Analysis

• EU to cut Solvency II securitisation charges "before summer"

  06 April 2018

  Draft rules suggest the capital charges of securitisations could be significantly cut this year as the European Commission takes steps to bring Solvency II in line with the STS framework. So will this spur future securitisation investment? Aggelos Andreou reports.

  

• What next for Scottish Widows' asset portfolio?

  28 March 2018

  Scottish Widows' decision to dump asset manager Aberdeen marked a rare public announcement by an insurer to change third-party managers. Gavin Stewart, director of asset allocation at Scottish Widows, shares insights on its next asset manager selection process with Sarfraz Thind

  

• Zurich's Johanna Köb: investors can make a return while doing good

  26 March 2018

  Johanna Köb, head of responsible investment at Zurich, talks to Cintia Cheong on the importance of adequate pricing of greenhouse gases and how investors can make a profit while doing good to the society and environment.

  

• Equity volatility: how safe is your portfolio?

  19 March 2018

  Equity volatility is back. After a muted 2017, things went a little haywire for equities in February. But are these tremors or the start of something bigger? And how should insurers react? By David Walker

  

• Green Bonds: a primer

  12 March 2018

  Insurers are looking more closely than ever at the current trend of green bond investment. But is this just a fashion? And what should investors be aware of when putting money into this still nascent sector? David Turner reports

  

• Insurers' third-party coal assets attacked by environmentalists

  08 February 2018

  With some firms withdrawing their own investments from coal-related businesses, environmentalists are pressuring insurers to act on third-party assets. Cintia Cheong reports

  

• ETFs for sale

  26 January 2018

  Insurers have been investing in exchange-traded funds (ETF) for some time. But issuing ETFs is a new phenomenon. This idea is currently taking hold in the US and it seems likely to continue to grow as the ETF market expands. So what are the benefits? Sarfraz Thind reports

  

• Retirement villages and care homes - an antidote to longevity risk?

  24 January 2018

  The ageing population in Europe, often viewed as a great risk for the life sector, may also provide attractive investment opportunities through retirement and care home properties. Axa's real estate business is already active in the space. Asa Gibson reports

  

• Build-to-rent: an emerging opportunity?

  24 January 2018

  Within the booming UK real estate industry, where a lack of supply has inflated valuations and rental prices, the build-to-rent sub-sector offers an alternative revenue stream for insurers. Cintia Cheong reports

  

• FAQ: investing in infrastructure under Solvency II

  18 January 2018

  Infrastructure investments are a complex topic, including the various internal and external requirements for insurance investors. Jegor Tokarevich and prof. Dr. Jens-Eric von Duesterlho from SOF Infrastructure respond to some of the common queries from insurers on infrastructure investing.