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Investment Management - Career Options

Actuary

Evaluates the risk for companies to be used for strategic management decisions.
Actuaries use their analytical skills to predict the risk of writing insurance policies through the use of mathematical, statistical and economic models.
An actuary not only fixes the premium rates for new products, but also revises both products and prices. They calculate costs to assume risk, for example how much to charge policyholders for life or health insurance premiums?

Course

The actuarial course involves basic techniques, communication, advanced techniques in actuarial science, finance, life and general insurance.

Commenting on the demand potential and the likely remuneration for an actuary in the industry, Gidwani said, “The Actuary belongs to the top management team thus the compensations are very attractive for example in U.S., the salary will be more that 80000 US dollars per annum. The field is not only relevant to insurance industry but to the whole financial sector. So I visualize a very bright future and good demand because they will be not only for product development, product designing but also deciding on the solvency margin premium rates. Without an actuary, an insurance company cannot function.”

Speaking on the number of years experience that is really required to get the right break as an actuary, he said, ”The candidates opting for a career as an actuary must have a strong mathematical background, statistical background and it can take minimum two to nine years depending upon the kind of studies conducted by the candidate. Usually, it is found that, people who join the insurance industry pursue these careers.”

Who can qualify

Mathematics and Statistics graduates can try the actuarial course.
The eligibility requirement is higher secondary education.

Elucidating the prospects of a career as an underwriter or a surveyor he said, “An underwriter basically decides whether to grant insurance and if so, on what terms and conditions. His role is to assess the risk and determine at what premium we should charge him and whether to give him insurance at all. Thus the role of the underwriter is a unique operation in insurance companies.”

Underwriters

Work Profile

Insurance underwriters review insurance applications and decide whether they should be accepted or rejected based on the degree of risks involved in insuring the people or objects of concern.
In the life insurance business, an underwriter is expected to filter the "bad or substandard lives". Whereas, in the general insurance segment, he takes care of risk management .
Underwriters give and obtain information, explain policies and quote rates to medical personnel, other insurance companies, or field representatives.

Adding further he said, “The surveyor on the other side usually functions only in non life business and not in life insurance business. The surveyor’s role is to assess the loss that has been notified by the customer, suppose a car meets with an accident, the policyholder will lodge a claim with the company for compensation. The surveyor will then go and assess the extent of loss. The insurance business operates on the principle of indemnity, that is, putting the customer in same position financially in which he was before the loss happened. As there is a tendency on the part of customer, to benefit out of an insurance transaction, the surveyor puts a check on that and assesses the loss. He then gives a report to the insurance company and based on the surveyor’s report the company will settle the claim.”

Surveyors

Work Profile

Surveyors are professionals who assess the loss or damage and serve as a link between the insurer and the insured.
They usually function only in non life business.
Their job is to assess the actual loss and avoid false claims.
Surveyors like agents, are not employees but are independent professionals hired by the insurance company.

Regarding the minimum qualification require for pursuing the career of an underwriter or a surveyor, Gidwani said, "There are specific regulations governing the profession of surveyors, they should have an engineering degree or insurance qualifications. They have to undergo a one-year training program with an existing surveyors firm and at the end of that they have to pass another examination which will be done by Insurance Institute of India."

Who can qualify

An insurance surveyor must possess a license issued by the Controller of Insurance under Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India.
Licenses are issued to technically qualified people who are engineering graduates or diploma holders in any discipline, Chartered Accountants, Graduates in Medical Sciences.
They have to undergo a one-year training program with an existing surveyors firm and thereafter pass an exam held by the Insurance Institute of India.
A surveyor after obtaining the license may be empanelled by any or all of the insurance companies.

Commenting on the need of investment managers who look at the assets of the insurance company he said, "Investment operations of insurance company is a very old function, given that insurance business is 300 years old and because an insurance company collects a lot of funds, they need to be invested wisely without jeopardizing public security. Thus, there is a good potential for a career in this field. And every company has a few investment experts who will guide the operations, most of which may done by asset management companies."

Speaking on a career in marketing and distribution, Gidwani said, “In the marketing area the potential is unlimited. The insurance business in India is yet to grow upto international standards. And, between the last 18 months more than 4,00,000 people have enrolled as agents. Since there are a large number of agents you need marketing managers, agency managers to guide, motivate and supervise them and worldwide this trend is discernable. More and more people are needed in marketing because it brings money for the company.”

Marketing & Distribution

Insurance agents may work for one insurance company or as independent agents selling for several companies.
Insurance brokers do not sell for a particular company, but place insurance policies for their clients with the company that offers the best rate and coverage.
Insurance agents and brokers can find openings in the health insurance sector, financial planning services, retirement planning counselling or even provide other services, for example sell mutual funds, annuities and other securities.

Lastly, briefing on other career options that can be available in the insurance industry, he said, "The other options are in health management as third party administrators, as well as back office processing as IT industry does for information technology i.e operations of other insurance companies worldwide could also be done in India. There are frauds in insurance, insurance investigation could be another choice for occupation, and call centers are also becoming a big business for marketing of insurance products, so that too could be an innovative career in the insurance industry.

Learning Grounds