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

Statement issued by the insurance company denying a claim under the insurance policy on the grounds that a condition or policy provision has been breached. ...

Property or liability coverage that provides benefits (usually after a deductible has been paid by an insured) up to the limits of a policy, regardless of other insurance polices in effect. ...

Coverage provided for the fiduciaries of a retirement plan as well as for the plan itself in the event negligence of the fiduciaries results in losses to the plan and/or liability suits ...

Financial technique for providing term death coverage for an entity. With this procedure: (1) an individual purchases an ordinary life insurance policy and completes an agreement with the ...

Coverage in the event that papers of intrinsic value are damaged or destroyed. Coverage is on an all risks basis. Limits of coverage can be quite high; but the insurance company will not ...

Retrospective rating system with basic, minimum, and maximum premium rates listed in manual tables. Calculation of an individual premium involves adjusting the basic premium for appropriate ...

Coverage usually provided under the commercial general liability insurance (CGL); it can also be purchased separately. ...

Investments restricted to short-term Treasury bills (T-bills) and repurchase agreements secured by Treasury bills. These T-bills are secured by the full faith and credit of the Unites ...

Automatic protection for an insurer against losses that exceed a predetermined loss limit. This reinsurance may be subdivided into three primary types: excess of loss, catastrophe loss, and ...

Popular Insurance Questions