Modified Reserve Methods
Definition of "Modified reserve methods"
Accounting procedures that defer the full funding of a life insurance net level premium reserve to accommodate the policy acquisition cost in the early years of a policy. First-year policy expenses, such as agent commission, medical examination, and premium tax, often result in little of the premium remaining for the premium reserve required under full valuation reserve standards. In such cases, the difference comes out of the insurer's surplus account. To avoid this, two types of modified reserve methods are used: (1) the full preliminary term reserve valuation method, and (2) the modified preliminary term reserve valuation method, better known as the commissioners' reserve valuation method. The full preliminary term method does not require any terminal reserve at the end of the first year and in effect accounts for reserves like term insurance during this period. This leaves more of the premium available to cover acquisition cost and first-year claims. In subsequent years, for reserve accounting purposes, the policy is considered to have been issued one year later than its actual date on an insured who was one year older than his actual age. This results in stepping up additions to the premium reserve, eventually making up for the first year's shortfall.
The commissioners' reserve valuation method limits first-year expenses and thus the amount of deferred funding of policy reserves. Policies whose premiums fall below a certain level can be accounted for under the full preliminary term method. For policies with premiums above that level, the full preliminary term method is modified by a limitation on the amount of expenses that can be used in figuring the schedule of deferred reserve funding.
Popular Insurance Terms
One-year futures contract (standardized agreement between two parties to buy or sell a commodity or financial instrument on an organized futures exchange such as the CBOT within some future ...
In property insurance policies, provision that excludes the insurance company's liability for indemnification of the insured for the insured's expenses incurred in the demolition of ...
Workers' premiums in a contributory employee benefit plan. ...
Requirement upon termination of a pension plan; an employer must reimburse the pension benefit guaranty corporation (pbgc) for any loss that the PBGC incurs as the result of paying employee ...
Model state law of the NAIC that stipulates that the total sum of medium grade bonds (bonds carrying a rating of 3, assigned by the Securities Valuation Office of the NAIC) and lower grade ...
Optional provision in a disability income policy that allows the policyowner to increase the monthly income sum at an approximate rate of 6%. ...
When we are young, we usually don’t take our retirement seriously and don’t even know the definition of an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). We become more preoccupied with ...
Property loss in which the insured peril is the proximate cause (an unbroken chain of events) of the damage or destruction. Most basic property insurance policies (such as the standard fire ...
Reinsurance term under which the reinsurer exercises its faculty or prerogative to insure a risk or reject a risk from a ceding company. ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.