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Purpose: When conducting their business, insurers face various risks that are controlled for in order to mitigate them and protect the insured, inter alia. Moreover, being aware of the factors that determine the reward-to-risk ratio for insurers is also of crucial importance. Thus, the aim of this research is to identify potential factors that influence risk-adjusted returns of life insurance companies. Methodology: The analysis is conducted on a sample of life insurers that operated in Croatia in the period from 2016 to 2020. For this purpose, risk-adjusted ROA, i.e. the Sharpe ratio, is used as a risk-adjusted return measure, while independent variables encompass several insurance firm-oriented and insurance industry-specific variables, as well as variables depicting the level of macroeconomic development, stock market, bond market and institutional development. Results: After conducting dynamic panel analysis, the obtained results suggest that the premium growth rate, asset-based size, the net premium to surplus ratio, i.e. leverage, as well as bond market development are significant factors when determining risk-adjusted returns. Conclusion: Risk-adjusted returns are determined by insurance firm-oriented factors which are important not only to investors but also to insurance market regulators and insurance firm managers.

Life insurers are exposed to interest rate risk, and their liability side is typically more sensitive to interest rate changes than their asset side. This paper develops an accounting-based measure of interest rate sensitivity. My approach uses the coexistence of historical cost and market value accounting, which permits the observation of valuations for different discount rates. Using microdata, I show that German life insurers have a significant exposure to interest rate risk. However, there is a wide dispersion across the sector. I find that insurers' size, growth and solvency are negatively correlated with interest rate risk. The heterogeneity suggests that insurers would behave differently during times of stress, which has important implications for understanding the macroprudential risks to which the sector is exposed.

The Home Office is a work format that has gained prominence in recent years, mainly because it is a flexible way of working, in addition to providing some advantages for employees and managers, such as time savings and operational efficiency, when related to expense management . This article used information available on the ANS website for the years 2014 to September 2020 in the lines of administrative expenses and their respective accounts such as Transportation voucher, Rent, Condominium, Water, Light and Gas, Cleaning, Repair, and others location and maintenance expenses, in order to measure the impact of these accounts on administrative expenses. the objective of this work was to analyze the percentage of administrative expenses, which can be reduced, with the implementation of the home office, in insurance companies specialized in Life, considering the average expenditure of the last 6 years, together with their respective% of opportunity of savings and the ratio of this indicator to GDP - Gross Domestic Product. This research contributes to the insurance market and possible studies for the viability of remote work. if the 6 insurance companies specialized in life, opt for their home office activities. Regarding the correlation of the% savings indicator, it was evidenced that 3 specialized health insurers showed a very strong negative correlation in some quarter, together with 4 specialized health insurers showed a strong negative correlation in some quarter, 4 insurers in a certain quarter presented a correlation. very strong positive and 2 companies showed a strong positive correlation in the quarterly statements. It was noted that there is an average savings potential of R $ 68.7 million in this market when considering the closed year 2019, however this average increases, when added the 3rd Quarter of 2020 to R $ 70.6 million. O Home Office é formato de trabalho que ganhou destaque nos últimos anos, principalmente por ser uma forma flexivel de trabalho, além de possibilitar algumas vantagens para os colaboradores e gestores, tais como ganho de tempo e eficência operacional, quando relacionado com a gestão de despesas. No presente artigo utilizaram-se informações disponiveis no site da ANS referente aos anos de 2014 à Setembro de 2020 nas linhas de despesas administrativas e suas respectivas contas como Vale transporte, Aluguel, Condomínio, Água, Luz e Gás, Limpeza, Conserto, e outras despesas com localização e manutenção, afim de mensurar o impacto dessas contas na despesas administrativas. O objetivo desse trabalho foi analisar o percentual de despesas administrativas, que pode ser reduzida, com a implementação do home office, em seguradoras especializadas em Vida, considerando o gasto médio dos últimos 6 anos, juntamente com seu respectivo % de oportunidade de economia e a relação desse indicador o PIB - Produto Interno Bruto. Essa pesquisa contribui para o mercado segurador e possiveis estudos para viabilidade do trabalho remoto. caso as 6 operadoras de seguros especializadas em vida, optem para suas atividades em home office. Em relação a correlação do indicador % de economia, evidenciou-se que 3 seguradoras especializadas em saúde apresentaram em algum trimestre correlação negativa muito forte, juntamente 4 seguradoras especializadas em saúde mostraram em algum trimestre uma correlação negativa forte, 4 seguradoras em determinado trimestre apresentou correlação positiva muito forte e 2 empresas apresentaram uma correlação positiva forte nas demonstrações trimestrais.Notou-se que há um potencial médio de economia de R$ 68,7 milhões nesse mercado quando considerando o ano fechado 2019, no entanto essa média aumenta, quando adicionado o 3º Trimestre de 2020 para R$ 70,6 milhões.

