Reinsurance Glossary1

Accident Year Experience The matching of all losses occurring (regardless of when the losses are reported)

during a given 12-month period of time with all premium earned (regardless of when

the premium was written) during the same period of time. More specifically, the total

value (losses paid plus loss reserves) of all losses occurring during the defined 12-

month time period (i.e., the date of loss falls within the time period) is divided by the

EARNED PREMIUM (see its definition) for this same exposure period. As the

experience is developing, loss reserves are used in the calculation, but the ultimate

result cannot be finalized until all losses are settled. While any 12-month period can

be used to define the exposure period, the year beginning January 1 is normally

1 By Robert W. Strain, CLU, CPCU. StainPublishing.com Permission is given to quote from this glossary or to reproduce it in whole or in part if the source of the quotation or
reproduction is cited in the use thereof.
 used. The most accurate method uses EXPOSURE EARNED premium (see its

definition under EARNED PREMIUM) as the denominator, whereas in practice

ACCOUNTING EARNED premium (see its definition under EARNED PREMIUM) is

frequently used as a matter of convenience. (See also CALENDAR YEAR

EXPERIENCE and POLICY YEAR EXPERIENCE.)

Account Executive The individual, either as employee of a reinsurer or a reinsurance intermediary, who

is responsible for all matters pertaining to the reinsurance account of a particular

insurer.

Acquisition Costs All expenses incurred by an insurance or reinsurance company that are directly

related to acquiring insurance accounts (insured, or reinsured) for the company.

Administration Expenses Costs incurred in conducting an insurance operation other than loss adjustment

expenses, acquisition costs, and investment expenses.

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Admitted Assets Assets recognized and accepted by state insurance laws in determining the solvency

of insurers or reinsurers.

Admitted Company 1. An insurer licensed to conduct business in a given state.

2. A reinsurer licensed or approved to conduct business in a given state.

Advance Deposit Premium An amount paid by a reinsured to a reinsurer that is held for the payment of the

reinsured's losses. At some time in the future, any balance in the fund remaining

after paying losses and any agreed upon reinsurance expenses will be returned to

the reinsured . Also known as BANKING PLAN.

Adverse Selection The conscious and deliberate cession of those risks, segments of risks, or coverages

that appear less attractive for retention by the ceding company.

Agent Commission In insurance, an amount paid an agent for insurance placement services.

Aggregate Excess of Loss A form of excess of loss reinsurance that indemnifies the reinsured against the

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Reinsurance amount by which the reinsured's losses incurred (net after specific reinsurance

recoveries) during a specific period (usually 12 months) exceed either an agreed

upon amount or an agreed upon percentage of some other business measure, such

as aggregate net premiums over the same period or average insurance in force for

the same period. This form of reinsurance also is known as STOP LOSS

REINSURANCE, STOP LOSS RATIO REINSURANCE, or EXCESS OF LOSS

RATIO REINSURANCE.

Aggregate Working Excess A form of per-risk excess reinsurance under which the primary company retains its
(Annual Aggregate
normal retention on each loss and additionally retains an aggregate amount of the
Deductible)
losses that exceed such normal retention.

Alien Company An insurer or reinsurer domiciled outside the U.S. but conducting an insurance or

reinsurance business within the U.S.

Amortization Period Synonymous with payback period, this term is used in the rating of per-occurrence

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 excess covers and represents the number of years at a given premium level

necessary to accumulate total premiums equal to the limit of liability of the

reinsurance cover. See PAYBACK PERIOD .

Annual Statement A summary of an insurance company's (or reinsurer's) financial operations for a

particular year, including a balance sheet supported by detailed exhibits and

schedules, filed with the state insurance department of each jurisdiction in which the

company is licensed to conduct business. Also known as CONVENTION BLANK.

Arbitration Clause A provision sometimes appearing in reinsurance treaties whereby the parties agree

to submit any dispute or controversy to an unofficial tribunal of their own choosing in

lieu of the tribunals provided by the ordinary processes of law. Although the wording

of the clause may vary, it normally provides for the appointment of two arbitrators,

one selected by each party, who in turn appoint an umpire, and the decision of a

majority of the arbitrators is binding on the parties to the reinsurance treaty.

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As If A term used to describe the recalculation of prior years of loss experience to

demonstrate what the underwriting results of a particular program would have been

"as if" the proposed program had been in force during that period.

Assume To accept all or part of a ceding company's insurance or reinsurance on a risk or

exposure.

Assumed Portfolio The transfer of in-force insurance liability by an insurer to a reinsurer (or vice versa)

by the payment of the unearned premium reserve on those policies alone, or by the

concurrent transfer of liability for outstanding losses under those policies by the

payment of the outstanding loss reserve by the insurer to the reinsurer (or vice

versa). The former is a premium portfolio, the latter a loss portfolio.

Attachment Point The amount at which excess reinsurance protection becomes operative; the retention

under an excess reinsurance contract.

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Authorized Reinsurance Reinsurance placed with a reinsurer that is licensed or otherwise recognized by a

particular state insurance department.

Balance A concept in surplus share reinsurance dealing with the relationship between written

premium under the treaty and the maximum limit of liability to which the reinsurer is

exposed. The precise relationship will vary from treaty to treaty, but if the ratio

desired for a specific treaty is achieved, the treaty is referred to as “balanced."

Binder (Reinsurance) A record of reinsurance arrangements pending the issuance of a formal reinsurance

contract (which then replaces the binder). See COVER NOTE.

Bordereau Furnished periodically by the reinsured, a detailed report of reinsurance premiums or

reinsurance losses. A premium bordereau contains a detailed list of policies (bonds)

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 reinsured under a reinsurance treaty during the reporting period, reflecting such

information as the name and address of the primary insured, the amount and location

of the risk, the effective and termination dates of the primary insurance, the amount

reinsured and the reinsurance premium applicable thereto. A loss bordereau

contains a detailed list of claims and claims expenses outstanding and paid by the

reinsured during the reporting period, reflecting the amount of reinsurance indemnity

applicable thereto. Bordereau reporting is primarily applicable to pro rata reinsurance

arrangements and to a large extent has been supplanted by summary reporting.

Broker A reinsurance intermediary who negotiates contracts of reinsurance between a

reinsured and reinsurer on behalf of the reinsured, receiving a commission for

placement and other services rendered. Under the terms of one widely used

intermediary clause, premiums paid a broker by a reinsured are considered paid to

the reinsurer, but loss payments and other funds (such as premium adjustments)

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 paid a broker by a reinsurer are not considered paid to the reinsured until actually

received by the reinsured.

