Archive

  • US ORSA comes to life

    19 June 2015

    Before the end of the year, large US insurers will submit an ORSA report to supervisors. This represents a step change for the industry, but is likely to be just the beginning of a broader process of transformation, Hugo Coelho reports

  • What's expected in the "record of the ORSA"

    02 June 2015

    Insurers submitting their Solvency II own risk and solvency assessment (ORSA) will have to include a number of supporting documents. Darko Popovic considers what the record of the ORSA requires and why it should not be an afterthought

  • Tying federal regulators in knots

    28 May 2015

    Insurers are increasing their lobbying efforts as legislation advances through Congress that is designed to limit the discretion of federal regulators in designating systemic firms and devising capital standards. Hugo Coelho reports

  • Smarter technology calls for smarter thinking

    26 May 2015

    Recent advancements in consumer electronics have served both as a source of fascination and a source for concern in the boardrooms. Insurers should avoid getting lost in apps and gadgets and instead identify how technology can be leveraged to add value, says Torbjörn Magnusson

  • Internal model submissions begin, despite ambiguities

    22 May 2015

    Despite unclear rules and conflicting approaches from national supervisors, insurers have started submitting their Solvency II internal models for approval. Christopher Cundy and Hugo Coelho assess the state of play

  • NAIC's Urias: "ICS should not be tied to one valuation methodology, not at this stage"

    14 May 2015

    The attempt to create global convergence on insurance supervision is proving to be a bumpy ride. Christina Urias, the NAIC's director for international regulatory affairs, explains to Hugo Coelho how the states view the reinsurance collateral agreement with the EU and the global capital standard.

  • Gilt-swap spread risk charge to accelerate ALM rethink

    08 May 2015

    A request by the UK regulator for internal firms to hold capital against the basis risk in their government bond portfolios will increase incentives for the insurers to move away from long-dated government bonds into swaps. Hugo Coelho reports

  • Data is the key to Solvency II USPs

    21 April 2015

    The use of undertaking specific parameters can significantly reduce Solvency II capital requirements, so long as insurers can produce high quality data, say Dale Lee and Claire Briggs

  • Reinsurance versus sub debt: which is best for solvency capital?

    15 April 2015

    Reinsurance or sub debt alone is unlikely to provide the best solution to meeting solvency capital requirements; instead, a blended approach should be considered, say Matthew Day and Ross Milburn

  • Reinsurance is flexible and cost-effective for Solvency II capital needs

    02 April 2015

    There are other advantages, too, over equity and hybrid capital, which are more complex to issue, as Peter Bärnreuther and Norbert Kuschel describe