Writing policy contracts, and checking and directly supervising the work of policy writers.
Receiving and paying of premiums and commissions; entering into or setting up records of premiums and commissions receivable and payable for collection purposes; balancing and maintaining such records; corresponding with and visiting insureds and producers for the purpose of collecting premiums or adjusting differences; checking current accounts from producers; auditing of records of delinquent agents; and services of collection agencies. Do not include activities offices within the company.
Compiling and distributing expiration lists, notices of premiums due, lists of premiums or premium balances receivable and payable, contingent and other commission statements, production statements for acquisition and field supervision purposes, and similar data.
Maintaining good will of insureds and producers; activities of field personnel; contact work relating to acquisition, field supervision and collection; making contracts and agreements with producers; and activities in connection with agency appointments and replacements. Do not include: inspections of risks when carried on by personnel employed by the insurance company, engaged full time in physical inspection of risks and activities directly related thereto; audits for the purpose of premium determination; and activities in connection with the adjustment of policy claims.
Rendering service to agents and other producers, such as providing office space, personnel, telephone, etc., and obtaining agents’ licenses.
Do not include fees paid for agents’ licenses.
Advertising and publicity of every nature related to acquisition, field supervision and collection. In addition to applicable salaries, etc., include the entire amount shown in the operating expense classification, Advertising.
Miscellaneous activities of agents, brokers and producers other than employees, when performed by them: inspections; quoting premiums; signing policies; examining and mailing policies, applications and daily reports; compiling figures for current accounts; correspondence and sundry bookkeeping and clerical work.
Other activities reasonably attributable to those operations listed above, such as: keeping general and detail records; paying and receiving; general clerical, secretarial, office maintenance, supervisory and executive work; and handling personnel, supplies, mail, etc.
Commission and Allowances: When the whole or a part of any amount in the operating expense classifications Commission and Brokerage-Direct, and Allowances to Managers and Agents is paid specifically for services other than those set forth under Acquisition, Field Supervision and Collection Expenses, and when such services are not duplicated or otherwise compensated by the company, the amount thereof shall be allocated to expense groups other than Acquisition, Field Supervision and Collection, and such allocations shall be justified by detailed statements and data calculated and prepared in accordance with the methods described in these instructions showing amounts of expenditures properly allocated to expense groups and lines of business.
When Allowances to Managers and Agents represent a division of expenses shared with other companies, the aforementioned statements and data shall show the division of such shared expenses calculated and prepared in accordance with the methods prescribed in these instructions.
The calculation and preparation of the aforementioned statements and data shall be subject to verification and audit by insurance department personnel.
The instructions under the heading Commission and Allowances do not apply to Commission and Brokerage-Reinsurance Assumed, or Commission and Brokerage-Reinsurance Ceded.
Taxes shall comprise the totals of the operating expense classification Taxes, Licenses and Fees.
General Expenses shall comprise all expenses not assignable by these instructions to other expense groups.
For those operating expense classifications permitting the basis Overhead on Salaries, any other basis of allocation may be adopted which yields more accurate results. The basis Overhead on Salaries shall not be used if clearly inappropriate.
In making any allocations to expense groups, companies shall observe the General Instructions Regarding Allocation Bases (see s. Ins 6.30 (5) (a) 2.). The methods followed in allocating to expense groups shall be described, kept and supported as set forth under Detail of Allocation Bases (see s. Ins 6.30 (5) (a) 3. c.). The effects of the application to each operating expense classification of all bases of allocation shall be shown on records kept in clear and legible form. Such records shall be readily available for examination.
Ins 6.30(4)(a)(a) Instruction relating to allocation to lines of business. The lines of business for allocation of expenses shall be the following:
Fire and Allied Lines:
Fire
Extended Coverage
Other
Homeowners Multiple Peril
Commercial Multiple Peril
Ocean Marine
Inland Marine
Automobile Liability:
Bodily Injury (including medical payments coverage)
Property Damage
Automobile Physical Damage:
Fire, Theft and Comprehensive
Collision
Worker’s Compensation
Liability Other than Automobile:
Bodily Injury
Property Damage
Fidelity
Surety
Glass
Burglary and Theft
Individual Accident and Health:
Accident only
Accident and Health
Hospital and Medical Expense
Group Accident and Health Boiler and Machinery
Ins 6.30(4)(a)2.a.a. The allocation of expenses to lines of business shall be by expense groups. Each classification of expense within each expense group shall be allocated separately to lines of business on the bases of allocation prescribed as follows. All bases employed in such allocations shall be applicable and appropriate to the expense group of which such expense is a part.
Example — Expenses which are allocated to lines of business as an Overhead on Salaries shall be calculated in relation only to the salaries included in the same expense group.
The term Actual means that the expenses are susceptible of direct and accurate allocation, and companies shall allocate directly to lines of business and shall not employ any apportionments or estimations.
For definitions of the terms Special Studies, Premiums, and Overhead on Salaries, see s. Ins 6.30 (2) (a) 1. b. For those expense classifications permitting the basis Overhead on Salaries or Premiums, any other basis of allocation may be adopted which yields more accurate results. The bases Overhead on Salaries and Premiums shall not be used if clearly inappropriate.
In making any allocations to lines of business, companies shall observe the General Instructions Regarding Allocation Bases (see s. Ins 6.30 (5) (a) 2.). The methods followed in allocating to lines of business shall be described, kept and supported as set forth under Detail of Allocation Bases (see s. Ins 6.30 (5) (a) 3. c.). The effects of the application to each operating expense classification of all bases of allocation shall be shown on records kept in clear and legible form. Such records shall be readily available for examination.