Brokerage Commission An amount paid a broker for insurance or reinsurance placement and other services.

Brokerage Market A collective reference to those reinsurers that accept business mainly through

reinsurance intermediaries.

Buffer Layer Used in casualty insurance to describe a stratum of coverage between the maximum

policy limit that the primary underwriter will write and the minimum deductible over

which the excess or umbrella insurer will cover.

Burning Cost The ratio of actual past reinsured losses to the ceding company's subject matter

premium (written or earned) for the same period; used to analyze past reinsurance

experience or to project future reinsurance experience. Also known as PURE LOSS

COST.

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 C

Calendar Year Experience The matching of all losses incurred (not necessarily occurring) within a given 12-

month period, usually beginning on January 1, with all premium earned within the

same period of time. Incurred losses will include the change in IBNR(Incurred but not

reported). More specifically, the total value of losses incurred (not necessarily

occurring) during the calendar year is divided by the ACCOUNTING EARNED

premium for this same exposure period. Losses incurred are equal to the sum of

losses paid, plus the outstanding loss reserves at the end of the year, less the

outstanding loss reserves at the beginning of the year. Once calculated for a given

period, calendar year experience never changes. (Also see ACCIDENT YEAR

EXPERIENCE and POLICY YEAR EXPERIENCE.)

Captive Insurance Company A company that is wholly owned by another organization (generally non-insurance),

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 the main purpose is to insure the risks of the parent organization.

Casualty Catastrophe Cover Reinsurance that is not exposed on a policy limit basis, i.e., the deductible on the

treaty is equal to or exceeds the reinsured's maximum net exposure on any one

policy. Therefore, such treaties protect against the infrequent loss involving two or

more insureds in the same loss occurrence. Another name for CLASH COVER.

Catastrophe Number Whenever a catastrophe occurs that produces losses within a prescribed period of

time in excess of a certain amount (now $1 million), the amount of such losses is

recorded separately from non-catastrophe losses, is numbered by the American

Insurance Association, and may be treated differently in the statistical experience

records of the state used in setting rate levels.

Catastrophe Reinsurance A form of excess of loss reinsurance which, subject to a specified limit, indemnifies

the ceding company for the amount of loss in excess of a specified retention with

respect to an accumulation of losses resulting from a catastrophic event or series of

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 events. The actual reinsurance document is referred to as a catastrophe cover.

Cede To pass on to another insurer (the reinsurer) all or part of the insurance written by an

insurer (the ceding insurer) with the objective of reducing the possible liability of the

latter.

Ceding Commission In reinsurance, an allowance (usually a percentage of the reinsurance premium)

made by the reinsurer for part or all of a ceding company's acquisition and other

costs. The ceding commission also may include a profit factor for the reinsured.

Ceding Company A reinsured.

Certificate of Reinsurance A short-form documentation of a reinsurance transaction.

Cession 1. The unit of insurance passed to a reinsurer by a primary company, which issued a

policy to the original insured. A cession may accordingly be the whole or a portion of single

risks, defined policies, or defined divisions of business, all as agreed upon in the reinsurance

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 contract.

2. The act of ceding where such act is necessary to invoke the reinsurance protection.

Claim Expenses The costs incurred in processing claims: court costs, interest upon awards and

judgments, the company's allocated expense for investigation and adjustments and

legal expenses (excluding, however, ordinary overhead expenses of the company

such as salaries, monthly or annual retainers, and other fixed expenses that are

defined as unallocated loss adjustment expenses). Also known as LOSS

EXPENSES or LOSS ADJUSTMENT EXPENSES.

Claims-Made Basis The provision in a contract of insurance or reinsurance that coverage applies only to

losses that occur and claims that are made during the term of the contract. (Losses

occurring before the contract term are sometimes covered by the addition of "prior

acts" coverage to the contract. Losses reported after the contract term are

sometimes covered by the addition of "tail" coverage.) Once the policy period is over

in claims-made covers, the approximate extent of the underwriter's liability is known.

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 On the other hand, the traditional "occurrence" liability insurance method provides

coverage for losses from claims that occurred during the policy period, regardless of

when the claims are asserted. With the traditional "occurrence" liability coverage

method, the underwriter may not discover the extent of liability for years to come

from losses asserted to have occurred within the policy period. With claims-made

covers that are renewed, however, losses that occurred during any period when the

policy was in force are again covered if reported during the renewal term. In

summary, the traditional method is similar to claims-made if the latter has added to it

both "prior acts" and "tail" coverage.

Clash Cover A casualty excess of loss agreement with a retention higher than the limits on any

one reinsured policy. The agreement is thus only exposed to loss when two or more

casualty policies (perhaps from different lines of business) are involved in a common

occurrence in an amount greater than the clash cover retention. Also known as

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 CONTINGENCY COVER.

Combination Plan A form of quota share and excess of loss reinsurance combined that provides that, in
Reinsurance
consideration of a premium at a fixed percent of the ceding company's subject

premium on the business covered, a) the reinsurer will indemnify the ceding

company for the amount of loss on each risk in excess of a specified retention,

subject to a specified limit, and b) after deducting the excess recoveries on each risk,

the reinsurer will indemnify the ceding company for a fixed quota share percent of all

remaining losses.

Combined Ratio The combination of an insurer's (or reinsurer's) Loss Ratio and Expense Ratio.

Another name for OPERATING RATIO or TRADE RATIO.

Commission 1. AGENT COMMISSION - In insurance, an amount paid an agent for insurance

placement services.

2. BROKERAGE COMMISSION - An amount paid a broker for insurance or reinsurance

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 placement services.

3. CEDING COMMISSION - In reinsurance, an allowance (usually a percentage of the

reinsurance premium) made by the reinsurer for part or all of a ceding company's acquisition

and other costs. The ceding commission may also include a profit factor for the reinsured.

4. OVERRIDING COMMISSION - A fee or percentage of money that is paid to a party

responsible for placing a retrocession of reinsurance. In insurance, a fee or percentage of

money that is paid by the insurer to an agent or general agent for premium volume produced

by the other agents in a given territory.

