Chapter 4: Intro to financial products & costumer needs Flashcards
List 5 benefit categories
- benefits on events that are unpredictable
- benefits on events certain to occur, but unpredictable timing
- benefits for immediate consumption
- benefits on events predictable on time
- benefits from the accumulation of disposable income and capital
What are the main types of provision categories?
- social security
- financial products
- contracts
- schemes
- transactions
List the main types of social security benefits that may be offered by the State
- Retirement pensions including survivor benefits
- Medical care
- Income support due to unemployment, illness or disability
- Housing support due to low income
- child support
- long-term care support
Insurance contract
In return for a single payment (or a series of payments) the provider will pay the individual or any heirs an agreed amount (or series of amounts) that start or end on a pre-specified event.
This event may happen to the individual, the individual’s property or a third party.
Reinsurance contract
An insurance contract for providers of insurance, which allows the transfer of risk taken on to a third party.
Pension Scheme
A vehicle that involves the accumulation of funds, which are paid out on a later date, usually retirement. The event may also be death, withdrawel or illness.
Outline the needs of customers that may be met by pension schemes
- to accumulate assets to provide income in retirement
- to increase this income in real terms in order to maintain a standard of living
- to protect against the financial impact of the death of the member, both before and after retirement
- to accumulate assets for other reasons (paying off mortgage loans)
Benefit schemes
In return for a series of monthly payments, the provider will pay an individual or any policy dependant’s medical costs in line with scheme rules. These contracts tend to be short-term and are annually renewable.
Investment scheme
A vehicle that involves an individual paying a single payment or a series of payments to a provider with the expectation that a higher amount will be paid back on a later date
Derivatives
Financial insruments whose value depends on the value of underlying investments (e.g. shares, bonds) or variables (e.g. interest rates, exchange rates).
Summarize the 3 main principles of insurance and pensions
- Insurable interest: In most countries, an insurance contract is only valid if the person taking out the contract has a financial interest in the insured event, to prevent moral hazard, fraud and other crime.
- Pre-funding: Putting money aside in advance of a risk event, which is uncertain in terms of whether it will happen, its timing and amount.
- Pooling of risk: Protects a group of individuals who pool their finances, against uncertainty in financial costs, which then leads to more cost-efficient (sharing of fixed costs, admin costs, investment) provision (e.g. retirement communities and microinsurance).
Explain how attitude to risk affects an individual’s financial decisions
- A risk-adverse individual will prefer protection against future events even at the expense of worse immediate lifestyle.
- A high-risk individual will prefer to work on the assumption that rare events will not happen to them, and will prefer to address such events when they occur. In the meantime they will use their money saved by not making provision to enhance their immediate lifestyle.
How can logical needs be identified?
Logical needs are determined after a careful analysis and prioritization, followed by fitting products to those needs.
The needs may be identified as:
* Maintaining a current lifestyle
* Protection
* Accumulation for a known purpose
* Accumulation for a purpose as yet unknown from remaining disposable income or capital
This may involve taking advantage of tax-efficient arrangements.
How can emotional needs be identified?
Emotional needs are idenified by considering an individual’s feelings. This may result in an individual getting what they want rather than what they truly need.
For example:
* to generate more income in retirement than is actually needed
* to avoid the guilt if not protecting dependents.
Current needs
A current need is one that has an immediate effect on an individual’s circumstances.
For example:
* Protection e.g. against death, loss, illness, accident
Future needs
Future needs relate to future aspirations.
For example:
* Accumulation for a known purpose e.g. retirement income, mortgage repayment
* Accumulation for a purpose yet unknown out of any remaining disposable income or capital
Vulnerability
Vulnerability can arise from:
* low levels of education
* limited knowledge of financial markets and products
* low income levels
* poor health status
* limited access to advice
* limited financial security due to low earnings and low savings / asset levels
In each case, vulnerable stakeholders should be identified and considered when determining the optimal outcome. This may involve adjusting benefit design, pricing basis, entry criteria, marketing material erc. TCF NB!
