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Actuarial science
Actuarial science is the discipline that applies mathematical and statistical methods to assess risk in insurance, pension, finance, investment, psychology, medicine, and other industries and professions.
FinanceActuary
An actuary is a professional with advanced mathematical skills who deals with the measurement and management of risk and uncertainty. These risks can affect both sides of the balance sheet and require asset management, liability management, and valuation skills. Actuaries provide assessments of financial security systems, with a focus on their complexity, their mathematics, and their mec
Trading basicsAdverse selection
In economics, insurance, and risk management, adverse selection is a market situation where asymmetric information results in a party taking advantage of undisclosed information to benefit more from a contract or trade.
BankingBanker (ancient)
The banker of ancient times was employed within financial activities, during the ancient Mesopotamian, ancient Greek and ancient Roman periods.
Trading basicsCash value
Cash value refers to an investment component in life insurance that grows tax-free over the course of the policy's life. Cash value is a part of permanent life insurance policies and is a living benefit that the policyholder can use during his or her lifetime.
FinanceCatastrophe bond
Catastrophe bonds (also known as cat bonds) are a subset of insurance-linked securities (ILS) that transfer a specified set of risks from a sponsor to investors. If a specified catastrophe occurs, the bond pays the invested principal to the sponsors as a way of funding the recovery from the disaster; otherwise, the principal is returned at maturity to the investors, who are also paid a c
Trading basicsCo-insurance
In insurance, co-insurance or coinsurance is the splitting or spreading of risk among multiple parties.
Trading basicsCoins for the dead
Coins for the dead is a form of respect for the dead or bereavement. The practice began in classical antiquity when people believed the dead needed coins to pay a ferryman to cross the River Styx. In modern times the practice has been observed in the United States and Canada: visitors leave coins on the gravestones of former military personnel.
Trading basicsCooperative
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-controlled enterprise". Cooperatives are democratically controlled by their members, with each member having one vote in electing the board of
BankingCooperative banking
Cooperative banking is retail and commercial banking organized on a cooperative basis. Cooperative banking institutions take deposits and lend money in most parts of the world.
FinanceCredit union
A credit union is a member-owned nonprofit cooperative financial institution. It may offer financial services equivalent to those of commercial banks, such as share accounts (savings accounts), share draft accounts (checking accounts), credit cards, credit, share term certificates (certificates of deposit), and online banking. Normally, only a member of a credit union may deposit or borr
Trading basicsDeductible
In an insurance policy, the deductible (in British English, the excess) is the amount paid
Trading basicsDeposit insurance
Deposit insurance, deposit protection or deposit guarantee is a measure implemented in many countries to protect bank depositors, in full or in part, from losses caused by a bank's inability to pay its debts when due. Deposit insurance or deposit guarantee systems are one component of a financial system safety net that promotes financial stability, and are typically integrated with bank
Trading basicsDynamic financial analysis
Dynamic financial analysis (DFA) is method for assessing the risks of an insurance company using a holistic model as opposed to traditional actuarial analysis, which analyzes risks individually. Specifically, DFA reveals the dependencies of hazards and their impacts on the insurance company's financial well being as a whole such as business mix, reinsurance, asset allocation, profitabili
Trading basicsExtended warranty
An extended warranty, sometimes called a service agreement, a service contract, or a maintenance agreement, is a prolonged warranty offered to consumers in addition to the standard warranty on new items. The extended warranty may be offered by the warranty administrator, the retailer or the manufacturer. Extended warranties cost extra and for a percentage of the item's retail price. Some
FinanceHistory of insurance
The history of insurance traces the development of the modern business of insurance against risks, especially regarding cargo, property, death, automobile accidents, and medical treatment.
FinanceIncome protection insurance
Income Protection Insurance (IPI) also known as loss of earnings insurance is an insurance policy paying benefits to policyholders who are incapacitated and hence unable to work due to illness or accident. This is typically a replacement for lost income suffered by the policy holder. These policies were formerly called Permanent Health Insurance (PHI). This type of insurance does not nor
FinanceInsurance
Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to protect against the risk of a contingent or uncertain loss.
Trading basicsInsurance broker
An insurance broker is an intermediary who sells, solicits, or negotiates insurance on behalf of a client for compensation. An insurance broker is distinct from an insurance agent in that a broker typically acts on behalf of a client by negotiating with multiple insurers, while an agent represents one or more specific insurers under a contract.
Trading basicsInsurance cycle
An insurance cycle, also known as an underwriting cycle, is a term describing the tendency of the insurance industry to swing between profitable and unprofitable periods over time. The concept is most closely associated with property insurance and casualty insurance, where premiums, underwriting profits and the availability of cover are observed to rise and fall in a cyclical pattern rat
FinanceInsurance in the United States
Insurance in the United States refers to the market for risk in the United States, the world's largest insurance market by premium volume. According to Swiss Re, of the $7.186 trillion of global direct premiums written worldwide in 2023, $3.226 trillion (44.9%) were written in the United States.
Trading basicsInsurance policy
In insurance, the insurance policy is a contract (generally a standard form contract) between the insurer and the policyholder, which determines the claims which the insurer is legally required to pay. In exchange for an initial payment, known as the premium, the insurer promises to pay for loss caused by perils covered under the policy language.
