Rate Making
Process of calculating a premium so that it is adequate-sufficient to pay losses according to expected frequency and severity, thereby safeguarding against the insurance company becoming insolvent; reasonable-the insurance company should not be able to earn an excessive profit; and not unfairly discriminatory or inequitable. Theoretically, it can be said that each insurance applicant should pay a unique premium to reflect a different expectation of loss, but this would be impractical. Instead, classifications are established for applicants to be grouped according to similar expectation of loss. Statistical studies of a large number of nearly homogeneous exposures in each underwriting classification enable the projection of losses after adjustments for future inflation and statistical irregularities. The adjusted statistics are used to calculate the pure cost of protection, or pure premium, to which the insurance company adds on loads for agent commissions, premium taxes, administrative expenses, contingency reserves, other acquisition costs, and profit margin. The result is the gross premium to be charged to the insured.
Popular Insurance Terms
General: net premium, plus operating and miscellaneous expenses, and agent's commissions. Life insurance: premium before dividends are subtracted. ...
Describing the process of developing the ultimate losses and then adjusting them to the cost levels projected for the period of time to be forecasted. ...
Requirement of the Internal Revenue Service that any dividend payments received are subject to a 20% withholding if the investor fails to furnish the dividend payer with the investor's ...
Smallest acceptable premium for which an insurance company will write a policy. This minimum charge is necessary to cover fixed expenses in placing the policy on the books. ...
Inland marine policy addition that provides coverage to owners of sheep, and to warehouseowners who store wool as well as wool in transit. ...
Insurance written on the personal and real property of an individual (or individuals) to include such policies as the home owners insurance policy and personal automobile policy. ...
Government reinsurance program that provided coverage for U.S. properties during World War II. Private insurers shared the first layer of coverage, with the government providing ...
Contract providing income payments beginning when the named contingency occurs. For example, upon the death of one spouse (the contingency), a surviving spouse will begin to receive monthly ...
Massachusetts commissioner of insurance responsible for the passage of legislation (1861) that guaranteed policy owners of that state equity in the cash value of their life insurance. The ...
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