Long-term minimum return guarantees sold by European life insurers increasingly become binding as interest rates decline. While participating contracts embedding these guarantees are designed to share market risk across investor cohorts when guarantees are not binding, we study how binding guarantees distort inter-cohort risk sharing. Using regulatory data on participating contracts in Germany, we find that binding guarantees reduced inter-cohort transfer by 10 basis points per year in the period 2000{2018. This is modest compared to the average transfer, which is in the range of 40{150 basis points. However, the effect is concentrated in the recent period of ultra-low interest rates and may grow larger if interest rates remain persistently low.

Life insurers' odds of being placed under regulatory control (for example, conservatorship or receivership) during the financial crisis years of 2008 and 2009 increased with deteriorating fundamentals at a much higher rate than during normal times or during the previous recession. However, no life insurer in the sample belonging to a life insurance holding company system (LIHCS) in receipt of TARP funds experienced such insolvency issues, and life insurers with poor and deteriorating performance that belonged to a LIHCS in receipt of TARP funds received increased capital inflows during the crisis years. In contrast, life insurance entities with poor and deteriorating performance but with no access to TARP funds received a smaller dollar amount of capital injections on average during the crisis. Evidence is presented of state-based regulatory forbearance due to prescribed and permitted accounting practices (P&P) during the crisis, and it is shown that such forms of state-based regulatory forbearance acted as a substitute for the receipt of TARP funds.

The existence of a sound financial consumer protection framework is fundamental to increasing access to and usage of financial services, and the quality of those financial services, along with supporting further financial sector deepening. Financial consumer protection is a necessary precursor to building trust in the formal financial sector and thus in encouraging financial inclusion. Further, consumer protection helps ensure that expanded access benefits consumers and the economy as a whole. While increased access can result in significant economic and societal benefits, it can be neutral or even harmful if consumers: (i) cannot exercise their rights as consumers, (ii) cannot select the financial products that suit them best; and (iii) are not protected from mis-selling, fraud, and other market abuses. The main objective of a CPFL Review is to assess the legal, regulatory, and institutional frameworks for financial consumer protection in a country, with reference to the good practices. The following areas are addressed: (i) institutional arrangements, (ii) the legal and regulatory framework, (iii) transparency and disclosure, (iv) business practices, (v) complaints handling and dispute resolution mechanisms and (vi) financial literacy/capability. All parts of a financial sector can be considered, including banking, non-bank credit institutions, insurance, securities, private pensions, and credit reporting.

The existence of a sound financial consumer protection framework is fundamental to increasing access to and usage of financial services, and the quality of those financial services, along with supporting further financial sector deepening. Financial consumer protection is a necessary precursor to building trust in the formal financial sector and thus in encouraging financial inclusion. Further, consumer protection helps ensure that expanded access benefits consumers and the economy as a whole. While increased access can result in significant economic and societal benefits, it can be neutral or even harmful if consumers: (i) cannot exercise their rights as consumers, (ii) cannot select the financial products that suit them best; and (iii) are not protected from mis-selling, fraud, and other market abuses. The main objective of a CPFL Review is to assess the legal, regulatory, and institutional frameworks for financial consumer protection in a country, with reference to the good practices. The following areas are addressed: (i) institutional arrangements, (ii) the legal and regulatory framework, (iii) transparency and disclosure, (iv) business practices, (v) complaints handling and dispute resolution mechanisms and (vi) financial literacy/capability. All parts of a financial sector can be considered, including banking, non-bank credit institutions, insurance, securities, private pensions, and credit reporting.

