Definition of "Law of large numbers"

Nora  Sienra real estate agent

Written by

Nora Sienraelite badge icon

Chateaux Realty

Mathematical premise stating that the greater the number of exposures, (1) the more accurate the prediction; (2) the less the deviation of the actual losses from the expected losses (X - x approaches zero); and (3) the greater the credibility of the prediction (credibility approaches 1). This law forms the basis for the statistical expectation of loss upon which premium rates for insurance policies are calculated. Out of a large group of policyholders the insurance company can fairly accurately predict not by name but by number, the number of policyholders who will suffer a loss. Life insurance premiums are loaded for the expected loss plus modest deviations. For example, if a life insurance company expects (x) 10,000 of its policy-holders to die in a particular year and that number or fewer actually die (X), there is no cause for concern on the part of the company's actuaries. However, if the life insurance company expects (*) 10,000 of its policyholders to die in a particular year and more than that number dies (X) there is much cause for concern by actuaries.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Insurance Terms

Insurance company whose corporate charter and bylaws prevent assessment of its policyowners, regardless of how adverse its loss and expense experience may become. ...

Deductible that applies for the year. For example, a business pays for the first $40,000 of losses incurred during the year and the insurance company pays for all losses above that amount ...

Relationship of the frequency of deaths of individual members of a group to the entire group membership over a particular time period. ...

Technique of estate planning under which an estate is divided into two parts and taxed at a lower rate rather than remaining as a whole and taxed at a higher rate. This division may be ...

Rate not subsequently adjusted. The rate stays in effect regardless of an insured's subsequent loss record. ...

Expenses added to the beginning of a premium payment period. For example, an annuity with a 10% front load would include $10 of expenses for each $100 premium paid. ...

Relationship of incurred losses plus loss adjustment expense to earned premiums. ...

Method of classifying risks to establish equitable rates. In many property and liability insurance lines, the location of an insured has a significant impact on the loss experience. For ...

The term mutually exclusive defines an instance when the occurrence of a specific event makes the emergence of another event impossible. Then, two or more things can be described as ...

Popular Insurance Questions