scholarly journals A review of Solvency II: Has it met its objectives?

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Rae ◽  
A. Barrett ◽  
D. Brooks ◽  
M. A. Chotai ◽  
A. J. Pelkiewicz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Financial Stability ◽  
Working Party ◽  
Solvency Ii ◽  
Capital Requirements ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Original Design ◽  
Risk Margin ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Market Consistency

AbstractSolvency II is currently one of the most sophisticated insurance regulatory regimes in the world. It is built around the principles of market consistency and embedding strong risk management and governance within insurance companies. For business with long-term guarantees, the original basis produced outcomes that were unacceptable to the member states. The original design was amended through Omnibus II. The working party has looked back at the outcome of the final regulation and comments on how well Solvency II has fared, principally from a UK perspective, relative to its initial goals of improved consumer protection, harmonisation, effective risk management and financial stability. We review Pillar 1’s market consistent valuation (including the risk margin and transitional measures) as well as the capital requirements (including internal models). We look at the impact this has on asset and liability management, pro-cyclicality and product design. We look at Pillars 2 and 3 in respect of the Own Risk and Solvency Assessment, liquidity and disclosure. Finally, we stand back and look at harmonisation and the implications of Brexit. In summary we conclude that Solvency II represents a huge improvement over Solvency I although it has not fully achieved the goals it aspired to. There are acknowledged shortfalls and imperfections where adjustments to Solvency II are likely. There remain other concerns around pro-cyclicality, and the appropriateness of market consistency is still open to criticism. It is hoped that the paper and the discussion that goes with it provide an insight into where Solvency II has taken European Insurance regulation and the directions in which it could evolve.

scholarly journals The impact of lending on bancassurance activity

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 171-181
Author(s):  
Elda Marzai Abliz
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Distribution Channel ◽  
Solvency Ii ◽  
Capital Requirements ◽  
Financial Supervision ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Insurance Company ◽  
Customer Base ◽  
Premium Income ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Due to financial crisis, and especially because of prudence in lending (retail, micro, and corporate), banks are looking for new sources of income, and bancasurance is clearly a potential source of revenue. Thus, in the financial market, the interests of two major components of it are met: banks maximize commission income, and insurers make access to the large customer base of banks. Bancassurance is a distribution channel of insurance products through bank branches, bringing important advantages for banks, insurance companies and customers. The main advantage for the bank is that earns fee amount from the insurance company, the insurance company increases customers data base and market share, the client satisfy his financial needs and requests in the same institution. Considering that in Romania, banks and insurers do not provide information on the number of insurances sold via the bancassurance distribution channel, as well as commissions obtained by banks for the insurance sale, to determine the development of bancassurance in Romania, we used the statistical data provided by the National Bank of Romania, on credit growth and data provided by The Financial Supervision Association, on the evolution of gross written premiums. Bancassurance is one of the most important insurance distribution channels, accounting for approximately 36% of the global insurance market, in 2016, Europe’s insurers generated total premium income of €1 189bn and had €10 112bn invested in the economy. Regarding to the risks of bancassurance business for banks and insurers, they mainly concern distinct capital requirements for the banking and insurance systems, which will be covered by the Basel III and Solvency II directives. This paper aims to analyze the influence of credit on the bancassurance activity in the last 5 years in Romania, the economic, political and legal factors that have a negative impact on the development of bancassurance, and also the calculating the correlation coefficient r (Pearson’s coefficient) and his result.

Comparing Solvency II and Life and General Insurance Capital approaches to capital determination of a life portfolio in the presence of stress scenarios

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-66
Author(s):  
Kangjing Tan ◽  
Aaron Bruhn
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Solvency Ii ◽  
Capital Requirements ◽  
Life Insurers ◽  
General Insurance ◽  
Pillar Structure ◽  
Matching Adjustment ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Capital Intensive

AbstractThe European-centric Solvency II and Australian-centric Life and General Insurance Capital regimes are two examples of risk-based approaches to capital determination and risk management for life insurers. Both consist of a three-pillar structure covering capital, risk management and disclosure requirements. We apply the capital requirements of each regime to three synthetic sets of insurance policies, including a risk, annuity and combined portfolios, and consider the impact on capital arising from three separate and relatively severe stress events. Results highlight the relatively capital intensive nature of annuities, the differences between different capital regimes, the significance of solvency II’s matching adjustment and the robustness of each regime to both pandemic and economic stresses. Results also highlight the nature of diversification benefits from within each capital regime, on overall capital requirements.

