Modified Reserve Methods
Definition of "Modified reserve methods"
Accounting procedures that defer the full funding of a life insurance net level premium reserve to accommodate the policy acquisition cost in the early years of a policy. First-year policy expenses, such as agent commission, medical examination, and premium tax, often result in little of the premium remaining for the premium reserve required under full valuation reserve standards. In such cases, the difference comes out of the insurer's surplus account. To avoid this, two types of modified reserve methods are used: (1) the full preliminary term reserve valuation method, and (2) the modified preliminary term reserve valuation method, better known as the commissioners' reserve valuation method. The full preliminary term method does not require any terminal reserve at the end of the first year and in effect accounts for reserves like term insurance during this period. This leaves more of the premium available to cover acquisition cost and first-year claims. In subsequent years, for reserve accounting purposes, the policy is considered to have been issued one year later than its actual date on an insured who was one year older than his actual age. This results in stepping up additions to the premium reserve, eventually making up for the first year's shortfall.
The commissioners' reserve valuation method limits first-year expenses and thus the amount of deferred funding of policy reserves. Policies whose premiums fall below a certain level can be accounted for under the full preliminary term method. For policies with premiums above that level, the full preliminary term method is modified by a limitation on the amount of expenses that can be used in figuring the schedule of deferred reserve funding.
Popular Insurance Terms
Same as term Graduated Life Table: mortality table that reflects irregularities from age to age due to chance fluctuations in the sequence of the rates of mortality. The rates of death as ...
Forgery insurance covering securities issues such as stocks and bonds. They protect the issuer of securities against forgery of the securities. ...
Coverage that goes into effect when an individual's claim reaches a specific threshold selected by the employer who has self-insurance. After this threshold is reached, the policy pays ...
Policy provision designed to restore an insured to his or her original financial position after a loss. The insured should neither profit nor be put at a monetary disadvantage by incurring ...
Maximum sum of money that the insurance company will pay, during the time interval that the product liability insurance coverage is in effect, for all product liability-related claims ...
Mechanism for providing coverage when the insured's underinsured motorist coverage limit is more than the tort feasor's limit of liability that has been previously reduced by claim payments ...
Addition to reserves of a life insurance company required by various states because the valuation premium is greater than the GROSS PREMIUM. Without a deficiency reserve, the normal reserve ...
Person for whom the trust was created and who receives the benefits thereof. In many instances a trust is established to prevent the careless exhaustion of an estate. For example, the ...
Coverage in the event of threats to injure an insured or damage or destroy his property. ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.