A system whereby a firm sets aside an amount of its monies to provide for any losses that occur—losses that could ordinarily be covered under an insurance program. The monies that would normally be used for premium payments are added to this special fund for payment of losses incurred. Self-insurance is a means of capturing the cash flow benefits of unpaid loss reserves and offers the possibility of reducing expenses typically incorporated within a traditional insurance program. It involves a formal decision to retain risk rather than insure it and is distinguished from noninsurance or retention of risks through deductibles by a formalized plan or system to pay losses as they occur.