Nevada law defines an insurer to include every person engaged as principal and as an indemnitor, surety, or contractor in the business of entering into insurance contracts. Therefore, an indemnitor is specifically included in the statutory definition of insurer.

An indemnitor is a party that agrees to compensate another for specified loss or damage. That obligation is central to insurance: the insurer assumes a defined risk and promises to provide a benefit, payment, service, or indemnity when a covered loss occurs. A surety and a contractor entering insurance agreements can likewise fall within the statutory definition when operating in the insurance business.

A security dealer sells or handles securities and is regulated under securities law rather than by the insurance definition in this question. A financial planner may provide financial advice but is not automatically an insurer. A syndicate may participate in insurance arrangements in certain contexts, but it is not the statutory term specifically identified in the definition.

The exam point is to recognize the broad legal definition of insurer. It encompasses more than a company labeled “insurance company”; it includes persons acting as indemnitors, sureties, or insurance contractors.

Study Guide references/topics: Nevada Insurance Code; definitions; insurer; indemnity; surety; NRS 679A.100 .