Systems and methods for optimizing property risk ratings

• US 8,046,245 B1
• Filed: 06/22/2010
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Brinkmann, Margaret A., Peck, Rosemary C., Woll, Richard G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kyle; Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEIS, SAMUEL
• Application Number:
  US12/820,617
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate

Abstract

Systems and methods provide optimized property risk ratings and, more particularly, optimized property risk ratings defined by evaluating ratings on a by peril basis. Systems and methods also price insurance products and underwrite insurance products using risk data that has been optimized on a by peril basis. A territory is subdivided into a plurality of regions determined in accordance with at least one predetermined factor. Loss costs representing historic costs for various insured perils are retrieved from a computerized database using a data processor. The loss costs are sorted on a per-peril basis for each of the regions using the data processor. Peril zones are created for each peril that represent related regions in which loss costs for a particular peril are roughly equivalent.

Claims

1. A method for establishing insurance premiums, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of peril zones for each of a plurality of perils based on magnitudes of loss costs for each peril, wherein the magnitudes of the loss costs for one of the plurality of perils within one of the plurality of peril zones are roughly equivalent;

combining, using a processor, the plurality of peril zones for the plurality of perils to create a plurality of all-peril zones, each of the all-peril zones being an overlapping intersection of one of the plurality of peril zones from each of the plurality of perils; and

setting insurance premiums for the plurality of all-peril zones.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the plurality of peril zones comprises using a statistical smoothing technique to create boundaries of the plurality of peril zones.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the loss costs for the plurality of perils.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising sorting the loss costs on a per-peril basis.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving insurance premium payments from a policyholder based on the insurance premiums set for the plurality of all-peril zones.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the loss costs represent historic costs by an insurance company in settling policyholders'"'"' claims.

7. A system for establishing insurance premiums, the system comprising:

a storage storing loss costs for a plurality of perils;

a processor executing instructions to perform a method comprising;

creating a plurality of peril zones for each of the plurality of perils based on magnitudes of the loss costs for each peril, wherein the magnitudes of the loss costs for one of the plurality of perils within one of the plurality of peril zones are roughly equivalent;

combining the plurality of peril zones for the plurality of perils to create a plurality of all-peril zones, each of the all-peril zones being an overlapping intersection of one of the plurality of peril zones from each of the plurality of perils; and

setting insurance premiums for the plurality of all-peril zones.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein creating the plurality of peril zones comprises using a statistical smoothing technique to create boundaries of the plurality of peril zones.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises receiving the loss costs for the plurality of perils.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises sorting the loss costs on a per-peril basis.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises receiving insurance premium payments from a policyholder based on the insurance premiums set for the plurality of all-peril zones.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the loss costs represent historic costs by an insurance company in settling policyholders'"'"' claims.

13. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a processor for performing a method for establishing insurance premiums, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of peril zones for each of a plurality of perils based on magnitudes of loss costs for each peril, wherein the magnitudes of the loss costs for one of the plurality of perils within one of the plurality of peril zones are roughly equivalent;

combining the plurality of peril zones for the plurality of perils to create a plurality of all-peril zones, each of the all-peril zones being an overlapping intersection of one of the plurality of peril zones from each of the plurality of perils; and

setting insurance premiums for the plurality of all-peril zones.

14. The medium of claim 13, wherein creating the plurality of peril zones comprises using a statistical smoothing technique to create boundaries of the plurality of peril zones.

15. The medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises receiving the loss costs for the plurality of perils.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises sorting the loss costs on a per-peril basis.

17. The medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises receiving insurance premium payments from a policyholder based on the insurance premiums set for the plurality of all-peril zones.

18. The medium of claim 13, wherein the loss costs represent historic costs by an insurance company in settling policyholders'"'"' claims.