Quantifying Operational Risk in Life Insurance Companies. Developed by the Life Operational Risk Working Party

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. C. Dexter ◽  
C. L. Ford ◽  
P. C. Jakhria ◽  
P. O. J. Kelliher ◽  
D. McCall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Life Insurance ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Working Party ◽  
Operational Risk ◽  
Capital Requirements ◽  
Senior Management ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Stage Of Development

ABSTRACTThis paper overviews a practical approach to the assessment of operational risk in life insurance companies. It considers how actuaries, working in conjunction with risk management professionals and senior management, can develop a framework to assess the capital requirements relating to operational risk, taking into account the capital requirements of other risks and their interaction.This paper recognises that we do not live in an ideal world, and that a lot of the data which one might want for operational risk assessment are not, and in some cases never will be, available. Consequently, the approach outlined in this paper takes into account the fact that management and assessment of operational risk is at an early stage of development in the life industry. In addition, it outlines some of the areas where development is necessary or desirable in the coming years.There is a section on the operational risks against which it is appropriate to hold capital. As this is a new area for insurance companies, and given the governance requirements for Individual Capital Assessments, it is important to explain the results effectively to senior management. Therefore, a brief review of techniques for reporting the results of the assessment is provided.The paper concludes with some thoughts on how operational risk management can be embedded more in the business, and then considers what future work will help develop the framework. To echo the thoughts of the authors of the general insurance paper on this topic (Tripp et al., 2004), we hope that the paper will sow seeds for the development of best practice in dealing with operational risk, and will raise the awareness and increase the interest of actuaries in this emerging topic.This paper represents the views of the individuals in the working party, and not necessarily the views of their employers or the Actuarial Profession.

scholarly journals A review of the risk margin – Solvency II and beyond

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Pelkiewicz ◽  
S. W. Ahmed ◽  
P. Fulcher ◽  
K. L. Johnson ◽  
S. M. Reynolds ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cost Of Capital ◽  
Working Party ◽  
Solvency Ii ◽  
Risk Margin ◽  
Life Insurers ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Abstract For life insurers in the United Kingdom (UK), the risk margin is one of the most controversial aspects of the Solvency II regime which came into force in 2016. The risk margin is the difference between the technical provisions and the best estimate liabilities. The technical provisions are intended to be market-consistent, and so are defined as the amount required to be paid to transfer the business to another undertaking. In practice, the technical provisions cannot be directly calculated, and so the risk margin must be determined using a proxy method; the method chosen for Solvency II is known as the cost-of-capital method. Following the implementation of Solvency II, the risk margin came under considerable criticism for being too large and too sensitive to interest rate movements. These criticisms are particularly valid for annuity business in the UK – such business is of great significance to the system for retirement provision. A further criticism is that mitigation of the impact of the risk margin has led to an increase in reinsurance of longevity risks, particularly to overseas reinsurers. This criticism has led to political interest, and the risk margin was a major element of the Treasury Committee inquiry into EU Insurance Regulation. The working party was set up in response to this criticism. Our brief is to consider both the overall purpose of the risk margin for life insurers and solutions to the current problems, having regard to the possibility of post-Brexit flexibility. We have concluded that a risk margin in some form is necessary, although its size depends on the level of security desired, and so is primarily a political question. We have reviewed possible alternatives to the current risk margin, both within the existing cost-of-capital methodology and considering a wide range of alternatives. We believe that requirements for the risk margin will depend on future circumstances, in particular relating to Brexit, and we have identified a number of possible changes to methodology which should be considered, depending on circumstances.

scholarly journals Systemic Risk and Insurance Regulation †

Risks ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabiana Gómez ◽  
Jorge Ponce
Keyword(s):  
Systemic Risk ◽  
Formal Model ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Solvency Ii ◽  
Capital Requirements ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Prudential Regulation ◽  
High Exposure ◽  
Insurance Firms ◽  
Low Exposure

This paper provides a rationale for the macro-prudential regulation of insurance companies, where capital requirements increase in their contribution to systemic risk. In the absence of systemic risk, the formal model in this paper predicts that optimal regulation may be implemented by capital regulation (similar to that observed in practice, e.g., Solvency II ) and by actuarially fair technical reserve. However, these instruments are not sufficient when insurance companies are exposed to systemic risk: prudential regulation should also add a systemic component to capital requirements that is non-decreasing in the firm’s exposure to systemic risk. Implementing the optimal policy implies separating insurance firms into two categories according to their exposure to systemic risk: those with relatively low exposure should be eligible for bailouts, while those with high exposure should not benefit from public support if a systemic event occurs.

Enterprise risk management and Solvency II: the system of governance and the Own Risk and Solvency Assessment

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 317-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Durán Santomil ◽  
Luis Otero González
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Insurance Industry ◽  
Solvency Ii ◽  
Enterprise Risk Management ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Legal Form ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Enterprise Risk ◽  
Solvency Assessment

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze how enterprise risk management (ERM), the system of governance and the Own Risk and Solvency Assessment (ORSA) have been boosted with the entry of Solvency II. Design/methodology/approach For this analysis, the authors have undertaken a survey of chief risk officers (CROs) working in Spanish insurance companies. Findings The results show that Solvency II has definitely promoted ERM in the European insurance industry and improved the system of governance of the insurance companies, and that the perceived value of the ORSA for the companies is higher than the cost. It is clear that the quality of ERM implemented by companies is higher in those that face more complex risks and with greater interdependencies – that is, larger companies, foreign insurers and insurers with several lines of business – but is unaffected by the legal form of the entity (mutual/corporation). Originality/value This study conducts primary research with surveys of CROs and develops a measure of the quality of ERM implemented by insurance companies.

