Insurance
A new hedging approach for Asian variable annuities
Market demand is driving insurance companies to offer variable annuities in Asia ex-Japan, despite the rough ride they received from their first steps into this market. Insurers are taking a more cautious approach to risk this time around, but have they…
MCEV – the quest for market consistency
After the extreme volatility of 2008 spoiled the MCEV launch party, investors have been understandably wary of the way some firms have taken a hardline stance on market consistency. Now the variance in how non-hedgable risks are assessed is what is…
Raj Singh interview: lesson for the future
The credit crisis has impacted the whole reinsurance sector, but, according to Raj Singh, chief risk officer at Swiss Re, at least it has taught the industry useful lessons for the future. Sarfraz Thind reports
Sampension moves to intentional guarantees
Copenhagen fund agrees to move to intentional guarantees to avoid Solvency II charges
Solvency II to push annuity providers to gilts
Fitch analysts say demand for corporate bonds could drop as Solvency II forces UK insurers to opt for gilts
Subdued times for buyouts
Dan DeKeizer, chief executive of MetLife Assurance, talks to Alexander Campbell
Variable annuities face more hedging challenges in Asia
Variable returns
Profile: Swiss Re's Raj Singh
Predicitng the unthinkable
A long life for longevity swaps?
The market for longevity swaps is picking up pace, with several transactions completed over the past few months. But is this asset class here to stay or is it a response to market conditions? By Alexander Campbell
Hedge fund investment back on pension funds' horizons
Pension schemes are again making allocations into hedge funds, despite the negative performance from many funds – and therefore correlation with underlying markets – throughout the financial crisis. So why the interest? John Ferry reports
Variable annuity redesign led by US innovation
Variable annuity providers were hurt by basis risk, extreme volatility and policyholder lapses during the crisis, and guarantees were scaled back and repriced as a result. Now risk management is driving a US-led surge of innovation. Laurie Carver reports
New hope for insurance-linked securities
Since the financial crisis the insurance-linked securities market has been squeezed into a tight corridor of issuance with only natural catastrophe bonds seeing any traction – a blow for a market that pre-2008 appeared to be on the cusp of developing…
Bond ambition – The World Bank’s attempts to launch a longevity bond in Chile
Attempts to diversify longevity risk into the broader financial system have so far focused on using swaps. But in an ambitious move, the World Bank has tried to launch the first ever longevity bond in Chile. Aaron Woolner reports on how successful this…
Reversal of fortune
Inverted swap spreads have defied earlier predictions that they were a short-term aberration to still be a feature 18 months after their first appearance. Is this set to continue and, if so, does it pose an opportunity for pension schemes and insurers?…
Portuguese insurers shielded from sovereign risk, claims regulator
A focus on high-grade corporate bonds in their investment portfolios is insulating Portuguese life insurers from the continued market pressure on the country's sovereign debt, according to Instituto de Seguros de Portugal (ISP), the country's insurance…
Cat bonds return
The market for catastrophe bonds dried up in 2008 and early 2009 as the financial crisis took its toll. Confidence is returning, helped by wide spreads and a re-think about the assets used to collateralise catastrophe bonds, but issuance has yet to…