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With changing market dynamics, insurers can profit in fixed income
07 May 2014They buy in bulk, their size gives them clout with large fixed-income asset managers and their buy-and-hold outlook insulates them from market swings, as Douglas Niemann explains
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China opens up opportunities for insurance asset management
30 April 2014China Life's outsourcing of a $3.2bn investment mandate and a loosening of strict regulations has kickstarted interest in managing China's insurance assets. Hardeep Dhillon reports
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Infrastructure assets retain appeal for insurers
17 April 2014Even if recent pension reforms result in falling demand for annuities in the UK, an increasingly competitive insurance market is likely to sustain the demand for high-yielding assets like infrastructure projects, say Michael Wilkins and Oliver Herbert
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Solvency II pillar 3 reporting moves into the spotlight
28 February 2014Complying with Solvency II reporting requirements will be no easy ride - especially when there are so many uncertainties to be resolved. The level of detail and the speed with which reports are needed are posing big challenges, as Christopher Cundy reports
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ERM basics: Proxy techniques enable risk-based decision making
08 January 2014Proxy techniques, such as least squares Monte Carlo, allow faster analysis of risks and for many insurers they have become essential tools for aiding decision making, as Brian Robinson explains
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Friends Life's Mark Versey: "Infrastructure is now a core investment strategy"
22 November 2013Friends Life is now directly investing in both infrastructure and commercial real estate debt after awarding combined mandates of £1bn this year. Jamie Bullen asks chief investment officer Mark Versey what lies behind this new strategy
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Efficient asset allocation with least squares Monte Carlo
23 October 2013Traditional methods of allocating assets fall short in several key aspects. In this paper, Romain Lombardo and Alexis Bailly show how the LSMC approach can be used to optimise asset allocation for insurers in a Solvency II world
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Jobs for actuaries still influenced by Solvency II
25 September 2013Preparations for Solvency II sparked a huge recruitment drive for actuaries. But with the momentum gone and work nearing completion in many firms, how is the jobs market changing? Katie Kouchakji reports
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Protests against FTT build up steam
21 June 2013Europe's Financial Transaction Tax has now been adopted by 11 states. Many insurers argue that the tax will make running their businesses more difficult and costly -- to the detriment of their customers. With less than six months left until the official implementation date, Sarfraz Thind looks at whether the industry has time to make its voice heard
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Generating return in a cold climate
03 May 2013Low interest rates are prompting insurers to look to further afield in their hunt for yield. For those with resources and dedication, two major areas of focus right now are corporate loans and infrastructure lending. But are these the assets of the future that many say they are? Sarfraz Thind reports