Catastrophic Insurance Futures And Options
First exchange-traded risk management tool specifically developed for the insurance industry by the Chicago Board of Trade as a way for the primary insurance company to offset its underwriting exposures. See also futures tied to reinsurance. These contracts are designed to provide the insurance company with a hedge against underwriting losses resulting from catastrophic occurrences. The futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a commodity or financial instrument at a set price on a given date. The option permits the owner to decide whether or not to exercise the option to buy or sell the commodity or financial instrument by the stipulated exercise date. The insurance option trading is based on the loss ratio concept (losses incurred over a stipulated time period divided by premiums earned over the same time period). For example, assume an insurance company buys an option on the loss ratio that will fall within the range of 50% to 70%. Should losses fall within that range, the insurance company would then exercise the option and sell the contract, thereby enabling the company to make a profit on the option. This profit could then be used by the company to offset losses. Should the loss portion not fall within the 50% to 70% range, the option would expire at zero value.
Popular Insurance Terms
Cost of the assets listed on the accounting records of the company. These assets include the following: real estate (to include any adjustments for depreciation), transportation equipment ...
Application for a policy, in life insurance, accompanied by the first premium; in property and casualty insurance, the insurance application itself. ...
Combination of two basic plans: accumulating units of paid-up permanent life insurance, and decreasing units of group term life insurance. The premium paid each month consists of the (a) ...
Account established to manage the assets of a minor. This account is under the auspices of a custodian (either an individual or an institution). The gift tax exclusion would apply on any ...
Value in life insurance policies that entitle the insured to these choices: to relinquish the policy for its CASH SURRENDER VALUE. (Note that in the beginning years the cash value may be ...
Written statements on a form by a prospective insured about himself, including assets and other personal information. These statements and additional information, such as a medical report, ...
Transfer of the cash value of the policy from the policyowner to the policyowner's creditor as security for a loan. ...
Rules passed as part of the tax reform act of 1986 that limit the amount of income investors can shelter from current tax. Losses can be deducted from passive activities only in the amount ...
Value of a share of common stock, derived by dividing the total common stockholders' equity at the end of a period of time by the total number of shares outstanding at the end of the same ...

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