Insurance Flashcards
Pure Risk
- Chance of only loss or no loss
- e.g. death, auto accident, house fire
- insurable risks
- Other wording: uncertain possibility of loss and no chance of gain
Speculative Risk
- Chance of profit, loss, or no loss
- Generally undertaken by entrepreneurs
- Generally voluntary risk and not insurable
- Uncertain possibility of loss with a chance of gain
Subjective Risk
- Differs based upon an individual’s perception of risk.
- e.g. Tom recently moved to Dunwoody, Georgia. His neighbours told him that the police department has a reputation for writing speeding tickets. As a result, Tom buys a radar detector because he perceives there to be a significant risk of getting a speeding ticket.
Objective Risk
- does not depend on an individual’s perception, but is measurable and quantifiable
- measures the variation of an actual loss from expected loss
- e.g. Statistics published for the number of speeding tickets written per drivers living in a city would confirm or disprove the subjective risk perceived by Tom in the previous example.
Probability of Loss
- the “chance” of a loss occuring
- the measure of the long-run frequency with which an event occurs
- a useful measure for the insurer because it quantifies the expected cost of claims
- a higher probability of a loss may result in a decline o coverage
Severity
- the actual dollar amount of the loss
* more important than the probability of a loss
Law of Large Numbers
- specifies that when more units are exposed to a similar loss, the predictability of such a loss to the entire pool increases
- the more exposures, the more likely that the results will equal true results and thus will be predictive of future results
- helps to reduce objective risk
Perils
- the actual cause of a loss
* e.g. fire, wind, tornado, earthquake, burglary, and collision
Hazard
a condition that increases the likelihood of a loss occurring. Three types: Moral, Morale, and Physical.
Moral Hazard
- a character flaw
- would lead to filing a false claim
e. g. A famous running back for Ohio State claimed his car was broken into and $10,000 worth of CDs were stolen. There certainly wasn’t $10,000 worth of CDs in his car and thus this is an example of a moral hazard.
Morale Hazard
- the indifference created because a person is insured.
- e.g. Beth goes to the convenience store to get milk for her baby Hudson. Beth leaves the keys in her car and the car running while she goes into the store, not concerned that her car may get stolen because she has car insurance.
Physical Hazard
- a tangible condition that increases the probability of a peril occuring
- e.g. icy or wet roads, poor lighting, or defective equipment
Adverse Selection
- the tendency of persons with higher-than-average risk to purchase or renew insurance policies
- Premiums are dependent upon a balance between favourable and unfavourable risks in the pool
- managed through underwriting, denying insurance on the front end, and raising premiums on the back end
- An underwriter is responsible for managing adverse selection
What are the requisites for an insurable risk?
- A large number of similar exposure units.
- Losses must be accidental from insured’s view.
- Cannot insure moral hazards because premiums would skyrocket.
- Losses must be measurable and determinable so that the insurer can accurately forecast actual losses.
- e.g. It’s easy to determine the value of a house or auto, but it’s difficult to determine the amount of cash in a wallet; therefore, coverage is limited.
- Losses must not pose a catastrophic risk for the insurer.
- An insurer cannot provide coverage that would cause it to become financially insolvent.
- The premiums must be affordable.
Elements of a Valid Contract
- One party must make an offer and the other party must accept that offer. (The signing of an insurance application and paying the first premium may be considered offer and acceptance.)
- There must be legal competency of all parties involved in a contract.
- Both parties must be 18 or older; otherwise, the contract is voidable by the minor.
- There must be legal consideration. Consideration is whatever is being exchanged. It can be money, services, or property.
- A promise to pay (insurer) and actual payment of a premium (insured).
- The contract must pertain to a lawful purpose. (Insurance contracts that promote actions that are illegal are invalid.)
What are the three Legal Principles of Insurance Contracts?
- The Principle of Indemnity
- Subrogation Clause
- The Principle of Insurable Interest
The Principle of Indemnity
- An insured is only entitled to compensation to the extent of the insured’s financial loss.
- An insured cannot make a profit from an insurance contract.
Subrogation Clause
- The insured cannot receive compensation from both the insurer and a third party for the same claim.