5. OVERWRITING COMMISSION - Another name for OVERRIDING COMMISSION.

6. PRODUCER COMMISSION - Another name for BROKERAGE COMMISSION.

7. REINSURANCE COMMISSION - Another name for CEDING COMMISSION.

Commutation Clause A clause in a reinsurance agreement that provides for estimation, payment, and

complete discharge of all obligations including future obligations between the parties

for reinsurance losses incurred. This clause is sometimes found in contracts

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 reinsuring workers'compensation and may be optional (which is usual) or mandatory.

Contingency Cover Reinsurance protection against the unusual combination of losses. See CLASH

COVER.

Contingent Commission An allowance by the reinsurer to the reinsured based on a predetermined percentage

of the profit realized by the reinsurer on the business ceded by the reinsured. Also

known as PROFIT COMMISSION.

Convention Blank Another name for the ANNUAL STATEMENT form of the National Association of

Insurance Commissioners.

Cover Note A written statement issued by an intermediary, broker, or direct writer, indicating that

coverage has been effected. See BINDER.

Credibility The measure of credence or belief that is attached to a particular body of statistical

experience for rate-making purposes. Generally, as the body of experience increases

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 in volume, the corresponding credibility also increases. This term would frequently be

defined in terms of specific mathematical formulas.

Cumulative Liability The accumulation of liability of a reinsurer under several policies from several ceding

companies covering similar or different lines of insurance , all of which are involved in

a common event or disaster.

Cutoff The termination provision of a reinsurance contract stipulating that the reinsurer shall

not be liable for loss as a result of occurrences taking place after the date of

termination or after an agreed-upon date following termination. A cutoff normally

involves return of unearned premium in force at the cut-off date.

Cut-Through Endorsement An addition to an insurance policy between an insurance company and a

policyholder which requires that, in the event of the company's insolvency, any part

of a loss covered by reinsurance be paid directly to the policyholder by the reinsurer.

The cut-through endorsement is so named because it provides that the reinsurance

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 claim payment "cuts through" the usual route of payment from reinsured company-to-

policyholder and then reinsurer-to-reinsured company, substituting instead the

payment route of reinsurer-to-policyholder. The effect is to revise the route of

payment only, and there is no intended increased risk to the reinsurer. Similar to the

guarantee endorsement, the cut-through endorsement is also known as an

ASSUMPTION ENDORSEMENT.

Deficit As used in reinsurance, any excess of charges over credits at the end of any

accounting period (which excess shall be a charge in the computation of the

contingent commission for the succeeding period, or in computing various

experience rated reinsurance arrangements).

Deposit Premium When the terms of a treaty provide that the ultimate premium is to be determined at

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 some time after the treaty itself has been written, the reinsurer may require a

tentative or a deposit premium at the beginning. The tentative premium is readjusted

when the actual earned charge has been later determined. See ADVANCE

DEPOSIT PREMIUM

Direct Writer 1. In reinsurance, a reinsurer that negotiates with a ceding company without

benefit of an intermediary or broker.

2. In insurance, a primary insurer that sells insurance through licensed agents

who produce business essentially for no one else.

Direct Written Premium The gross premium income (written instead of earned) of a primary company,

adjusted for additional or return premiums but before deducting any premiums for

reinsurance ceded and not including any premiums for reinsurance assumed.

Domestic Company An insurer conducting business in its domiciliary state from which it received its

charter to write insurance. (As opposed to a foreign company, an insurer conducting

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 business in a state other than its domiciliary state; or an alien company, one

domiciled outside the U.S. but conducting business within the U.S.).

Early Warning Test Financial ratio and performance criteria designed by the National Association of

Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) to identify insurance companies that may need

close surveillance by state insurance departments.

Earned Premium That portion of written premium equal to the expired portion of the time for which the

insurance or reinsurance was in effect. Technically, the following definitions are

appropriate:

Accounting Earned - This is the most common and widely understood method. The

unearned premium reserve at the beginning of the period is added to the premium

written (booked) during the period, and the unearned premium reserve at the end of

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 the period is subtracted. Accounting earned is the figure used in the Annual

Statement.

Exposure Earned - This method calculates the premiums that were actually exposed

to loss (earned) for the period. The date on which premiums were booked is

disregarded. What are significant are the effective date and term to which the

premium applies. The portion of the premium written which was exposed to loss

(earned) is allocated to the exposure period whether the premiums were booked

prior to the period, during the period, or after the period. The exposure earned

premium eliminates the deficiency contained in accounting earned premium that

results from timing problems in the recording of premium records.

Errors and Omissions Clause A clause in a reinsurance treaty (requiring some affirmative act by the ceding insurer

to activate the reinsurance protection) stipulating that, in the event of inadvertent

error or omission, the reinsured shall not be prejudiced in the fulfillment of the

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 agreement, provided that such error or omission shall be corrected as soon as it is

discovered.

Excess Judgment Loss The amount paid by a liability insurer in excess of applicable policy limits occasioned

by the failure, on account of negligence or bad faith, to settle a claim for an amount

within such policy limits.

Excess Limits Premiums In casualty insurance, premiums for limits of liability added to basic limits, calculated

as multiples of basic limits premium. Excess limits premiums were the original (and

remain a popular) basis of premium paid for casualty excess of loss reinsurance.

Excess of Line Reinsurance A form of per-risk excess agreement under which the indemnity is not a fixed dollar

limit but a multiple of the primary company's net retention.

Excess of Loss Reinsurance A generic term describing reinsurance which, subject to a specified limit, indemnifies

the ceding company against all or a portion of the amount in excess of a specified

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 retention. The term includes various types of reinsurance, such as catastrophe

reinsurance, per-risk reinsurance, per-occurrence reinsurance, and aggregate

excess of loss reinsurance. It should never be confused with "surplus share," which

always refers to a pro rata form of reinsurance. Also known as NON-

PROPORTIONAL REINSURANCE.

Excess Per-Risk Reinsurance A form of excess of loss reinsurance which, subject to a specified limit, indemnifies

the ceding company against the amount of loss in excess of a specified retention

with respect to each risk involved in each loss.

Exclusions Those risks, perils or classes of insurance with respect to which the reinsurer will not

pay loss or provide reinsurance notwithstanding the other terms and conditions of

reinsurance.

Expense Ratio Expenses (other than loss adjustment expenses) incurred during a specific period of

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 time divided by premiums written during the same period.

Experience Rating Another name for PROSPECTIVE RATING and RETROSPECTIVE RATING.

