Learn/Replace Insurance
Parametric Protection · Public explainer

Replace Your Insurance Premiums With Parametric Swaps

Save 30–60% of your premium cost. Pay only when the trigger fires. No adjusters, no loss proof required.

Parametric OTC swaps are bilateral financial contracts between two Eligible Contract Participants (ECPs) — no insurance license, no adjuster, no proof of loss. The trigger is an independent observable index: a wind speed gauge, a commodity futures price, a precipitation reading. When the index crosses the agreed level, you receive the payout. Period.

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How It Works

1

Discover your risks

Answer six questions about your entity type, revenue, premium spend, and risk categories. Our system maps each premium line to the closest parametric family, scores basis risk (0–100), and estimates your synthetic cost vs. current premium. Takes under three minutes.

2

Structure a parametric swap

For each replaceable risk, the platform structures a bilateral OTC swap: trigger index, strike level, tenor, and notional. You see the full instrument specification — premium in basis points, annual cost, and a signed basis risk disclosure — before anything is sent to a dealer.

3

Trade bilaterally with your counterparty

The platform emits your structured swap as a bilateral Indication of Interest to a curated dealer panel. Dealers respond with firm quotes. You confirm. The ISDA parametric annex is auto-generated and delivered. No order book, no exchange, no click-to-execute — bilateral OTC IOI flow only under §2(h)(7).

The Honest Basis Risk Section

Parametric protection is cheaper and faster than traditional insurance. But it doesn't always match your exact loss. Here's why that's still worth it — and when it isn't.

What is basis risk?

The parametric trigger may fire when you have no loss (a weather station reads high winds but your specific property escapes damage), or it may miss when you do (your facility floods but the upstream gauge stays below strike). This mismatch is called basis risk. We quantify it as a 0–100 score — 80+ is low, 55–79 is medium, below 55 is high.

Why it's still worth it for most risks

Traditional insurance has hidden basis risk too: adjusters dispute losses, coverage exclusions kick in, policy wording creates gaps. Parametric removes adjuster friction entirely. For risks where the index and loss are tightly correlated — coastal wind, commodity prices, standard crop peril — the net risk-adjusted cost is substantially lower than traditional premium, even accounting for basis.

When it isn't worth it

Highly idiosyncratic risks — a single-location facility with unusual exposure, a unique liability profile, or statutory coverages like workers' compensation — cannot be reliably parameterized. We label these MUST-KEEP and do not propose a swap. We also label COMPLEMENT risks where a parametric layer alongside reduced traditional coverage is the optimal structure.

The 14 Parametric Families

FamilyReplacesTypical Basis Risk
Property Catastrophe SwapCommercial Property / Cat ReinsuranceLOW
Interest Rate / Duration SwapRate Risk Reserves (Bank)LOW
Credit Concentration SwapLender-placed / Credit InsuranceMEDIUM
Weather / Agricultural Yield SwapMulti-Peril Crop / Named-Peril AgLOW
Energy / Commodity Price SwapBusiness Interruption / Supply ChainLOW
FX / Currency Risk SwapTrade Credit / Political Risk (FX leg)LOW
Cyber / Technology Disruption SwapCyber Liability / Tech E&OHIGH
Jackpot Tail / Liability Cap SwapExcess Liability / Umbrella (Gaming)MEDIUM
Deposit-Cost / Funding SwapDeposit Insurance SupplementalLOW
Liquidity / Runoff SwapFHLB Advances / Emergency LiquidityMEDIUM
P&C Catastrophe Layer SwapProperty Casualty — Cat XL LayerLOW
Real Estate / HPI SwapCRE Valuation / Mortgage PMI (Portfolio)MEDIUM
Supply Chain / Freight Disruption SwapContingent Business InterruptionMEDIUM
Parametric Political Risk SwapPolitical Risk / Trade CreditNOVEL

All ECP-only. Bilateral OTC under CEA §2(h)(7). Basis risk scores are indicative — exact score computed on your specific exposure during discovery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this really legal?

Yes. Parametric swaps between Eligible Contract Participants (ECPs) are bilateral OTC swaps under CEA §2(h)(7) — the same legal category as interest rate swaps, CDS, and FX forwards. They are not insurance contracts and do not require an insurance license. They are also not securities. The platform operates as a registered CTA and NFA member.

This is not legal advice. Confirm ECP eligibility and applicable jurisdiction requirements with counsel before trading.

What about workers' compensation?

Workers' compensation is statutory coverage in every U.S. jurisdiction — it cannot be replaced by a bilateral OTC swap. The platform will always label WC as MUST-KEEP and will never propose a parametric alternative. Retain your statutory WC policy in full.

What is basis risk?

Basis risk is the mismatch between the parametric trigger and your actual loss. The trigger fires based on an independent observable index (a wind speed gauge, a commodity price, a precipitation reading), not on your actual damage. If the index fires when you have no loss, or misses when you do have a loss, that's basis risk. We quantify it from 0–100. Scores above 80 indicate low basis risk — the index correlates tightly with loss history.

How is pricing determined?

Indicative pricing shown during discovery is computed from historical index volatility, attachment probability, and tenor — expressed as basis points of notional (annual). Exact pricing is provided by dealers via bilateral IOI response. The platform does not set prices; it structures the instrument and facilitates IOI flow.

Do I need to prove a loss to collect?

Never. The payout is triggered by the independent index, not by your loss experience. When the wind speed gauge reads above strike, you receive the payout — regardless of whether you actually suffered property damage. This eliminates the adjuster process entirely and typically results in payment within days of trigger, vs. months for traditional insurance claims.

What is an Eligible Contract Participant (ECP)?

An ECP is a legal entity with total assets of at least $10 million, or that is acting for hedging purposes with net assets of at least $1 million. Most corporations, banks, insurers, pension funds, and endowments qualify. You will self-certify ECP status during the risk discovery process. All bilateral swap access on this platform is restricted to ECPs under CEA §2(h)(7).

How does the IOI process work?

After structuring, you emit your swap as a bilateral Indication of Interest to a curated panel of ISDA-dealer counterparties. Dealers review and respond with firm quotes. You select your preferred counterparty and confirm. The ISDA parametric confirmation and annex are auto-generated. There is no order book, no exchange, no central clearing — it is a point-to-point bilateral OTC transaction throughout.

Start Your Risk Discovery

Six questions. Three minutes. Ranked parametric alternatives to every insurance line you currently pay for.

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ECP eligibility required. Not insurance. Not securities. Bilateral OTC swap only.