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📋 '''Line (reinsurance)''' refers to a unit of participation in a [[Definition:Reinsurance | reinsurance]] placement, representing the share of risk that a single [[Definition:Reinsurer | reinsurer]] agrees to accept on a given [[Definition:Treaty reinsurance | treaty]] or [[Definition:Facultative reinsurance | facultative]] contract. In the [[Definition:Lloyd's of London | Lloyd's]] market, a line is typically expressed as a percentage of the total risk written on a [[Definition:Slip | slip]], with each participating [[Definition:Lloyd's syndicate | syndicate]] or reinsurer "putting down a line" to indicate the portion it will underwrite. Outside Lloyd's, the term is used more broadly across global reinsurance markets to describe any individual reinsurer's proportional commitment to a placement.

⚙️ During the placement process, a [[Definition:Reinsurance broker | reinsurance broker]] circulates the risk among prospective reinsurers, each of whom indicates its willingness to participate by subscribing a line — say, 10% or 25% of the total. The cumulative total of all subscribed lines must reach 100% for the placement to be fully subscribed, though in practice placements can be oversubscribed, requiring lines to be "signed down" proportionally so that the aggregate does not exceed the amount sought. The size of line a reinsurer is willing to write signals both its appetite for the risk and its confidence in the [[Definition:Lead underwriter | lead underwriter's]] terms. Lead reinsurers, who set the pricing and conditions, typically take the largest lines, lending credibility that encourages following markets to participate.

💡 Understanding how lines function is essential for anyone involved in reinsurance placement strategy. A cedent's ability to secure adequate capacity depends on attracting enough reinsurers willing to commit meaningful lines at acceptable terms. When [[Definition:Market cycle | market conditions]] harden, reinsurers may reduce their lines — writing smaller percentages on individual contracts — forcing brokers to approach a wider panel to fill placements. Conversely, in soft markets, reinsurers may compete to write larger lines to maintain premium volume. The concept also carries regulatory and financial reporting implications: each reinsurer must book its line as a [[Definition:Reinsurance receivable | reinsurance receivable]] or liability proportionate to its share, and [[Definition:Credit risk | credit risk]] assessments of the reinsurance panel depend partly on how lines are distributed across counterparties.

'''Related concepts:'''
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Definition:Slip]]
* [[Definition:Facultative reinsurance]]
* [[Definition:Treaty reinsurance]]
* [[Definition:Lead underwriter]]
* [[Definition:Signing down]]
* [[Definition:Lloyd's syndicate]]
{{Div col end}}

Definition:Line (reinsurance) - Revision history

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