Which of the following describes a participating insurance policy?

A participating insurance policy is characterized by the entitlement of policyowners to receive dividends. These dividends are a distribution of the insurer's surplus, which can occur when the insurer performs better than expected, typically due to lower claims or higher than anticipated investment income. This structure allows policyowners, who are often also policyholders, to share in the profitability of the insurance company, giving them a vested interest in the company’s success.

While the other options provide various aspects of insurance policies, they do not define what makes a policy participating. For instance, the lack of voting rights usually pertains to non-participating policies or certain types of mutual insurance organizations, which does not apply to the definition of participating insurance. Fixed premiums and guaranteed minimum payouts are characteristics that can exist in both participating and non-participating policies but are not defining features of participating policies specifically. The key aspect of such policies is the potential for dividends, which distinguishes them from non-participating policies that do not provide this benefit.