Pakistan is vulnerable to a number of adverse natural events and has experienced a wide range of disasters over the past 40 years, including floods, earthquakes, droughts, cyclones, and tsunamis. The World Bank is supporting the Government of Pakistan (GoP) in building capacity in the area of disaster risk management (DRM) in order to build resilience from both humanitarian and fiscal shocks associated with natural disasters. The World Bank is providing technical assistance to the GoP for the development of a national disaster risk financing strategy. This non-lending technical assistance aims to: (i) assess the fiscal exposure of the GoP to natural disasters; (ii) present options for the development of a national strategy to improve financial response capacity for natural disasters; and (iii) promote property catastrophe risk insurance for both public and private dwellings. Disaster risk financing and insurance (DRFI) is one of the five pillars in the proactive and strategic framework for DRM promoted by the World Bank. The World Bank has been promoting a proactive and strategic framework for DRM based on five pillars: (i) risk identification; (ii) risk reduction; (iii) preparedness; (iv) financial protection; and (v) resilient recovery. Chapter one is introduction. Chapter two presents an overview of the budget processes for the financing of natural disaster losses during each of the three post-disaster phases. Chapter three provides a preliminary financial disaster risk assessment for Pakistan, focusing particularly on the fiscal impact of natural disasters. Chapter four presents an overview of the private catastrophe insurance market; and chapter five reviews the options for future financing of natural disaster recovery and reconstruction expenditures.

This note aims to build understanding of the existing disaster risk financing and insurance (DRFI) tools in use in Fiji and to identify gaps where potential engagement could further develop financial resilience. In addition the note aims to encourage peer exchange of regional knowledge, specifically by encouraging dialogue on past experiences, lessons learned, optimal use of these financial tools, and the effect they may have on the execution of post-disaster funds. In 2012 alone Fiji experienced three major events with estimated total damage of F$146 million (US$78 million). Fiji is expected to incur, on average over the long term, annual losses of F$158 million (US$85 million) due to earthquakes and tropical cyclones. In the next 50 years Fiji has a 50 percent chance of experiencing a loss exceeding F$1,500 million (US$806 million). The country has a taken a proactive approach to DRFI and developed a finance manual for post-disaster budget execution. The government now has F$3 million (US$1.6 million) available in DRFI instruments to facilitate disaster response and also implemented tax concessions to encourage donations in the wake of tropical cyclone Evan. A number of options to support ongoing DRFI improvements in Fiji are presented for consideration: (a) the finance manual developed by the Ministry of Finance for post-disaster procedures should be finalized, and cabinet approval should be sought; (b) an overarching disaster risk financing and insurance strategy should be developed that includes options for risk transfer; and (c) assets should be identified in order to develop an insurance program for critical public assets.

This country note is produced is part of The Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment andFinancing Initiative (PCRAFI). The geographic spread of the Cook Islands poses logistical problems for any necessary post-disaster relief and response efforts. The events of 2005 demonstrated that the Cook Islands is extremely vulnerable to the threat of tropical cyclones (TCs): in the two months of February and March 2005, TCs Meena, Nancy, Olaf, Percy, and Rae swept the country. The Cook Islands is expected to incur, on average, about NZ$6 million (US$4.9 million) per year in losses due to tropical cyclones. In the next 50 years, the Cook Islands has a 50 percent chance of experiencing a per-event loss exceeding NZ$97 million (US$79.5 million. The Cook Islands has a proactive approach to disaster risk financing and insurance (DRFI), which is supported by the upper echelons of government. In January 2011, the prime minister in his role as chair of the National Disaster Risk Management Council requested that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management look at ways to become self-reliant in initial disaster response and generate new income streams for investment in a fund specifically for disaster management response and recovery. The Cook Islands has available a maximum amount of NZ$5.6 million (US$4.6 million) in the form of contingency funds and catastrophe risk insurance to facilitate disaster response. A number of options for further improving the Cook Islands financial protection against disasters are presented for consideration: (a) the development of an integrated DRFI strategy; (b) investigation of using contingent credit to access additional liquidity post-disaster; (c) development of an operations manual for post-disaster budget mobilization and execution; and (d) the identification of assets to be included in an insurance program for critical public assets.

