Title insurance is insurance to protect real estate owners and lenders against any property loss or damage they might experience because of liens, encumbrances or the defects in the title to the property. Each title insurance policy is subject to specific terms, conditions and exclusions. Insurance such as car, life, health etc. protect against potential future events and is paid for with monthly or annual premiums. Title insurance insures against events that occurred in the past of the real estate property and the people who owned it. For a one time premium that is paid at the time of closing, title insurance will protect against claims from defects. Defects are things such as another person claiming ownership, improperly recorded documents, fraud, forgery, liens, encroachments, easements, and other items that are specified in the actual policy.