Retroactive date (definition)
The date before which acts are not covered on a claims-made policy; moving it forward silently uninsures past work.
The retroactive date on a claims-made policy is the boundary of covered history: claims arising from acts before that date are excluded, no matter when the claim is made. Full prior acts coverage means no retroactive date at all.
The danger is at renewal or carrier change. A new policy with an advanced retroactive date silently uninsures every year of work behind it, and the gap surfaces only when a claim from that period arrives.
Treat the retroactive date as a negotiated term, confirm prior acts coverage in writing on any carrier change, and price an extended reporting period (tail) whenever continuity breaks.