UNICEDE/2 file header

File header details supported by UNICEDE/2.

The HEADER section of a UNICEDE/2 submission describes the contents of the file. Each file must begin with a header section. Each row in the header begins with an asterisk (*), making the header easy to identify when reviewing the contents of the file.

It is important that:

  • All the items listed below be included in the file

  • They be included in the same order

  • Each line starting with the asterisk (*) must begin in column 1, (i.e., without leading spaces)

  • Each item occupies a single line ending with CARRIAGE RETURN and LINE FEED.

Item

Description

Example

Marker

This identifies the protocol being used. It MUST be reproduced EXACTLY as shown.

  • UNICEDE-PUBLIC-2.9.0

  • *Verisk-UNICEDE-PUBLIC-2.8.0

  • UNICEDE-PUBLIC-2.7.0

Reference

This is the source where you can obtain documentation that explains the details of the protocol, a document like this one.

*REF = Verisk, Boston, MA 02116

SourceDate

The date on which this file was prepared for submission. The date value on the left of ":" is in the universal 8 character format YYYYMMDD, where

YYYY is the year, e.g., 2019

MM is the month, e.g., 09

DD is day, e.g., 07.
  • UNICEDE2.9: *SOURCE DATE = 20170701: 1 July 2020
  • UNICEDE 2.8: *SOURCE_DATE = 20160701: 1 July 2019
  • UNICEDE2.7: *SOURCE DATE = 20100701: 1 July 2018

SourceCompany

Name of the company that prepared the file for submission

*SOURCE_COMPANY = ABC Reinsurance Intermediaries Inc.

SourceContact

Name of the contact person.

*SOURCE_CONTACT = John Smith

SourceAddressLine1

The address of the contact person.

*SOURCE_ADDR_1 = 1234 Main Street

SourceAddressLine2

*SOURCE_ADDR_2 = P.O. Box 4321

SourceAddressLine3

*SOURCE_ADDR_3 = Boston, MA 02134

SourceAddressLine4

*SOURCE_ADDR_4 = USA

SourceAddressLine5

*SOURCE_ADDR_5 =

SourcePhone

The phone number of the contact person.

*SOURCE_PHONE = 617-456-7890

SourceFax

The fax number of the contact person.

*SOURCE_FAX = 617-987-6543

SourceE-Mail

The E-mail address of the contact person.

*SOURCE_EMAIL = smith@www.air-worldwide.com

CedingCompany

The name of the ceding company seeking reinsurance.

*CEDING_COMPANY = Solar Insurance Company

CedingCoStdID

This identifies the standard ID of the company. Currently UNICEDE/2 does not recognize any standard ID numbers for Europe. However, it does recognize A.M. Best's ID numbers for US cedants.

The general format for the ID number is "nnnnn",

where nnnnn is the A. M. Best identification number. For example, the A. M. Best identification number of A I LLOYD'S would be specified as:

  • 04292

For a company without an A.M. Best ID, use 100000.

*CEDING_CO_STD_ID = 1000000

DataAsOf

The inforce date as of which this data represents the ceding company's exposures for which the data is being submitted.

19960701: July 1, 2019

The date value on the left of the colon is in the universal 8 character format YYYYMMDD, where

  • YYYY is the year, e.g., 2019

  • MM is the month, e.g., 09

  • DD is day, e.g., 07.

The date value on the right of the colon is required and is for the benefit of a human reader and can be specified in any manner.

The data represents the company's exposures as of July 1, 2019, then the entry would be *DATA_AS_OF = 20160501: 1 May 2018

DataUnits

The units used for all numerical values.

  • 1: 1.0 if sums-insured values are in dollars
  • 2: 1000.0 if sums-insured values are in thousands of dollars
  • 3: 1000000.0 if sums-insured values are in millions of dollars
  • 4: 1000000000.0 if sums-insured values are in billions of dollars
Note:

All the text after and including the colon (":") is ignored as comments.

*DATA_UNITS = 2: 1000.0

DataCurrency

Currency of the data.

*DATA_CURRENCY = USD

DataFor

DataFor:

TREATY: Treaty Reinsurance

*DATA_FOR = TREATY: Treaty Reinsurance

DataQuality

This provides qualitative information regarding the data. Currently there are 5 levels of data quality:

1: Excellent - All data submitted directly by ceding company.

