What must insurance rates adequately cover?

Insurance rates must adequately cover losses, business costs, and a profit to ensure the financial viability of the insurance company. This includes the need to pay out claims made by policyholders, which are the losses part. Additionally, there are various operational and overhead costs associated with running the insurance business, such as salaries, marketing, and other administrative expenses, which fall under the business costs. Finally, to attract investors and maintain the company's operations, insurance companies must also generate a profit. Therefore, having rates that cover all these elements is essential for the long-term sustainability of the insurance provider.

In contrast, simply covering operational costs or only administrative expenses would not be sufficient to ensure the company can fulfill its obligations to policyholders or remain profitable. Likewise, offering premium discounts without adequately covering the underlying financial necessities could jeopardize the insurer’s ability to pay claims and operate effectively.