Catastrophic Insurance Futures And Options

Definition of "Catastrophic insurance futures and options"

Nelson Montanez  real estate agent

Written by

Nelson Montanez elite badge icon

Brass Moon Realty

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.

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

Provision of a property insurance policy which covers conditions usually present in a particular location. For example, there is an inherent risk of explosion in a flour mill. ...

Payment of premiums before their due date. In pension plans, premium payments are allocated to the payment of future benefits prior to benefits becoming payable. ...

Covers losses resulting from the malfunction of boilers and machinery. Most property insurance policies exclude these losses, which is why a separate boiler and machinery policy or a ...

Program enacted in 1965 under Title XVIII of the Social Security Amendments of 1965 to provide medical benefits to those 65 and over. The program has two parts: Part A, Hospital Insurance, ...

a contract in life insurance that includes elements of whole life and term insurance. in pensions, a combined life insurance policy and a side (auxiliary) fund to enhance the amount of a ...

In property and casualty insurance, contract section containing such information as name, description, and location of insured property; name and address of the insured; period a policy is ...

Same as term Disability Benefit: income paid under a disability policy that is not covered under workers compensation benefits. It is usually expressed as a percentage of the insured's ...

Same as term Mortality Table: chart showing rate of death at each age in terms of number of deaths per thousand. ...

Requirement that the combination of medicare and the employer's plan can not be greater than the amount the employer's plan would pay without Medicare. ...

Popular Insurance Questions