Appendix A -- Defined terms

This appendix is an integral part of the Standard.

cedant

A[1]

The policyholder under a reinsurance contract.

deposit component

A[2]

A contractual component that is not accounted for as a derivative under AASB 9 and would be within the scope of AASB 9 if it were a separate instrument.

direct insurance contract

A[3]

An insurance contract that is not a reinsurance contract.

discretionary participation feature

A[4]

A contractual right to receive, as a supplement to guaranteed benefits, additional benefits:

(a)            that are likely to be a significant portion of the total contractual benefits;

(b)            whose amount or timing is contractually at the discretion of the issuer; and

(c)            that are contractually based on:

(i)              the performance of a specified pool of contracts or a specified type of contract;

(ii)             realised and/or unrealised investment returns on a specified pool of assets held by the issuer; or

(iii)             the profit or loss of the company, fund or other entity that issues the contract.

fair value

A[5]

Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. (See AASB 13.)

financial guarantee contract

A[6]

A contract that requires the issuer to make specified payments to reimburse the holder for a loss it incurs because a specified debtor fails to make payment when due in accordance with the original or modified terms of a debt instrument.

financial risk

A[7]

The risk of a possible future change in one or more of a specified interest rate, financial instrument price, commodity price, foreign exchange rate, index of prices or rates, credit rating or credit index or other variable, provided in the case of a non-financial variable that the variable is not specific to a party to the contract.

guaranteed benefits

A[8]

Payments or other benefits to which a particular policyholder or investor has an unconditional right that is not subject to the contractual discretion of the issuer.

guaranteed element

A[9]

An obligation to pay guaranteed benefits, included in a contract that contains a discretionary participation feature.

insurance asset

A[10]

An insurer’s net contractual rights under an insurance contract.

insurance contract

A[11]

A contract under which one party (the insurer) accepts significant insurance risk from another party (the policyholder) by agreeing to compensate the policyholder if a specified uncertain future event (the insured event) adversely affects the policyholder. (See Appendix B for guidance on this definition.)

insurance liability

A[12]

An insurer’s net contractual obligations under an insurance contract.

insurance risk

A[13]

Risk, other than financial risk, transferred from the holder of a contract to the issuer.

insured event

A[14]

An uncertain future event that is covered by an insurance contract and creates insurance risk.

insurer

A[15]

The party that has an obligation under an insurance contract to compensate a policyholder if an insured event occurs.

liability adequacy test

A[16]

An assessment of whether the carrying amount of an insurance liability needs to be increased (or the carrying amount of related deferred acquisition costs or related intangible assets decreased), based on a review of future cash flows.

policyholder

A[17]

A party that has a right to compensation under an insurance contract if an insured event occurs.

reinsurance assets

A[18]

A cedant’s net contractual rights under a reinsurance contract.

reinsurance contract

A[19]

An insurance contract issued by one insurer (the reinsurer) to compensate another insurer (the cedant) for losses on one or more contracts issued by the cedant.

reinsurer

A[20]

The party that has an obligation under a reinsurance contract to compensate a cedant if an insured event occurs.

unbundle

A[21]

Account for the components of a contract as if they were separate contracts.

 

Additional Australian defined terms – see Appendix C.