Definition of "Catastrophe futures"

Deb Fisbeck real estate agent

Written by

Deb Fisbeckelite badge icon

Keller Williams Lincoln

Financial instrument traded on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). By purchasing this future, the insurance company can hedge its risk exposure against possible future catastrophic losses. The CBOT releases a report each quarter showing on a state-by-state basis the premium amount and the line of insurance that has a catastrophic exposure. Each future contract has a stated value of $25,000 multiplied by the catastrophe ratio for that particular quarter. This multiplied result forms the basis for beginning to trade the quarterly catastrophic futures contract on the CBOT. If there is a high level of catastrophes such that the actual catastrophic loss ratio is greater than the expected catastrophic loss ratio, the futures contract increases in value and the insurance company purchaser gains the difference between the initial purchase price and the quarterly ending value of the contract. Conversely, if there is a low level of catastrophes such that the actual catastrophic loss ratio is less than the expected catastrophic loss ratio, the futures contract decreases in value and the insurance company purchaser loses the difference between the initial purchase price and the quarterly ending value of the contract.

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

Collection of numbers to record and analyze data such as occurrences of events and particular characteristics. Statistics are absolutely vital to all elements of insurance. In life and ...

Coverage in the event that property is damaged or destroyed so that an insured cannot use the property for its intended purpose. For example, loss of use of a drill press because of ...

Modified premium used to calculate cash surrender values in excess of that required by the naic: standard NON FORFEITURE LAW. ...

Statement by an auditor or certified public accountant indicating if a company's financial statements fairly present its true financial condition. A statement of opinion may be unqualified, ...

Same as term Calendar Year Experience: paid loss experience for the period of time from January 1 to December 31 of a specified year (not necessarily the current year). ...

Health insurance coverage for miscellaneous medical expenses associated with a hospital stay. Benefits provided in individual and group health insurance include ambulance service to and ...

Unincorporated association with each insured insuring the other insureds within the association. (Thus, each participant in this pool is both an insurer and an insured.) An attorney-in-fact ...

Record of ordinary policies that a combination agent is responsible for servicing. ...

Professional designation awarded by the American College. In addition to professional business experience in financial planning, recipients are required to pass national examinations in ...

Popular Insurance Questions