A Bayesian Mixture Model Accounting for Zeros and Negatives in the Loss Triangle

Abstract

In insurance loss reserving, a large portion of zeros are expected at the later development periods of an incremental loss triangle. Negative losses occur frequently in the incremental loss triangle due to actuarial practices such as subrogation and salvation. The nature of the distributions assumed by most stochastic models, such as the lognormal and over-dispersed Poisson distributions, brings restrictions on the zeros and negatives appearing in the loss triangle. In this paper, we propose a Bayesian mixture model for stochastic reserving under the situation where there are both zeros and negatives in the incremental loss triangle. A multinomial regression model will be applied to model the sign of the loss data, while the lognormal distribution is assumed for the loss magnitudes of negatives and positives. Bayesian generalized linear models will be fitted for both the mixture and magnitude models. The model will be implemented using the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques in BUGS. Our model provides a realistic tool for stochastic reserving in the cases of zeros and negatives.