Analysis

• Keeping faith in credit ratings

  16 June 2015

  Insurers can no longer blindly trust credit ratings, but must have frameworks to assess the suitability of both internal and external ratings. Sarah Wall explains what is required

• What's expected in the "record of the ORSA"

  02 June 2015

  Insurers submitting their Solvency II own risk and solvency assessment (ORSA) will have to include a number of supporting documents. Darko Popovic considers what the record of the ORSA requires and why it should not be an afterthought

• Tying federal regulators in knots

  28 May 2015

  Insurers are increasing their lobbying efforts as legislation advances through Congress that is designed to limit the discretion of federal regulators in designating systemic firms and devising capital standards. Hugo Coelho reports

• Smarter technology calls for smarter thinking

  26 May 2015

  Recent advancements in consumer electronics have served both as a source of fascination and a source for concern in the boardrooms. Insurers should avoid getting lost in apps and gadgets and instead identify how technology can be leveraged to add value, says Torbjörn Magnusson

• Internal model submissions begin, despite ambiguities

  22 May 2015

  Despite unclear rules and conflicting approaches from national supervisors, insurers have started submitting their Solvency II internal models for approval. Christopher Cundy and Hugo Coelho assess the state of play

• Antares' Mark Graham: Qatari owners bring investment freedom

  19 May 2015

  The Antares CRO discusses how the firm is sharing ERM expertise with its new Qatari owners, risk culture, preparations for Solvency II and the big risks on the horizon

• NAIC's Urias: "ICS should not be tied to one valuation methodology, not at this stage"

  14 May 2015

  The attempt to create global convergence on insurance supervision is proving to be a bumpy ride. Christina Urias, the NAIC's director for international regulatory affairs, explains to Hugo Coelho how the states view the reinsurance collateral agreement with the EU and the global capital standard.

• Gilt-swap spread risk charge to accelerate ALM rethink

  08 May 2015

  A request by the UK regulator for internal firms to hold capital against the basis risk in their government bond portfolios will increase incentives for the insurers to move away from long-dated government bonds into swaps. Hugo Coelho reports

• Pension risk - the hidden dangers to insurers

  30 April 2015

  Pension scheme risk can be both material and tough to measure under Solvency II's still-developing rules. Tim Marklew and Tom Durkin consider how insurers are managing this risk and the pitfalls they face.

• A sea-change in the perception of ERM

  28 April 2015

  Towers Watson's eighth biennial survey of insurers' attitudes towards enterprise risk management (ERM) has revealed that most now see it adding value to the business. Christopher Cundy reports