återförsäkringsverksamheten

Återförsäkring is the practice of insurers transferring a portion of their risk portfolio to another insurance company, known as a reinsurer. This allows primary insurers to reduce their exposure to large losses, increase their underwriting capacity, and stabilize their earnings. Reinsurance is not a new concept; it has been a crucial part of the insurance industry for centuries, enabling insurers to take on risks they might otherwise find too significant to bear alone.

There are several types of reinsurance agreements, with treaty reinsurance and facultative reinsurance being the most common. Treaty reinsurance involves a contract where the reinsurer agrees to accept a predetermined share of all risks within a specified class or portfolio for a set period. Facultative reinsurance, on the other hand, is negotiated on a case-by-case basis for individual risks that fall outside of existing treaty agreements.

The primary purposes of återförsäkring include risk mitigation, capital relief, and expertise sharing. By spreading risk, insurers can protect themselves from catastrophic events or a concentration of claims. Reinsurance also allows insurers to take on larger policies or a greater volume of business than their own capital base would typically permit. Furthermore, reinsurers often possess specialized knowledge and analytical capabilities that can benefit their ceding companies. The cost of återförsäkring is paid by the primary insurer to the reinsurer in the form of premiums.