Going by the book

With regulators divided on approaches to solvency, Norway's life insurers are waking up to the hidden risks on their balance sheets. Aaron Woolner reports

The sleek Bullet train which transports visitors from Oslo airport gives the impression of heading towards a high tempo urban metropolis. But step out of the central train station and the charming city that greets you instead has the pace of a provincial town - a contrast that is also an apt description of the differences between Norway's insurance industry, and that of its Scandinavian neighbours.

While Sweden and Denmark already have fair value solvency regimes in place, the Norwegians are