scholarly journals Mechanisms of Protection from Interest Rate Risk with Reference to the Life Insurance Market in Montenegro

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-42
Author(s):  
Milijana Novović Burić ◽  
Vladimir Kašćelan ◽  
Milivoje Radović ◽  
Ana Lalević Filipović
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Interest Rate ◽  
Life Insurance ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Financial Stability ◽  
Interest Rate Risk ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Insurance Market ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Rate Risk

Abstract Insurance companies are facing major challenges that point to the need for control process and risk management. Risk management in insurance has a direct impact on solvency, economic security, and overall financial stability of insurance companies. It is very important for insurance companies to adequately calculate risks to which they are exposed. Asset liability management (ALM), as an integrated approach to financial management, requires simultaneous decision-making about categories and values of assets and liabilities in order to establish the optimum volume and the ratio of assets and liabilities, with the understanding of complexity of the financial market in which financial institutions operate. ALM focuses on a significant number of risks, whereby the emphasis in this paper will be on interest rate risk which indicates potential losses that may reflect in a lower interest margin, a lower value of assets or both, in terms of changes in interest rates. In the above context, the aim of this paper is to show how to protect from interest rate changes and how these changes influence the insurance market in Montenegro, both from the theoretical and the practical point of view. The authors consider this to be an interesting and very important topic, especially because the life insurance market in Montenegro is underdeveloped and subject to fluctuations. Also, taking into account the fact that Montenegro is a country that has been making serious efforts to join the EU, it is expected that insurance companies in Montenegro will strengthen their financial position in the market even using the ALM traditional techniques, which is shown in this paper.

scholarly journals Maximum Market Price of Longevity Risk Under Solvency Regimes: The Case Of Solvency II

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanna Levantesi ◽  
Massimiliano Menzietti
Keyword(s):  
Market Price ◽  
Solvency Ii ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Longevity Risk ◽  
Risk Margin ◽  
Maximum Price ◽  
Upper Limits ◽  
Forward Prices ◽  
Pricing Measure ◽  
Solvency Regimes

Longevity risk constitutes an important risk factor for life insurance companies and it can be managed through longevity-linked securities. The market of longevity-linked securities is at present far from being complete and does not allow to find a unique pricing measure. We propose a method to estimate the maximum market price of longevity risk depending on the risk margin implicit within the calculation of the technical provisions as defined by Solvency II. The maximum price of longevity risk is determined for a survivor forward (S-forward), an agreement between two counterparties to exchange at maturity a fixed survival-dependent payment for a payment depending on the realized survival of a given cohort of individuals. The maximum prices determined for the S-forwards can be used to price other longevity-linked securities, such as q-forwards. The Cairns-Blake-Dowd model is used to represent the evolution of mortality over time, that combined with the information on the risk margin, enables us to calculate upper limits for the risk-adjusted survival probabilities, the market price of longevity risk and the S-forward prices. Numerical results can be extended for the pricing of other longevity-linked securities.

scholarly journals Effects of Basel III Framework on Capital Adequacy of Commercial Banks in Kenya

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Kevin Kombo ◽  
Dr. Amos Njuguna
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Credit Risk ◽  
Commercial Banks ◽  
Financial Stability ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Capital Requirements ◽  
Capital Adequacy ◽  
Basel Iii ◽  
Credit Risk Management ◽  
Management Staff

Purpose:The purpose of the study was toassess the effects of Basel III framework on capital adequacy requirement in commercial banks in Kenya. The study sought to address the following research questions: why are capital adequacy regulations important in commercial banks in Kenya? What challenges are commercial banks facing in the implementation of capital adequacy requirement? What measures have commercial banks taken to ensure compliance with the capital adequacy requirement?Methodology:A descriptive survey design was applied to a population of 43 commercial banks operating in Kenya. The target population composed of the 159 management staff currently employed at the head offices of the various commercial banks in Kenya. The population was composed of Senior, Middle and Junior or Entry level Management staff. A sample of 30% was selected from within each group.Primary data was gathered using questionnaires which were dropped off at the bank’s head offices and picked up later when the respondents had filled the questionnaires. Descriptive analysis was used to analyze quantitative data while content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data.Results:The findings show that capital adequacy requirement is important in commercial banks because it leads financial stability in the Kenyan economy, improves credit risk management techniques as poor credit risk management requires more capital and leads to reduced vulnerability to liquidity shocks due to the sound capitalization policies being implemented under the Basel III framework. Findings also revealed that capital adequacy affected the balance sheet structure of the commercial banks in Kenya.Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommends that banks should continue the pursuit of various strategies to ensure that they are in compliance with Basel III requirements and the Central Bank of Kenya’s Prudential Guidelines. The staff of this committee should be drawn from mainly the finance, legal, compliance and treasury departments. Compliance with the capital requirements will lead to a safety net for all commercial banks as the additional capital will act as a cushion that absorbs losses in case of distress in the commercial banking sector.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document