Insurance Management
Insurance Management
Insurance Management
BY
S.P.SEN
FUNCTIONAL DEFINITION
Insurance is a co-operative device to spread loss
caused by a particular risk over a number of
persons, who are exposed to it and who agree to
insure themselves against the risk. Analysis
shows following points:
1. Co-operative device to spread risk.
2. System to cover a number of persons who are
insured against the risk.
3. The principle to share the loss on the basis of
probability of loss to the risk.
4. Method to provide security against losses to the
insured.
5. Co-operative device of distributing losses.
Contractual Definition
Insurance is a contract where one party (insurer)
agrees to pay to the other party (insured) or his
beneficiary, a certain sum upon a given
contingency (risk) against which insurance is
sought. Analysis indicates;
1. Certain sum, called premium, is charged in
consideration.
2. A large sum is guaranteed by the insurer who
received the premium.
3. Payment will be made in a certain definite sum
(loss or the policy amount whichever may be)
4. The payment is made only upon a contingency.
NATURE OF LIFE INSURANCE CONTRACT
1. Nature of general contract- It includes offer and
acceptance, free consent, legal consideration and legal
objectives.
2. Insurable Interest- interest on own life and interest on
others’ life. For others life proof is required. Others are
family relations and business relations. Exception regarding
proof requirement is “wife has insurable interest in the life
of her husband and vice versa. General rule for insurable
interest are;
Time of insurable interest.
Services-except services of wife, services of others will not
essentially form insurable interest. Must have financial
relationship between the proposer and the life assured.
Insurable interest must be valuable and valid.
Legal relationship may be the basis.
Must be definite and have legal consequence.
3. Utmost good faith- Both the parties proposer (insured) and insurer must be in
same mind at the time of contract. They must make full and true disclosure of
the fact material to risk.
Material facts are age, income, occupation, health, habits, residence, family
history and plan of insurance which is determined on the basis of opinion.
Both the parties are responsible to disclose all the material facts. There should
not be any concealment, misrepresentation, half disclosure and fraud of the
subject matter.
The duty of disclosure finishes at the moment of completion of proposal form.
Contract is voidable at the option of affected person in the absence of utmost
good faith.
Indisputable clause – Section – 45 of Insurance Act, 1938.
“No policy of Life Insurance, after expiry of 2 years from the date on which it was
effected, be called into question by an insurer on the ground that a statement
made in proposal for insurance.
Following facts are not required to be disclosed.
Circumstances, diminishing the risk,
Facts waived by insurer, facts of public knowledge, superfluous.
Implied facts.
Facts known from ordinary course of business.
WARRANTIES
Representations which are embodied in the policy and
expressly or impliedly forming part of the basis of the
contract, are called Warranties.
Maximum amount insured would be Risk cover is always for the declared
considered risk during the period of value.
policy.
Company
customers operation Goal
Knowledge of Recognition of
Wants and desire Results desired
MARKETING OF INSURANCE PRODUCT
The most important function of insurance
company includes product design, distribution
services, delivery and investment performance.
The distribution chain is now assuming focus with
new players exploring various possibilities to
reach out to customers and service them
effectively.
The future of insurance market and accordingly
the marketing strategy is likely to be influenced by
the followings;
1. The convergence of financial services
2. Rise of E- commerce.
3. The emergence of new distribution channels.
ISSUES IN INSURANCE MARKETING
The peculiar nature of the insurance industry
creates implementation of marketing strategy a
difficult task in following ways.
1. Insurance is unpatented, subjective requires
prior experience and physical evidence is
difficult to establish.
2. There is a involvement of customers in
production of services, mass production is
impossible.
3. The services cannot be inventoried and
standardized.
Characteristics of Insurance Services.
1. Intangibility
2. Heterogeneity
3. Inseparability- life products continues to exist over a
long period of time, and for making its service
available, the insured has to go on paying the
purchase price (premium) through out the term of
the policy. This ensures that the benefit already
accrued under sale are not lost. Therefore, direct
sale of services is the only channel of distribution.
4. Changing Demand.
Objectives of life insurance marketing
1. Spread of life insurance massage.
2. Mobilization of savings in the form of pension.
3. Profit maximization.
4. Successful distribution of products.
5. Improving customers services.
6. Increasing customer base and its spread.
7. Developing corporate image.
8. Developing guiding policies and their
implementation for a better result.
9. Suggest solution by studying the problems
relating to life insurance business.
Importance of life insurance marketing
1. Mobilizes the savings of the people for further investment in
productive uses and thus, avoids their wastage.
2. Provides incentives to savings and facilitates capital formation by
offering stable rate if interest and bonus as the price of their
investment.
3. Facilitates increase in production and productivity in the
economy and thus enhances the economic value.
4. Insurance market consisting of expert intermediaries, promotes
stability in value of different insurance schemes.
5. Generate employment.
6. Makes available new variety of useful and quality products to
customers.
7. Insurance marketing is the sole source of business income.
8. Convert latent demand into effective demand and enable people
to raise their standard of living.
9. It is a connecting link between the consumer and the producer.
Scope of insurance marketing
POLICY SERVICING
PHYSICAL DISTRIBUTION
LIFE INSURANCE
MARKETING
STRATEGY
PROMOTION MIX
PRODUCT MIX
PRICE MIX
CHANNELS OF DISTRIBUTION
Life insurance is solely depend on the
agency distribution and general insurance
on development officers.
There are 3 players in insurance market.
Mainly two channels- traditional and new
DISTRIBUTORS
1. Buyer- consists of consumers, employees
and employers.
2. Carriers- or the policy issuers will focus on BUYERS CARRIERS
mainly on life and annuities, property
and causalities, health and ancillaries.
3. Distributor- forms a critical link in the
System , provide value added low
Cost services.
Traditional Channels
Agents- most companies in India follow the
traditional route of marketing through agents.
In case of private players they are named as
‘Insurance Advisors/ planners.
Brokers- are professionals who assess risk on
behalf of client, advice on mitigation of that
risk, identify the optimal insurance policy
structure, bring together the insurer and
insured, carry out work preparatory to
insurance contract and where necessary
assist in the administration and performance of
such contract,in particular when claim arise.
NEW CHANNELS
1. Direct Marketing- Company owned sales team
concept is now employed by a majority.
2. Broker/corporate agent- authorized by IRDA to
sell and customized products on behalf of
insurance companies.
3. Independent Financial Advisors- authorized
agents of insurance companies having tie-up
may be with more than one company.
4. Telemarketing- marketing through telephonic
devices generating leads through cold calls and
forwarding the leads to the main sales team of
the company.
NEW CHANNELS