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Beleaguered German insurers off the hook for reserve sharing
03 July 2014The government is looking at reforms to counteract the continuing low interest rate environment. Hugo Coelho investigates
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PRA ignores insurers on matching adjustment rules
30 June 2014The UK's regulator has failed to clarify the rules for applying the matching adjustment, but has set out conditions for repackaging assets and is inviting firms to engage in a trial application. Hugo Coelho reports
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Hedge funds bring risk and return to reinsurance business
24 June 2014Hedge funds are changing the nature of reinsurance. The heavy emphasis on investment returns might serve them well in declining reinsurance markets, but there are risks involved with this approach. Sarfraz Thind reports
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Insurance asset managers grapple with Solvency II challenges
06 June 2014Solvency II will impact how insurers manage their assets, but the effects will depend on their size and the business mix. Christopher Cundy and Hardeep Dhillon report from InsuranceERM's Insurance Asset Risk conference
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Coping with the inflation conundrum
28 May 2014The development of inflation or disinflation in different markets is a critical driver of corporate performance, rather than simply a tactical investment issue, as the case of P&C insurers shows. Etienne Comon explains
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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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Annuity changes put corporate bonds under pressure
23 April 2014Revisions to the UK's legislation around annuities is causing insurers to rethink investment strategies. Hardeep Dhillon examines the impact on sterling capital markets and demand for assets
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Diversification and caution characterise insurers' 2014 asset strategies
05 March 2014Another year of weak yields from bonds is prompting some insurers to continue diversifying their investment portfolios. But with predictions of weaker equity markets and continuing low interest rates, others are battening down the hatches. Jamie Bullen and Christopher Cundy report
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FCA dices with actuaries in annuity profits probe
14 February 2014The UK's Financial Conduct Authority wants to make the annuity markets more competitive, but tackling excess profitability and price differentiation may be a bigger challenge than it thinks. Christopher Cundy reports