The opening day of the Insurance Asset Risk 2021 Americas conference has come to a close after a packed day of panels and fireside chats.
The annual conference is being held virtually this year. More information on how to access the conference, and what topics are being covered, is available on our events' page.
Highlights of the first day included a panel discussion on post-pandemic investment lessons, where panellists agreed that, despite their conservatism, insurers should look at their governance structure to allow for greater speed of execution to explore market dislocations.
Insurance investors highlighted the rising importance of private debt in portfolios to combat the low-rate environment. And they agreed that, even if the rates went back up, private debt is now part of the insurers' investment toolbox and their allocation was bound to increase.
Despite European and North American regulators warning that illiquidity risk is increasing in insurers' portfolios - a trend the insurers do not welcome - Anup Agarwal, chief investment officer at Global Atlantic Financial Group, said that as far as he is concerned, illiquidity is not a risk.
During another panel session looking at the outlook for credit markets, Amit Agrawal, head of fixed income at AXA XL, highlighted the importance of avoiding zombie companies in the current environment, and keeping a high level of quality in the credit portfolio as key features.
Earlier in the day, NAIC president-elect Dean Cameron called for regulation to be simplified, arguing that often it builds up rules of layers, one upon another, that often conflict with each other.
Panels and discussion groups are available on the events platform for on-demand replay. Day 2 will kick off on 23 September at 11am EST.
More information about the event and how to attend is available here.
Channels:USA focus