(1) Industry loss warranties (ILWs) deal with the loss caused by insurance events such as hurricanes, windstorms, and earthquakes. The owner of the contract will get paid a specified amount if the industry loss caused by the disaster exceeds the trigger level.
(2) Catastrophe bonds are sold to reduce the exposure to catastrophe risk. The investor will get a rich coupon payment but will lose the coupons and/or the principle once a catastrophe event occurs.
(3) Longevity bonds have the amount of coupon payment linked to the number of survivors for a chosen population cohort. It is often used to hedge the risk that one outlives his/her savings. Insurance companies buy longevity bonds to protect them against the risk that the mortality experience is better than what is assumed when pricing life annuities.
In contrast, contingent capital focuses on the financial risks, especially the systemic risk. In addition, the conversion is expected to happen only under financial stress. The writing down of liability or the conversion to equity helps strengthen the capital position. The insurance derivatives are used to limit the loss no matter whether the buyer is in financial trouble or not.