Captive insurance education: property, CAT, ownership models, and strategic risk management for organizations across industries
The Torch Briefings are PFTN's in-depth articles on captive insurance structures, property risk, ownership models, financial discipline, and strategic implementation. Written with the PFTN voice: confident, educational, and focused on moving beyond traditional insurance toward ownership and control.
The 831(b) election lets a small captive be taxed on investment income alone — a genuine benefit that has also drawn abuse. The 2025 final regulations and the 2026 CIC Services ruling reward substance and punish structure without insurance underneath.
Read ArticleRegulators from London to Tennessee are approving captives faster in 2026 — but only for complete files. Why the application itself is the governance test.
Read ArticleApproved gene and cell therapies now carry multimillion-dollar price tags. How self-funded employers can uncover the exposure and design plan and captive layers around it before the claim arrives.
Read ArticleReference-based pricing reprices claims off Medicare rather than a hospital chargemaster. The balance-billing risk, the No Surprises Act gap, and the fiduciary and stop-loss discipline a self-funded plan needs to run it.
Read ArticleMedian medical trend hits 9 percent in 2026. Why a member-owned group-health captive fits mid-market manufacturers with stable workforces, and how it differs from level-funding.
Read ArticleAs 2026 renewals hit a fifteen-year high, employers with 20 to 200 employees are looking past ACA community-rated coverage. Level funding sits between fully insured and self-funded — fixed monthly cost, surplus upside, and the claims data self-funding is prized for.
Read ArticleWegovy and Zepbound now list north of $1,000 a month, and GLP-1s have become the single largest force reshaping self-funded pharmacy spend in 2026. Where the exposure lives, why PBM rebates obscure it, and the plan-design levers that control trend.
Read ArticleThe median trucking nuclear verdict is now $51M, and commercial auto has been unprofitable for 14 straight years. The group captive is the structural response the mid-market fleet has been chased toward for a decade.
Read ArticleThe January 2026 medical stop-loss renewal averaged +23%. Gene therapies and GLP-1s have entered the working claim. The medical stop-loss group captive is the vehicle the standard market has chased self-funded employers toward for three years.
Read ArticleThe 2026 cyber renewal reads like a buyer's market — rates flat to negative ten percent. The schedule of endorsements tells a different story. Marsh's 2025 captive landscape data and Tennessee's protected cell regime are answering the gap the commercial form is now writing out.
Read ArticleThe strongest captive in any portfolio is the one whose board meeting reads like an internal audit. The March 5, 2026 CIC Services ruling formalized the governance posture that separates a real insurance company from a tax-motivated structure.
Read ArticleThe captive financial statement is the document that turns insurance from an expense into an instrument of ownership. The number on page one tells a different story than the policy on the trailer.
Read ArticleThe property market is soft. That's exactly when disciplined organizations should be building captive structures to lock in long-term savings, premium stability, and control over their property risk.
Read ArticleWhy property and catastrophe property coverage belong in a captive. How well-managed organizations are taking control of their property risk instead of subsidizing an unstable traditional market.
Read ArticleTraditional insurance operates on a simple principle: carriers win when they collect more in premiums than they pay in claims. Your discipline subsidizes negligence elsewhere. Discover how captive ownership flips this model.
Read ArticleBoth offer genuine ownership and underwriting profit retention. But they differ in capital requirements, control levels, and governance complexity. Learn which structure aligns with your organization's size and sophistication.
Read ArticleNinety percent of Fortune 500 companies use captive insurance. Universities, hospitals, and mid-market manufacturers are abandoning traditional insurance in favor of ownership. This isn't exotic—it's the new standard.
Read ArticleAM Best ratings verify financial strength and claims-paying ability. Understand the rating scales, what regulators and reinsurers require, and why independent verification matters for your captive's credibility.
Read ArticleCaptive ownership creates formal governance, data-driven decision-making, and direct profit incentives for risk reduction. Learn how ownership transforms insurance from overhead into strategic discipline.
Read ArticleSingle parent captives offer complete ownership, unlimited customization, and 100% profit retention. Understand capital requirements, governance obligations, ROI potential, and when pure captives make sense for your organization.
Read ArticleCaptive insurance education and strategic risk management across specialized industries and sectors. Each PFTN site focuses on industry-specific applications while sharing core captive insurance principles.
Foundations of risk management and captive insurance strategy
Captive solutions for construction, electrical, plumbing, and trade contractors
Captive insurance for government contractors and federal compliance
Risk management and captive strategies for nonprofits and associations