Derivatives
Definition of "Derivatives"
Securities that derive their value from other financial instruments that are used by the insurance company to hedge its bets on which direction the market is moving. For example, cattle futures are a simple derivative in that the cattle futures contract increases or decreases in value as future prices change for cows on the hoof. When insurance companies use derivatives, they are more likely to use them in association with currency and interest rate transactions as a means of protecting themselves against adverse moves in interest rates or foreign currency exchanges. This instrument provides a mechanism for hedging against the interest rate risks that are inherent within insurance products by pricing in that risk in advance and protecting against future negative occurrences.
Popular Insurance Terms
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Arrangement between the seller and the buyer in which the buyer has the right to buy (call option) or sell (put option) a security at some time in the future at a price stipulated at ...
Legal instrument posted by a contractor or craftsman to guarantee that completed work is free of flaws and will perform its intended function for a specified period of time. ...
Method of investing that staggers the maturities of a group of bonds. As a bond matures, the investor can reinvest the proceeds in either short- or long-term bonds depending on the interest ...
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