Financial Institutions Management 4th Edition by Saunders -Test Bank
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Sample Test
Chapter 03 Testbank
Student: ___________________________________________________________________________
1.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Policy
liabilities are a liability item for insurers that reflects their worst-case
payment commitments on existing policy contracts.
B. Policy liabilities are an asset item for insurers that reflects their
best-case payment inflows on existing policy contracts.
C. Policy liabilities are an asset item for insurers that reflects their
expected payment inflows on existing policy contracts.
D. Policy liabilities are a liability item for insurers that reflects
their expected payment commitments on existing policy contracts.
2.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. The
cash surrender value of a policy is normally only a portion of the contract’s
face value.
B. The cash surrender value of a policy is normally equal to the
contract’s face value.
C. The cash surrender value of a policy is normally more than the
contract’s face value.
D. A generalisation of the cash surrender value of a policy in relation
to its face value is not possible.
3.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. The
surrender value of a policy is the cash value received from the insurer if a
policyholder surrenders the policy prior to maturity.
B. The surrender value of a policy is the cash value received from the
insurer if a policyholder surrenders the policy at maturity.
C. The surrender value of a policy is the cash value received from the
policyholder if the insurance company surrenders the policy prior to maturity.
D. The surrender value of a policy is the cash value received from the
policyholder if the insurance company surrenders the policy at maturity.
4.
Variable
universal life insurance policies: |
1. have
fixed premiums and a fixed benefit payout.
B. have fixed premiums, but allow the benefit payout to vary with
investment returns.
C. have a fixed benefit payout, but allow the premium to vary with
investment returns.
D. allow both the premium and benefit payout to vary with investment
returns.
5.
Cost
economies are the principal advantage of ¼ over ¼ contracts, which arise from
the group plan administration and reduced selling and commission costs. |
1. ¼
individual life ¼ group life ¼
B. ¼ group life ¼ individual life ¼
C. ¼ individual life ¼ personal life ¼
D. None of the listed options are correct.
6.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Long-tail
loss refers to a series of claims made after an initial claim has been made.
B. Long-tail loss refers to a claim that is made some time after a policy
was written.
C. Short-tail loss refers to a series of claims made after an initial
claim has been made.
D. Short-tail loss refers to a claim that is made some time after a
policy was written.
7.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Net
asset value refers to the book value of assets in a managed fund portfolio
divided by the number of shares outstanding.
B. Net asset value refers to the book value of assets in a managed fund
portfolio multiplied by the number of shares outstanding.
C. Net asset value refers to the market value of assets in a managed fund
portfolio multiplied by the number of shares outstanding.
D. None of the listed options are correct.
8.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. A
closed-end investment company is a specialised firm that invests in securities
and assets of other firms.
B. A closed-end investment company is a specialised firm that invests in
securities and assets of other firms but has a fixed supply of shares
outstanding itself.
C. A closed-end investment company is a specialised firm that invests in
securities and assets of other firms but has a variable supply of shares
outstanding itself.
D. A closed-end investment company has a variable supply of shares
outstanding itself.
9.
The
primary function of insurance companies is to: |
1. generate
fees for the banks that sell insurance products
B. sell a variety of consumer investment products
C. protect policyholders from adverse events
D. assist in the transfer of wealth into the future
10.
Private
placement refers to a securities issue placed: |
1. with
one or a few large institutional investors
B. in private, that is, without announcing it to the public
C. by a private person
D. with one of the stock exchanges
11.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Life
insurance allows individuals and their beneficiaries to protect against loss in
income through premature death.
B. Life insurance allows individuals and their beneficiaries to protect
against loss in income through premature retirement.
C. Life insurance allows individuals and their beneficiaries to protect
against loss in income through unforeseen accidents.
D. Life insurance allows individuals and their beneficiaries to protect
against loss in income through premature death or retirement.
12.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Ordinary
life insurance involves policies marketed on an individual basis, on which
policyholders make periodic premium payments.
B. Ordinary life insurance involves policies marketed on an individual
basis, on which policyholders make a lump sum payment at maturity of the
policy.
C. Ordinary life insurance involves policies marketed on an individual
basis, on which policyholders receive periodic premium payments.
D. Ordinary life insurance involves policies marketed on an individual
basis, on which policyholders receive a lump sum payment at maturity of the
policy.
13.
Which of
the following are basic life insurance contract types? |
1. terminating
insurance
B. whole-of-life
C. bundled life insurance
D. terminating insurance and whole-of-life
14.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. A
term insurance policy has no savings element attached to it.
B. The maximum term of a term life insurance is 20 years.
C. The minimum term of a term life insurance is five years.
D. A term insurance policy has no savings element attached to it and the
maximum term of a term life insurance is 20 years.
15.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. A whole-of-life
insurance has no savings element attached to it.
B. Unlike term insurance, in the case of whole-of-life insurance there is
uncertainty regarding a payout by the insurer.
C. A whole-of-life insurance protects the holder over their entire life.
D. All of the listed options are correct.
16.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. The
proceeds of life insurance policies are tax free after they have been in force
for at least five years.
B. The proceeds of life insurance policies are tax free after they have
been in force for at least 10 years.
C. The proceeds of life insurance policies are tax free after they have
been in force for at least 15 years.
D. The proceeds of life insurance policies are always taxed.
17.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Unbundled
life insurance is also called investment-free insurance.
B. Bundled life insurance is also called investment-free insurance.
C. Unbundled life insurance is also called investment-linked insurance.
D. Bundled life insurance is also called investment-linked insurance.
18.
Insurance
policy benefits are classified on an insurance company’s balance sheet as: |
1. liabilities,
because the insurance company may have to pay out the benefits
B. assets, because policy benefits are valuable to the company
C. liabilities, because customers may fall behind on their premium
payments
D. assets, because policy benefits are fully covered by premium payments
19.
Which of
the following are key features of the regulatory and supervisory environment
of the insurance industry? |
1. Life
insurance companies are now freed of capital adequacy regulations.
B. Life insurance companies have additional reporting requirements.
C. Overall, life insurance companies are less regulated than before to enhance
innovation in the industry.
D. All of the listed options are correct.
20.
Which of
the following statements is true in the context of SOARS? |
1. Oversight
entities are subject to routine information gathering from statistical returns
and onsite visits.