Trading basicsInsurance Regulatory and Development Authority
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is an autonomous regulatory agency and statutory body under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India. It is tasked with regulating and licensing the insurance and re-insurance industries in India. It was constituted by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999, an Act of Parliament passed by the G
Trading basicsInsurance regulatory law
Insurance regulatory law is part of insurance law that covers statutory law, administrative regulations and jurisprudence that regulates the insurance industry and those engaged in the business of insurance. Insurance regulatory law is primarily enforced through regulations, rules and directives by national or state insurance agencies or departments as authorized and directed by statutor
Securities & exchangesInsurance-linked security
An insurance-linked security (ILS) is a type of financial asset whose value is driven by insurance loss events. Those such instruments that are linked to property losses due to natural catastrophes represent a unique asset class, the return from which is uncorrelated with that of other marketable asset classes.
Trading basicsInternational tax planning
International tax planning also known as international tax structures or expanded worldwide planning (EWP), is an element of international taxation created to implement directives from several tax authorities following the 2008 worldwide recession.
Trading basicsLloyd's Coffee House
Lloyd's Coffee House was a significant meeting place in London in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Trading basicsLongevity insurance
Longevity insurance, describes the process of mitigating longevity risk. In the United States, such risk mitigation is often achieved using a longevity annuity or Tontine, qualifying longevity annuity contract (QLAC), deferred income annuity, an annuity contract designed to provide a regular income for life starting at a pre-established future age, e.g. 85, and purchased many years befor
BankingMutual savings bank
A mutual savings bank is a financial institution chartered by a central or regional government, without capital stock, owned by its members who subscribe to a common fund. From this fund, claims, loans, etc., are paid. Profits after deductions are shared among the members. The institution is intended to provide a safe place for individual members to save and to invest those savings in mo
FinanceOut-of-pocket expense
An out-of-pocket expense, or out-of-pocket cost (OOP), is the direct payment of money that may or may not be later reimbursed from a third-party source. For example, when operating a vehicle, gasoline, parking fees and tolls are considered out-of-pocket expenses for a trip. Car insurance, oil changes, and interest are not, since the outlay of cash covers expenses accrued over a longer pe
Trading basicsOver-redemption insurance
Over-redemption Insurance (also sometimes called over-redemption coverage) is a type of insurance that is purchased by businesses to protect themselves financially in the event that a promotion ends up becoming more successful than was originally anticipated and/or budgeted for. Over-redemption insurance is commonly used by retailers, advertising agencies and brand managers to reduce the
Trading basicsRisk pool
A risk pool is a form of risk management that is mostly practiced by insurance companies, which come together to form a pool to provide protection to insurance companies against catastrophic risks such as floods or earthquakes. The term is also used to describe the pooling of similar risks within the concept of insurance. It is basically like multiple insurance companies coming together
Trading basicsRochdale Principles
The Rochdale Principles are a set of ideals for the operation of cooperatives. They were first set out in 1844 by the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers in Rochdale, England, and have formed the basis for the principles on which co-operatives around the world continue to operate. The implications of the Rochdale Principles are a focus of study in co-operative economics. The original
BankingSavings and loan association
A savings and loan association (S&L), or thrift institution, is a financial institution that specializes in accepting savings deposits and making mortgage and other loans. While the terms "S&L" and "thrift" are mainly used in the United States, similar institutions in the United Kingdom, Ireland and some Commonwealth countries include building societies and trustee savings banks. They ar
Trading basicsSocial insurance
Social insurance is a form of social welfare that provides insurance against economic risks. The insurance may be provided publicly or through the subsidizing of private insurance. In contrast to other forms of social assistance, individuals' claims are partly dependent on their contributions, which can be considered insurance premiums to create a common fund out of which the individuals
BankingTakaful
Takaful (Arabic: التكافل, sometimes translated as "solidarity" or mutual guarantee) is a co-operative system of reimbursement or repayment in case of loss, organized as an Islamic or sharia-compliant alternative to conventional insurance, which contains riba (usury) and gharar (excessive uncertainty).
Trading basicsTotal loss
In insurance claims, a total loss or write-off is a situation where the lost value, repair cost or salvage cost of a damaged property exceeds its insured value, and simply replacing the old property with a new equivalent is more cost-effective.
FinanceTrade credit insurance
Trade credit insurance, business credit insurance, export credit insurance, or credit insurance is a type of insurance policy and a risk management product offered by private insurance companies and governmental export credit agencies to business entities wishing to protect their accounts receivable from loss due to credit risks such as protracted default, insolvency or bankruptcy. This
Securities & exchangesUnderwriting
Underwriting (UW) services are provided by some large financial institutions, such as banks, insurance companies and investment houses, whereby they guarantee payment in case of damage or financial loss and accept the financial risk for liability arising from such guarantee. An underwriting arrangement may be created in a number of situations including insurance, issues of security in a
Trading basicsUnderwriting profit
Underwriting profit, also called underwriting income, is the profit an insurer makes from underwriting activities after claims and underwriting expenses are accounted for, excluding any investment income.