Chapter 9 Flashcards
Reinsurance - Intro
- Critical to the insurance industry.
- Started in 1800s.
- Similar to a primary insurer.
- Does not change inherent nature of the risk.
- Reinsurance can be different in practice - most evident in treaty reinsurance.
Reinsurance
The transfer to a reinsurer of all or part of an insurance risk from an insurer, or alternative vehicle for risk financing.
The insurance of the insurer.
Separate contract from primary policy.
Reinsurer
Is an insurance company that accepts risk from and on behalf of another insurance company or alternative vehicle for risk financing.
Speculative Risk
Chance of either loss or gain (ex. gambling)
Pure Risk
No chance of gain, only loss (insurance).
Cedent or Ceding Company
The insurer or alternative vehicle for risk financing that transfers the risk to the reinsurer.
Ceding Commission
The percentage of the reinsurer’s share of the original insurance premium that is paid to the cedent by the reinsurer.
Cession
The transfer of risk to a reinsurer, the amount of risk so ceded.
Retention
The amount of risk that the insurer retains rather than cede to a reinsurer under a particular reinsurance arrangement.
Retrocession
The transfer of all or part of a reinsurance risk from a reinsurer to one or more other reinsurers.
Reinsurance for reinsurers.
Retrocessionaire
A reinsurer that assume risk on and behalf of another reinsurer.
Types of Reinsurance
- Facultative
- Treaty
Facultative Reinsurance
- Reinsurance placed on an individual risk or policy.
- Faculty refers to the right or ability of each party to the reinsurance transaction to accept or reject a specific risk.
Treaty Reinsurance
- Agreement between the insurer and the reinsurer to reinsure a block or portfolio of business without the insurer’s having to submit each risk to the reinsurer.
Methods of Reinsurance
- Proportional
- Non-Proportional
Proportional Reinsurance
- A percentage of the risk is transferred to the reinsurer.
- Reinsurer receives that same percentage of the original premium and is responsible for that same percentage of each loss.
Non-Proportional Reinsurance
- Insurer pays all of the loss up to an agreed amount (i..e their retention), the insurer then pays the part of the loss that exceeds the retention limit.
- Premium charged by the reinsurer will be part of the original insurance premium, but will not bear any proportional relationship to the amount of loss the reinsurer may pay.
Benefits of Treaty Reinsurance
- Better spread of risk to reinsurer. Pricing more favourable.
- More economical and easier to administer
- Can save time.
Underwriting Treaty Insurance
- Underwriting the underwriter