B. Mandated improvement entities are not at material risk of failure.
C. Normal entities lie outside APRA’s tolerable risk range, but are
unlikely to fail.
D. Restructure entities have lost APRA’s confidence.
21.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Australian
governments have encouraged national savings through superannuation.
B. The government has provided taxation incentives aimed at increasing
voluntary contributions to superannuation by both employers and employees.
C. The government has introduced legislative requirements forcing
employers to contribute to superannuation on behalf of their employees.
D. All of the listed options are correct.
22.
From 1997
to 2013, total superannuation assets in Australia increased from $0.3
trillion (58% of GDP) to: |
1. $0.5
trillion (60% of GDP)
B. $1 trillion (82% of GDP)
C. $1.6 trillion (106% of GDP)
D. $2.2 trillion (151% of GDP)
23.
¼ held the
largest proportion of superannuation assets in 2013, rising from 11% in 1997
to 32% as at June 2013. |
1. Small
funds
B. Industry funds
C. Corporate funds
D. Retail funds
24.
Higher
uncertainty of losses forces property-casualty firms to: |
1. invest
in more short-term assets than life insurance firms
B. invest in more long-term assets than life insurance firms
C. hold a lower percentage of capital and reserves than life insurance
firms
D. invest in riskier equity securities than life insurance firms
25.
Which of
the following are typical products offered by general insurance companies? |
1. superannuation
funds
B. life insurance policies
C. professional indemnity insurance
D. superannuation funds and professional indemnity insurance
26.
Which of
the following is an adequate definition of liability insurance? |
1. Liability
insurance protects commercial firms against perils similar to home-owners’
multiple peril insurance.
B. Liability insurance protects against theft or damage of commercial
vehicles.
C. Liability insurance protects against liabilities relating to business
operations of firms.
D. Liability insurance protects commercial firms against perils similar
to home-owners’ multiple peril insurance and protects against liabilities
relating to business operations of firms.
27.
Which of
the following statements is true in relation to the balance sheet and balance
sheet trends of general insurance companies? |
1. They
tend to have a high proportion of investments in equity assets.
B. They tend to have a low proportion of investments in bonds.
C. There has been little change in the structure of assets between 2002
and 2013, except for a decline in equity investments.
D. All of the listed options are correct.
28.
Which of
the following are reasons for underwriting risk to result? |
1. Generated
premiums are insufficient to cover claims incurred insuring a particular peril.
B. Generated premiums are insufficient to cover the administrative
expenses of providing that insurance after taking into account the investment
income generated between the time premiums are received and the time claims are
paid.
C. Generated premiums are insufficient to cover ordinary business
expenses.
D. Generated premiums are insufficient to cover claims incurred insuring
a particular peril and generated premiums are insufficient to cover the
administrative expenses of providing that insurance after taking into account
the investment income generated between the time premiums are received and the
time claims are paid.
29.
Which of
the following statements are true in the context of general insurance? |
1. Loss
rates on all general property policies are adversely affected by unexpected
increases in inflation.
B. Long-tail losses arise where the peril occurs during a coverage period
but a claim is not made until many years later.
C. Long-tail losses arise where the peril occurs during a coverage period
but a claim is not made until many years later and loss rates are more
predictable on low-severity high-frequency lines than on high-severity
low-frequency lines.
D. Loss rates on all general property policies are adversely affected by
unexpected increases in inflation; long-tail losses arise where the peril
occurs during a coverage period but a claim is not made until many years later
and loss rates are more predictable on low-severity high-frequency lines than
on high-severity low-frequency lines.
30.
Which of
the following statements referring to the loss ratio are true? |
1. The
loss ratio measures the actual losses incurred on a line of insurance business.
B. A common measure of the overall underwriting profitability of a line
of insurance business is the loss ratio.
C. The loss ratio measures the pure losses incurred on a line of
insurance business relative to premiums earned.
D. The loss ratio measures the predicted losses incurred on a line of
insurance business relative to premiums earned.
31.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Measuring
and managing credit and interest rate risk are key concerns of general
insurance managers.
B. If pure losses, underwriting losses and other costs are higher and
investment yields lower than expected, general insurers suffer a significant
amount of deficit reserves.
C. On average, underwriting cycles measured from peak to peak can last
anywhere from 12 to 20 years.
D. Measuring and managing credit and interest rate risk are key concerns
of general insurance managers and if pure losses, underwriting losses and other
costs are higher and investment yields lower than expected, general insurers
suffer a significant amount of deficit reserves.
32.
The
problem of adverse selection: |
1. implies
that many people who do not need insurance coverage have it through group
plans.
B. means that those people who apply for insurance are the least likely
to need insurance coverage.
C. causes insurance underwriters to alter the health statistics of the
general population when determining appropriate premiums.
D. creates a savings element along with the insurance component of the
premium and policy.
33.
What is a
common rationale for a managed fund? |
1. the
need for more diversity in investment products
B. the opportunity for retail investors to achieve superior
diversification
C. the potential for retail investors to achieve superior returns
D. the opportunity for retail investors to achieve superior
diversification and the potential for retail investors to achieve superior
returns
34.
Which of
the following statements is true with regard to the regulation of managed
funds? |
1. Managed
funds are unregulated.
B. APRA is the primary regulator for managed funds.
C. ASIC is the primary regulator for managed funds.
D. The ACCC is the primary regulator for managed funds.
35.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Money
market corporations are primarily concerned with wholesale deposit raising and
lending.
B. Money market corporations are primarily concerned with retail deposit
raising and lending.
C. Money market corporations are financial intermediaries that cover a
large number of activities.
D. Money market corporations are financial intermediaries that cover a
large number of activities and are primarily concerned with wholesale deposit
raising and lending.
36.
Insurance
policy benefits are classified on an insurance company’s balance sheet as: |
1. liabilities,
because the insurance company may have to pay out the benefits
B. assets, because policy benefits are valuable to the company
C. liabilities, because customers may fall behind on their premium
payments
D. assets, because policy benefits are fully covered by premium payments
37.
Through ¼
, general insurers are able to transfer all or part of the insured risk to a
new contract with another insurance company. |
1. insurance
B. reinsurance
C. underwriting
D. private placement
38.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Pure
arbitrage involves buying blocks of securities in anticipation of some
information release.