Extra Contractual Damages In reinsurance, monetary awards required by a court of Extra Contractual law against
(Extra Contractual
an insurer for its negligence to its insured. Such payments required of an insurer to
Obligations, E.C.O.)
its insured are extracontractual in that they are beyond the insurance contract

between insurer and insured. A reinsurance treaty may cover these damages and, if

so, will specify covered situations, percentages applicable, and required premium

charges.

Facultative Certificate A document formalizing a facultative reinsurance cession.

Facultative Reinsurance The reinsurance of part or all of (the insurance provided by) a single policy, with

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 separate negotiation for each cession. The word "facultative" connotes that both the

primary insurer and the reinsurer have the faculty or option of accepting or rejecting

the individual submission (as distinguished from the obligation to cede and accept, to

which the parties agree in treaty reinsurance).

Facultative Semi-obligatory A reinsurance contract under which the ceding company may or may not cede
Treaty
exposures or risks of a defined class to the reinsurer, which is obligated to accept if

ceded.

Facultative Treaty A reinsurance contract under which the ceding company has the option to cede and

the reinsurer has the option to accept or decline individual risks. The contract

describes how individual facultative reinsurances shall be handled.

Financing Function A purpose of reinsurance in some cases, i.e., whenever the reinsurer relieves the

primary company of all or part of the company's responsibility for carrying an

unearned premium reserve and the reinsurer allows a ceding commission to the

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 primary company. Because the cash or other statutorially recognized assets being

transferred (causing a change in assets) are less than the unearned premium

reserve change (causing a change in liabilities), the primary company's policyholder

surplus is increased by the amount of the reinsurance commission allowance.

First Loss Retention The amount of loss sustained by the reinsured before the liability of the excess of

loss reinsurer attaches, often referred to as NET RETENTION. See ATTACHMENT

POINT.

First Surplus Treaty A term exclusive to pro rata reinsurance treaties that defines the amount of each

cession as the amount of gross (policy) liability which exceeds, or is "surplus" to, an

agreed upon net retention up to the limit of (reinsurance) liability. Often a maximum

net retention is specified in the treaty, with the primary company having the option to

choose a lesser retention on individual risks. The amount of first surplus reinsurance

provided will be limited to a fixed multiple of the selected retention in each case.

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 Larger policy surpluses are termed "second," "third," and so on, each being the

amount of reinsurance afforded once the prior surplus reinsurance capacity plus the

true net retention have been exceeded. See SURPLUS REINSURANCE.

Flat Commission A stated commission percentage, payable by the reinsurer to the reinsured, which is

not subject to further adjustment under a profit-sharing provision. Common in pro

rata facultative reinsurance.

Flat Rate 1. A fixed rate not subject to any subsequent adjustment.

2. A reinsurance premium rate applicable to the entire premium income derived

by the ceding company from the business ceded to the reinsurer (as distinguished

from a rate applicable to excess limits).

Following Reinsurer A reinsurer that follows the lead reinsurer on a cover being placed, accepting or

rejecting the terms as presented.

Foreign Reinsurer A U.S. reinsurer conducting business in a state other than its domiciliary state, where

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 it is known as a domestic company (as opposed to an alien reinsurer: one domiciled

outside the U.S. but conducting business within the U.S.).

Franchise Covers A contractual provision, common in hail insurance but also used elsewhere, stating

that no loss is payable until the loss exceeds a certain amount, but when that amount

is exceeded, the whole loss is paid.

Fronting An arrangement whereby one insurer issues a policy on a risk for, and at the request

of, one or more other insurers with the intent of passing the entire risk by way of

reinsurance to the other insurer(s). Such an arrangement may be illegal if the

purpose is to frustrate regulatory requirements.

Funds Held Account (or The holding by a ceding company of funds representing the unearned premium
Funds Withheld)
reserve or the outstanding loss reserve applied to the business it cedes to a

reinsurer.

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 G

GAAP (Generally Accepted A method of reporting the financial results of an insurer more in accordance with the
Accounting Principles)
going concern basis used by other businesses. GAAP assigns income and

disbursements to their proper period, as distinguished from the more conservative

requirements of statutory accounting affecting insurers.

G.N.E.P.I. (Gross Net Earned See SUBJECT PREMIUM.

G.N.W.P.I. (Gross Net Written See SUBJECT PREMIUM .

Gross Line The amount of liability an insurer has written on a risk including the amount it has

reinsured. Net line plus reinsurance equals gross line.

Ground-Up Loss The total amount of loss sustained before deductions are applied for reinsurance

covers, which inure to the benefit of the cover being considered and before the

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 application of a deductible, if any, because that base theoretically reflects changes in

exposure.

Guarantee Endorsement An addition to an insurance policy (between an insurance company and a

policyholder covering the policyholder's mortgaged property) which requires that, in

the event of the company's insolvency, the mortgagee and/or the policyholder be

paid directly by the reinsurer either for any loss covered by reinsurance or (as is

often provided) for the full insurance protection afforded by the insurance company.

Since the full insurance protection afforded by the insurance company may be above

the reinsurance that would be payable to a reinsured company, the reinsurer may be

assuming an additional risk in such an endorsement. Similar to the cut-through

endorsement, the guarantee endorsement is also known as a MORTGAGEE

ENDORSEMENT.

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 I

Incurred But Not Reported The liability for future payments on losses that have already occurred but have not
(IBNR)
yet been reported in the reinsurer's records. This definition may be extended to

include expected future development on claims already reported. See LOSS

DEVELOPMENT.

Incurred Losses 1. In insurance accounting, an amount representing the losses paid plus the

change (positive or negative) in outstanding loss reserves within a given period of

time.

2. Losses that have happened and which will result in a claim under the terms of

an insurance policy or a reinsurance agreement.

Incurred Loss Ratio The relationship between incurred losses and earned premium, usually expressed as

a percentage.

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Indexing A procedure that adjusts retention and limit provisions of excess of loss reinsurance

agreements in accordance with the fluctuations of a published economic index such

as wage, price, cost-of-living, etc.

Insolvency Clause A provision now appearing in most reinsurance contracts (because many states

require it) stating that the reinsurance is payable, in the event the reinsured is

insolvent, directly to the company or its liquidator without reduction because of its

insolvency or because the company or its liquidator has failed to pay all or a portion

of any claim.

Intermediary A reinsurance broker who negotiates contracts of reinsurance on behalf of the

reinsured, receiving a commission for placement and other services rendered. Under

the terms of one widely used intermediary clause, premiums paid a broker by a

reinsured are considered paid to the reinsurer, but loss payments and other funds

(such as premium adjustments) paid a broker by a reinsurer are not considered paid

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 to the reinsured until actually received by the reinsured.

