Country Reviews
Tue, Mar, 16 2010
For most of the past two decades the US has been a nation of spendthrifts, almost totally abandoning personal savings in the process. Shocked into reality by the 2008-2009 economic crisis, Americans have regained the savings ethic, a shift Allianz’s chief economist sees as permanent. Charles Davis reports
Fri, Feb, 5 2010
Reversing a decade of market share loss, state-owned Life Insurance Corporation bounced back in 2008 and 2009. The company has regained a significant amount of lost ground from private insurers suffering a slump in demand for unit-linked products and grappling with soaring losses and margin-eroding legislation
Thu, Jan, 14 2010
A big CEE post-communism success story, Hungary’s life industry has attracted many of the world’s biggest insurers eager to participate in its robust growth. However, Hungary’s economic problems and global economic woes have sent premium income nose-diving and brought the growth story to an abrupt halt
Wed, Dec, 2 2009
If one word could be used to sum-up Singapore’s life insurance market it would be volatile, at least in
terms of new business. This was no better illustrated than by the boom the life industry went enjoyed in
2007 followed by a bust in 2008 and into early-2009. Encouragingly, solid signs of a recovery are evident.
Tue, Nov, 3 2009
After suffering a sharp setback in 2008 France’s life insurers are enjoying a rebound in premium income
thanks primarily to a significant fall in interest rates on competing savings products offered by banks.
Life insurers’ profitability is, however, being constrained by a slump in high-margin unit linked products
Thu, Oct, 1 2009
This year has seen unprecedented insurance-related activity in US state legislatures, adding further to the
already colossal task insurers face keeping track of change. For insurers operating on a multi-state basis
this will make the proposed alternative of regulation by a single Federal body even more appealing.
Mon, Sep, 14 2009
Work on the Solvency II compliance modelling needed to ensure stages are ready for implementation by 31 October 2012 is proceeding at a frenetic pace. Jeremy Woolfe looks behind the scenes of what is, for insurers, an extremely costly and complex implementation process.
Mon, Sep, 14 2009
Implementation of the most significant amendment to China’s insurance law in seven years is days away, and for insurers it will bring increased regulatory challenges and opportunities. However, although expert comment is generally positive there are notable reservations on implementation of the new law.
Mon, Aug, 17 2009
Against the background of plunging new life and savings business, industry body the Insurance Industry Working Group has published a bold strategy which, if accepted, would see industry players, the government and regulators join forces to forces to strengthen the UK insurance industry at home and internationally.
Wed, Jul, 8 2009
Life insurers in the US repairing damage done by a global financial crisis of unprecedented scale continue to face challenges posed by realised and unrealised investment losses. Despite this, Conning Research predicts that first signs of a profit recovery will be seen in 2009.