Insurance debt: Don't take a tumble

Holders of bonds from the insurance sector should prepare themselves for a rough ride in 2009. Lingering concerns over the exposure of certain names to toxic structured credit assets and the difficulty of raising more debt in the current environment are just two potential hazards. Credit asked five insurance analysts for their views on the main drivers for the sector. By Sarfraz Thind

AIG's spectacular fall from grace sent shudders throughout the insurance industry last year with many fearing that this could be the first in a chain of insurers to topple over. But, while they have exposure to many of the same assets as banks, insurance companies have managed to escape the worst ravages to hit the banking sector.

The ability of insurers to access capital without regularly going to the debt markets means they have not experienced the same liquidity problems as banks. With Allianz

Only users who have a paid subscription or are part of a corporate subscription are able to print or copy content.

To access these options, along with all other subscription benefits, please contact info@risk.net or view our subscription options here: http://subscriptions.risk.net/subscribe

You are currently unable to copy this content. Please contact info@risk.net to find out more.

Sorry, our subscription options are not loading right now

Please try again later. Get in touch with our customer services team if this issue persists.

New to Risk.net? View our subscription options

You need to sign in to use this feature. If you don’t have a Risk.net account, please register for a trial.

Sign in
You are currently on corporate access.

To use this feature you will need an individual account. If you have one already please sign in.

Sign in.

Alternatively you can request an individual account here