Definition of "Insurance futures"

Futures contracts (legally binding contract that stipulates that delivery of an asset will be taken or delivery of an asset will be made at a future time at an agreed upon price at the current moment) on insurance lines to include catastrophic insurance futures, automobile insurance futures, homeowners insurance futures, and so forth, traded on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). Traditionally, precious metals such as gold and silver; agriculture commodities such as cattle, corn, and soy beans; and United States Treasury issues such as bonds and bills, have all been traded on the CBOT. The aim of the transaction with these futures is to cancel the contract with a gain before the delivery of the commodity. (Who would want cattle delivered to their house?) On the other hand, the insurance futures contract concerns itself with the dollar value the market attaches to an index. In turn, this index is an expectation of how much of the premium income generated by a particular line of insurance will have to be allocated to pay off incurred losses. For example, if the automobile insurance line generates an income of $5,000,000 and the market has an expectation that 90% of that income will have to be allocated to paying off incurred losses, the market will value that futures contract at a price somewhat less than $450,000. This is because of such factors that have to be accounted for as incurred but not reported losses (IBNR).

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

An exception to section 101 (a) (1) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE tax-exempt Status Of the DEATH BENEFIT in a life insurance policy where the transfer of the interest in the policy by the ...

Calculation of insurance premiums based on an age less than the current age of the insured. ...

Types of contracts that insure building contractors for damage to property under construction. The completed value form requires a 100% coinsurance because insurance carried must equal the ...

Automobile insurance plan, debated for a number of years, that is financed through a surcharge of a given number of cents per gallon (estimates run from 30 to 40 cents) to be paid by the ...

Type of business interruption insurance policy that provides a specific daily dollar amount benefit to the business owner for each day the business is unable to resume normal business ...

Denial of coverage for various perils (such as war, flood); hazards (storing dynamite in the home, thereby increasing the chance of loss); property (such as pets); and locations. These are ...

System whereby the re insurer shares losses in the same proportion as it shares premium and policy amounts. Proportional reinsurance may be divided into the two basic forms: automatic ...

Method of funding a pension plan under which a single premium payment is made to fund a single unit of benefit for one year of recognized service with the employer. For example, if the ...

Coverage on more than one person that pays a benefit after all of the insureds die. This type of joint life policy is significantly cheaper than a regular policy. Survivorship life ...

Popular Insurance Questions