B. Risk arbitrage involves buying an asset in one market at one price and
selling it immediately in another market at a higher price.
C. Risk arbitrage involves buying blocks of securities in anticipation of
some information release, pure arbitrage involves buying an asset in one market
at one price and selling it immediately in another market at a higher price and
program trading is associated with seeking a risk arbitrage between a cash market
price and the futures market price of that instrument.
D. None of the listed options are correct.
39.
Which of
the following statements is true with regard to the regulation of money
market corporations? |
1. Money
market corporations are unregulated.
B. APRA is the primary regulator for money market corporations.
C. ASIC is the primary regulator for money market corporations.
D. The ACCC is the primary regulator for money market corporations.
40.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Finance
companies are financial institutions that raise funds through the issue of
debentures and unsecured notes from retail investors.
B. Finance companies are financial institutions that raise funds through
the issue of debentures and unsecured notes from wholesale investors.
C. Finance companies are financial institutions that raise funds through
the issue of T-bonds and secured notes from retail investors.
D. Finance companies are financial institutions that raise funds through
the issue of T-bonds and secured notes from wholesale investors.
41.
Which of
the following did not occur in the life insurance industry during the most
recent financial crisis? |
1. Low
equity values reduced asset-based fees on separate account assets.
B. Asset-based fees declined on products such as variable annuities and
pension fund assets that were tied to equity returns.
C. Low interest rates and harsh economic conditions caused many
policyholders to terminate or surrender their policies.
D. Policy premium increased as more households and small businesses
attempted to transfer risk to insurance companies.
42.
Investments
in ¼ are restricted to more wealthy clients. |
1. superannuation
funds
B. hedge funds
C. managed funds
D. trusts
43.
¼ is a
procedure of adjusting asset and balance sheet values to reflect current
market prices. |
1. Hedging
B. Marking to market
C. Underwriting
D. Balancing
44.
Insurance
services offered by FIs protect individuals and businesses (policyholders)
from the financial impact of adverse events. |
True False
45.
Reinsurance
is insurance purchased by insurers from other insurers to limit the total
loss an insurer would experience in case of a disaster. |
True False
46.
Reinsurance
companies sell insurance products directly to the customer. |
True False
47.
Through
securitisation, general insurers are able to transfer all or part of the
insured risk to a new contract with another insurance company. |
True False
48.
An
individual’s life insurance policy usually covers the policyholder plus the
policyholder’s spouse and family. |
True False
49.
Loans on
policy are loans made by insurance companies to its policyholders using their
policies as collateral. |
True False
50.
Insurance
companies are not subject to regulatory capital adequacy rules. |
True False
51.
Pure
insurance companies are exposed to a single risk only, this being insurance
risk. |
True False
52.
While
insurance companies are exposed to credit, operational and investment risk,
there is no direct regulation for these risks set out by APRA. |
True False
53.
SOARS
stands for Supervisory Oversight and Regulations System. |
True False
54.
Superannuation
funds manage funds saved throughout an employee’s working life with the aim
of providing the employee with a retirement income. |
True False
55.
In
general, the maximum levels of losses are less predictable for property lines
than liability lines. |
True False
56.
In firm
commitment underwriting, the investment banker acts as a principal,
purchasing securities from the issuer at one price and seeking to place them
with public investors at a slightly higher price. |
True False
57.
Adverse
selection is a situation where customers who most need insurance are more
likely to apply for insurance. |
True False
58.
Annuities
are the reverse of life insurance in that they are different means of
liquidating a fund. |
True False
59.
Property-casualty
insurers tend to have a higher level of liquidity risk than life insurers. |
True False
60.
Investments
in hedge funds are restricted to more wealthy clients. |
True False
61.
Marking to
market is a procedure of adjusting asset and balance sheet values to reflect
current market prices. |
True False
62.
Outline and briefly explain the different classes of life
insurance as set out in the Life Insurance Act 1995.
63.
Discuss the development of the general insurance industry over
the period 1980 to 2014 and briefly explain the major risks of underwriting
general insurance.
64.
What were the major incentives provided by the government to
increase savings contributions to superannuation funds? Why is the
superannuation industry an important and vibrant part of the Australian
financial sector?
65.
Outline the role that securitisation vehicles play in the
Australian financial system and explain how the global financial crisis (GFC)
impacted this form of financing. What actions did the Australian government
take as a response to such an impact?
66.
Insurance
risk refers to the risk that: |
1. a lot
of policyholders make claims
B. the insurance market is saturated and thus the insurance companies
cannot write additional policies
C. individuals and companies are over-insured leading to high liability values
in insurance companies
D. actual policy liabilities turn out to be higher than provisions or
reserves for policy liabilities
67.
To support
risk assessment in insurance firms APRA introduced PAIRS. PAIRS stands for: |
1. Policy
and Insurance Ratification System
B. Policy and Insurance Rating System
C. Probability and Impact Ratification System
D. Probability and Impact Rating System
68.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. PAIRS
is the basis of APRA’s risk-based approach to supervision.
B. PAIRS is an internal rating system for scoring each entity in the
regulated population of insurance and superannuation entities.
C. Due to PAIRS, APRA’s supervision can be tailored to the risk profile of
an individual entity.
D. All of the listed options are correct.
Chapter 03 Testbank Key
1.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Policy
liabilities are a liability item for insurers that reflects their worst-case
payment commitments on existing policy contracts.
B. Policy liabilities are an asset item for insurers that reflects their
best-case payment inflows on existing policy contracts.
C. Policy liabilities are an asset item for insurers that reflects their
expected payment inflows on existing policy contracts.
D.
Policy liabilities are a liability item for insurers that reflects their
expected payment commitments on existing policy contracts.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
2.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. The
cash surrender value of a policy is normally only a portion of the contract’s
face value.
B. The cash surrender value of a policy is normally equal to the
contract’s face value.
C. The cash surrender value of a policy is normally more than the
contract’s face value.
D. A generalisation of the cash surrender value of a policy in relation
to its face value is not possible.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
3.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. The
surrender value of a policy is the cash value received from the insurer if a
policyholder surrenders the policy prior to maturity.
B. The surrender value of a policy is the cash value received from the
insurer if a policyholder surrenders the policy at maturity.