- If the insured collects compensation from their insurance company, they lose the right to collect compensation from the third party.
The Principle of Insurable Interest
- An insured must have an emotional or financial hardship resulting from damage, loss, or destruction.
- Property and Liability Insurance - the insured must have insurable interest at time of policy inception and at time of loss
- Life Insurance - the insured need only have insurable interest at the time of policy inception
Warranty
- a promise made by the insured to the insurer
* A breach of warranty is grounds for avoidance by the insurance company
Representation
- statements made by the insured to the insurer during the application process
- There must be a material “misrepresentation” to void an insurance contract
- Misrepresenting age on a life insurance application is not material misrepresentation
Concealment
When the insured is silent about a fact that is material to the risk
Adhesion
- An insurance policy is basically, “take it or leave it.” There are no negotiations over terms and conditions.
- As a result, any ambiguities in an insurance contract are found in favour of the insured.
Aleatory
The money exchanged may be unequal. In other words, there’s a small premium, but the insured may receive a large benefit.
Unilateral
- Only one promise made by the insurer = to pay in the event of a loss
- The insured is not obligated to pay the premiums. If the premiums are not paid, then there’s no promise by the insurer.
Express Authority
- Given through an agency or written agreement
* The insurer is responsible for acts of an agent based on express authority
Implied Authority
- The authority that the public perceives
- The actual delivering of an insurance contract and accepting a premium is an example of implied authority.
- The insurer is still responsible even if a client is misled.
Apparent Authority
- When the insured believes that the agent has authority to act on behalf of the insurer when in fact, no authority actually exists.
- Apparent authority could be inferred based on business cards or a sign on the wall, but the agency agreement actually expired.
- If an agent represents that the insured can purchase a policy from an insurance company that has not renewed that agent’s agreement, they may still be held responsible.
Insurance Rating Agencies
A.M. Best’s
- Highest Rating: A++ to A/A-
- Lowest Rating: C/C- to D
Moody’s
- Highest Rating: Aaa to Aa1/Aa2
- Lowest Rating: B1/B2/B3 to Caa
Standard and Poor’s
- Highest Rating: AAA to BBB
- Lowest Rating: BB and lower CC
National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
- Provides a watch list of insurance companies based upon financial ratio analysis.
- Ratios measure the financial health of insurance companies.
- NAIC has no regulatory power over the insurance industry, but is involved in accrediting state insurance regulatory offices.
What are the Six Steps of Risk Management?
- Determine the objectives of the risk management program.
- Identify the risks to which the client is exposed.
- Evaluate the identified risks as to probability of occurrence and potential loss.
- Determine alternatives for managing risks, and select the most appropriate alternative for each.
- Implement the program.
- Evaluate, monitor, and review (control).
D-I-E-D-I-E = Don’t Insure Everything (Squared)
Term Life Insurance
- Pure insurance protection which pays a predetermined sum if the insured dies during a specified period of time.
- The protection ceases at the end of the term unless renewed.
- The premium pattern may be level or increasing on an annual or set period basis.
- The face amount may be level or decreasing.
- There is no cash value, savings component, or investment component.
- It is very inexpensive at young ages.
Whole (Permanent) Life Insurance: Characteristics
- Provide lifetime protection if premiums are paid as agreed.
- All whole life policies pre-fund future higher mortality costs using present value analysis.
- Premium patterns vary widely from single premium to increasing premiums.
- Whole life policies have a savings or investment component with earnings accruing on the residual of the premium less the cost for the year plus any previous savings balance.
- Cash values may be used for loans or may be received if the policy is surrendered.
- Cash values usually have a minimum guaranteed rate of interest.
Whole Life Insurance: Advantages
- Provide tax-deferred growth of cash value
* Provides permanent protection until age 100-120
Whole Life Insurance: Disadvantages
- The premiums are expensive and there is no flexibility with the premium payments.
- The cash value grows gradually.
- The insured may not be able to purchase as much protection.
Ordinary Life
- The insured pays premiums until age 100-120 or death.
- The cash value increases to face value at age 100-120.
- The death benefit is level throughout the term of the policy.
