Ken Tanji assumed the role of CFO at Prudential in December. He gives a wide-ranging interview covering all aspects of the insurer’s business from the much derided Sifi designation, to investment risk and impact investing. Interview by Sarfraz Thind
Like a bad tarot card, an inverted US yield curve normally means economic doom. March’s inversion has now morphed into the most inverted yield curve since 2007. It is likely to have insurers gazing into their charts to see how to tackle their investments. Sarfraz Thind reports
Like IFRS 9, the US's current expected credit losses (CECL) accounting standard was devised to tackle expected credit losses in financial institution portfolios. The rules, however, appear harsh in relation to the insurance industry. By Sarfraz Thind
The recession is coming in 2020, according to Guggenheim Investments and will be focused on the corporate bond sector. This, coupled with increased leverage and poorer liquidity, suggests the next downturn could be worse for US insurers than 2008. Sarfraz Thind reports
US insurers are holding bigger volumes of BBB-rated corporate debt than at any time in the past. A turning credit cycle could tip significant amounts of these to junk. But while the headline figures look startling, is this really a precursor to the apocalypse or just another bad news story? Sarfraz Thind reports
Pomona Capital’s founder, Michael Granoff explains how his company has tapped into the private equity niche and how it is preparing for a potential turn in the cycle. Interview by Sarfraz Thind
Collateralised loan obligations have been rapidly growing in US insurer portfolios as they cast off the shadow of the financial crisis. But, with a predicted downturn on the horizon, are they safe? Sarfraz Thind reports
Increased volatility, lower growth and tighter monetary policy conditions are likely to see a shift away from riskier assets by US P&C insurers in the next 12 months, according to a report by AM Best. By Sarfraz Thind
Penn Mutual Asset Management is on the lookout for insurer assets. Since it rebranded in 2014, the Penn Mutual affiliate has been saying it is on a push to target the small-tier US insurance market that it believes to be poorly catered for by larger asset managers. But does it have what smaller insurers want? By Sarfraz Thind