general | March 13, 2026

How do you start a captive?

Find out about the key steps necessary to successfully establish a captive insurance company in the following five-step primer on setting up a captive.

  1. Step 1—Determine the Likely Captive Structure.
  2. Step 2— Conduct a Captive Feasibility Study.
  3. Step 3— Interview and Retain a Captive Manager.
  4. Step 4— Select a Domicile.

How does a captive work?

A “captive insurance company” is a subsidiary owned by one or more parent organizations established primarily to insure the exposures of its owner(s). The captive assumes a portion of the risks insured, and the balance is assumed by another insurance company known as a “reinsurance” company.

How much does it cost to start a captive?

Pure captives in the US generally require between $125,000 and $250,000 of initial start up capital.

How does a rent a captive work?

A rental captive is a captive insurance company that can be used or “rented” by unrelated insureds. It allows insureds to gain the benefits of a captive insurance arrangement without actually participating in the captive insurance company’s ownership or management.

What is a captive company?

What Is a Captive Finance Company? A captive finance company is a wholly-owned subsidiary that finances retail purchases from the parent firm. They range from mid-sized entities to giant firms depending on the size of the parent company.

Is captive insurance a good idea?

Captive insurance entities offer a vehicle to self-insure that can be especially cost- and tax-effective. Some professionals recommend captive insurance as the greatest thing since sliced bread. Others are wary of getting their clients involved in creating a captive, knowing that the IRS closely scrutinizes them.

How does a captive make money?

Like any business, a captive investor and shareholder enter into a transaction to earn a profit and retain the important ability to manage the operating company’s risks. Once profitable, dividends are generally available within the purview of the department of insurance and its regulatory scheme for shareholders.

What are the disadvantages of captive insurance?

Additional Cons of Captive Insurance

  • Raising capital is mandatory. Captive insurance is basically a self-insurance policy.
  • There can be quality of service issues.
  • Captive insurance offers no tax benefits.
  • There is no way to spread out the risk.
  • It requires additional management.
  • There can be barriers to entry and exit.

    How does a captive insurance company make money?

    What is captive management?

    Captive Management Company — a firm in the captive domicile specializing in accounting and other services for captive insurance companies, usually serving as the captive’s principal representative in the domicile.

    What does a cell captive insurer consist of?

    A cell captive arrangement is where a company (participant) chooses to self-insure itself by owning a class of shares (to form a cell) in a special purpose vehicle insurance company.

    What is a captive in insurance terms?

    Captive — an insurance company that has as its primary purpose the financing of the risks of its owners or participants. Typically licensed under special purpose insurer laws and operated under a different regulatory system than commercial insurers.

    What is a captive owner?

    The term “pure captive” is generally used to describe captives insuring only the risks of their owner or owners. Single-parent captives have only one owner. Group captives have multiple owners. A group captive is formed by a group of individuals or entities that come together to jointly own a captive insurance company.

    What is the point of captive insurance?

    To be very clear, the purpose of an insurance company and, therefore, a captive is to pay losses (your own losses) and to afford you (the owner) more control over your risk and any losses that do occur. Put another way, captives are an alternative risk transfer mechanism used to finance risk.

    What is the purpose of captive insurance company?

    A “captive insurer” is generally defined as an insurance company that is wholly owned and controlled by its insureds; its primary purpose is to insure the risks of its owners, and its insureds benefit from the captive insurer’s underwriting profits.

    What is the purpose of a captive insurance company?

    The Purpose of a Captive To be very clear, the purpose of an insurance company and, therefore, a captive is to pay losses (your own losses) and to afford you (the owner) more control over your risk and any losses that do occur. Put another way, captives are an alternative risk transfer mechanism used to finance risk.

    What does a captive do?

    What does a captive manager do?

    The captive manager functions as the eyes and ears of the regulator. If a captive is following unsound practices in underwriting, claims, investments, or operations, and fails to take action when warned by the manager, it is the manager’s duty to inform the regulator.

    What is captive insurance program?

    A captive insurance company is a wholly-owned subsidiary insurer that provides risk-mitigation services for its parent company or a group of related companies.

    What is a protective cell captive?

    A Protected Cell Captive (PCC) is an alternative to conventional commercial insurance and offers benefits similar to those available through group and single-parent captives at reduced start-up and ongoing costs.