Limited Pay Life
Premiums are higher than ordinary life because the insured only pays premiums until a certain age.
Variable Life
- The cash value is invested in stock, bond, and money market mutual funds. An opportunity for higher returns on cash value exists with variable life.
- The death benefit and cash value fluctuate based on investment performance.
What are the five dividend options?
- Cash - clients receive the money and can use it or invest it as they wish.
- Accumulate at Interest - the company reinvests the dividends and they are tax-free up to the client’s basis in the policy. Interest paid on the dividends is taxable.
- Reduce Premiums - decreases the out of pocket expense for premiums.
- Paid-up Additions - purchases additional insurance each year for insured regardless of health or occupation.
- One-year Term - adds term insurance each year to the policy face amount equal to cash value of the policy. Also known as the 5th dividend option on the CFP(r) Exam!
Life Insurance Nonforfeiture Options
- Cash Surrender Value: Insured receives the accumulated cash value when terminating the life insurance policy. The cash surrender value is the cash value less surrender charges.
- Reduced Paid-up Insurance: Insured receives the cash value in the form of a paid-up policy with a smaller face amount.
- Extended Term Insurance: The insured receives the cash value in the form of a paid-up term policy for a specified duration, with the same face amount as the original policy.
Universal Life Insurance
- The insured may adjust: premiums paid, face value of the policy, and cash value.
- The insured does not direct the investment portion of the cash value.
- Cash value can be used to actually pay the policy premiums.
Universal Life - A
- A flexible premium, adjustable death benefit, unbundled life insurance contract.
- If the cash value gets high enough, the death benefit will increase.
Universal Life - B
- Death benefits vary directly with the cash values
* B is more expensive than A because the death benefit is equal to a specified amount of insurance plus the cash value.
Variable Universal Life
- A product with investment options such as stock, bond, and money market mutual funds.
- There is no minimum guaranteed rate of return or interest.
- The cash value is invested in a separate account, not the insurer’s general account.
- The cash value is not guaranteed but in the event of an insurance company failure, the separate account will not be treated as an asset of the insurance company.
Absolute Assignment
The owner transfers all policy ownership rights
Collateral Assignment
- used for collateral on debt, which only assigns limited ownership rights
- assignment is automatically terminated when the debt is satisfied
Taxation of Life Insurance
- Death benefits are generally excludable from taxable income, exception is the “unholy trinity” where the insured, beneficiary, and owner all different people. If the insured dies under an “unholy trinity” policy, then the owner of the policy has made a taxable gift to the beneficiary.
- Dividends earned on cash value are not taxable until withdrawn.
- Cash value is not taxable if received at death.
- Loans against life insurance are tax-free. However, if a contract is deemed a MEC, any loans or withdrawals will be treated using the LIFO method.
- Exchanges for one life insurance policy to another or an annuity do not create taxable events.
- Exchanging an annuity for life insurance does create a taxable event.
MECs
- subject to 10% penalty if withdrawn before age 59 1/2
- A policy is a MEC if it fails the 7 Pay Test, i.e. if the cumulative premiums paid exceed the premiums due for the time period being considered.
- Withdrawals are taxed on a LIFO basis. (non-MEC withdrawals are FIFO.)
- MEC status only affects withdrawals and loans, not taxation of proceeds at death. (If the client doesn’t intend to take a withdrawal or a loan, then creating a MEC is of no consequence.)
Transfer of Life Insurance Policy for Value: General Rule and Exceptions
Taxable to transferee to the extent proceeds exceed basis, unless exception:
- transferred to the insured
- transferred to a business partner of the insured
- transferred to a partnership of the insured
- transferred to a corporation in which insured is a shareholder or officer
- transfer that results in carryover basis from transferor to transferee
Taxation of Life Insurance Premiums
- premiums paid by the insured are not tax deductible by the insured
- group life insurance premiums paid by an employer are deductible by the employer
- premiums paid by the employer are taxable income to the employee, to the extent that they exceed $50,000 of coverage. An employee must impute taxable income for any benefits in excess of $50,000, using a function of age and amount of benefits per $1,000 in excess coverage.