Rate Making
Process of calculating a premium so that it is adequate-sufficient to pay losses according to expected frequency and severity, thereby safeguarding against the insurance company becoming insolvent; reasonable-the insurance company should not be able to earn an excessive profit; and not unfairly discriminatory or inequitable. Theoretically, it can be said that each insurance applicant should pay a unique premium to reflect a different expectation of loss, but this would be impractical. Instead, classifications are established for applicants to be grouped according to similar expectation of loss. Statistical studies of a large number of nearly homogeneous exposures in each underwriting classification enable the projection of losses after adjustments for future inflation and statistical irregularities. The adjusted statistics are used to calculate the pure cost of protection, or pure premium, to which the insurance company adds on loads for agent commissions, premium taxes, administrative expenses, contingency reserves, other acquisition costs, and profit margin. The result is the gross premium to be charged to the insured.
Popular Insurance Terms
State laws based on a model law of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) that allow insurers to set rates independently; or adopt those rates developed by a rating ...
Coverage for liability for damage to property of others from untimely discharge of fire-fighting sprinkler systems. This coverage is available as an endorsement to broad-form comprehensive ...
Inquiry conducted by a committee of the legislature of the State of New York in 1905 that looked at abuses of life insurance companies operating in the state. This study led to stricter ...
Insurance company that is a member of a rating bureau. The insurer usually joins such an organization when its statistical experience in a given line of insurance is not sufficient for it ...
Estimate of maximum dollar value that can be lost under realistic situations. For example, a fire or other peril occurs, but a sprinkler system works and a fire department responds in good ...
Type of benefit in which an employee obtains shares of stock in the company, the amount normally determined by the employee's level of compensation. ESOP acts as a leverage tool through ...
Structure. In general, company functions are delegated to several departments: actuarial, agency, claims and loss control, investments, legal, marketing, and underwriting. ...
Figure used in calculating a worker's primary insurance amount (PIA) to determine Social Security benefits in the following manner: calculate the number of years between the worker's ...
Percentage of income required by a retiree to maintain a desired standard of living during the retirement years. ...
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