Insurance Company Operations

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School

Penn Foster College *

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Course

BUS330

Subject

Finance

Date

Jan 9, 2024

Type

pdf

Pages

7

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12/22/23, 12:39 AM Insurance Company Operations https://courses.portal2learn.com/d2l/le/enhancedSequenceViewer/27390?url=https%3A%2F%2F1351421d-1840-4a1c-8089-3b27e80640ca.sequences.api.brightspace.com%2F27390%2Factivity%2F976079%3Ffilte… 1/7 Read this section. ±en, read Chapter 6 in your textbook. ±e insurance industry involves much more than just an overview of who o²ers what types of coverage. ±ere are many specialized functions and operations that an insurer undertakes to make everything progress. ±is section will provide insight into rate making, underwriting, production, claim settlements, reinsurance, and investments. All of these are very important to the functions of the insurance industry and provide knowledge into why insurance is the way it is. Marketing and sales are other important functions that the section covers, as insurers must be able to reach out, educate, and ³nd clients. ±e operations that an insurance agency conducts fall under the following categories: Rate making Underwriting Production Claims settlement Reinsurance Investments Rate making refers to the pricing of insurance and the calculation of insurance premiums. A rate is a price per unit of insurance. ±e exposure unit is a measurement used for insurance pricing, varying by type. When the insured pays the premium as a result of multiplying a rate by the total of exposure units purchased, and when the premium is adjusted based on a variety of rating factors, it's known as rating. ±is is calculated as: Premium = rate × exposure units
12/22/23, 12:39 AM Insurance Company Operations https://courses.portal2learn.com/d2l/le/enhancedSequenceViewer/27390?url=https%3A%2F%2F1351421d-1840-4a1c-8089-3b27e80640ca.sequences.api.brightspace.com%2F27390%2Factivity%2F976079%3Ffilte… 2/7 An actuary decides the rates and premiums that are charged in the insurance industry. An actuary is a professional with considerable experience in mathematics and statistics. Actuaries are involved in all the phases of the insurance ³rms' operations, such as planning pricing, expense allocation, research, and putting together statistics for both the management team and regulatory agencies. Underwriting is the insurance process in which insurance is selected, classi³ed, and priced for prospective applicants. ±e underwriter is the individual who is responsible for making the insurance decision. An important part of underwriting is having a statement of underwriting policy. ±is is a clear statement from management that guides the company's mission and goals. ±ese statements include the following: ±e lines of insurance to sell ±e classes of business that are acceptable, borderline, or prohibited to insure ±e decision to write a large volume of business with low-pro³t margins, or a smaller amount with a larger pro³t margin ±e amounts of insurance that will be written and retained Geographical areas to be developed Forms and rating plans that will be used Insurance ³rms will likely have an underwriting guide that will provide the policies for an underwriter to follow when making important decisions for the process. ±ere are three basic principles of the underwriting process to remember. Attain the underwriting pro³t. For the ³rm to be successful, it needs to make money.
12/22/23, 12:39 AM Insurance Company Operations https://courses.portal2learn.com/d2l/le/enhancedSequenceViewer/27390?url=https%3A%2F%2F1351421d-1840-4a1c-8089-3b27e80640ca.sequences.api.brightspace.com%2F27390%2Factivity%2F976079%3Ffilte… 3/7 Be selective for insured prospects that are in line with the underwriting policies or pick those individuals who will accept what your business values. Have equity among the di²erent policyholders. Rates should be equitable and in line with the rates that they should pay, such as a 30- year-old versus a 70-year-old paying the same premium in life insurance. Once an underwriting policy is completed, insurers must communicate the policy to their sales force. ±is starts with the agent in the ³eld and is known as ±eld underwriting. ±e agent receives the standards from the company that wants to sell insurance and must follow those policies. For example, the insurance company may choose not to provide insurance to any driver who has a DUI conviction. Some of the information coming to the corporate underwriter includes the following: Applications – ±e basic information of what's going to be insured Agent's report – A standard evaluation report the agent ³lls out on the prospective property or individual to be insured Inspection report – An inspection that an outside agency completes if the underwriter feels there may be a moral hazard Physical inspection – ±e underwriter requires a physical inspection of the item to be insured before approving an application Physical examination – Common for life insurance; an exam for the prospective insured to ³nd any underlying medical conditions before the application's approval ±ere are three basic options for making an underwriting decision: 1. Accepting the application and providing coverage 2. Accepting the application subject to certain restriction or modi³cations 3. Rejecting the application due to any number of reasons
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