Ins 6.30(5)(a)(a) Special instructions relating to the allocation of salaries and other expenses. Wherever possible, salaries of individuals or similarly employed groups shall be allocated direct to companies, expense groups, and lines of business. In other words, salaries of employees whose work is solely in connection with a specific company, expense group or line of business shall be allocated thereto.
When a direct allocation is not made, salaries, with certain exceptions hereinafter noted, shall be allocated on whichever of the following bases, or combinations thereof, are appropriate: Number of Items or Units, Time Studies, Overhead on Other Allocations, Premiums, Dollar Volume of Losses, and Other Special Studies.
All bases of allocation, and the application thereof, shall be subject to restrictions, modifications and exceptions in the General Instructions Regarding Allocation Bases which follow.
Item and unit counts may include Number of Premium Entries, Number of Policies, Number of Loss Entries, Number of Accidents, Number of Employees, and any other unit or item counts which aid in the allocation of expenses. To the greatest practical extent, such unit or item counts shall be applied only to expenses incurred in activities having a direct relationship to the bases.
In determining the applicability of Number of Premium Entries as a basis of allocation, consideration shall be given to the number of premiums on original policies plus additional premiums, return premiums, reinsurance premiums, and return premiums on reinsurance. Where more than one card is punched or more than one entry is made covering only one amount, consideration shall be given procedural differences in connection with types of entries.
In determining the applicability of Number of Policies as a basis of allocation, consideration shall be given to policies underlying another policy, to policies covering more than one line of business, to policies for various terms, and to the effect on cost of procedural differences in connection with types of policies.
In determining the applicability of Number of Loss Entries as a basis of allocation, consideration shall be given to the number of gross entries plus salvage entries and reinsurance entries, for paid or outstanding losses, or both, and to the effect on cost of procedural differences in connection with types of loss entries.
In determining the applicability of Number of Accidents as a basis of allocation, consideration shall be given to accidents on which specific estimates are set up, those on which no specific estimate is made, and those for which no claim is made, and to the effect on cost of procedural differences in connection with types of accidents.
The basis Number of Employees is of limited application and shall be used only where the cost logically follows the number of employees. It may be of use, where properly weighted, in allocating such units as cafeteria, personnel department, and payroll department.
Time studies are actual measurements of time required to make motions, to complete a routine of regularly occurring procedure. In contemplating the use of a time study as a basis of allocation, consideration shall be given to the number of motions which must be studied to obtain a valid average and to possible distortions in the average caused by exceptional conditions during the study.
Salaries of supervisors and executives may be distributed as an overhead on the salaries of employees whom they supervise. Salaries of departments such as mail and general stenographic may be distributed as an overhead on the salaries of people whose work is handled. However, no salaries shall be distributed as an overhead on other allocations if any other basis is more appropriate.
Premiums shall not be used as a basis of allocation except when specifically noted as a permissible basis or when the expense is incurred as a percentage of premiums (subject to instructions under Commission and Allowances in s. Ins 6.30 (3) (a) 2. c.), or when the expenses are logically allocable on the basis of premiums. In no event shall premiums be used as a basis of allocation in connection with clerical, technical, secretarial, office maintenance, supervisory and executive activities unless such basis is clearly appropriate and until all other reasonable bases of allocation have been considered and found less appropriate than premiums. In determining the applicability of premiums as a basis of allocation, consideration shall be given to the applicability of direct and reinsurance premiums, and written, earned and unearned premiums, as well as to subdivisions thereof.
Dollar Volume of Losses shall be used as a basis of allocation only when the activities resulting in expense are influenced by the dollar amounts of losses, and only when all other reasonable bases of allocation have been considered and found less appropriate than Dollar Volume of Losses.
In determining the applicability of Dollar Volume of Losses as a basis of allocation, consideration shall be given to the applicability of direct and reinsurance losses, and paid, incurred and outstanding losses as well as to subdivisions thereof.
Salaries may be allocated on the basis of other special studies, provided demonstrably more accurate results are thereby produced than through the use of the bases heretofore discussed, but not otherwise.
Weightings may be applied in using any bases of allocation but the justification for such weightings shall be stated in the Detail of Allocation Bases (see s. Ins 6.30 (5) (a) 3. c.). Weightings shall not be used as a means for giving effect to a basis which is prohibited by these instructions. The bases of allocation used shall be appropriate and applicable to the expenses to which such bases are applied. All bases shall be limited and subdivided in such manner that the expenses to which the bases are applied have a reasonable relationship to each component of the bases. For example, an allocation basis which includes a particular line of business shall not be applied to expenses incurred for activities which do not include that line.
Any basis of allocation which is found to be inappropriate shall be discontinued.
Where an individual or a group of employees work on totals, the allocation of the expenses involved may be based on the information entering into the totals.
All bases of allocation shall be compiled or calculated from the transactions or procedures for the period applicable to the expenses to be allocated, unless the use of any other period is justified by investigation made during the applicable period. Such justification shall be set forth on the Detail of Allocation Bases (see s. Ins 6.30 (5) (a) 3. c.). The following types of records shall be prepared by each company or fleet in allocating salaries to companies, expense groups and lines of business: Allocation of Salaries, Recapitulation of Salaries, and Detail of Allocation Bases.
