Insurance analyst is well versed in the insurance industry trends, news, policies and standards. He/she works as the link between the department of information system and other departments in the organization. The role of an insurance analyst may vary as per the company he/she works for and the specific responsibilities he/she is expected to perform. Insurance carriers often hire this specialist to study different insurance policies, evaluate involved risks and its impact on both the payments and premium.
In general, insurance analyst responsibilities involve reviewing claims made by the insured parties, determine their legitimacy and give suggestions on payment. He/she also overviews various potential risks and estimate the type or amount of insurance that should be recommended to the clients. For example, an analyst working with an automotive insurer might consider different car models and review their safety records to provide a specific rate recommendation for the car owners. Life or health insurance companies hire this expert to review individuals and find out if their health conditions can influence premiums.
These insurance representatives can also be employed by firms that are not directly involved in the insurance sector to opt for the right insurance policy and determine the risks allied with it. Reviewing individual insurance application forms and reports, evaluating degree of risk, performing investigation and determining acceptance of applications are some of their routine tasks. When an insured party files a claim with an insurance agency, the role of analysts is to go through the details of the claim and carry out investigation to look if there is any fraud or other extenuating circumstances. This may require visiting the site of an accident, interviewing witnesses or claimants, and working with legal enforcement to uncover fraudulent claims. Once the investigation is completed, the analyst presents a recommendation to the agency regarding handling the claim. Since these experts have to carry out a variety of tasks, they need to stay cognizant of the updates and trends in the insurance sector as well as the impact of these updates on the routine activities of the department and company.
What are the Typical Responsibilities?
Get to know some typical work activities and duties of an insurance analyst:
Education and Skills
Most individuals interested in working in this profession need to pursue a bachelor's degree in business administration including other insurance coursework. This may include additional courses in mathematics, statistics, financial accounting and macroeconomics. A graduation course may take at least four years for its completion and a candidate may need to get complete various courses in mathematics before getting enrolled in advanced business classes. There is a range of areas in the insurance industry that employs analysts. This includes life, health, or property insurance companies. Undergraduate candidates may prefer to opt for a sub-field of their interest in the insurance industry because most degree courses cover multiple insurance programs.
In addition to specialization in a particular field in the insurance sector, a candidate may also prefer to consider pursuing an internship with an insurance agency. Candidates with relevant experience have great scope to make a career in this field, as they have prospects to work closely with professionals in this field. Despite the slight difference within this sector, an internship will help the candidate to get familiarize with the routine tasks that most analysts perform. Some of the routine insurance analyst responsibilities include calculating risks, analyzing insurance reports, and designing insurance programs for clients. Entering this field requires the ability to analyze multiple aspects of insurance reports such as financial statements, assets and medical records.
Insurance analysts are the professionals who are employed by the insurance as well as non insurance companies to stay updated with the information regarding the types of coverage they should opt and how well it will protect the businesses, people and assets. This allows many organizations to have a better understanding about how insurance can safeguard their employers and owners.