Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyElements of Insurable Risk

For an insurance company to properly underwrite and issue a policy, the exposure must meet specific criteria to be considered an ideally insurable risk. Which of the following characteristics are required elements of an insurable risk? (Select two)

  1. The loss must be accidental and unintentional from the perspective of the insured.Answer
  2. The loss must be definite and measurable in terms of cause, time, place, and financial amount.Answer
  3. C
    The exposure must present a speculative opportunity where both a financial loss and a profit are possible.
  4. D
    The applicant must utilize risk retention to permanently transfer the hazard to the insurance company.

Answer

The correct characteristics are that the loss must be accidental and unintentional, and the loss must be definite and measurable.
An ideally insurable risk must meet specific criteria to be viable for an insurance company to underwrite. The loss must be fortuitous (accidental and out of the insured's control) and it must be definite and measurable (having a clear time, place, and calculable financial value). These factors allow the insurer to establish adequate premiums and verify claims.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Recall the fundamental criteria that make a pure risk insurable.
The core elements include: accidental/due to chance, definite and measurable, statistically predictable, non-catastrophic, and having a large number of homogeneous exposure units.
Identifying the true elements allows you to separate correct requirements from incorrect assumptions about risk.
2
Evaluate the option regarding accidental loss.
This represents a valid element because insurers cannot predict or cover intentional acts (like arson by the property owner).
If losses were intentionally caused by the insured, premiums would become unaffordable and the concept of insurance would fail.
3
Evaluate the option regarding definite and measurable loss.
This is a necessary element because insurers must be able to quantify the exact financial payout required.
Without a definitive time, place, and measurable financial value, the insurer cannot determine if a policy was active or calculate the correct compensation.
4
Eliminate incorrect options based on misapplied terminology.
Speculative risks are never insurable, and purchasing an insurance policy represents risk transfer, not risk retention.
These distractors test the ability to distinguish pure insurable concepts from broader risk management terminology.

Key Concept

Elements of Insurable Risk
Rate this question

Topics

Elements of Insurable Risk

More questions from this topic