The Greek bank-insurance model : a look at a not-so-new corporate structure

One of the notable characteristics of modern financial markets is the convergence among financial institutions, which until recently preformed different tasks. To this end, the present study explores the bank-insurance phenomenon in the Greek market. It focuses on the development of financial conglomerates in the region, while arguing that the phenomenon is not as new as one would expect. A variant of the bank-insurance approach to financial services seems to have dominated the Greek market for over a century. An analysis of recent developments is also presented, with the evidence indicating a trend towards multi-venture partnerships as well as active involvement of multinational enterprises.
peer-reviewed