Low interest rates are becoming a threat to the stability of the life insurance industry, especially in countries such as Germany, where products with relatively high guaranteed returns sold in the past still represent a prominent share of the total portfolio. This contribution aims to assess and quantify the effects of the current low interest rate phase on the balance sheet of a representative German life insurer, given the current asset allocation and the outstanding liabilities. To do so, we generate a stochastic term structure of interest rates as well as stock market returns to simulate investment returns of a stylized life insurance business portfolio in a multi-period setting. Based on empirically calibrated parameters, we can observe the evolution of the life insurers' balance sheet over time with a special focus on their solvency situation. To account for different scenarios and in order to check the robustness of our findings, we calibrate different capital market settings and different initial situations of capital endowment. Our results suggest that a prolonged period of low interest rates would markedly affect the solvency situation of life insurers, leading to a relatively high cumulative probability of default, especially for less capitalized companies. In addition, the new reform of the German life insurance regulation has a beneficial effect on the cumulative probability of default, as a direct consequence of the reduction of the payouts to policyholders. This version: January 2015

Life insurance has become an increasingly important part of the financial sector over the past 40 years, providing a range of financial services for consumers and becoming a major source of investment in the capital market. But what drives the large variation in life insurance consumption across countries remains unclear. Using a panel with data aggregated at different frequencies for 68 economies in 1961-2000, this article finds that economic indicators such as inflation, income per capita, and banking sector development and religious and institutional indicators are the most robust predictors of the use of life insurance. Education, life expectancy, the young dependency ratio, and the size of the social security system appear to have no robust association with life insurance consumption. The results highlight the importance of price stability and banking sector development in fully realizing the savings and investment functions of life insurance in an economy.

This assessment reviews the regulatory and supervisory developments in the insurance sector of Moldova. The current assessment is benchmarked against the insurance core principles (ICPs) issued by the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) in October 2011 and revised in 2012. The ICPs apply to all insurers, whether private or state-owned. Specific principles apply to the supervision of intermediaries. The assessment covers the supervisory practices of the Comisa Nationala a Pietei Financiare (National Commission for Financial Markets (NCFM)) which began operations in 2007. The recent decision to move from a pure compliance approach to a more risk based methodology needs to be gradual and carefully staged given the technical capacity constraints in Moldova. Insurer risk management is not universally developed so insurers will only be able to effectively move toward a more risk based approach in a series of small and quite specific steps, supported by regulatory clarity. Many shortcomings in the observance of the ICPs will be addressed by a well-structured transition to risk-based supervision (RBS). Group supervision, particularly operational level cooperation and communication with other supervisors, is also an opportunity and a priority. Ensuring the credibility of the regulatory regime will rely on transparent and sustained enforcement.

This assessment focused on the supervision and regulation of the insurance sector and the role of the Financial Services Commission (FSC) in Mauritius. The FSC has responsibility for licensing and supervision of all players in the insurance market-insurance companies, distributors; loss adjusters; reinsurance companies; reinsurance brokers, and actuaries and auditors. This report relates to a dedicated assessment mission conducted in July 2011. The FSC maintains a fairly detailed website that contains copies of relevant laws and regulations applicable to insurance companies in Mauritius. Also available on the website are copies of guidelines of general application that have been issued to the insurance companies, statistics of the industry's performance, and copies of the annual reports issued by FSC. In addition to its discussions with FSC personnel, mission members met with representatives of the trade association and with executives of a representative sample of companies, both life and general insurance, operating in the market. Other contacts included brokers and auditors. The insurance sector in Mauritius is material although not fully developed in terms of size. Insurance premium stands at MUR 17.5 billion represented at 68 percent life and 32 percent non-life insurances. Life insurance growth has been more impressive than non-life insurance performance. Although both segments have shown healthy nominal growth rates, real growth has been less spectacular for the non-life sector. Interpreting non-life sector premium performance can be confused by global pricing cycles.

Insurance companies in China are closely supervised and generally subjected to appropriate regulation. The China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC) employs a rules based framework and has achieved a high level of regulatory compliance from supervised companies. This assessment of the People's Republic of China's compliance with International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) Insurance Core Principles (ICP) was carried out as part of the 2010 Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP). The CIRC has principal responsibility over insurance regulation in China and conducts its duties through its headquarters in Beijing and 35 regional branches, the insurance bureaus. Insurance supervision is not limited to the CIRC, as it is affected by high level regulations issued by the state council.

