Catastrophic Insurance Futures And Options
First exchange-traded risk management tool specifically developed for the insurance industry by the Chicago Board of Trade as a way for the primary insurance company to offset its underwriting exposures. See also futures tied to reinsurance. These contracts are designed to provide the insurance company with a hedge against underwriting losses resulting from catastrophic occurrences. The futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a commodity or financial instrument at a set price on a given date. The option permits the owner to decide whether or not to exercise the option to buy or sell the commodity or financial instrument by the stipulated exercise date. The insurance option trading is based on the loss ratio concept (losses incurred over a stipulated time period divided by premiums earned over the same time period). For example, assume an insurance company buys an option on the loss ratio that will fall within the range of 50% to 70%. Should losses fall within that range, the insurance company would then exercise the option and sell the contract, thereby enabling the company to make a profit on the option. This profit could then be used by the company to offset losses. Should the loss portion not fall within the 50% to 70% range, the option would expire at zero value.
Popular Insurance Terms
Sections with standard wording common to all property and casualty insurance contracts: conditions, declarations, exclusions, insuring agreement. ...
Commercial life insurers that operate on the legal reserve system as opposed to fraternal life insurance companies, many of which now operate on a legal reserve basis. ...
Group that, with the exception of the government, establishes the standards for all financial accounting and reporting for the various entities in the United States. The standards enable ...
Method of integrating an employee's Social Security or other retirement benefits with a qualified retirement plan. Some employers offset (reduce) retirement or disability income benefits ...
Provision in some disability income policies that provides a monthly income benefit to a disabled insured for as long as he or she remains disabled according to the definition of disability ...
In which at least two insurance policies provide identical coverage for the same risk. ...
Life insurance policy clause. If at the end of the grace period the premium due has not been paid, a policy loan will automatically be made from the policy's cash value to pay the premium. ...
Coverage that indemnifies a third party lender if a customer refuses to repay a loan made on a faulty product and the dealer who arranged the loan refuses to correct the fault. This ...
Option clause in a disability income policy that the insured can exercise that would permit the insured the right to purchase additional limits of coverage regardless of the insured's ...

Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.