Intermediary Clause A provision in a reinsurance contract that identifies the specific intermediary or broker

involved in negotiating the contract, communicating information and transmitting

funds. The clause should state clearly whether payment to the broker does or does

not constitute payment to the other party of the reinsurance contract. Currently a

widely used clause provides that payments by the ceding company to the

intermediary shall be deemed to constitute payment to the reinsurer(s) and that

payments by the reinsurer(s) to the intermediary shall be deemed to constitute

payment to the ceding company only to the extent that such payments are actually

received by the ceding company.

Intermediate Excess Used in property reinsurance to describe a cover exposed to both catastrophe

(occurrence) losses and to policy limit exposures, excess the probable maximum

loss.

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Investment Income Money earned from invested assets. May also include realized capital gains, or be

reduced by capital losses, over the same period.

Law of Large Numbers A mathematical concept which postulates that the more times an event is repeated

(in insurance, the larger the number of homogeneous exposure units), the more

predictable the outcome becomes. In a classic example, the more times one flips a

coin, the more likely that the results will be 50% heads, 50% tails.

Lead Reinsurer The reinsurer recognized as the one of several reinsurers on a contract responsible

for negotiating the initial terms of the contract. There may be joint leaders on a

contract, and the contract may specifically provide to the lead reinsurer the power to

bind others to limited changes in or enhancements of the contract during its term.

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Leveraged Effect The disproportionate result produced by inflation on a reinsurer's liability in excess of

loss reinsurance compared with the ceding company's liability. In other words,

inflationary increases in average claim costs of a reinsured usually produce even

greater increases for its excess of loss reinsurer, since an increase affecting all

losses (those within the retention limit and those above it) multiplies itself when

affecting the excess of loss portion above that retention limit. For example, if the

reinsured's retention limit average claim cost increases 8%, the reinsurer's increase

can be as much as twice or three times that amount, or more. The increase on the

reinsurer over the ceding company's increase is referred to as the leveraged effect.

The effect is leveraged in that such increases fall more on the reinsurer,

proportionately at least, than on the reinsured.

Line 1. Either the limit of insurance to be written that a company has fixed for itself on

a class of risk (line limit), or the actual amount which it has accepted on a single risk

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 or other unit.

2. A class or type of insurance (fire, marine or casualty, among others), also

known as LINE OF BUSINESS.

3. The word "line" in reference usually pertains to surplus reinsurance and

means the amount of the reinsured's retention with respect to each risk. Thus,

reference to a "two-line reinsurance treaty" pertains to a treaty that affords

reinsurance for 200% of the reinsured's retention.

Line of Business The general classification of reinsurance written by insurers, i.e., fire, allied lines and

homeowners, among others.

Line Guide A list of the maximum amounts of insurance that a company is prepared to write on

various classes of risks. Within the primary company, a line guide will usually include

a suggested net retention for each class of risk and is used to instruct its agents and

underwriters. Also known as LINE SHEET.

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Line Sheet Another name for LINE GUIDE.

Lloyd's (or Lloyds) A kind of organization for underwriting insurance or reinsurance in which a collection

of individuals assume policy liabilities as the individual obligations of each. When

spelled with an apostrophe, the term refers to Lloyd's of London, the formal name of

which is "Underwriters at Lloyd's, London."

Long-Tail Liability A term used to describe certain types of third-party liability exposures (e.g.,

malpractice, products, errors and omissions) where the incidence of loss and the

determination of damages are frequently subject to delays that extend beyond the

term the insurance or reinsurance was in force. An example would be contamination

of a food product that occurs when the material is packed but which is not discovered

until the product is consumed months or years later.

Loss Development The process of change in amount of losses as a policy or accident year matures, as

measured by the difference between paid losses and estimated outstanding losses at

38
 one point in time, and paid losses and estimated outstanding losses at some

previous point in time. In common usage it might refer to development on reported

cases only, whereas a broader definition also would take into account the IBNR

claims.

Losses Outstanding Losses (reported or not reported) that have occurred but have not been paid.

Losses Paid The amounts paid to claimants as insurance claim settlements.

Loss Incurred See INCURRED LOSSES.

Loss Ratio Losses incurred expressed as a percentage of earned premiums.

Loss Reserve For an individual loss, an estimate of the amount the insurer expects to pay for the

reported claim. For total losses, estimates of expected payments for reported and

unreported claims. May include amounts for loss adjustment expenses. See

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 INCURRED BUT NOT REPORTED (IBNR) and INCURRED LOSSES.

MFL (Maximum Foreseeable The anticipated maximum property fire loss that could result given unusual or the
Loss)
worst circumstances with respect to the non-functioning of protective features

(firewalls, sprinklers, a responsive fire department, etc.), as opposed to PML

(Probable Maximum Loss), which would be a similar valuation, but under the

assumption that such protective features function normally.

Minimum Premium The least premium charge applicable, frequently used in excess of loss reinsurance

contracts or catastrophe covers which contain a provision that the final adjusted

premium may not be less than a stated amount.

40
 N

Net Line The amount of insurance the primary company carries on a risk after deducting

reinsurance from its "gross" line. See NET RETENTION.

Net Loss The amount of loss sustained by an insurer after making deductions for all

recoveries, salvage, and all claims upon reinsurers - with specifics of the definition

derived from the reinsurance agreement. Such net loss may or may not include claim

expenses. As provided in the reinsurance agreement, net loss can be confined to the

amount paid by the reinsured within applicable policy limits, or it also can include

amounts paid by the reinsured for compensatory damages in excess of applicable

policy limits because of failure of the reinsured to settle within applicable policy limits.

Net Retention The amount of insurance that an insurer keeps for its own account and does not

pass on to another insurer. In excess of loss reinsurance, the term "first loss

41
 retention" may be preferred. See NET LINE.

Non-admitted Assets Assets owned by an insurance company that are not recognized for solvency

purposes by state insurance laws or insurance department regulations, e.g.,

premiums due and uncollected past 90 days, and furniture and fixtures among

others.

Non-admitted Company 1. An insurer not licensed in a given state.

2. A reinsurer not licensed or approved in a given state.

Non-admitted Insurance Insurance protection placed with a non-admitted insurer.

