IRIS uses the financial statements of the insurer to calculate a series of financial ratios, which are then taken as a measure of the insurer's overall financial condition. If the ratios do not fit into a predetermined range, then IRIS may identify the company for regulation by appropriate authorities.
The system acts as an early-warning protection, which aids state insurance departments to pick out those companies that show financial problems. The ratios are merely guidelines, though: often a financial disaster comes without warning, or defies prediction.[1]
References
↑Ludhardt, C. M.; Wiening, E. A. (2005). ""Insurance Regulatory Information System (IRIS)"". Property and Liability Insurance Principles (4thed.). ISBN978-0-89463-249-5.