & claim →

Ex Gratia Payment

A payment made without admitting liability, often to close a disputed claim quickly.

Why it matters: Accepting one usually requires signing a release, so read what rights it extinguishes.

Run the insurance claim value →

Expense Ratio

The annual percentage a fund charges against assets, deducted before any return reaches you.

Why it matters: Half a percent a year compounds into a substantial share of a lifetime portfolio.

Run the compound interest →

Earned Premium

The portion of a paid premium corresponding to coverage already provided.

Why it matters: It determines what is refundable if you cancel a policy mid-term.

Run the auto insurance cost →

Effective Tax Rate

Total tax divided by total income, as opposed to the marginal rate on the last dollar.

Why it matters: It is the honest measure of what you pay, and it is always lower than the top bracket.

Run the tax refund →

Elevation Certificate

A surveyed document recording a building's height relative to the base flood elevation.

Why it matters: It can cut a flood premium substantially and is often worth more than the survey costs.

Run the flood insurance cost & coverage →

Eminent Domain

The power of government to take private property for public use with just compensation.

Why it matters: What counts as just compensation is negotiable, and initial offers are frequently low.

Run the home sale net proceeds →

Endorsement

An amendment adding, removing or changing coverage on an existing policy.

Why it matters: A replacement-cost endorsement is usually cheap and worth several thousand at claim time.

Run the insurance claim value →

Escalation Clause

A term automatically raising your offer above competing bids up to a stated ceiling.

Why it matters: It wins competitive bids but reveals your maximum, which weakens later negotiation.

Run the cash offer vs listing →

Escrow Analysis

The annual review reconciling collected escrow against actual tax and insurance costs.

Why it matters: It is why a fixed-rate mortgage payment still changes once a year.

Run the mortgage payment →

Estimated Tax

Quarterly payments made by those without withholding, such as the self-employed.

Why it matters: Missing them creates penalties even when the annual return is filed correctly and on time.

Run the self-employment tax →

Exempt Assets

Property protected from creditors in bankruptcy under state or federal law.

Why it matters: Whether your home equity is exempt largely decides whether Chapter 7 is a clean route.

Run the debt relief vs bankruptcy →

Expert Witness

A qualified specialist permitted to give opinion evidence on a technical issue.

Why it matters: Expert fees are usually the largest single line in advanced case costs.

Run the settlement vs trial →
Estimates, not advice. Every figure here is produced from the inputs you enter and the formula printed on the page. Rules differ by state, carrier, lender and contract, so use these numbers to prepare for a conversation with a qualified professional rather than to replace one. See our full disclaimer.