Reinsurance is a mechanism by which insurers manage and mitigate the risks they underwrite by transferring portions of those risks to other insurance entities. This practice dates back to the 14th century, primarily initiated within the context of marine transport due to the perilous nature of sea voyages.
Ease of entry or exit from a territory or a class of business
Underwriting assistance
Catastrophe protection
Stabilization of loss experience
Financing
Capacity
Principles of reinsurance
Privity of contract
Duty of disclosure
Why need reinsurance?
Provide expertise to cedents
Income smoothing
Substitute for risk capital
Risk transfer
Definition of reinsurance
Parties involved in reinsurance:
Reinsurance broker
Retrocessionaires
Administration
Lloyd's
Direct insurers
“Reinsurance is the insurance of the risk borne by the insurer"
History of reinsurance
Fire class of business
-Rapid development of reinsurance was also due to major fires in New York (1835), Germany (Memel,1854), Switzerland (Glarus,1862) and England (Tooley Sreete Fire, 1861).
-The development of the fire reinsurance in the 2nd of the 19th century.
Marine transport.
-It is shows a true reinsurance practise between the insurer and reinsurer, without the owner of the cargo having any contractual relationship with the reinsurer.
-Because of the dangerous nature of voyage, the insurer transferred most of the risk to a second insurer, who accepted it.
-The first known reinsurance contract, written in Latin, was effected in Genoa in July 1370. It concerned a cargo that was to be carried by sea from Cadiz (in Spain) to Sluis (in Flanders) and was insured.
The reinsurance institution grew up mainly in marine transport. However,it is in the fire class of business where it has developed most.