Archive

  • IAR SURVEY: Insurers unprepared for COVID-19's market turbulence

    06 April 2020

    Insurance Asset Risk surveyed the industry to find out how it is rethinking asset allocation in the wake of COVID-19's impact on the economy and financial markets. Vincent Huck presents the results

  • Asian insurance AuM gold rush

    05 March 2019

    Regulatory changes in Asia combined with challenging local market conditions are teasing Asian insurers’ interest in diversifying their investments abroad, this could be a gold rush for Western asset managers. Vincent Huck reports

  • Between a rock and a hard place: Japan's life insurers must invest wisely

    30 August 2017

    With negative-yielding domestic bonds, a back book with high return guarantees and a prudential solvency regulation on the horizon, Japanese life insurers are caught between a rock and a hard place. David Turner reports.

  • Managing illiquid assets needs banking-like skills

    16 October 2015

    In part two of this InsuranceERM/Insurance Asset Risk and Standard Life Investments roundtable on illiquid assets, experts discuss the management capabilities required and how the assets fit into Solvency II

  • Smoothing the flow in illiquid assets

    09 October 2015

    Illiquid assets have the potential to boost the yield and diversification of insurers' investments, but they are not a shoo-in to the portfolio, as discussed in part one of this InsuranceERM/Insurance Asset Risk and Standard Life Investments roundtable

  • Insurers face up to the asset test of Solvency II

    23 September 2015

    As solvency ratios come under pressure and the introduction of Solvency II with its higher capital charges for some asset classes looms, insurers are taking a hard look at the risk in their asset portfolios, as Sarfraz Thind explains

  • The modelling challenges in absolute return strategies

    16 September 2015

    Absolute return strategies offer promising risk-adjusted returns and capital efficiencies, but do you need an internal model to gain the benefit and what other complexities are created? Experts discuss in part two of this InsuranceERM/Insurance Asset Risk and Standard Life Investments roundtable

  • Absolute return: a silver bullet for the investment strategy?

    11 September 2015

    Absolute return strategies seem an ideal response to low interest rates, volatile markets and Solvency II, but what are the associated challenges facing investors? Experts discuss in part one of this InsuranceERM/Insurance Asset Risk and Standard Life Investments roundtable

  • Insurers tweak fixed-income approaches to be ready for rate rises

    20 August 2015

    There are still many ways to make money in fixed-income amid the uncertainty over when rates will start to tick up. Insurers are adopting varied approaches as they also get ready for the new constraints Solvency II will introduce in just over four months. David Turner reports

  • German insurers face crunch on guaranteed products

    20 May 2015

    German insurers are struggling to meet guaranteed rates on life insurance products when returns on traditional investment assets are so paltry. How big a drain on capital is the mismatch producing and what's being done to ease this? Sarfraz Thind explains