40 - Definitions Flashcards
Provision
Denotes the value of a liability that is known or assumed to exist at the accounting date
Reserve
An amount over and above the provisions that is available to meet additional liabilities either in respect of future events or in respect of past events for which provisions may prove inadequate.
Accrual rate
the rate at which rights build up for each year of service in a defined benefit scheme
Accrued benefits
The benefits for service up to a given point in time, whether vested rights or not
Accumulation of risk
When a portfolio of business contains a concentration of risks that might give rise to exceptionally large losses from a single event.
Acquisition costs
Costs arising from the writing of insurance contracts including:
- direct costs such as acquisition commission or the cost of drawing up the insurance document or including the insurance contact in the portfolio
- indirect costs such as advertising costs or the actuary’s/underwriter’s expenses connected with the establishment of the premium rating table.
Active member
A member of a benefit scheme who is at present accruing benefits under that scheme in respect of current service
All risks
A term for when cover is not restricted to specific perils
Anti-selection
When people take contracts because they believe/know that their risk is higher than the insurance company has allowed for in its premiums
Arbitrage
Buying and selling of two economically equivalent portfolios that have different prices so as to make a risk-free profit
Average earnings scheme
A benefit scheme where the benefit for each year of membership is related to the pensionable earnings for that year.
Balance of cost scheme
A defined benefits scheme to which beneficiaries make a defined contribution and the main sponsor pays the remainder of the unknown cost of providing the benefits
Bancassurance
An arrangement between a bank and an insurance company to allow the insurance company to sell its products to the bank’s clients
Bear market
A period of time during which investors are generally unconfident and stock market prices decline
Benchmark
A standard model portfolio against which a fund’s structure and performance will be assessed
Best estimate
An actuarial assumption which the actuary believes has an equal probability of under or over estimating the future experience
Bid price
The price at which a market maker offers to buy a security or buy back units from an investor
Break-up basis
A valuation basis that assumes that the writing of new business ceases and cover on current policies in terminated
Bond
A form of loan
Book reserve
A provision in a company’s accounts for a future benefit liability for which no funds have been set aside
Bulk rate
A premium rate applied uniformly per head on large benefit schemes across a membership type
Bulk transfer
The transfer of liabilities relating to a group of members from one scheme to another
Bull market
A period of time during which investors are generally confident and stock market prices increase
Cancellation
A mid-term cessation of a general insurance policy
Cap
An upper limit
Catastrophe
A single event that gives rise to exceptionally large losses
Catastrophe reserve
A reserve built up over periods between catastrophes to provide some contingency against the risk of a catastrophe
Ceding company
An insurance or reinsurance company that passes a risk to the reinsurer
Chinese wall
Regulations or practices intended to prevent conflicts of interest in integrated security or consultancy firms
Claim
Noun - an assertion by a policyholder that an insurer is liable to make a payment in accordance with the terms of a policy
Verb - to make a request for payment from an insurer
Claim frequency
The number of claims in a period per unit of exposure
Closed Scheme
A benefit scheme that does not admit new members
Coinsurance
An arrangement whereby two or more insurers enter into a single contract with the insured to cover a risk in agreed proportions at a specified premium
Commission
The payments made by a provider to reward those who sell and subsequently service its products
Commutation
The giving up of a part or all of a stream of future income for an immediate lump sum
Composite insurer
An insurance company writing both life and non-life business
Continuing care
Nursing or medical care provided after retirement
Continuing care retirement community
A development in which retired persons can live as a community and receive chosen levels of nursing or medical care
Convexity
C = 1/P * d^2/d (P/i^2)
Where P is the dirty price of the bond
‘i’ is the gross redemption yield on the bond
Corporation tax
Tax on company profits
Counterparty
The opposite side in a financial transaction
Coupon
The interest payments on a bond
Covenant
An agreement that is legal and binding on the parties involved. Has extended to speak of the quality of the parties involved.
Credibility
A measure of the weight to be given to a statistic.
Credit rating
A rating given to a company’s debt by a credit rating company as an indication of the likelihood of default
Credit risk
The risk of failure of third parties to meet their obligations
Custodian
The keeper of security certificates and other assets on behalf of investors
Cyber risk
Any risk of financial loss, disruption or damage to the reputation of an organisation from some sort of failure of its information technology systems
Debenture
A loan made to a company which is secured against the assets of the company. Can have fixed or floating charges to make sure that debenture holders are the highest ranking debt holders. Debentures with fixed charges are mortgage debentures
Deferred member
A member of a benefits scheme who is no longer accruing benefits but who has accrued benefits that will be payable at a future date
Deficit
Where a benefits scheme or financial product provider has less assets than required by the funding plan to meet the liabilities
Defined ambition scheme
A scheme where risks are shared between the different parties involved - members, employers, investment business
Defined benefit scheme
A benefit scheme where the scheme rules define the benefits independently of the contributions payable and benefits are not directly related to the investments of the scheme. May be funded or unfunded
Defined contribution scheme
A scheme providing benefits where the amount of an individual member’s benefits depends on the contributions paid into the scheme in respect of that member, increased by the investment returns earned on those contributions
Depreciation
An accounting convention whereby firms write down the value of their assets over time.
Derivative instrument
A financial instrument with a value dependent on the value of some other, underlying asset
Discontinuance valuation
An actuarial valuation carried out to assess the position if a benefit scheme were to be discontinued. The valuation may take into account the possible exercise of any discretion to augment benefits.
Discounted income model
A model for valuing investment which determines a present value for the investments by discounting the expected future income from the assets.
Dividend yield
The running yield on an equity - dividends divided by the share price
Duration
Also known as effective mean term or discounted mean term
The mean of the payments from the stock where each item is weighted by the present value of the payment
Duration = Sum of ( PV * t) / Sum of ( PV )
where t is measured in years and PV is the present value of the payment at time t calculated at the gross redemption yield
Early leaver
A person who ceases to be an active member of a benefit scheme, other than death, without being granted an immediate retirement benefit
Economic value added
The percentage difference between the annual return on capital and the weighted average cost of capital.
Efficient frontier
An efficient portfolio is one for which it is not possible to increase the expected return without accepting more risk and not possible to reduce the risk without accepting a lower return. The efficient frontier is the line joining all efficient portfolios
Efficient market hypothesis
Assets prices reflect all relevant information
Embedde value
It represents the value to shareholders of the future profit stream from a company’s existing business, together with the value of any net assets separately attributable to shareholders.
Equity
In investment - ordinary shares
In life insurance - all policyholders are treated fairly
Excess
The sum, specified in the policy, that the insured must bear before any liability falls upon the insurer.
Exclusion
An event, peril or cause defined within the policy document as being beyond the scope of the insurance cover.
Experience rating
A system by which the premium of each individual risk depends, at least in part, on the actual claims experience of that risk.
Exposure
- The state of being subject to the possibility of a loss
- A measure of the extent of risk
- The possibility of loss to insured property caused by its surroundings
Extra premium
An addition to the standard premium payable under a contract in order to cover an extra risk
Extra risk
Arises where a proposal for life insurance is not acceptable at standard rates