C. The surrender value of a policy is the cash value received from the
policyholder if the insurance company surrenders the policy prior to maturity.
D. The surrender value of a policy is the cash value received from the
policyholder if the insurance company surrenders the policy at maturity.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
4.
Variable
universal life insurance policies: |
1. have
fixed premiums and a fixed benefit payout.
B. have fixed premiums, but allow the benefit payout to vary with
investment returns.
C. have a fixed benefit payout, but allow the premium to vary with
investment returns.
D.
allow both the premium and benefit payout to vary with investment returns.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
5.
Cost
economies are the principal advantage of ¼ over ¼ contracts, which arise from
the group plan administration and reduced selling and commission costs. |
1. ¼
individual life ¼ group life ¼
B.
¼ group life ¼ individual life ¼
C. ¼ individual life ¼ personal life ¼
D. None of the listed options are correct.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.3
Learn about the general insurance industry and gain an understanding of its
products
6.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Long-tail
loss refers to a series of claims made after an initial claim has been made.
B.
Long-tail loss refers to a claim that is made some time after a policy was written.
C. Short-tail loss refers to a series of claims made after an initial
claim has been made.
D. Short-tail loss refers to a claim that is made some time after a
policy was written.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.3
Learn about the general insurance industry and gain an understanding of its
products
7.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Net
asset value refers to the book value of assets in a managed fund portfolio
divided by the number of shares outstanding.
B. Net asset value refers to the book value of assets in a managed fund
portfolio multiplied by the number of shares outstanding.
C. Net asset value refers to the market value of assets in a managed fund
portfolio multiplied by the number of shares outstanding.
D.
None of the listed options are correct.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.5
Learn that many superannuation and life insurance products are managed funds
8.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. A
closed-end investment company is a specialised firm that invests in securities
and assets of other firms.
B.
A closed-end investment company is a specialised firm that invests in
securities and assets of other firms but has a fixed supply of shares
outstanding itself.
C. A closed-end investment company is a specialised firm that invests in
securities and assets of other firms but has a variable supply of shares
outstanding itself.
D. A closed-end investment company has a variable supply of shares
outstanding itself.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Hard
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.5
Learn that many superannuation and life insurance products are managed funds
9.
The
primary function of insurance companies is to: |
1. generate
fees for the banks that sell insurance products
B. sell a variety of consumer investment products
C.
protect policyholders from adverse events
D. assist in the transfer of wealth into the future
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.1
Learn that despite the apparently diverse nature of activities, other FIs face
risk exposures similar to those faced by DIs
10.
Private
placement refers to a securities issue placed: |
1. with
one or a few large institutional investors
B. in private, that is, without announcing it to the public
C. by a private person
D. with one of the stock exchanges
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.6
Gain an appreciation of the role that managed funds, money market corporations,
finance companies and securitisation vehicles and their products play in the
Australian financial markets and their structure and regulation
11.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Life
insurance allows individuals and their beneficiaries to protect against loss in
income through premature death.
B. Life insurance allows individuals and their beneficiaries to protect
against loss in income through premature retirement.
C. Life insurance allows individuals and their beneficiaries to protect
against loss in income through unforeseen accidents.
D.
Life insurance allows individuals and their beneficiaries to protect against
loss in income through premature death or retirement.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
12.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Ordinary
life insurance involves policies marketed on an individual basis, on which
policyholders make periodic premium payments.
B. Ordinary life insurance involves policies marketed on an individual
basis, on which policyholders make a lump sum payment at maturity of the
policy.
C. Ordinary life insurance involves policies marketed on an individual
basis, on which policyholders receive periodic premium payments.
D. Ordinary life insurance involves policies marketed on an individual
basis, on which policyholders receive a lump sum payment at maturity of the
policy.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
13.
Which of
the following are basic life insurance contract types? |
1. terminating
insurance
B.
whole-of-life
C. bundled life insurance
D. terminating insurance and whole-of-life
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
14.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. A
term insurance policy has no savings element attached to it.
B. The maximum term of a term life insurance is 20 years.
C. The minimum term of a term life insurance is five years.
D. A term insurance policy has no savings element attached to it and the
maximum term of a term life insurance is 20 years.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
15.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. A
whole-of-life insurance has no savings element attached to it.
B. Unlike term insurance, in the case of whole-of-life insurance there is
uncertainty regarding a payout by the insurer.
C.
A whole-of-life insurance protects the holder over their entire life.
D. All of the listed options are correct.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
16.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. The
proceeds of life insurance policies are tax free after they have been in force
for at least five years.
B.
The proceeds of life insurance policies are tax free after they have been in force
for at least 10 years.
C. The proceeds of life insurance policies are tax free after they have
been in force for at least 15 years.
D. The proceeds of life insurance policies are always taxed.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
17.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Unbundled
life insurance is also called investment-free insurance.
B. Bundled life insurance is also called investment-free insurance.
C.
Unbundled life insurance is also called investment-linked insurance.
D. Bundled life insurance is also called investment-linked insurance.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
18.
Insurance
policy benefits are classified on an insurance company’s balance sheet as: |
1. liabilities,
because the insurance company may have to pay out the benefits
B. assets, because policy benefits are valuable to the company
C. liabilities, because customers may fall behind on their premium
payments
D. assets, because policy benefits are fully covered by premium payments
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Hard
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
19.
Which of the
following are key features of the regulatory and supervisory environment of
the insurance industry? |
1. Life
insurance companies are now freed of capital adequacy regulations.
B.
Life insurance companies have additional reporting requirements.
C. Overall, life insurance companies are less regulated than before to
enhance innovation in the industry.
D. All of the listed options are correct.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
20.
Which of
the following statements is true in the context of SOARS? |
1. Oversight
entities are subject to routine information gathering from statistical returns
and onsite visits.
B. Mandated improvement entities are not at material risk of failure.
C. Normal entities lie outside APRA’s tolerable risk range, but are
unlikely to fail.
D.
Restructure entities have lost APRA’s confidence.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Hard
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
21.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Australian
governments have encouraged national savings through superannuation.
B. The government has provided taxation incentives aimed at increasing
voluntary contributions to superannuation by both employers and employees.
C. The government has introduced legislative requirements forcing
employers to contribute to superannuation on behalf of their employees.
D.
All of the listed options are correct.
