Study 7: Pricing the Risk Flashcards
Premium
The price of insurance protection for a specified risk for a specified period of time
Pure Premium
The portion of the total premium that is needed to pay expected losses. It does not take into account money needed for company expenses
Development Factors
Adjustments to current reserves for claims that have yet to be settled to reflect the estimated final cost of those claims
Trend Factors
Adjustments applied to all losses to reflect what they would probably cost if they were to occur next year rather than having occurred at some time in the past
Acquisition Costs
The costs of putting business on the books and acquiring the premium. Includes agents/brokers commissions, field representatives’ costs, premium tax, and perhaps relevant head office acquisition costs of operation
Commission
The percentage of the premium the insurer pays to the broker or agent who mediated the transaction between insurer and policyholder
Administrative Expenses
The general expenses the insurer incurs to operate its business. Includes the cost of providing and maintaining premises in which to operate, buying or leasing equipment, purchasing office supplies, paying salaries and benefits for staff, and covering interest costs on debt
ULAE’s
Unallocated loss adjustment expenses
Underwriting Profit
The amount of money an insurance company gains as a result of its insurance operations. Excess of earned premiums collected over loss payments and expenses
Underwriting Loss
The amount of money that an insurance company loses as a result of its insurance operations. It excludes investment transactions and income taxes
Actuary
A professional skilled in the application of mathematics to financial problems
Ratemaking
The process of compiling and analyzing data to establish rates that accurately reflect the level of risk. Usually performed by actuaries
Rate
Amount charged to an insured that reflects the expectation of loss for a covered risk, insurance company expenses, and profit. In other words, it is the basis of premium calculation for the insurance provided for the exposure
3 Major components of any rate
- Anticipated cost of settling claims (the loss ratio)
- Acquisition costs of the business, such as commissions
- Cost of administering the process, including taxies levied on the premiums
Establishing Rate Adequacy (8 Steps)
- Classify risks based on the types of objects of insurance, hazards of exposure, or both
- Determine the number and nature of the rating classes
- Select the proper measure of exposure
- Gather loss statistics
- Predict future losses based on past losses
- Calculate the pure premium from the predicted losses
- Calculate the total premium
- Calculate the premium rate or unit cost
Automobile Statistical Plan (ASP)
A collection of statistical information that all automobile insurers who write business in Canada must record and file as prescribed by the superintendents of insurance. Commonly known as the Green Book
Law of large numbers
The mathematical premise that states that the degree of uncertainty is reduced as the number of events increases
Class Rating
Used when statistics can be gathered on a large number of risks that share common characteristics
Schedule Rating
A method of rating risks by measuring them against fixed standards of construction and protection. Risks below standards earn a charge that increases the rate; risks above earn a credit that reduces the rate
2 Conditions for Rate Adequacy
- The actuarial forecast of future losses based on past losses is accurate for the population
- The sample represented by the book of business written by a particular underwriter or insurer is representative of the population
