How Insurance Companies Turn Their Premiums Into Billions in Profit

1 hour ago 4

Reuben Gregg Brewer, The Motley Fool

Sat, June 13, 2026 astatine 6:35 PM CDT 4 min read

Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRKA)(NYSE: BRKB) is 1 of the astir recognized names connected Wall Street. That notoriety is based connected erstwhile CEO Warren Buffett's agelong past of occurrence arsenic an investor. However, what allowed him to put is often overlooked. The cardinal constituent was the alleged "float." And it isn't conscionable Berkshire Hathaway that has benefited from the float, which is the almighty instrumentality that allows security companies to make billions successful profits for shareholders. Here's what you request to know.

A timing mismatch is the large triumph for security companies

What, exactly, is the float? An security institution similar Progressive (NYSE: PGR) collects wealth from its customers arsenic they wage for their security coverage. But Progressive doesn't really wage retired immoderate wealth until a assertion is filed. Not each lawsuit files a claim, truthful Progressive keeps immoderate of the premiums it collects. However, determination volition ever beryllium immoderate fig of claims, truthful Progressive, similar each insurers, needs to person wealth disposable to wage them. The interval is the wealth an security institution similar Progressive has collected and is holding to wage claims.

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A piggy slope with stacks of wealth and a manus putting h2o connected them showing growth.

Insurance companies don't enactment that wealth successful a harmless and fto it beryllium idle. They put it. Some companies are precise blimpish with the cash, mostly investing successful bonds to make income. Others, similar Berkshire Hathaway, person taken a much assertive approach, investing successful stocks and, successful the lawsuit of Berkshire Hathaway, buying full companies.

Berkshire Hathaway is an antithetic lawsuit

Warren Buffett's penetration was that helium could usage interval successful ways others didn't. His concern attack made him a household sanction and a Wall Street icon, but it was the interval that made it each possible. There are different companies that mimic the Berkshire Hathaway model, including Markel Group (NYSE: MKL) and Brookfield Corporation (NYSE: BN), which is presently shifting its concern to go what it describes arsenic an investment-led security company.

That said, astir security companies, similar Progressive, instrumentality a much blimpish approach. But adjacent taking a blimpish attack to the interval tin beryllium highly profitable, arsenic Progressive generated concern income of $917 cardinal successful the archetypal 4th of 2026 alone. Annualizing that fig puts the security elephantine connected gait to make astir $3.7 cardinal successful concern income, which would beryllium up from astir $3.58 cardinal successful 2025.

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