An Answer To The Question What Is Captive Insurance

By Lora Weeks


The question, What is captive insurance has been common in the last decade. It is a type of reinsurance that is usually given with a firm which has been put in place with the main objective of covering the assets and risks of its mother company. In other words, it is a kind of in house insurance firm. It is usually not available for the general public and is therefore limited as far as how much it can do is concerned.

Risk management is a must for every organization. The approach used my differ from one location to the other but the truth is that no business can be safe without it. However, changing times in the business environment are making it harder to afford the premiums. This among many other factors have led to the emergence of other solutions.

Many companies are now looking for in-house risk management solutions in a bid to cut down on the costs. While the initial investment is very large, the company will save a lot in the long-run. There are many companies that have opted out of the expensive premiums by the modern day insurers which has exposed them to various catastrophes that have the potential of making them lose a lot if they happen.

Another interesting scenario is where organizations have risks that are almost impossible to quantify. At other times, insurers might decide to inflate the cost of the premiums due to the risks involved. When that happens, it might be cheaper to consider in house reinsurance.

The single parent in-house solution is usually seen when a firm is setup primarily for safeguarding the interests of its mother company. An agency is a solution that an established insurer can come up with an aim of managing the risk of its client. Another type is the rent-a-captive. As the name may suggest, small companies can hire them since they lack the financial muscle to constitute their own company.

If you were asked what is captive insurance, the easiest way to respond would be to think about the advantages. The first is the fact that the company will enjoy more affordable premiums. This forms are usually setup up not with an aim of making huge profits but with the aim of providing an inexpensive risk management.




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