Blog | Risk Management Advisors

Reasons Not to Set Up a Captive Insurance Company

 

 

Understanding the Limitations of Captive Insurance Structures

As businesses grow and become major brands that are well-known among the public, the risks faced by the enterprise also increase. Large corporations face many risks in their daily operations - even small errors or faults can result in serious lawsuits against the company. Risk management is crucial but can also become confusing - especially for owners who do not know the sector. Seeking out sophisticated risk management advice can help the business owner better understand the options.

An 831(b) captive insurance structure is often advised. While the advantages of strategic risk management solutions that utilize a captive insurance structure are easy to find, it should be noted that there are a few negative factors, too.

The Possible Drawbacks of a Captive Insurance Company

Although the number of captive insurance companies registered has increased by over 6,000 since 1980, several companies still do not use this strategy. Sure, certain enterprises can benefit from a captive, but this does not account for every scenario. We take a closer look at some drawbacks associated with this form of private insurance program management.

  • The major drawback often lies with the company and its owners. A lack of expertise in the insurance market can result in havoc when implementing a captive insurance company without understanding how the process works. The enterprise owner should understand how to mitigate risk in commercial activities through a captive insurance company and have knowledge of the market in general before attempting to initiate their own entity.
  • A long-term commitment is required when forming a captive insurance company, which is not something that certain business owners may be looking for immediately. Thus, a captive insurance company may not be the best option if the owner seeks a shorter-term solution.
  • When a company does not have a defined strategic objective in terms of risk management, it might also want to consider other solutions. The company owner needs to understand precisely what they are attempting to achieve by forming a captive insurance company. Without this objective, it can be hard to set things in motion.

Strategic Considerations

Captive insurance companies have benefits and drawbacks when used as a security protocol for enterprises. Learning more about best practices for captive insurance can help, but the business owner should also realize when an alternative solution might be better.

Is a captive insurance company the right fit for your business?

Click the link to start the assessment:

https://www.riskmgmtadvisors.com/captive-insurance-fit-assessment