Mean residual life 2026-10-07
For a nonnegative random variable with finite expected value and , its mean residual life is the remaining conditional expected value after surviving past . The tail integral formula for moments gives . The exponential distribution has constant mean residual life, equal to its original mean. In excess of loss reinsurance, the total variance stationary condition for excess of loss sets a candidate retention equal to this quantity.
Set . The compound Poisson distribution variance identity and the per-claim excess of loss reinsurance payouts give
Apply differentiation under the integral sign. The endpoint terms in the first two terms cancel, while the last integrand is zero at its lower endpoint. Equivalently, differentiate the two payout squares inside their expected values; the finite second moment supplies a dominating integrable function. This gives the total variance stationary condition for excess of loss
Hence the specified equality makes . When , its interpretation is , where the mean residual life is .
For the exponential distribution of mean , and
Thus is negative below and positive above it. The variance-minimizing exponential retention is the unique global minimizer
For an explicit value, put . The capped claim moments and the excess-claim second moment give
The sign argument establishes global minimality, rather than just stationarity.
For a single claim , quota share reinsurance with retained fraction makes the direct insurer pay and the reinsurer pay . Under excess of loss reinsurance with retention , the direct insurer pays and the reinsurer pays the positive part . Thus the concise payout pairs are
The cap in excess of loss reinsurance applies separately to every claim; it is not a cap on the entire annual aggregate.
For the following variance calculations take and , so the displayed variances are finite. For any per-claim payout , the law of total variance in a compound Poisson distribution gives
The final term is the raw second moment, not the single-claim variance. Both parties' totals are retained compound Poisson aggregates, with different payout functions of the same claims; they are generally dependent.
For excess of loss reinsurance the insurer pays each claim up to its retention level:
The cap applies separately to every claim. In particular the retained annual loss is , rather than a single cap on the annual total.
Let be the cumulative distribution function for the claim size on risk , and put . The retained severity on that risk has the original probability density function on and an atom of a measure at of mass . Thus has a compound Poisson distribution with rate and the mixture of these capped severity laws. The mixture's mass at is .
For the capped claim moments, use the tail integral formula for moments. Since for and is zero for ,
Substitution into the compound Poisson distribution moment formulas gives
Equivalently, the integrals are and . The annual variance uses the retained raw second moments; subtracting their squared means would omit the variation in the Poisson distribution count.
For positive claim sizes with finite second moment in a compound Poisson distribution aggregate of parameter , the two excess of loss reinsurance payouts are and . The derivative of their total aggregate variance is . Thus the displayed condition characterizes stationarity. When the tail probability is positive it says that the retention equals the mean residual life. Global minimality requires an additional sign or comparison argument.
For exponential distribution claims of mean and compound Poisson distribution count parameter , the total party variance under excess of loss reinsurance is . Its derivative is , so is the unique global minimum, with value .