The VA challenge

Variable annuities have revitalised the US life industry. But are they suitable for the European market? Aaron Woolner reports

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From the smoothing of with-profits payouts to the hidden reserves within balance sheets, the European life industry is famously opaque to outsiders. But faced with sceptical consumers, together with government pressure to bolster private pension provision in a transparent way, the industry is now beginning to embrace a US success story.

In early 2006, multinational life and pensions provider Axa says that it will launch its first variable annuity (VA) product in Germany. Meanwhile, there are

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The future of life insurance

As the world constantly evolves and changes, so too does the life insurance industry, which is preparing for a multitude of challenges, particularly in three areas: interest rates, regulatory mandates and technology (software, underwriting tools and…

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