Our glossary explains technical terms from the areas finance and reinsurance. We hope it facilitates the understanding of our texts, publications and annual reports. If you have comments or suggestions, please use our feedback form!
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Major loss
loss which has special significance for the direct insurer or reinsurer due to the amount involved; it is defined as a major loss in accordance with a fixed loss amount or other criteria (in the case of Hannover Re more than EUR 10 million gross).
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Major loss budget
annual budget for major losses determined from the modelled loss expectancy for business with natural perils exposure as well as for man-made net losses larger than EUR 10 million.
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Mark-to-market valuation
the evaluation of financial instruments to reflect current market value or fair value.
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Matching currency cover
coverage of technical liabilities in foreign currencies by means of corresponding investments in the same currency in order to avoid exchange-rate risks.
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Modified Coinsurance-(ModCo) Treaty
type of reinsurance treaty where the ceding company retains the assets with respect to all the policies reinsured and also establishes and retains the total reserves on the policies, thereby creating an obligation to render payments to the reinsurer at a later date. Such payments include a proportional share of the gross premium plus a return on the assets.
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Morbidity risk
in general terms, the actuarial risk that the state of health of a person is adversely impacted by illness, malfunctioning of organs or other body parts (functional disability), injury or frailty and that higher costs are triggered by medical treatment, long-term care or protracted periods of disability.
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Mortality risk
in general terms, the actuarial risk that a person upon whose death a benefit is payable lives shorter than expected. From a (re)insurer’s perspective, this is the risk that the observed mortality experience in an underlying portfolio deviates from what had previously been calculated on the basis of actuarial assumptions.
