In the manual in the short and accessible form bases of insurance activity reveal: positions of the theory of insurance business, economic and legal principles of various kinds of insurance. Bases of the organisation of commercial insurance are considered: insurance management, state regulation of insurance activity, economy and the finance of the insurance company. Methodical bases of an estimation of risk and efficiency of insurance, aktuarnyh calculations in voluntary medical insurance, the analysis of financial stability of the insurance company are resulted. The manual is based on the modern insurance legislation, contains references to it, and also includes a glossary of the basic insurance terms and concepts.