AACSB: Reflective thinking
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Hard
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.4
Appreciate the importance, structure and regulation of superannuation in the
Australian financial system
22.
From 1997
to 2013, total superannuation assets in Australia increased from $0.3
trillion (58% of GDP) to: |
1. $0.5
trillion (60% of GDP)
B. $1 trillion (82% of GDP)
C.
$1.6 trillion (106% of GDP)
D. $2.2 trillion (151% of GDP)
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.4
Appreciate the importance, structure and regulation of superannuation in the
Australian financial system
23.
¼ held the
largest proportion of superannuation assets in 2013, rising from 11% in 1997
to 32% as at June 2013. |
1. Small
funds
B. Industry funds
C. Corporate funds
D. Retail funds
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Hard
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.4
Appreciate the importance, structure and regulation of superannuation in the
Australian financial system
24.
Higher
uncertainty of losses forces property-casualty firms to: |
1. invest
in more short-term assets than life insurance firms
B. invest in more long-term assets than life insurance firms
C. hold a lower percentage of capital and reserves than life insurance
firms
D. invest in riskier equity securities than life insurance firms
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.3
Learn about the general insurance industry and gain an understanding of its
products
25.
Which of
the following are typical products offered by general insurance companies? |
1. superannuation
funds
B. life insurance policies
C.
professional indemnity insurance
D. superannuation funds and professional indemnity insurance
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.3
Learn about the general insurance industry and gain an understanding of its
products
26.
Which of
the following is an adequate definition of liability insurance? |
1. Liability
insurance protects commercial firms against perils similar to home-owners’
multiple peril insurance.
B. Liability insurance protects against theft or damage of commercial
vehicles.
C.
Liability insurance protects against liabilities relating to business
operations of firms.
D. Liability insurance protects commercial firms against perils similar
to home-owners’ multiple peril insurance and protects against liabilities
relating to business operations of firms.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Hard
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.3
Learn about the general insurance industry and gain an understanding of its
products
27.
Which of
the following statements is true in relation to the balance sheet and balance
sheet trends of general insurance companies? |
1. They
tend to have a high proportion of investments in equity assets.
B. They tend to have a low proportion of investments in bonds.
C.
There has been little change in the structure of assets between 2002 and 2013,
except for a decline in equity investments.
D. All of the listed options are correct.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.3
Learn about the general insurance industry and gain an understanding of its
products
28.
Which of
the following are reasons for underwriting risk to result? |
1. Generated
premiums are insufficient to cover claims incurred insuring a particular peril.
B. Generated premiums are insufficient to cover the administrative
expenses of providing that insurance after taking into account the investment
income generated between the time premiums are received and the time claims are
paid.
C. Generated premiums are insufficient to cover ordinary business
expenses.
D.
Generated premiums are insufficient to cover claims incurred insuring a
particular peril and generated premiums are insufficient to cover the
administrative expenses of providing that insurance after taking into account
the investment income generated between the time premiums are received and the
time claims are paid.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Hard
Est time: 3–5
Learning Objective: 3.3
Learn about the general insurance industry and gain an understanding of its
products
29.
Which of
the following statements are true in the context of general insurance? |
1. Loss
rates on all general property policies are adversely affected by unexpected increases
in inflation.
B. Long-tail losses arise where the peril occurs during a coverage period
but a claim is not made until many years later.
C. Long-tail losses arise where the peril occurs during a coverage period
but a claim is not made until many years later and loss rates are more
predictable on low-severity high-frequency lines than on high-severity
low-frequency lines.
D.
Loss rates on all general property policies are adversely affected by
unexpected increases in inflation; long-tail losses arise where the peril
occurs during a coverage period but a claim is not made until many years later
and loss rates are more predictable on low-severity high-frequency lines than
on high-severity low-frequency lines.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Hard
Est time: 3–5
Learning Objective: 3.3
Learn about the general insurance industry and gain an understanding of its
products
30.
Which of
the following statements referring to the loss ratio are true? |
1. The
loss ratio measures the actual losses incurred on a line of insurance business.
B. A common measure of the overall underwriting profitability of a line
of insurance business is the loss ratio.
C.
The loss ratio measures the pure losses incurred on a line of insurance
business relative to premiums earned.
D. The loss ratio measures the predicted losses incurred on a line of
insurance business relative to premiums earned.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.3
Learn about the general insurance industry and gain an understanding of its
products
31.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Measuring
and managing credit and interest rate risk are key concerns of general
insurance managers.
B. If pure losses, underwriting losses and other costs are higher and
investment yields lower than expected, general insurers suffer a significant
amount of deficit reserves.
C. On average, underwriting cycles measured from peak to peak can last
anywhere from 12 to 20 years.
D. Measuring and managing credit and interest rate risk are key concerns
of general insurance managers and if pure losses, underwriting losses and other
costs are higher and investment yields lower than expected, general insurers
suffer a significant amount of deficit reserves.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Hard
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.1
Learn that despite the apparently diverse nature of activities, other FIs face
risk exposures similar to those faced by DIs
32.
The
problem of adverse selection: |
1. implies
that many people who do not need insurance coverage have it through group
plans.
B. means that those people who apply for insurance are the least likely
to need insurance coverage.
C.
causes insurance underwriters to alter the health statistics of the general
population when determining appropriate premiums.
D. creates a savings element along with the insurance component of the
premium and policy.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Hard
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
33.
What is a
common rationale for a managed fund? |
1. the
need for more diversity in investment products
B. the opportunity for retail investors to achieve superior
diversification
C. the potential for retail investors to achieve superior returns
D.
the opportunity for retail investors to achieve superior diversification and
the potential for retail investors to achieve superior returns
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.5
Learn that many superannuation and life insurance products are managed funds
34.
Which of
the following statements is true with regard to the regulation of managed
funds? |
1. Managed
funds are unregulated.
B. APRA is the primary regulator for managed funds.
C.
ASIC is the primary regulator for managed funds.
D. The ACCC is the primary regulator for managed funds.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.5
Learn that many superannuation and life insurance products are managed funds
35.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Money
market corporations are primarily concerned with wholesale deposit raising and
lending.
B. Money market corporations are primarily concerned with retail deposit
raising and lending.
C. Money market corporations are financial intermediaries that cover a
large number of activities.
D.