Non-admitted Reinsurance Reinsurance protection bought by a ceding company from a reinsurer not licensed or

authorized to transact the particular line of business in the jurisdiction in question. No

credit is given the ceding company for such non-admitted reinsurance in its Annual

Statement unless it withholds funds or holds a letter of credit on behalf of such

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 unauthorized reinsurer, as shown in Part 2 of Schedule F of the Statement.

Non-proportional Reinsurance Reinsurance under which the reinsurer's participation in a loss depends on the size

of the loss. Also known as EXCESS OF LOSS REINSURANCE.

Occurrence 1. In a non-insurance sense, an incident, event or happening. In insurance, the

term may be defined as continual, gradual or repeated exposure to an adverse

condition that is neither intended nor expected to result in injury or damage, as

contrasted with an accident which is a sudden happening. In reinsurance, per

occurrence coverage permits all losses arising out of one event to be aggregated

instead of being handled on a risk-by-risk basis.

2. One basis or determinant for calculating the amount of loss or liability in

insurance or reinsurance when an aggregation of related losses is to constitute a

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 single subject of recovery. For example, in property catastrophe reinsurance treaties,

occurrence is usually defined so that all losses within a specified period of time

involving a particular peril are deemed an occurrence.

Operating Income/Profit The sum of the net investment income and net underwriting income in any reporting

period.

Operating Ratio The arithmetic sum of two ratios: incurred loss to earned premium, and incurred

expense to written premium. Considered the best simple index to current

underwriting performance of an insurer.

Overline The amount of insurance or reinsurance that exceeds the insurer's or reinsurer's

normal capacity. This is inclusive of automatic reinsurance facilities.

Overriding Commission 1. A fee or percentage of money that is paid to a party responsible for placing a

retrocession of reinsurance.

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 2. In insurance, a fee or percentage of money that is paid by the insurer to an

agent or general agent for premium volume produced by other agents in a given

geographic territory.

Participate To share in the writing of a risk.

Participating Reinsurance The sharing of risks, as in quota share and surplus share reinsurance that participate

pro rata in all losses from the first dollar up. See PRO RATA REINSURANCE.

Payback Period A term used in the rating of per occurrence excess covers that represents the

number of years at a given premium level that would be necessary to accumulate

total premiums equal to the indemnity. Synonymous with AMORTIZATION PERIOD.

Per Risk Reinsurance Reinsurance in which the reinsurance limit and the retention apply "per risk" rather

45
 than per accident, per event, or in the aggregate.

PML (Probable Maximum The anticipated maximum property fire loss that could result given the normal
Loss)
functioning of protective features (firewalls, sprinklers, a responsive fire department,

etc.), as opposed to MFL (Maximum Foreseeable Loss), which would be similar

valuation, but on a worst-case basis with respect to the functioning of the protective

features. Underwriting decisions typically would be influenced by PML evaluations,

and the amount of reinsurance ceded on a risk would normally be predicated on the

PML valuation.

Policyholder Surplus 1. The net worth of an insurer as reported in its Annual Statement. For a stock

insurer, the sum of its surplus and capital. For a mutual insurer, its surplus.

2. The amount by which the assets of an insurer exceed the organization's

liabilities. Another name for SURPLUS TO POLICY HOLDERS.

Policy Profile A study that segregates an insurer's policies into various groupings (for example, by

46
 policy limit or policy premium).

Policy Year Experience The segregation of all premiums and losses attributable to policies having an

inception or renewal date within a given 12-month period. More specifically, the total

value (losses paid plus loss reserves) of all losses arising from (regardless of when

reported) policies incepting or renewing during the year is divided by the fully

developed earned premium for those same policies. The finally developed earned

premium will always equal the written premium for those policies. POLICY YEAR

EXPERIENCE resembles ACCIDENT YEAR EXPERIENCE in that, while the

experience is developing, loss reserves are used in the calculation, but the ultimate

result cannot be finalized until all losses are settled. POLICY YEAR EXPERIENCE is

different in that premiums earned from policies incepting during a one-year period of

time will earn over the course of both the year of inception and a later year(s).

Similarly, losses to be included will be occurring over this same extended time

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 period. See ACCIDENT YEAR EXPERIENCE.

Pool Any joint underwriting operation of insurance or reinsurance in which the participants

assume a predetermined and fixed interest in all business written. Pools are often

independently managed by professionals with expertise in the classes of business

undertaken, and the members share equally in the premiums, losses, expenses and

profits. An "association" and a "syndicate" (excluding that of Lloyd's of London) are

both synonymous with a pool, and the basic principles of operation are much the

same.

Portfolio A defined body of:

1. insurance (policies) in force (premium portfolio),

2. outstanding losses (loss portfolio), or

3. company investments (investment portfolio).

(The reinsurance of all existing insurance, as well as new and renewal business, is

48
 therefore described as a running account reinsurance with portfolio transfer or

assumption.)

Portfolio Reinsurance The transfer of a portfolio via a cession of reinsurance; the reinsurance of a runoff.

Only policies in force (or losses outstanding) are reinsured, and no new or renewal

business is included. Premium or loss portfolios, or both, may be reinsured. The term

is sometimes applied to the reinsurance by one insurer of all business in force of

another insurer retiring from an agency, from a territory or from the insurance

business entirely.

Portfolio Return If the reinsurer is relieved of liability (under a pro rata reinsurance) for losses

happening after termination of the treaty or at a later date, the total unearned

premium reserve on business left unreinsured (less ceding commissions thereon) is

normally returned to the cedent. Also known as a RETURN PORTFOLIO or

RETURN OF UNEARNED PREMIUM.

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Portfolio Runoff Continuing the reinsurance of a portfolio until all ceded premium is earned, or all

losses are settled, or both. While a loss runoff is usually unlimited as to time, a

premium runoff can be for a specified duration.

Premium The monetary consideration in contracts of insurance and reinsurance.

Premium Base The ceding company's premiums (written or earned) to which the reinsurance

premium rate is applied to produce the reinsurance premium. Also known as BASE

PREMIUM, SUBJECT PREMIUM, and UNDERLYING PREMIUM.

Premiums Earned When used as an accounting term, premiums earned describe the premiums written

during a period plus the unearned premiums at the beginning of the period less the

unearned premiums at the end of the period.

Primary An adjective applied in reinsurance to these nouns: insurer, insured, policy, and

insurance - meaning respectively:

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 1. the primary insurer is the insurance company that initially originates the

business, i.e., the ceding company;

2. the primary insured is the policyholder insured by the primary insurer;

3. the primary policy is the initial policy issued by the primary insurer to the

primary insured;

4. the primary insurance is the insurance covered under the primary policy

issued by the primary insurer to the primary insured (sometimes called "underlying

insurance").

