Unit 1 General Insurance Flashcards
Insurance
a contract that transfers the risk of financial loss from an individual or business to an insurer
Risk
the uncertainty about whether a loss will occur
2 types of risk
speculative and pure
speculative risk
a possibility of a loss or gain. not insurable
pure risk
only the possibility or experiencing a loss. insurable
loss
a reduction in the value of an asset
total amount of loss
value before loss - value after loss
exposure
risks for which the insurance company would be liable
peril
cause of loss. examples include accidents, sickness, lightning, fire, etc.
hazard
anything that increases the chance a loss will occur. does not cause a loss, but makes them more likely to occur
3 types of hazards
-physical hazard
-moral hazard
-morale hazard
physical hazard
a type of hazard with physically identifiable factors that increase the chance of loss (heart condition, wet floor)
moral hazard
a type of hazard due to an individual’s character (dishonesty, thief)
morale hazard
a type of hazard due to a state of mind or careless attitude (leaving the door unlocked)
STARR
methods of handling risk
-Sharing
-Transfer
-Avoidance
-Retention
-Reduction
Sharing (STARR)
a method for handling risk in which 2+ individuals agree to pay a portion of any loss incurred by any member in the group
Transfer (STARR)
a method for handling risk which occurs with insurance. The insurer agrees to pay if an individual or business has a loss and the cost is in the form of a premium payment
Avoidance (STARR)
a method for handling risk which eliminates a particular risk by not engaging in a certain activity
Reduction (STARR)
a method for handling risk which lessens the chance a loss will occur or lessening the extent of a loss (wearing seatbelts)
Retention (STARR)
a method for handling risk in which the individual will pay for the loss if it occurs
law of large numbers
the larger the group, the more accurate losses can be predicted
CANHAM
elements of insurable risk
-Calculable
-Affordable
-Non-Catastrophic
-Homogeneous
-Accidental
-Measurable
Calculable (CANHAM)
a characteristic of insurable risk. states that premiums must be determined based on prior statistics for that particular risk to predict future losses
Affordable (CANHAM)
a characteristic of insurable risk. states the premium for transferring risk should have costs achievable for the average customer
Non-Catastrophic (CANHAM)
a characteristic of insurable risk. states insurance cannot insure events that cause wide-spread losses to large numbers
Homogeneous (CANHAM)
a characteristic of insurable risk. states the individual risks that the insurer covers must all be similar in regard to factors that affect the chance of loss
Accidental (CANHAM)
a characteristic of insurable risk. states insurance must be a method of handling risk. if loss is certain to occur, there is no risk
Measurable (CANHAM)
a characteristic of insurable risk. states it must be possible to estimate the loss as a dollar amount
adverse selection
the tendency for higher-risk individuals to get and keep insurance more than individuals at an average level of risk
risks that have a greater than average chance of loss
underwriting
the process of insurers making an extensive evaluation of information related to a particular risk
reinsurance
an insurance company (the ceding company) paying another insurance company (reinsurer) to take some of the company’s risk of catastrophic loss
2 types of reinsurance
-facultative
-treaty