Motor Third Party Liability Insurance (MTPL) ensures that damage to third party health and property caused by an accident for which driver and/or owner of the car were responsible is covered. A policy may be taken out by the owner of a vehicle or by a lawful possessor authorized by the owner on behalf of the owner. Compulsory MTPL Insurance is a financial protection system built to prevent any grievance that third parties could face, due to lack of solvency of first party who caused bodily injury or property damage following any event related to a car accident. Motor insurance is generally measured non-life insurers' strongest class of business in terms of premium volume. In most markets, it is characterized by high competition and cyclical fluctuations in results. Non-life insurers' motor result is thus likely to have a particularly strong impact on the overall result. In most countries, MTPL insurance is compulsory in order to protect the public. World Bank studies in Africa, Central Asia, and Europe have shown that motor insurance premiums represent at least 30 percent of all non-life premium income. This phenomenon may be explained by the rapid rise of motor fleets. MTPL insurance has been introduced in the formerly centrally planned economies only in the past decade, but it is poorly understood. Motorists are inclined to view it as a form of tax that they are at liberty to evade, rather than as a protection against their personal liability a concept that is not familiar to the general public. Motor insurance has the potential to be a powerful tool in the promotion of personal responsibility. If communicated effectively, the link between the consequences of causing an accident and the economics of paying for those consequences will of itself gradually lead to improved driving.

The sales of goods and services are exposed to a significant number of risks, many of which are not within the control of the supplier. The highest of these risks and one that can have a catastrophic impact on the viability of a supplier, is the failure of a buyer to pay for the goods or services it has purchased. In today's challenged domestic and global economic climate, recognizing and managing future risks has become a priority for businesses. Losses attributed to non-payment of a trade debt or bankruptcy can and do occur regularly. Default rates vary by industry and country from year-to-year, and no industry or company is immune from trade credit risk. The essential value of trade credit insurance is that it provides not only peace of mind to the supplier, who can be assured that their trade is protected, but also valuable market intelligence on the financial viability of the supplier's customers, and, in the case of buyers in foreign countries, on any trading risks peculiar to those countries. As well as providing an insurance policy that matches the client's patterns of business, trade credit insurers will establish the level of cover that can reasonably be provided to the supplier for trade with each individual buyer, by analyzing the buyer's financial status, profitability, liquidity, size, sector, payment behavior and location.

An inspection is an official examination or review. The term 'onsite' means that the inspection takes place wherever the subject of the inspection happens to be located. In the insurance sector, supervisory authorities perform onsite inspections of insurers and intermediaries. Inspections sometimes extend to other entities that can affect the operations of insurers and intermediaries, such as affiliated companies and providers of outsourced services. A full-scale onsite inspection is a wide-ranging look at the finances and operations of an insurer. It can greatly assist the supervisory authority in arriving at a comprehensive assessment of the insurer's risk profile, viability, and compliance with requirements. Full-scale inspections can consume a lot of supervisory resources. A focused inspection looks at selected aspects of an insurer's finances or operations. They can often be performed more quickly and with fewer resources than a full-scale inspection, which is particular important if a specific supervisory concern has arisen and needs to be investigated. The flexibility to use both full-scale and focused inspections, as the situation may require, enables a supervisory authority to use available resources effectively and efficiently.

The role of supervisory authorities undertaking prudential supervision is to promote the maintenance of efficient, fair, safe and stable insurance markets for the benefit and protection of policyholders. An effective supervisory authority is able to require an insurer to take timely preventive and corrective measures if the insurer fails to operate in a manner that is consistent with sound business practices or regulatory requirements. Traditionally, authorities have performed this role by way of compliance based supervision. Under this style of supervision, insurers must comply with a set of prudential rules generally written into the law or the subordinate legislation. The role of the supervisory authority is to ensure that insurers do, in fact, comply with these rules. In recent years, supervision has been evolving and moving from a style that is compliance based to one that is risk based. This progression has also been a feature of the activities of bank supervision and pension supervision.