Description: When companies engage in risk management activities, they can be seen as modifying their distributions of future outcomes. Often, this takes the form of trading off a sure cost for a decrease in some potential risk of loss. Companies may carry out these activities with several goals in mind, such as reduction in earnings volatility or preservation of capital. This paper will demonstrate a method for evaluating possible strategies by dividing the effects on costs and risks into three tranches: earnings, impact and estate. The tranches can be associated with different interests of the various stakeholders. This trifurcation analysis can help to explain the risk-reward trade-offs of different risk treatment alternatives and can aid in risk-related decisionmaking.

Description: Presented at May 1985 Spring Meeting. Discusses: Target surplus formulas for specific product lines, Projecting product line surplus needs, How cost of capital is charged to product lines, Criteria to use in allocating capital to or withdrawing capital from specific product lines, Differing techniques appropriate for stock and mutual companies, Differing techniques appropriate for the United States and Canada, How capital allocation relates to regulatory requirements, How capital allocation relates to competition in other industries.