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
Coverage issued to a creditor on the lives of debtors for outstanding loans. If a debtor dies before repayment, the policy pays the remainder of the loan to the creditor. The contract ...
Imprecise term still occasionally used by commercial or proprietary insurers to differentiate them from fraternal insurers. "Old line" was apparently meant to make these companies sound ...
Policy clause that excludes coverage for loss of property if the cause of the loss cannot be identified. Mysterious disappearance is an exclusion in a standard inland marine insurance ...
A contract sold by insurance companies that is bought by means of a single lump sum payment usually providing a monthly income payment for the annuitant's life. The amount of the monthly ...
One named under provisions of the employee retirement income security act of 1974 (erisa) for a terminated pension plan with an unfunded liability for its benefits. ...
Elements within a group under study that have the same characteristic (s), have the same expectation of loss, are very much alike with respect to the variable under consideration, and do ...
Fund that concentrates primarily on short-term government securities, certificates of deposit with maturities less than one year, and high-quality interest-bearing corporate debt. The fund ...
Insurance policy that pays a face amount/ lump sum if the insured is diagnosed with a specified critical illness. This sum is paid directly to the insured regardless of any other sources of ...
Risk distribution included by type of coverage, by kind of risk, and by geographical location. ...

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