Insurance Risk
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
Seeking equivalence – the NAIC and EC take different stances on Solvency II
The European Commission is firm in its belief that the US insurance regulatory system needs a single figurehead in order to grant it equivalent status under Solvency II – a view not shared by American supervisors. Aaron Woolner 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…
Understanding the Operational Risk Consortium’s scenario approach
The UK’s Operational Risk Consortium (Oric) recently published a report on the use of scenario analysis of operational risk in insurers. Mariano Selvaggi describes the issues Oric took into account when making its analysis and why establishing a…
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…
Insurers face “death by 1,000 spreadsheets” under Solvency II
Overly prudent capital requirements and excessive red tape in the Solvency II directive will paralyse the European insurance industry and kill the mutual business model, according to the Association of Mutual Insurers and Insurance Cooperatives of Europe…
Aegon appoints new UK CRO
Garthwaite given role as new chief risk officer for insurer's UK arm
Mature pension funds will not survive another financial crisis
Pension schemes have been severely affected by the recent financial crisis. But, according to Cardano’s Theo Kocken and Joeri Potters, the prognosis for recovery is dependent on the maturity of the individual schemes – unless there is widespread systemic…