Interest Rate Swap
Contractual agreement between two parties in which they agree to exchange a stream of interest payments on either a fixed rate for a floating rate or a floating rate for a fixed rate. The insurance company is most likely to select a floating rate for a fixed rate because it needs to know exactly what it will be paying in future interest. In this way, the insurance company can hedge its interest rate exposure (risk that interest rates will rise or fall at some stipulated time), reflected by changes in the value of its assets on the balance sheet.
Popular Insurance Terms
Flow of funds out of one financial instrument, whose interest rates are low, into another financial instrument, whose interest rates are higher. In the early 1980s, insurance companies ...
Insured sum paid regularly to a married partner (usually a wife but sometimes a husband) of a retired worker. There are several forms: The Federal Retirement Equity Act mandates a spouse's ...
Personal and business property insurance that combines in one policy several types of property insurance covering numerous perils. However, no liability insurance is provided. ...
Health insurance contract that is renewable at the option of the insurer. On the anniversary date of the contract, the insurer has the right to decide whether or not to renew. ...
Coverage for items that are on consignment, including exhibits, goods up for auction, and goods awaiting someone's approval. The stipulation for coverage is that these items cannot be under ...
Coverage in automobile insurance providing protection in the event of physical damage (other than collision) or theft of the insured car. For example, fire damage to an insured car would be ...
Law under which one state gives favorable tax treatment to an insurance company domiciled in a different state that is admitted to do business, provided the second state does the same for ...
Payment due on the renewal of an insurance policy. The premium may be adjusted up or down to reflect the loss experience of the underwriting classification to which the insured belongs. ...
Short-term investments, to include the following: commercial paper, interest-bearing balances with banks, federal funds sold and securities purchased under agreements to resell, trading ...

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