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| GLOSSARY OF INSURANCE RATIOS |
(November 2005)
- The ratio of the reinsurance premiums ceded, plus net ceded reinsurance balances from non-US affiliates for paid losses, unpaid losses, incurred but not reported (IBNR), unearned premiums and commissions, less funds held from reinsurers, plus ceded reinsurance balances payable, to policyholders' surplus. This ratio measures the company's dependence upon the security provided by its reinsurers and its potential exposure to adjustment on such reinsurance.
- The percentage change in policyholder surplus from the prior year-end derived from operating earnings, investment gains, net contributed capital and other miscellaneous sources. This ratio measures a company's ability to increase policyholders' security.
- The sum of the loss, expense and policyholder dividend ratios not reflecting investment income or income taxes. This ratio measures the company's overall underwriting profitability, and a combined ratio of less than 100 indicates an underwriting profit.
- The sum of cash, unaffiliated invested assets and encumbrances on other properties to net liabilities plus ceded reinsurance balances payable, expressed as a percent. This ratio measures the proportion of liabilities covered by unencumbered cash and unaffiliated investments. If this ratio is less than 100, the company's solvency is dependent on the collectibility or marketability of premium balances and investments in affiliates. This ratio assumes the collectibility of all amounts recoverable from reinsurers on paid and unpaid losses and unearned premiums.
- The ratio of developed premiums through the year to net premiums earned. If premium growth was relatively steady, and the mix of business by line didn't materially change, this ratio measures whether or not a company's loss reserves are keeping pace with premium growth.
- The ratio measures reserve deficiency or redundancy in relation to policyholder surplus. This ratio reflects the degree to which year-end surplus was either overstated (+) or understated (-) in each of the past several years, if original reserves had been restated to reflect subsequent development through year end.
- The ratio of underwriting expenses (including commissions) to net premiums written. This ratio measures the company's operational efficiency in underwriting its book of business.
- The sum of net leverage and ceded reinsurance leverage. This ratio measures a company's gross exposure to pricing errors in its current book of business, to errors of estimating its liabilities, and exposure to its reinsurers.
- The ratio of the number of life insurance policies that lapsed within a given period to the number in force at the beginning of that period.
-Adjustment Reserves to Policyholder Surplus Ratio - The higher the multiple of loss reserves to surplus, the more a company's solvency is dependent upon having and maintaining reserve adequacy.
- The ratio of incurred losses and loss-adjustment expenses to net premiums earned. This ratio measures the company's underlying profitability, or loss experience, on its total book of business.
- Total health benefits divided by total premium.
- The sum of a company's net premium written to policyholder surplus and net liabilities to policyholder surplus. This ratio measures the combination of a company's net exposure to pricing errors in its current book of business and errors of estimation in its net liabilities after reinsurance, in relation to policyholder surplus.
- Net liabilities expressed as a ratio to policyholder surplus. Net liabilities equal total liabilities less conditional reserves, plus encumbrances on real estate, less the smaller of receivables from or payable to affiliates. This ratio measures company's exposures to errors of estimation in its loss reserves and all other liabilities. Loss-reserve leverage is generally the key component of net liability leverage. The higher the loss-reserve leverage the more critical a company's solvency depends upon maintaining reserve adequacy.
- This ratio measures a company's net retained premiums written after reinsurance assumed and ceded, in relation to its surplus. This ratio measures the company's exposure to pricing errors in its current book of business.
- Combined ratio less the net investment income ratio (net investment income to net premiums earned). The operating ratio measures a company's overall operational profitability from underwriting and investment activities. This ratio doesn't reflect other operating income/expenses, capital gains or income taxes. An operating ratio of more than 100 indicates a company is unable to generate profits from its underwriting and investment activities.
- Total admitted assets divided by total liabilities less conditional reserves. This ratio indicates a company's ability to cover net liabilities with total assets. This ratio doesn't address the quality and marketability of premium balances, affiliated investments and other uninvested assets.
- The ratio of dividends to policyholders related to net premiums earned.
- This ratio is designed to measure the ability of the insurer to absorb above-average losses and the insurer's financial strength. The ratio is computed by dividing net premiums written by surplus. An insurance company's surplus is the amount by which assets exceed liabilities. The ratio is computed by dividing net premiums written by surplus. For example, a company with $2 in net premiums written for every $1 of surplus has a 2-to-1 premium to surplus ratio. The lower the ratio, the greater the company's financial strength. State regulators have established a premium-to-surplus ratio of no higher than 3-to-1 as a guideline.
- Quick assets divided by net liabilities plus ceded reinsurance balances payable. Quick assets are defined as the sum of cash, unaffiliated short-term investments, unaffiliated bonds maturing within one year, government bonds maturing within five years, and 80% of unaffiliated common stocks. These assets can be quickly converted into cash in the case of an emergency.
- The sum of after-tax net income and unrealized capital gains, to the mean of prior and current year-end policyholder surplus, expressed as a percent. This ratio measures a company's overall after-tax profitability from underwriting and investment activity.
- This represents the percentage of a company's net premiums written that went toward underwriting expenses, such as commissions to agents and brokers, state and municipal taxes, salaries, employee benefits and other operating costs. The ratio is computed by dividing underwriting expenses by net premiums written. The ratio is computed by dividing underwriting expenses by net premiums written. A company with an underwriting expense ratio of 31.3% is spending more than 31 cents of every dollar of net premiums written to pay underwriting costs. It should be noted that different lines of business have intrinsically differing expense ratios. For example, boiler and machinery insurance, which requires a corps of skilled inspectors, is a high expense ratio line. On the other hand, expense ratios are usually low on group health insurance.
- Annual net investment income after expenses, divided by the mean of cash and net invested assets. This ratio measures the average return on a company's invested assets. This ratio is before capital gains/losses and income taxes.
Source: Reproduced with the permission of the A.M. Best Co., Glossary of Insurance Terms, http://www.ambest.com/resource/glossary.html,
(November 2005)
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