The European Central Bank (ECB) unleashing quantitative easing just as the US Federal Reserve sits at the cusp of tightening is causing global currency spasms and market angst. Iain Stealy describes how insurance companies investing in bonds might react to these developments
The launch of QE has sent bond yields tumbling but duration mismatches and capital charges on alternatives discourage reallocation, explains Hugo Coelho
Diversifying portfolios into new sectors and markets within fixed income is just one approach that can help insurance companies squeeze out better returns in an environment dominated by low yields and tighter capital demands from regulators, argues Euan MacLaren
Moving along the yield curve may offer increased yield and dramatically expand the universe of investible instruments for insurers, Eugene Dimitriou and Michael Story explain.
The benefits of diversification under Solvency II are becoming clearer. But should insurers try to reap these benefits with in-house solutions or the help of external multi-asset funds? Sarfraz Thind reports
The last-minute rush to comply with the impending new EU regulatory framework has drawn in insurers and asset managers outside Europe as these firms hasten to revamp their data management, governance and monitoring systems. John Legrand explains
Standardised reporting, documentation and benchmarks, coupled with credit enhancements and more flexible regulation, would make this asset class more attractive, argues Patrick Liedtke
With quantitative easing reducing the chance of any rise in interest rates soon, insurers are even more interested in higher-yielding illiquid assets to bolster their paltry returns from fixed-income, but Solvency II capital charges remain a problem. Sarfraz Thind reports
The matching requirements for unit-linked assets and liabilities offer the possibility of both stabilising the economic balance sheet and enhancing the solvency position, argue Sinéad Clarke, Kevin Manning, Scott Mitchell and Eamonn Phelan
Alessandro Bronda, Zurich's real estate investment strategist, tells Marc Jones why the asset class is performing well and why it is an important part of the insurer's overall portfolio.
Instilling fresh thinking into the asset strategies of legacy insurers while navigating the global financial crisis has occupied Vidur Bahree for the best part of a decade. He tells Christopher Cundy about the ups, downs and turnarounds.
Insurers are grappling with new EU rules which could discourage the use of derivatives at a time when they need them more than ever. Safraz Thind reports.