Professional Reinsurer A term used to designate an organization whose business is mainly reinsurance and

related services, as contrasted with other insurance organizations that may operate

reinsurance — assuming departments in addition to their basic primary insurance

business.

Profit Commission See CONTINGENT COMMISSION.

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Proportional Reinsurance Another name for PRO RATA REINSURANCE.

Pro Rata Reinsurance A generic term describing all forms of reinsurance in which the reinsurer shares a

proportional part of the original losses and premiums of the ceding company. Also

known as PARTICIPATING REINSURANCE and PROPORTIONAL

REINSURANCE.

Prospective Rating Plan The formula in a reinsurance contract for determining the reinsurance premium for a

specified period on the basis, in whole or in part, of the loss experience of a prior

period (as opposed to retrospective rating, which is based on loss experience for the

same period). Also known as EXPERIENCE RATING.

"Protecting the Treaty" Used to describe any action taken by an insurer to prevent heavy losses to its treaty

reinsurer, which can lead to increased reinsurance rates or decreased participation in

any profit-sharing arrangements with the reinsurer.

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Provisional Premium, Rate or The tentative amount that is subject to subsequent adjustment.
Commission

Punitive Damages Damages awarded separately and in addition to compensatory damages, usually on

account of malicious or wanton misconduct, to punish the wrong-doer and possibly

others. Sometimes referred to as "exemplary damages" when intended to "make an

example" of the wrongdoer.

Pure Loss Cost The ratio of reinsured losses incurred under a reinsurance agreement to the ceding

company's subject earned premium for that agreement, before loading. Also known

as BURNING COST.

Pure Premium 1. That part of the premium which is sufficient to pay losses and loss adjustment

expenses but not including other expenses.

2. The premium developed by dividing losses by units of exposure, disregarding

any loading for commission, taxes and expenses.

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 3. In crop-hail insurance, the ratio of incurred loss to liability, or the dollars of loss

per $100 of insurance in force.

Quota Share Reinsurance A form of pro rata reinsurance (proportional) in which the reinsurer assumes an

agreed upon percentage of each insurance being insured and shares all premiums

and losses accordingly with the reinsured. Quota share reinsurance is usually

arranged to apply to the insurer's net retained account (i.e., after deducting all other

reinsurance except perhaps excess of loss catastrophe reinsurance), but practice

varies. A quota share reinsurer may be asked to assume a quota share of a gross

account, paying its share of premium for other reinsurance protecting that gross

account.

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 R

Rate The percent or factor applied to the ceding company's subject premium to produce

the reinsurance premium, or the percent applied to the reinsurer's premium to

produce the commission payable to the primary company (or, if applicable, the

reinsurance intermediary).

Rate on Line Premium divided by indemnity. A British term for the rate which, when multiplied by

the indemnity, would produce the premium. Related to the American terms,

"amortization period" and "payback period." This term is used extensively in judging

the adequacy of rates for per occurrence excess covers, and is the inverse of

AMORTIZATION PERIOD and PAYBACK PERIOD.

Recapture The action of a ceding company to take back reinsured risks previously ceded to the

55
 reinsurer.

Reciprocity The mutual exchanging of reinsurance, often in equal amounts, from one party to

another, the object of which is to stabilize overall results.

Recoveries Amounts received from a reinsurer for a reinsured's losses.

Reinstatement The restoration of the reinsurance limit of an excess property treaty to its full amount

after payment by the reinsurer of loss as a result of an occurrence.

Reinsurance 1. The transaction whereby the reinsurer, for a consideration, agrees to

indemnify the ceding company against all or part of the loss that the latter may

sustain under the policy or policies which it has issued.

2. When referred to as "a reinsurance," the term means the reinsurance

relationship between reinsured(s) and reinsurer(s).

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Reinsurance Assumed That portion of risk the reinsurer accepts from the original insurer or ceding company.

Reinsurance Ceded That portion of the risk which the ceding company transfers to the reinsurer.

Reinsurance Commission Another name for CEDING COMMISSION.

Reinsurance Premium An amount paid by the ceding company to the reinsurer in consideration for liability

assumed by the reinsurer.

Reinsured A company that has placed reinsurance risks with a reinsurer in the process of

buying reinsurance. Also known as CEDING COMPANY.

Reinsurer An organization that assumes the liability of another by way of reinsurance.

Retention The amount that an insurer assumes for its own account. In pro rata contracts, the

retention may be a percentage of the policy limit. In excess of loss contracts, the

retention is a dollar amount of loss.

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Retrocedent The ceding reinsurer in a retrocession, where the assuming reinsurer is known as the

retrocessionnaire.

Retrocession The transaction whereby a reinsurer cedes to another reinsurer all or part of the

reinsurance it has previously assumed.

Retrocessionnaire The assuming reinsurer in a retrocession, where the ceding reinsurer is known as the

retrocedent.

Retrospective Rating Plan The formula in a reinsurance contract for determining the reinsurance premium for a

specified period on the basis of the loss experience for the same period (as opposed

to prospective rating, which is based on loss experience for the prior period). Also

known as EXPERIENCE RATING.

Return Portfolio The reassumption by a ceding company of a portfolio of risks previously assumed by

the reinsurer. See ASSUMED PORTFOLIO and PORTFOLIO RETURN.

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Risks 1. In fire insurance, the physical units of property at risk instead of perils or

hazards. In reinsurance, each insurance company makes its own rules for defining

units of hazard or single risks.

2. The different types of properties or insurable interest, e.g., non-hazardous

risks and protected risks.

Runoff A termination provision of a reinsurance contract stipulating that the reinsurer shall

remain liable for loss under reinsured policies in force at the date of termination, as a

result of occurrences taking place after the date of termination.

Second Surplus A supplementary treaty to a FIRST SURPLUS TREATY.

Semi-automatic Treaty See FACULTATIVE SEMI-OBLIGATORY TREATY.

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Sliding Scale Commission A commission adjustment on earned premiums under a formula whereby the actual

commission varies inversely with the loss ratio, subject to stated maximum and

minimum percentages.

Social Inflation The increasing of insurance losses caused by higher jury awards, more liberal

treatment of claims by workers'compensation boards, legislated rises in benefit levels

(in some cases retroactively), and new concepts of tort and negligence, among

others.

