Cornerstones of Cost Management (Cornerstones Series)
4th Edition
ISBN: 9781305970663
Author: Don R. Hansen, Maryanne M. Mowen
Publisher: Cengage Learning
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Chapter 18, Problem 39P
Porter Insurance Company has three lines of insurance: automobile, property, and life. The life insurance segment has been losing money for the past five quarters, and Leah Harper, Porter’s controller, has done an analysis of that segment. She has discovered that the commission paid to the agent for the first year the policy is in place is 55 percent of the first-year premium. The second-year commission is 20 percent, and all succeeding years a commission equal to 5 percent of premiums is paid. No salaries are paid to agents; however, Porter does advertise on television and in magazines. Last year, the advertising expense was $500,000. The loss rate (payout on claims) averages 50 percent. Administrative expenses equal $450,000 per year. Revenue last year was $10,000,000 (premiums). The percentage of policies of various lengths is as follows:
Experience has shown that if a policy remains in effect for more than two years, it is rarely cancelled.
Leah is considering two alternative plans to turn this segment around. Plan 1 requires spending $250,000 on improved customer claim service in hopes that the percentage of policies in effect will take on the following distribution:
Total premiums would remain constant at $10,000,000, and there are no other changes in fixed or variable cost behavior.
Plan 2 involves dropping the independent agent and commission system and having potential policyholders phone in requests for coverage. Leah estimates that revenue would drop to $7,000,000. Commissions would be zero, but administrative expenses would rise by $1,200,000, and advertising (including direct mail solicitation) would increase by $1,000,000.
Required:
- 1. Assume Fred holds the policy for one year and then drops it. What is his contribution to Porter’s operating income?
- 2. Assuming Fred holds the policy for three years, what is his contribution to Porter’s operating income in the second and third years? Over a three-year period? What implications does this hold for Porter’s efforts to retain policyholders?
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Chapter 18 Solutions
Cornerstones of Cost Management (Cornerstones Series)
Ch. 18 - Define price elasticity of demand. Give an example...Ch. 18 - What are the features of a perfectly competitive...Ch. 18 - How do you calculate the markup on cost of goods...Ch. 18 - Prob. 4DQCh. 18 - Prob. 5DQCh. 18 - Prob. 6DQCh. 18 - What is price discrimination? Is it legal?Ch. 18 - Prob. 8DQCh. 18 - Prob. 9DQCh. 18 - Suppose that Alpha Company has four product lines,...
Ch. 18 - How does absorption costing differ from variable...Ch. 18 - What are some advantages and disadvantages of...Ch. 18 - Prob. 13DQCh. 18 - Prob. 14DQCh. 18 - Describe the product life cycle. How do unit-level...Ch. 18 - Ventana Window and Wall Treatments Company...Ch. 18 - Kaune Food Products Company manufactures canned...Ch. 18 - Pattison Products, Inc., began operations in...Ch. 18 - Refer to Cornerstone Exercise 18.3. Required: 1....Ch. 18 - Saginaw Company is a garden products wholesale...Ch. 18 - Iliff, Inc., produces and sells two types of...Ch. 18 - Iliff, Inc., produces and sells two types of...Ch. 18 - Refer to Cornerstone Exercise 18.6. Required: 1....Ch. 18 - Budgeted unit sales for the entire countertop oven...Ch. 18 - Prob. 10ECh. 18 - Prob. 11ECh. 18 - Prob. 12ECh. 18 - Prob. 13ECh. 18 - Many different businesses employ markup on cost to...Ch. 18 - Flaherty, Inc., has just completed its first year...Ch. 18 - During its first year of operations, Snobegon,...Ch. 18 - Prob. 17ECh. 18 - Otero Fibers, Inc., specializes in the manufacture...Ch. 18 - Data for Torleson Company are as follows:...Ch. 18 - Eastman, Inc., manufactures and sells three...Ch. 18 - Prob. 21ECh. 18 - The following information pertains to three...Ch. 18 - Thebes Company had the following information: What...Ch. 18 - Banwood Company has the following information for...Ch. 18 - Jasmine Companys expected sales were 2,000 units...Ch. 18 - Prob. 26PCh. 18 - Snyder Company produced 90,000 units during its...Ch. 18 - The following information pertains to Vladamir,...Ch. 18 - Jellison Company had the following operating data...Ch. 18 - San Mateo Optics, Inc., specializes in...Ch. 18 - Haysbert Company provides management services for...Ch. 18 - Sulert, Inc., produces and sells gel-filled ice...Ch. 18 - Prob. 33PCh. 18 - Dana Baird was manager of a new Medical Supplies...Ch. 18 - Bill Fremont, division controller and CMA, was...Ch. 18 - Dantrell Palmer has just been appointed manager of...Ch. 18 - Prob. 37PCh. 18 - Porter Insurance Company has three lines of...Ch. 18 - Porter Insurance Company has three lines of...Ch. 18 - Olin Company manufactures and distributes...Ch. 18 - Shannon, Inc., has two divisions. One produces and...Ch. 18 - Prob. 42P
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