Reinsurance

A risk management strategy where insurance companies transfer a portion of their risk to other insurers (reinsurers) to protect themselves against large financial losses.

 

Ceding Company:

The primary insurance company that transfers a portion of its risk to a reinsurer through a reinsurance agreement.

 

Reinsurer:

An insurance company that agrees to assume a portion of the risk from a ceding company in exchange for premiums.

 

Treaty Reinsurance:

A long-term, ongoing agreement between a ceding company and a reinsurer to cover a specific category or portfolio of risks.

 

Facultative Reinsurance:

A case-by-case reinsurance arrangement where the ceding company negotiates with the reinsurer for coverage on individual risks.

 

Retrocession:

The process by which a reinsurer transfers a portion of the risk it assumed to another reinsurer, forming a chain of risk-sharing.

 

Risk Assessment:

The evaluation of potential risks and exposures by both ceding companies and reinsurers to determine appropriate reinsurance coverage and pricing.

Underwriting:

The process of assessing and accepting risks by insurers and reinsurers, including the determination of premiums and policy terms.

Catastrophe Reinsurance:

Coverage that protects an insurance company from large-scale losses resulting from catastrophic events, such as natural disasters or major accidents.

 

Quota Share Reinsurance:

An arrangement where the ceding company and the reinsurer share a predetermined percentage of each insurance policy and its associated risks.

 

Excess of Loss Reinsurance:

A type of reinsurance that covers losses exceeding a specified limit, providing additional protection against catastrophic events.

Risk Pooling:

The practice of combining and spreading risks among multiple insurers or reinsurers to reduce the impact of individual large losses.

 

Runoff Reinsurance:

Reinsurance coverage for policies that have expired or been canceled, but still have potential for claims, allowing the ceding company to manage its legacy liabilities.

Sidecar Reinsurance:

A financial structure where a reinsurer creates a separate entity to raise capital specifically for covering a particular set of risks.