Archive

  • Bank of England ignites the debate on UK-EU Solvency II equivalence

    12 February 2021

    The EU is in no rush to grant the UK reciprocal equivalence on Solvency II and has stirred anger by saying it wants to see how far the UK diverges before giving the green light. Paul Walsh assesses the state of play and whether there is any potential for a future agreement

  • Is address-level pricing causing or solving natcat protection gaps?

    11 February 2021

    Consumers in high-risk districts are facing unaffordable premiums for property cover - a situation that some blame on insurers' increasingly detailed pricing methods. But insurers argue that address-level pricing allows them to close protection gaps. David Walker reports

  • Insurance protection gaps: getting over the blame game

    09 February 2021

    Politicians and civil society tend to blame insurers for widening protection gaps. But insurers say governments and regulators must share responsibility. So what can be done to solve what all regard as a growing problem? Christopher Cundy reports from Eiopa's 10th anniversary conference

  • Genetic testing risks go under the microscope

    03 February 2021

    Do life insurers really face the risk of adverse selection from customers that have taken predictive genetic tests? Academics think not, and insurers and policyholders could indeed benefit from wider use of genetic testing, as Paul Walsh reports

  • Australian insurers face BI legal slog after "one shot" plan backfires

    29 January 2021

    After failing spectacularly to prove they were not liable for business interruption claims related to Covid-19 lockdowns, Australian underwriters are now facing the prospect of numerous and lengthy court cases. David Walker reports

  • Climate change could radically reshape US insurance losses

    26 January 2021

    Re/insurers in the US could face a 20% increase in hurricane-related property losses because of climate change. But that's just the average. In certain regions, the losses might be several times higher by 2050, as AIR Worldwide's Peter Sousounis explains to Christopher Cundy

  • Cloud outsourcing comes down to earth

    25 January 2021

    Insurers are being pushed to better manage the operational risks arising from the use of cloud computing. There are some deep challenges involved, but regulations are arriving that might help, as Ronan McCaughey reports

  • Lawyer says he has "smoking gun" in US business interruption case

    22 January 2021

    John Houghtaling, who is handling $3bn in claims on behalf of small businesses forced to close by Covid-19, believes his case will be a watershed for the US BI saga. Sarfraz Thind reports

  • Covid-19 vaccinations move the needle on mortality forecasts

    21 January 2021

    With the UK's Covid-19 vaccination programme being rolled out, experts tell Cintia Cheong about its impact on mortality in 2021 and what insurers should consider when projecting mortality trends

  • "Responsible underwriting will become the norm"

    18 January 2021

    Renaud Guidée, group chief risk officer at Axa, is spearheading the launch of a net-zero underwriting alliance, an industry initiative to tackle climate change through underwriting. He tells Cintia Cheong why it's needed and explains the challenges ahead