Our glossary explains technical terms from the areas finance and reinsurance. We hope it facilitates the understanding of our texts, publications and annual reports. If you have comments or suggestions, please use our feedback form!

(Insurance) Pool

a risk-sharing partnership under civil law formed by legally and economically independent insurers and reinsurers in order to create a broader underwriting base for particularly large or unbalanced risks. The members undertake to write certain risks only within the scope of the insurance pool. They include such risks – while maintaining their commercial independence – in the insurance pool against a commission fee. Each insurer participates in the profit or loss of the insurance pool according to its proportionate interest. Reinsurance is often ceded or accepted in order to further diversify the risk. Pools can be divided into two types: coinsurance pools, in which all members take the role of primary insurers according to their interests, and reinsurance pools, in which a primary insurer writes the risks and then spreads them among the participating insurers by way of reinsurance.