Analysis

• Designing asset strategies for the new business environment

  20 November 2015

  Many insurers have been reassessing their investment portfolios in light of low rates and Solvency II. In the first part of this InsuranceERM/bfinance roundtable, participants discuss concerns about diversification and liquidity, and whether they can be opportunistic enough in today's fast-moving markets

• If European securitisation grows, it's likely to be despite EC regulation

  17 November 2015

  Regulation and stasis comes ahead of dynamism and free movement of capital in draft rules from Brussels on securitisation, and there will be a big increase in compliance costs. David Shearer explains

• Resolving insurers' current equity dilemma

  11 November 2015

  The search for yield among insurers would suggest some shift to riskier assets such as equities, were it not for impending Solvency II capital charges inhibiting this. But there's still time to take advantage of the equity grandfathering provision, explains Elodie Laugel

• Insurers need change in mindset to embrace ETFs fully

  29 October 2015

  The attraction of exchange-traded funds to insurance investors is increasing but further growth may be slowed by regulatory worries and resistance from proponents of an active approach to portfolio management. Sarfraz Thind reports

• What asset managers should do about Solvency II

  16 October 2015

  Asset management firms are keen to assist insurers in their solvency capital calculations, but some of their contributions are more helpful than others, as Andries Beukes and Pamela Hellig explain

• 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

• Hardie cautiously re-risks Direct Line's portfolio

  08 October 2015

  Direct Line's investment boss Jim Hardie has been steering the UK general insurer's investment portfolio into more dynamic areas. But he is at pains to stress his conservative approach. By Sarfraz Thind

• 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