Special Acceptance The specific agreement by the reinsurer to include under a reinsurance contract a

risk that is not automatically included within the terms thereof.

Statutory Accounting Those principles required by state law that must be followed by insurance companies
Principles (SAP)
in submitting their financial statements to state insurance departments. Such

principles differ from generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in some

important respects, e.g., SAP requires that expenses must be recorded immediately

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 and cannot be deferred to track with premiums as they are earned and taken into

revenue. See GAAP.

Stop Loss Reinsurance See AGGREGATE EXCESS OF LOSS REINSURANCE.

Subject Premium The ceding company's premiums (written or earned) to which the reinsurance

premium rate is applied to produce the reinsurance premium. Also known as

UNDERLYING PREMIUM.

G.N.E.P.I. (Gross Net Earned Premium Income) The usual rating base for excess of

loss reinsurance. It represents the earned premiums of the primary company for the

lines of business covered net, meaning after cancellations, refunds and premiums

paid for any reinsurance protecting the cover being rated, but gross, meaning before

deducting the premium for the cover being rated.

G.N.W.P.I. (Gross Net Written Premium Income) Gross written premium less only

returned premiums and less premiums paid for reinsurance that inure to the benefit

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 of the cover in question. Its purpose is to create a base to which the reinsurance rate

is applied. Same as G.N.E.P.I., except premiums are written instead of earned.

Surplus Liability That portion of a reinsured company's gross liability on any one risk which exceeds

the amount the company is willing to retain net for its own account.

Surplus Reinsurance A form of pro rata reinsurance indemnifying the ceding company against loss for the

surplus liability ceded. Essentially, this can be viewed as a variable quota share

contract wherein the reinsurer's pro rata share of insurance on individual risks will

increase as the amount of insurance increases, in order that the primary company

can limit its net exposure regardless of the amount of insurance written. First surplus

is the amount of surplus on each risk that must apply first to the first surplus contract.

Second surplus, third surplus, etc., reinsurances are the remaining portions of the

surplus that must apply to each such respective contract after deducting the

amount(s) ceded to the underlying surplus contract or contracts. See FIRST

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 SURPLUS TREATY.

Surplus Relief 1. The result of reinsurance ceded on a portfolio basis to offset extraordinary drains on

policyholder surplus.

2. A designation of a reinsurance the main purpose of which is to finance new or in-

force business, or both. See FINANCING FUNCTION.

Surplus to Policyholders 1. The net worth of an insurer as reported in its Annual Statement. For a stock

insurer, the sum of its unassigned surplus and capital.

2. The amount by which the assets of an insurer exceed the organization's

liabilities. Another name for POLICYHOLDER SURPLUS.

Syndicate An association of individuals or organizations to pursue certain insurance objectives.

For example, individual underwriters in Lloyd's of London associate in separate

syndicates to write marine insurance, reinsurance life insurance, etc., entrusting the

administrative details of each syndicate to a syndicate manager. See POOL.

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 T

Treaty A reinsurance agreement between the ceding company and the reinsurer, usually for

one year or longer, which stipulates the technical particulars applicable to the

reinsurance of some class or classes of business. Reinsurance treaties may be

divided into two broad classifications:

1. The participating type that provides for sharing of risks between the ceding

company and the reinsurer; and

2. The excess type that provides for indemnity by the reinsurer only for loss

which exceeds some specified predetermined amount. For different forms, see

QUOTA SHARE, EXCESS OF LOSS, FIRST SURPLUS, SECOND SURPLUS,

STOP LOSS, CATASTROPHE.

Treaty Reinsurance A standing agreement between reinsured and reinsurer for the cession and

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 assumption of certain risks as defined in the treaty. While most treaty reinsurance

provides for automatic cession and assumption, it may be optional or semi-obligatory

and is not necessarily obligatory.

Trending The necessary adjustment of historical statistics (both premium and losses) to

present levels or expected future levels in order to reflect measurable changes in

insurance experience over time, which are caused by dynamic economic and

demographic forces, and to make the data useful for determining current and future

expected cost levels.

Uberrimae Fidei Literally, of the utmost good faith. A defining characterization or quality of some

(contractual) relationships, of which reinsurance is universally recognized to be one.

Among other differences from ordinary relationships, the nature of reinsurance

65
 transactions is dependent upon a mutual trust and a lively regard for the interests of

the other party, even if inimical to one's own. A breach of utmost good faith,

especially in regard to full and voluntary disclosure of the elements of risk of loss, is

accepted as grounds for any necessary reformation or redress, including rescission.

Ultimate Net Loss 1. In reinsurance, the unit of loss to which the reinsurance applies, as

determined by the reinsurance agreement. In other words, the gross loss less any

recoveries from the reinsurance that reduce the loss to the treaty in question.

2. In liability insurance, the amount actually paid or payable for the settlement of

a claim for which the reinsured is liable (including or excluding defense costs) after

deductions are made for recoveries, and certain specified reinsurance.

Unauthorized Insurer, An insurer not licensed, or a reinsurer neither licensed nor approved, in a designated
Reinsurer
jurisdiction.

Unauthorized Reinsurance Reinsurance placed with a reinsurer that does not have authorized status in the

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 jurisdiction in question.

Underlying The amount of loss that attaches before the next higher excess layer of insurance or

reinsurance attaches.

Underlying Premium The ceding company's premiums (written or earned) to which the reinsurance

premium rate is applied to produce the reinsurance premium. Also known as

SUBJECT PREMIUM.

Underwriting Capacity The maximum amount of money an insurer or reinsurer is willing to risk in a single

loss event on a single risk or in a given period. The limit of capacity for an insurer or

reinsurer that may also be imposed by law or regulatory authority.

Underwriting Income The excess of premiums earned by a reinsurer during any reporting period over the

combined total of expenses and losses incurred by the reinsurer during the same

period.

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Unearned Premium Reserve The sum of all the premiums representing the unexpired portions of the policies or

contracts that the insurer or reinsurer has on its books as of a certain date. It is

usually based on a formula of averages of issue dates and the length of term.

Warranted No Known or A statement made on application for excess or catastrophe reinsurance, which is
Reported Losses (WNKORL)
being back-dated, to protect the reinsurer from placement of reinsurance after a loss

has occurred.

Working Excess A contract covering an area of excess reinsurance in which loss frequency is

anticipated, as opposed to loss severity. Thus, a working cover would usually have a

low indemnity and would attach above a relatively low retention.

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