Catastrophic Insurance Futures And Options
Definition of "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
Form of accident insurance that indemnifies or pays a stated benefit to insured or his/her beneficiary in the event of bodily injury or death due to accidental means (other than natural ...
Agent who is licensed and who markets and services insurance policies in a state in which he or she is not domiciled. ...
Additional amount of life insurance above that provided by the employee benefit plan (standard group life plan) that may be chosen by the employee. A limit is usually placed on this maximum ...
Event that results in bodily injury and/or property damage to a third party. A clause that is common to most liability insurance policies stipulates that all bodily injuries and/or property ...
In many health insurance and dental insurance policies, stipulation that, if the estimated cost of a recommended plan of treatment exceeds a specified sum, the insured must submit the plan ...
Conversion of form of ownership from a mutual insurance company to a stock insurance company. Interest in demutualization of life insurance companies surged in the early 1980s among many ...
Arrangement by which the insured agrees to incur a given degree of variability in the ultimate total costs associated with financing its losses. ...
in a life insurance policy, benefit in addition to the death benefit paid to the beneficiary, should death occur due to an accident. In double indemnity, twice the face value of the policy ...
Company formed and operated without the profit motive as its normal business objective; normally sells and services health insurance policies. ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.