Principles of Insurance Flashcards
What is a risk or what does risk represent?
The possibility of loss - or a negative deviation from a desired outcome
What are risks that result from factors other than changes in the economy?
Static Risks
What are risks that result from changes in the economy?
Dynamic risks
What are fundamental risks?
Risks which affect large groups of people
What are particular risks?
Risks which affect individuals or small groups of people
What are pure risks?
These are risks that have only the chance at loss or no loss, but there is no chance at gain. Being in a car wreck is an example. You either are or aren’t, but there is no chance at gain here. These are insurable.
What are speculative risks?
These are risks which involve loss or gain. Gambling is an example. These types of risks are not insurable.
What is a peril?
The cause of loss
What is a hazard?
The increased potential for loss
Explain tort law
Loss as a result from the negligence of another party. Insurance usually covers unintentional or negligent torts. Intentional torts are usually expressly NOT covered
Explain contract law
Clients may be liable because of a contract they signed.
What is a risk management technique that seeks to minimize risk of loss?
Risk control
What is risk avoidance?
Part of Risk Control. The elimination of risk by avoiding. If you don’t want your windows broken, don’t have windows.
What is risk reduction?
Part of Risk Control. The attempt to minimize risk through controls. If you don’t want your windows broken, but you want windows, consider a material more difficult to break.
What is risk financing?
A risk management technique that pays for the cost of losses incurred
What is risk retention?
Part of risk financing. Situations where the loss is small enough and/or less than the cost of transferring risk to insurance, so the loss is paid out of pocket.
What is risk transfer?
Part of risk financing. Situations where the loss is perceived large enough, that insurance is used to pay for the loss, vice an out-of-pocket expense.
What is the term used to define a businesses use of risk retention?
Self-insurance
What is underwriting?
An evaluation of risk exposure which:
- determines if the exposure meets the requirements of an insurable risk
- decides if it is practical to insure this risk
- establishes how the insurance should be priced
The law of large numbers, loss resulting from risk must be definite and measurable, loss must be fortuitous or accidental, and the loss must not be catastrophic to the company are all…
Elements of an insurable risk
What is insurable interest?
Exists when the party interested in insurance, will experience a financial loss if the insured loss occurs.
Insurable interest Actual cash value (ACV) Policy limits or face value Other insurance Coinsurance Deductibles Subrogation
…are all what?
Ways that insurance companies limit their liabilities.
What is subrogation?
The right of an insurance company to recover its payments if a different person and/or insurance company is found liable
Given client life cycles, what are the typical types of insurance per life cycle?
Asset accumulation: health, life, disability, property, and casualty
Conservation: health, life, disability, property, and casualty. Start looking at LTC
Distribution: health, LTC, property
What is social insurance?
insurance administered by the government to protect people from large fundamental risks. Social security, Medicare, Medicaid, workers comp are all examples
What is public insurance?
Designed to enhance public trust in financial institutions. FDIC, PBGC, SIPC
What is private insurance?
Insurance marketed by private companies. Health, LTC, property, etc.
As insurance producers, what is an independent agent?
These individuals usually work for several insurance companies under the American or Independent agency insurance system. They decide based on the needs of the client and the appropriateness of the insurance company, where to place the policy.
As insurance producers, what are Captive agents AKA direct writers?
Captive agents work for one company or one group of companies.