Insurance
Predicting the unthinkable
Raj Singh, chief risk officer at Swiss Re, talks to Alexander Campbell
Surviving the fallout
As regulators rush to reassess international banking regulations, insurers are also at threat of seeing more stringent regulations imposed on them on the basis that they are systemically risky. But the industry is fighting back. John Ferry reports
Crumbling relations
The so-called ‘Piigs’ countries – Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain – have been an ongoing source of worry for the financial markets in 2010. While the prospect of a Eurozone country being allowed to default appears low, insurers are under…
Solvency sanctuary?
Asian insurance companies have sat up and paid attention to their solvency ratios during the past two years like never before. This has led to unprecedented levels of derivatives take-up. But will this conversion to derivatives last?
Life settlement funds hit Asia
Life settlement fund market set for growth as Asian institutions show interest
Against the grain
Pension fund performance in 2008 was appalling, with funding levels plunging across the globe – but some schemes sidestepped a funding crisis by focusing on effective risk management.
Australian annuities - from boom to bust
The Australian superannuation system contains over A$1.2 trillion of assets, but the country’s annuity industry has yet to see any tangible inflow from the sector. As baby boomers retire, will this change and if so, does the industry have the risk…
Longevity swaps - a new way forward
The longevity swap market has gone from nowhere to a value of £7 billion in less than a year – offering pension schemes a potential solution to one of their biggest headaches. But do these instruments have a long-term future, or are they simply a…
UPDATE: Ceiops task force OKs liquidity premium
An industry task force appointed by the Committee of European Insurers and Occupational Pensions Supervisors (Ceiops) has recommended to the European Commission that an extra liquidity premium be included in the discount rate of liabilities used in the…