Money market corporations are financial intermediaries that cover a large
number of activities and are primarily concerned with wholesale deposit raising
and lending.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.6
Gain an appreciation of the role that managed funds, money market corporations,
finance companies and securitisation vehicles and their products play in the
Australian financial markets and their structure and regulation
36.
Insurance
policy benefits are classified on an insurance company’s balance sheet as: |
1. liabilities,
because the insurance company may have to pay out the benefits
B. assets, because policy benefits are valuable to the company
C. liabilities, because customers may fall behind on their premium payments
D. assets, because policy benefits are fully covered by premium payments
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
37.
Through ¼
, general insurers are able to transfer all or part of the insured risk to a
new contract with another insurance company. |
1. insurance
B.
reinsurance
C. underwriting
D. private placement
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.3
Learn about the general insurance industry and gain an understanding of its
products
38.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Pure
arbitrage involves buying blocks of securities in anticipation of some
information release.
B. Risk arbitrage involves buying an asset in one market at one price and
selling it immediately in another market at a higher price.
C.
Risk arbitrage involves buying blocks of securities in anticipation of some
information release, pure arbitrage involves buying an asset in one market at
one price and selling it immediately in another market at a higher price and
program trading is associated with seeking a risk arbitrage between a cash
market price and the futures market price of that instrument.
D. None of the listed options are correct.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Hard
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.6
Gain an appreciation of the role that managed funds, money market corporations,
finance companies and securitisation vehicles and their products play in the
Australian financial markets and their structure and regulation
39.
Which of
the following statements is true with regard to the regulation of money
market corporations? |
1. Money
market corporations are unregulated.
B. APRA is the primary regulator for money market corporations.
C.
ASIC is the primary regulator for money market corporations.
D. The ACCC is the primary regulator for money market corporations.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.6
Gain an appreciation of the role that managed funds, money market corporations,
finance companies and securitisation vehicles and their products play in the
Australian financial markets and their structure and regulation
40.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. Finance
companies are financial institutions that raise funds through the issue of
debentures and unsecured notes from retail investors.
B. Finance companies are financial institutions that raise funds through
the issue of debentures and unsecured notes from wholesale investors.
C. Finance companies are financial institutions that raise funds through
the issue of T-bonds and secured notes from retail investors.
D. Finance companies are financial institutions that raise funds through
the issue of T-bonds and secured notes from wholesale investors.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.6
Gain an appreciation of the role that managed funds, money market corporations,
finance companies and securitisation vehicles and their products play in the
Australian financial markets and their structure and regulation
41.
Which of
the following did not occur in the life insurance industry during the most
recent financial crisis? |
1. Low
equity values reduced asset-based fees on separate account assets.
B. Asset-based fees declined on products such as variable annuities and
pension fund assets that were tied to equity returns.
C. Low interest rates and harsh economic conditions caused many
policyholders to terminate or surrender their policies.
D.
Policy premium increased as more households and small businesses attempted to
transfer risk to insurance companies.
AACSB: Reflective thinking
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Hard
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.1
Learn that despite the apparently diverse nature of activities, other FIs face
risk exposures similar to those faced by DIs
42.
Investments
in ¼ are restricted to more wealthy clients. |
1. superannuation
funds
B.
hedge funds
C. managed funds
D. trusts
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.6
Gain an appreciation of the role that managed funds, money market corporations,
finance companies and securitisation vehicles and their products play in the
Australian financial markets and their structure and regulation
43.
¼ is a
procedure of adjusting asset and balance sheet values to reflect current
market prices. |
1. Hedging
B.
Marking to market
C. Underwriting
D. Balancing
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.6
Gain an appreciation of the role that managed funds, money market corporations,
finance companies and securitisation vehicles and their products play in the
Australian financial markets and their structure and regulation
44.
Insurance
services offered by FIs protect individuals and businesses (policyholders)
from the financial impact of adverse events. |
TRUE
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.3
Learn about the general insurance industry and gain an understanding of its
products
45.
Reinsurance
is insurance purchased by insurers from other insurers to limit the total
loss an insurer would experience in case of a disaster. |
TRUE
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.3
Learn about the general insurance industry and gain an understanding of its
products
46.
Reinsurance
companies sell insurance products directly to the customer. |
FALSE
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.3
Learn about the general insurance industry and gain an understanding of its
products
47.
Through
securitisation, general insurers are able to transfer all or part of the
insured risk to a new contract with another insurance company. |
FALSE
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.3
Learn about the general insurance industry and gain an understanding of its
products
48.
An
individual’s life insurance policy usually covers the policyholder plus the
policyholder’s spouse and family. |
FALSE
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
49.
Loans on
policy are loans made by insurance companies to its policyholders using their
policies as collateral. |
TRUE
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
50.
Insurance
companies are not subject to regulatory capital adequacy rules. |
FALSE
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
51.
Pure insurance
companies are exposed to a single risk only, this being insurance risk. |
FALSE
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.1
Learn that despite the apparently diverse nature of activities, other FIs face
risk exposures similar to those faced by DIs
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
52.
While
insurance companies are exposed to credit, operational and investment risk,
there is no direct regulation for these risks set out by APRA. |
TRUE
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.1
Learn that despite the apparently diverse nature of activities, other FIs face
risk exposures similar to those faced by DIs
53.
SOARS
stands for Supervisory Oversight and Regulations System. |
FALSE
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
54.
Superannuation
funds manage funds saved throughout an employee’s working life with the aim
of providing the employee with a retirement income. |
TRUE
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.4
Appreciate the importance, structure and regulation of superannuation in the
Australian financial system
55.
In
general, the maximum levels of losses are less predictable for property lines
than liability lines. |
FALSE
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.3
Learn about the general insurance industry and gain an understanding of its
products
56.
In firm
commitment underwriting, the investment banker acts as a principal,
purchasing securities from the issuer at one price and seeking to place them
with public investors at a slightly higher price. |
TRUE
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.6
Gain an appreciation of the role that managed funds, money market corporations,
finance companies and securitisation vehicles and their products play in the
Australian financial markets and their structure and regulation
57.
Adverse selection
is a situation where customers who most need insurance are more likely to
apply for insurance. |
TRUE
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.1
Learn that despite the apparently diverse nature of activities, other FIs face
risk exposures similar to those faced by DIs
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
58.
