CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY

                                                            College of Business

                                             Department of Finance and Marketing

 

Fin 156                                                                                    Office: 466 Tehama

PonArul                                                                                   Phone: 898-6242

Fall 2004                                                                                 Email:rponarul@csuchico.edu          

                                                                                                Fax: 898-6360

                                                                                               

                                                                                               

                                                          RISK AND INSURANCE

 

Scope: In this course we will study how insurance contracts are designed and how they can be used in risk management.  We will also study how the insurance industry is organized and regulated.  The objective will be to understand the role of insurance in the field of finance.

 

Prerequisites: FIN 150 (not being taken concurrently)

 

Text: Principles of Risk Management and Insurance  by Rejda (Eighth edition)

 

Handouts and articles circulated in the class will also be considered required reading.

 

Format: Class lectures will be informal with ample opportunities for questions and clarifications. The students are expected to have read the assigned chapters in advance and work on the questions at the end of each chapter in a timely manner.

 

Exams and quizzes:  There will be two exams and several quizzes. Missed quizzes cannot be made up.  Roughly 30% will be dropped. No makeup exams or other remedial measures will be available. 

 

Mini papers:  Students will have to write two mini papers (2 to 4 pages in length).  Topics and deadlines will be announced later.

 

Grading:          90% and above           A and A minus

                        75% to 90%                 B plus, B and B minus

                        60% to 75%                 C plus, C and C minus

                        50% to 60%                 D plus and D

 

The maximum possible points will be 250, with the following distribution.

 

            Midterm 1                                            50    points

            Midterm 2                                            50

            Final Exam                                          80

            Quizzes                                              40

            Mini papers                                          30

           

                                                                   Schedule

 

 

Week 1            Introduction.  Some definitions. (Chapters 1 & 2)

 

Week 2            Risk Management.  (Chapters 3 & 4)  

 

Week 3            Legal aspects (Chapter 5)

 

Week 4            Insurance contracts  (Chapter 6)

 

Week 5            Liability risk (Chapter 7)

 

Week 6            Midterm I (September 29)

           

Week 7            Life Insurance (Chapters 16 and 17)

 

Week 8            Life Insurance  (Chapters 18 and 19)

 

Week 9            Annuities and retirement accounts  (Chapter 20)   

 

Week 10          Employee benefits (Chapters 22 & 23)

 

Week 11          Midterm II (November 3)

 

Week 12          Homeowners (Chapters 8 and 9)

 

Week 13          Auto insurance. (Chapters 10 & 11)

 

Week 14          Insurer Operations.  (Chapters 25 and 26)     

 

Week 15          Pricing and Regulation (Chapters 27 and 28)

 

                        Final  exam (As per university schedule)