2: Good - Most data submitted by ceding company, other data estimated

3: Fair - Some data submitted directly by ceding company, remainder estimated

4: All values are estimates and may be revised within 30 days

5: All values are estimates and will be revised within 30 days

Of course, these are highly subjective in nature. This information in not used by the software to interpret or modify the data.

*DATA_QUALITY = 1

DataLevel

Iindicates the level of data (e.g. -level, sub-, postal codes, province codes, governates, perfectures) in the import file.

*DATA_LEVEL = 11

DataLineType

This defines the "format" of the values in each line of data in the BODY.

10: Standard: All values are "comma-delimited", i.e., separated by commas. However, because the lines of business (LOBs) vary from country to country, so do the contents of the records. See LOB Codes.

Important:

Because field values in records are comma-delimited the values themselves must not contain commas. For example, in comma delimited records the correct way to represent the numbers 1,234 and 5,678 is 1234, 5678. Note that the comma is used to separate the two values and not the digits within each value.

*DATA_LINE_TYPE = 10

DataCoversAreas

This indicates whether or not the exposure data provided in this file represents all the risks in all the geographic areas (e.g., states in the US or counties in Europe) in which the cedant writes business. See the Area Tag specification for valid geographic areas. The possible values are:

  • 0: No (This file does not contain all the areas)

  • 1: Yes (All areas included)

Important:

It is very important that the file include all the exposures in all geographic areas. If the file does not include all the data -- for example, if the file includes only coastal counties -- the reinsurance underwriter using CATMAP/2 might distribute all of the ceding company's state level premiums to those coastal counties. This, in turn, could make the cedant's loss potential appear to be signficantly higher than it may be otherwise.

*DATA_COVERS_AREAS = 1

DataSubAreasComplete

This indicates exposure data provided for each geographic area (e.g., country) in this file represents all the risks in all the subareas (e.g., counties in the US or CRESTA zones in Europe) in which the cedant does business. See the Area Tag specification for valid geographic areas. The possible values are:

  • 0: No (This file does not contain all the subareas)

  • 1: Yes (All subareas are included for each area)

*DATA_SUBAREAS_COMPLETE = 1

DataCoversLines

This indicates whether or not the exposure data provided in this file represents all the risks for all the lines of business written by the cedant. See LOB Codes further information. The possible values are:

  • 0: No (This file does not contain all the lines)

  • 1: Yes (All lines included)

*DATA_COVERS_LINES = 1

DataCoverPerils

This indicates whether or not the exposure data provided in this file represents all the risks for all the perils covered by the cedant. See Peril Codes for currently supported perils.. The possible values are:

  • 0: No (This file does not contain all the perils)

  • 1: Yes (All perils included)

*DATA_COVERS_PERILS = 1

AreaTagType

Defines the format of the Area Tag field value in the Body records.

*AREA_TAG_TYPE = 11

FieldSeparator

This identifies the character that separates two adjacent fields (or values) in a record (or a line) in the Body. Currently only the following is supported:

1: Comma

*FIELD_SEPARATOR = 1

RecordSeparator

This identifies the character that separates two adjacent records (or lines) in the BODY. Currently only the following is supported:

  • 0: Carriage Return + LineFeed

*RECORD_SEPARATOR = 0

CLFAvailable

This identifies whether a CATMAP/2 or CATRADER compatible Company Loss File is available. The possible values are:

  • 0: No (Company Loss File is not available)

  • 1: Yes (Company Loss File is available)

A Company Loss File (CLF) is a special binary file that is created using Verisk's CLASIC software. This file contains the cedant's distribution of losses for every event in the Industry Loss File used in CATMAP/2 or CATRADER. Each CLF is created using the most detailed exposure data for each risk of the ceding company such as location (ZIP or geocode), detailed policy conditions (replacement values, sums insured values, and deductibles by coverage), and construction among others. With the CLF file installed in CATMAP/2 or CATRADER the reinsurer can use the losses in the CLF instead of market shares based on aggregated exposure information contained in UNICEDE/2 files.

*CLF_AVAILABLE = 1

Comment

All comments begin with three asterisks (i.e., '***') starting in the first character position in the line. This is where the creator of the file can place text either for his/her reference or for the benefit of others. The software importing the file will, more likely than not, simply ignore these comments, unless the user of the software wants the comments to be displayed. The important thing is that there is no information in this field that is interpreted by the software reading it.

Note:

Each comment is for a single line only. If you want multiple line comments, then EACH line must begin with the comment token, i.e., '***'.

***Comments are optional.