Annuities
are the reverse of life insurance in that they are different means of
liquidating a fund. |
TRUE
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.1
Learn that despite the apparently diverse nature of activities, other FIs face
risk exposures similar to those faced by DIs
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
59.
Property-casualty
insurers tend to have a higher level of liquidity risk than life insurers. |
TRUE
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.3
Learn about the general insurance industry and gain an understanding of its
products
60.
Investments
in hedge funds are restricted to more wealthy clients. |
TRUE
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.6
Gain an appreciation of the role that managed funds, money market corporations,
finance companies and securitisation vehicles and their products play in the
Australian financial markets and their structure and regulation
61.
Marking to
market is a procedure of adjusting asset and balance sheet values to reflect
current market prices. |
TRUE
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Easy
Est time: <1
Learning Objective: 3.6
Gain an appreciation of the role that managed funds, money market corporations,
finance companies and securitisation vehicles and their products play in the
Australian financial markets and their structure and regulation
62.
Outline and briefly explain the different classes of life
insurance as set out in the Life Insurance Act 1995.
There are two basic classes of life insurance as set out in the
Life Insurance Act 1995:
- superannuation
business and ordinary business. Superannuation business is conducted by
life insurers as well as specialist superannuation funds.
- superannuation
business as defined in the Life Insurance Act 1995, that is, business that
is:
1. effected
for the purposes of a superannuation or retirement scheme, or accepted by the
person maintaining such a scheme for the purposes of the scheme, or
2. vested
in the trustee of a fund established or maintained by a person (being a fund)
where the applicable terms and conditions provide for:
3. the
payment of contributions to the fund by that person, and
4. payments
being made from the fund, by reason of injury, sickness, retirement or death of
employees of that person or of a company in which that person has a controlling
interest.
Ordinary business consists of all other life insurance business.
Ordinary life insurance policies are marketed on an individual basis, and are
contracts where policyholders (the policy owner) make periodic (or regular)
premium payments throughout the life of the policy, or a lump sum or single premium
paid at the commencement of the contract. The three traditional contractual
forms are: term life, whole-of-life and endowment life. Newer life insurance
contracts include investment-linked life, annuities, disability, and critical
illness.
AACSB: Communication
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Hard
Est time: 5–10
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
63.
Discuss the development of the general insurance industry over
the period 1980 to 2014 and briefly explain the major risks of underwriting
general insurance.
In December 2013, there were a total of 104 general insurers in
Australia. The rationalisation of the industry has been ongoing since the
1980s, with a significant drop in the number of insurers from a peak of 172 in
1985. In addition to consolidation, the Australian general insurance industry
has undergone a major shift in regulation and operating dynamics over the 16
years to 2013. With deregulation of Australia’s financial markets and removal
of entry barriers, foreign competition led to modernisation and growth in the
industry.
Consolidation occurred through privatisation, demutualisation
and/or takeover, by both local and overseas companies. Further, during the
1990s, bank insurance subsidiaries emerged, adding a new dimension to the
competition in the industry. Moreover, the bank competitors introduced a
different type of business model. Consolidation of the industry has also
increased its concentration, with the top 10 general insurers accounting for 61
per cent of gross premium revenue in 2014, and 60 per cent of the total
industry assets of $116 billion.
General underwriting risk results when the premiums generated on
a given insurance line are insufficient to cover: (1) the claims (losses)
incurred insuring the peril, and (2) the administrative expenses of providing
that insurance (legal expenses, commissions, taxes and so on) after taking into
account the investment income generated between the time premiums are received
and the time claims are paid. Thus, underwriting risk may result from (1)
unexpected increases in loss rates; (2) unexpected increases in expenses;
and/or (3) unexpected decreases in investment yields or returns. Next, we look
more carefully at each of these three areas of general underwriting risk.
AACSB: Reflective thinking
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Hard
Est time: 5–10
Learning Objective: 3.3
Learn about the general insurance industry and gain an understanding of its
products
64.
What were the major incentives provided by the government to
increase savings contributions to superannuation funds? Why is the
superannuation industry an important and vibrant part of the Australian
financial sector?
Over the past 20 years, Australian governments have mandated
minimum superannuation savings, and in addition have encouraged voluntary
national savings through superannuation. In 1992, the Australian government
introduced a Superannuation Guarantee Charge on all employers, requiring that a
legislated proportion of an employee’s salary (currently 9 per cent) be paid
into a superannuation account. The encouragement for voluntary contributions
has been principally through taxation incentives aimed at increasing
contributions to superannuation by both employers and employees. The result of
these incentives has been a phenomenal growth in the superannuation industry.
Superannuation funds manage funds saved throughout an employee’s
working life with the aim of providing the employee with a retirement income.
Contributions to superannuation funds are usually made by both employees and
their employers. Superannuation is the largest source of long-term savings in
Australia and the second most significant source of wealth for many Australians
after the family home. Australian superannuation assets represent 90.9 per cent
of GDP. This ranks Australia in third place globally and significantly higher
than the OECD average.
AACSB: Reflective thinking
Bloom’s: Analysis
Difficulty: Hard
Est time: 5–10
Learning Objective: 3.4
Appreciate the importance, structure and regulation of superannuation in the
Australian financial system
65.
Outline the role that securitisation vehicles play in the
Australian financial system and explain how the global financial crisis (GFC)
impacted this form of financing. What actions did the Australian government
take as a response to such an impact?
Securitisation vehicles have had an important influence on the
structure of the Australian financial system particularly since the mid-1990s.
Securitisation allows financial institutions to fund their lending activities
indirectly through capital markets rather than through deposits. They do this
by selling assets to a specially created company or trust, usually referred to
as a special purpose vehicle (SPV), which finances the purchase by issuing
securities to investors using the assets as collateral. Securitisation in
Australia is dominated by the securitisation of residential mortgages. However,
the securitisation of other assets such as commercial mortgages, trade
receivables, other loans and asset-backed bonds has also been undertaken.
From the early to mid-1990s until the onset of the GFC, the
Australian securitisation market expanded rapidly, so that by 2007
securitisation vehicles held 7 per cent of financial system assets. However,
following the first signs of the GFC in 2007 in the US and as the causes became
better understood, there was a reassessment of the risks associated with
structured credit products, including securitised assets. It is not surprising
that Australian securitisation programs also suffered the loss of confidence
and reputational damage and that the share of financial sector assets of
securitisation vehicles fell to 3 per cent by December 2010.
