Principal of Insurance Flashcards
(132 cards)
insurance
used as a protection against financial loss
used to protect against “pure risks”
involves the transfer of loss and the sharing of losses with others
Pure risk
simply create either a financial loss or no loss
house fires, auto accidents, personal illness
the only insurable risk
speculative risk
there is a chance of profit, loss, or no loss
generally undertaken by entrepreneurs
generally voluntary risk and not insurable
subjective risk
differs based upon an individuals perception of risk
buying a radar detector because the police in the area issue speeding tickets
Objective Risk
does not depend on an individuals perception but is measurable and quantifiable
measures the variation of an actual loss from expected loss
Severity
actual dollar amount of the loss
more important than the probability of the loss
Law of Large #s
when more units are exposed to a similar loss, the predictability of such a loss to the entire pool increases
helps reduce objective risk
The more exposures, the more likely that the results will equal true results and thus will be predictive of future results
Perils
the actual cause of a loss
fire, wind, tornado, earthquake, burglary, collision
Hazard
a condition that increases the likelihood of a loss occurring
3 types: moral, morale and physical hazard
Moral Hazard
a character flaw
a character flaw would lead to a false claim
morale hazard
the indifference created because a person is insured
not concerned about a situation because a person knowingly has insurance in place
physical hazard
a tangible condition that increases the probability of a peril occurring
icy/wet roads, poor lighting, defective equip
Adverse selection
the tendency of people with higher than average risks to purchase or renew insurance policies
managed through underwriting, denying insurance on the front end, and raising premiums on the back end
This is the underwriters greatest challenge
Requisite for an insurable risk
a large # of similar exposure units
losses must be accidental form insureds POV
losses must be measurable and determinable so that the insurer can accurately forecast actual losses
losses must not pose a catastrophic risk for the insurer
premiums must be affordable
an insurer cannot provide coverage that would cause it to become financially insolvent
cannot insure moral hazards bc premiums would skyrocket
Elements of a valid contract
1 party must make an offer and the other party must accept that offer (signing of insurance app & first premium pmt)
must by legal competency of all parties involved in a contract (18 or older)
must be legal consideration (money, services, ppty)
contract must pertain to a lawful purpose
Principle of Indemnity
- an insured is only entitled to compensation to the extent of the insured’s financial loss
- an insured cannot make a profit from an insurance contract
to make whole again
Subrogation Clause
- cannot be compensated twice for the same injury by 2 different parties
- The insured cannot receive compensation form both the insurer and a 3rd party for the same claim
- if the insured collects compensation from their insurance company, they lose the right to collect compensation from the 3rd party
- the insurer “steps into the shoes” of the insured to recoup any restitution from the 3rd party or the 3rd partys insurer
Principle of Insurable Interest
- an insured must have an emotional/financial hardship resulting from damage, loss or destruction
- property and Liability insurance - the insured must have insurable interest at time of policy inception and at time of loss
- life insurance - the insured only needs an insurable interest at the time of policy inception
- life insurance policies are considered LT investments
Void Contract
was never valid and thus never came into existence.
not an enforceable contract since it lacks one of the 4 elements of COALL
ex: contract to sell heroin
Voidable contract
- a valid contract that allows cancellation by one of the parties however the other party is bound by the agreement
- selling a car to a minor
warranty
a promise made by the insured to the insurer
a breach of warranty is grounds for avoidance
Representation
statements made by the insured to the insurer during the application process
must be a material “misrepresentation” to void an insurance contract
misrepresenting age on a life insurance app is not a material misrepresentation and the insurer will simply adjust your death benefit up or down based on your actual age
Concealment
when the insured is silent about a fact that is material to the risk
Characteristics of insurance contracts
- adhesion
- aleatory
- unilateral
- conditional