The U.S. leads the pack, having 76 of the world’s largest retailers based there. Additionally, the U.S. retail sector employs 42 million people and contributes $2.6 trillion to the GDP.
Despite its contributions, the retail industry continues to grapple with risks such as theft, cyber-attacks, and product recall. Shoplifting and other fraud activities cost retailers upwards of $50 billion annually. And there are limited options for retailers to mitigate these costs because the risks are often excluded by commercial insurance policies.
Forming a captive insurance company can help mid-market retail businesses offset the cost of a loss event. By filling gaps in coverage and promoting better financial efficiency with tax-advantaged premiums, retailers can retain more of their profits.The animated video below explains.
Watch the video:
Have questions? Call Capstone at 713.800.0550, or submit your information via the form. One of our experts will be in touch. We’ll discuss how we can help you or your client form a captive insurance company to insure the risks of your retail business.
Fund Losses, Fight Retail Risks
Cyber risks have been cited as having a major impact on U.S. retailers. According to a recent poll by research firm 451 Research, more than half of businesses (1,100) said they had experienced a cyber-attack at least once. And half of those businesses experienced a cyber-attack more than once. A representative from the firm said, “Unfortunately, organizations keep spending on the same security solutions that worked for them in the past, but they aren’t necessarily the most effective at stopping modern breaches.” This can mean that consumer data, proprietary information, inventory data, and more can be compromised, even when the right precautions are seemingly put in place.
Having cyber and other necessary coverage underwritten in a captive insurance company ensures that if and when a cyber breach or other cyber-event occurs, the affected business can bounce back more readily. This means that sensitive data can be recovered. Reputation management can also be addressed with the right policy inside the captive. In short, tailored coverages that are specifically designed for the business ensures that policy exclusions are kept at bay. This is in addition to the financial benefits of captive insurance.
Here’s a sample of various other coverages that may be written through a captive insurance company:
- Theft
- Cyber-Attacks
- Product Recall
- Regulatory Changes
- Labor Concerns
- International Risk
- Damage to Inventory
So here’s how it works:
Retail companies pay premiums to the captive insurance company, just as they would to a commercial insurance company. Funds accumulate inside the captive and can fund losses in the case of a loss event. IRC 831(b) captives offer a 0% Federal income tax paid on the captive’s underwriting profits.
Moreover, if there is undistributed earned surplus, i.e. there are no claims made, the funds can be distributed as a dividend or as a secured loan back to the operating company. Premium costs are lower, because in the commercial markets, “special” coverages tend to be more expensive. These coverages may not be available at all commercially. Business owners have better control over their risk management efforts, more comprehensive coverages, and a more advantageous planning solution.
Bottom line: Captive insurance for retail companies is a powerful alternative to commercial insurance alone. Savvy business owners in retail who form their own captive insurance company can count on a new level of risk management, as they combat risk in such a competitive industry.
Comprehensive Captive Planning for Retail Businesses
Capstone is the most integrated and largest outsourced provider of captive insurance services for the U.S. middle market. Capstone offers platinum level captive planning and administers property & casualty captive insurance companies that provide alternative risk financing services throughout the U.S.
With over 25 years of experience, Capstone provides turnkey services to businesses in the retail industry, and many others.
Capstone has an award-winning track record for standing with clients in the design, implementation, ongoing management, and defense of their property & casualty captive insurance programs. Capstone has successfully administered and successfully managed over 200 captives since 1998.
Capstone's staff of professionals includes Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriters, insurance experts, risk managers, claims personnel, accountants, and administrators. Capstone’s expertise is bolstered by long-standing relationships with outside CPAs, risk managers, property & casualty professionals, and actuaries.
Together, this team offers middle market companies the most comprehensive risk planning solution available.
Learn More About Captive Insurance
- Get the basics. "Captive Insurance Explained in Plain English" provides a simple overview of how captives work without the industry jargon.
- Want a little more depth on captives? Check out our Captive Insurance page for more information.
- See captives in action with "7 Ways Businesses are Using Captive Insurance."