While the GFC was fuelled in part by the lack of transparency
and the complexity of the securities issued in the US, this was not the case in
Australia. Despite this, the reputations of all securitisation vehicles around
the globe were affected, and as liquidity in the market dried up, so did the
mortgage-backed securities issues. As the securitisation industry was a
significant vehicle for mortgage finance, and also as smaller banks and
non-bank DIs relied on securitisation to fund their asset base, the Australian
government set up a program within the Australian Office of Financial
Management (AOFM) to purchase mortgage-backed securities.
AACSB: Reflective thinking
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Hard
Est time: 10–15
Learning Objective: 3.6
Gain an appreciation of the role that managed funds, money market corporations,
finance companies and securitisation vehicles and their products play in the
Australian financial markets and their structure and regulation
66.
Insurance
risk refers to the risk that: |
1. a lot
of policyholders make claims
B. the insurance market is saturated and thus the insurance companies
cannot write additional policies
C. individuals and companies are over-insured leading to high liability
values in insurance companies
D. actual
policy liabilities turn out to be higher than provisions or reserves for policy
liabilities
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Application
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.1
Learn that despite the apparently diverse nature of activities, other FIs face
risk exposures similar to those faced by DIs
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
67.
To support
risk assessment in insurance firms APRA introduced PAIRS. PAIRS stands for: |
1. Policy
and Insurance Ratification System
B. Policy and Insurance Rating System
C. Probability and Impact Ratification System
D. Probability
and Impact Rating System
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Medium
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
68.
Which of
the following statements is true? |
1. PAIRS
is the basis of APRA’s risk-based approach to supervision.
B. PAIRS is an internal rating system for scoring each entity in the
regulated population of insurance and superannuation entities.
C. Due to PAIRS, APRA’s supervision can be tailored to the risk profile of
an individual entity.
D. All
of the listed options are correct.
AACSB: Analytic
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Difficulty: Hard
Est time: 1–3
Learning Objective: 3.2
Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life
insurers and their products
Chapter 03 Testbank Summary
Category |
# of Questions |
AACSB: Analytic |
62 |
AACSB: Communication |
1 |
AACSB: Reflective thinking |
5 |
Bloom’s: Analysis |
1 |
Bloom’s: Application |
21 |
Bloom’s: Knowledge |
46 |
Difficulty: Easy |
21 |
Difficulty: Hard |
17 |
Difficulty: Medium |
30 |
Est time: 1–3 |
39 |
Est time: 10–15 |
1 |
Est time: 3–5 |
2 |
Est time: 5–10 |
3 |
Est time: <1 |
23 |
Learning Objective: 3.1 Learn that despite the apparently diverse nature of activities, other FIs face risk exposures similar to those faced by DIs |
8 |
Learning Objective: 3.2 Gain an understanding of the structure, characteristics and regulation of life insurers and their products |
27 |
Learning Objective: 3.3 Learn about the general insurance industry and gain an understanding of its products |
17 |
Learning Objective: 3.4 Appreciate the importance, structure and regulation of superannuation in the Australian financial system |
5 |
Learning Objective: 3.5 Learn that many superannuation and life insurance products are managed funds |
4 |
Learning Objective: 3.6 Gain an appreciation of the role that managed funds, money market corporations, finance companies and securitisation vehicles and their products play in the Australian financial markets and their structure and regulation |
11 |
Chapter 05 Testbank
Student:
___________________________________________________________________________
1.
Repricing gap refers to the:
1. difference
between rate-sensitive assets and rate-sensitive liabilities
2. sum
of rate-sensitive assets and rate-sensitive liabilities
3. difference
between rate-sensitive liabilities and rate-sensitive assets
4. difference
between rate-insensitive assets and rate-insensitive liabilities
2.
The term ‘rate-sensitive assets’ refers to assets:
1. whose
interest rate will be repriced over some future period
2. with
a particularly high interest rate
3. with
a particularly low interest rate
4. for
which demand is highly dependent on the level of interest rates
3.
Which of the following statements is true?
1. APRA requires
smaller Australian FIs to use the repricing gap method to estimate interest
rate exposures in their banking book for capital adequacy.
2. Australian
FIs are only required to use the repricing gap method if they are listed on an
US stock exchange.
3. APRA
does not require Australian FIs to use the repricing gap method to estimate
interest rate exposures in their banking book for capital adequacy.
4. Australian
FIs are only required to use the repricing gap if they are internationally
active.
4.
What is spread effect?
1. Periodic
cash flow of interest and principal amortisation payments on long-term assets
that can be reinvested at market rates.
2. The
effect that a change in the spread between rates on rate-sensitive assets and
rate-sensitive liabilities has on net interest income as interest rates change.
3. The
effect of mismatch of asset and liabilities within a maturity bucket.
4. The
premium paid to compensate for the future uncertainty in a security’s value.
5.
The cumulative gap over the whole balance sheet by definition:
1. must
be greater than zero
2. must
be lower than zero
3. must
equal zero
4. can
take any value
6.
Which of the following statements is true?
1. A
negative gap indicates that a rise in interest rates would lower the bank’s net
interest income.
2. A
positive gap indicates that a rise in interest rates would lower the bank’s net
interest income.
3. A
negative gap indicates that a rise in interest rates would increase the bank’s
net interest income.
4. None
of the listed options are correct.
7.
Which of the following statements is true?
1. A
negative gap indicates that a rise in interest rates would increase the bank’s
net interest income.
2. A
positive gap indicates that a rise in interest rates would increase the bank’s
net interest income.
3. A positive
gap indicates that a fall in interest rates would increase the bank’s net
interest income.
4. None
of the listed options are correct.
8.
Consider the following repricing buckets and gaps:
What is the annualised change in the bank’s future net interest
income if the overnight interest rate decreased by 100 basis points?
A.
-$700
1. $700
C.
-$7000
1. $7000
9.
Consider the following repricing buckets and gaps:
What is the annualised change in the bank’s future net interest
income if the overnight interest rate increased by 100 basis points?
A.
-$700
1. $700
C.
-$7000
1. $7000
10.
Consider the following repricing buckets and gaps:
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