Analysis

• Turning liability into opportunity

  28 March 2017

  There is growing evidence that exposure to phthalates has serious health impacts. Excluding phthalates from insurance contracts might be the natural response, but modelling the exposure could allow firms to see the risk as a business opportunity rather than a threat, as Praedicat chief executive Robert Reville tells Callum Tanner

  

• Yes, no, maybe: the PRA responds to industry's Solvency II reform agenda

  17 March 2017

  The UK regulator has made a point-by-point reply to the Association of British Insurers' agenda for Solvency II reforms and confirmed its priority to review the reporting requirements. Christopher Cundy reports

  

• Insurers split on recovery and resolution planning

  16 March 2017

  As the IAIS looks to develop a market-wide approach to systemic risk, Eiopa is developing rules that will require recovery and resolution plans from all insurers regardless of their size. This broader approach to systemic risk has split industry opinion and pitted large firms against small. Callum Tanner reports

  

• Deferred tax continues to complicate SII ratios

  09 March 2017

  Changing requirements from regulators over the loss absorbing-capacity of deferred tax means insurers' Solvency II capital will remain at the mercy of this complex, opaque and inconsistent factor

  

• Insurers still struggling with cyber risk management

  07 March 2017

  Last year's attack on DNS provider Dyn and a warning from the UK regulator on the aggregation of cyber risks have had a big influence on the way insurers are thinking about cyber risk modelling and management. Callum Tanner reports from the Advisen cyber risk conference in London

  

• The surprising inconsistency of risk appetite and risk tolerance statements

  02 March 2017

  Dave Ingram explains how Willis Re's study of insurers' risk appetite and risk tolerance statements revealed wide differences in the concepts they express

  

• PRA fights back with Solvency II defence

  23 February 2017

  Aviva and L&G chief executives have exaggerated the problems with Solvency II, according to PRA chief Sam Woods. Given more freedom outside the EU, the UK regulator is unlikely to make sweeping changes. Callum Tanner reports

  

• NAIC digs its claws into EU-US covered agreement

  17 February 2017

  A Congressional hearing has given opponents of the covered agreement the opportunity to argue for its renegotiation under the Trump administration. Christopher Cundy reports

  

• UK insurers' legal challenge on risk margin scuppered by regulator

  16 February 2017

  Legal advice commissioned by British insurers suggested that a future management action could allow firms to significantly reduce the risk margin even while the UK regulator remains bound to EU law. So far that advice has fallen on deaf ears. Callum Tanner reports

  

• Insurers tussle with Ogden rate assumptions

  15 February 2017

  The UK government is due to announce a revision to the damages discount rate – at the same time as insurers are preparing their annual reports. Christopher Cundy reports