The loss and its economic value must be well-defined and out of the policyholder’s control. The
policyholder should not be allowed to cause or encourage a loss that will lead to a benefit or claim
payment. After the loss occurs, the policyholder should not be able to unfairly adjust the value of
the loss (for example, by lying) in order to increase the amount of the benefit or claim payment.
Covered losses should be reasonably independent. The fact that one policyholder experiences a
loss should not have a major effect on whether other policyholders do. For example, an insurer
would not insure all the stores in one area against fire, because a fire in one store could spread to
the others, resulting in many large claim payments to be made by the insurer.
These criteria, if fully satisfied, mean that the risk is insurable. The fact that a potential loss does
not fully satisfy the criteria does not necessarily mean that insurance will not be issued, but some
special care or additional risk sharing with other insurers may be necessary.
V. EXAMPLES OF INSURANCE
Some readers of this note may already have used insurance to reduce economic risk. In many
places, to drive a car legally, you must have liability insurance, which will pay benefits to a person
that you might injure or for property damage from a car accident. You may purchase collision
insurance for your car, which will pay toward having your car repaired or replaced in case of an
accident. You can also buy coverage that will pay for damage to your car from causes other than
collision, for example, damage from hailstones or vandalism.
Insurance on your residence will pay toward repairing or replacing your home in case of damage
from a covered peril. The contents of your house will also be covered in case of damage or theft.
However, some perils may not be covered. For example, flood damage may not be covered if
your house is in a floodplain.
At some point, you will probably consider the purchase of life insurance to provide your family
with additional economic security should you die unexpectedly. Generally, life insurance provides
for a fixed benefit at death. However, the benefit may vary over time. In addition, the length of
the premium payment period and the period during which a death is eligible for a benefit may each
vary. Many combinations and variations exist.
When it is time to retire, you may wish to purchase an annuity that will provide regular income to
meet your expenses. A basic form of an annuity is called a life annuity, which pays a regular
amount for as long as you live. Annuities are the complement of life insurance. Since payments