The answer is the first one, Shiny.
They can't work/function on their own... and they're short. Hope this helps!
The value of the premiums the company takes in is higher than the value of the payouts it makes.
The insurance company always has a collection of premium. They will pool these premiums and invest it to other investments that have guaranteed payouts with the highest interest earned. In the event of payout, all revenue earned net of the amount paid is the profit of the insurance company.
