Of Special Interest
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- Keeping up with global market and information technology trends-in context-Hindsight, Insight, and Foresight-25 years of Insurance Newslink-around 50,000 linked articles in the database
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-a year of continuing change ahead
- "It's All About the Customer" the theme for the latest IBM/Shillito white paper
- Analytics for Insurance-The Real Business of Big Data
- Survey indicates state of ERM development amongst insurers globally
- Newslink Interview: A Catalyst for Change at the CII
- Capgemini World Insurance Report focuses on the customer experience and emerging distribution channels
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- FIS PayNet, a new global real-time payment network
- EIOPA launches technical assessment of Solvency II long-term guarantee package
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- Spanish Bank stress test detail
- EIU/BNY Mellon report highlights global issues for insurers
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- Report looks at two issues facing insurer CEOs globally
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- EIOPA publishes Opinion on Solvency II interim measures
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- The Global Insurance Week
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- Report reviews priorities for US p&c insurers in 2013
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- EIOPA publishes latest financial stability report
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- Swiss Re study reviews global market prospects for 2013
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- EIOPA exploring possibility of interim stage for Solvency II
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- Sukuk to grow 3 fold in 5 years forecast
- Survey indicates insurer progress on Solvency II
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- RBS not selling Citizens
- FSA publishes Journey to the FCA paper
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- Global Federation of Insurance Associations formed
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- Lloyds & RBS non-core disposal figures
- OFT refers UK motor insurance market for review by Competition Commission
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- India and Pakistan said to licence each others banks
- Solvency II delay now seems inevitable
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- Visa cardholders spend $1.4bn in UK during Olympics
- Prudential survey indicates changing UK customer choice of advice approach
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- UOB end of era as Wee Cho Yaw retires
- Keeping up with regulatory change in UK financial services an increasing overhead
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- Google Wallet MkII works with any card
- Men prefer telematics more than women says survey
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- Twitter stock symbol search
- HSBC - Gulliver's position untenable?
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- Libor, the BBA and Thomson Reuters
- End for Dun & Bradstreet?
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- IAIS releases paper on Reinsurance and Financial Stability
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends-The Week
- Upcoming financial regulatory structure in UK gets cool reception
- European banks carrying €1.5tr of non-performing loans
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- ACORD sponsored survey looks at the growing importance of analytics
- Sandy Weill : Bring back Glass Steagall
- 4th Annual Insurance AI and Analytics Europe Conference
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Leading insurer ceos give views on market challenges
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- EIOPA publishes final draft guidelines for ORSA
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Bank of China chairman speaks on international expansion
- HSBC and ignored money laundering warnings
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- EIOPA publishes final report on Solvency II reporting but....
- Barclays persistent and organised Libor manipulation
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- US insurer priorities reviewed in survey
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- IAIS releases latest draft for supervision of international insurers
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- IBM, Analytics, social media and financial services
- 51% of insurers changing measurement of capital adequacy under Solvency II says survey
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- 80% Of Goldman growth will arise from BRIC nations
- EIOPA says majority of European insurers well capitalised but...
- Chartered Body Alliance formed to enhance and sustain the level of professionalism and trust in the financial services sector
- BlackRock forecasts Greek loan writeoff at €30bn
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- New UK regulator suggests ending 'free' banking
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Europe to lead on telematics says report
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Spanish bank plan
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Significance of the JPM trading losses
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Geneva Association reports on global ageing issues and the role of insurance
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Report highlights action being taken by UK insurers in readiness for Solvency II
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- UK personal lines insurers provide poor online user experience says survey
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- OCBC ranked strongest bank in world - again
- European insurers must move from risk measurement to real risk management to achieve a return on Solvency II investment says report
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Solvency II survey indicates UK insurers have still much to do-majority say start date will be delayed
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Blankfein PR offensive
- WiproTechnologies-on the global insurance stage
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- JPM prepaid card bank account a trend-setter
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Estimate of additional Spanish bank capital needed
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- First US approval for Chinese bank purchase
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Accenture and Duck Creek solutions together add value
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- UBS clients use iPad to design trading algorithms
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Engagement Banking
- US ExPats giving up nationality to save tax
- Newslink Interview: CSC/Xchanging settling down well
- PayTag turns any mobile into contactless pay device
- CHARGE Anywhere NFC card acceptance via BlackBerry
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Ringfencing clarification before Santander UK IPO
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- SWIFT launches Sanctions Screening
- Study predicts telematics take off in UK
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- BoE governor UK speaks of financial stability tools 'experiment'
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- SWIFT guide on moving to Sepa
- Newslink Interview: Guidewire powers ahead across Europe
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- QlikTech-placing agile analytics in the hands of the business user
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- BRIC countries boost bank business lending - G8 lowers it
- The Met Office says Atlantic hurricane fluctuations connected to industrial air pollution
- CII launches Strategic Manifesto 2021 Roadmap with emphasis on building public trust in insurance
- PayPal phone to card acceptance device converter
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- HSBC retail may operate in 9 Asian countries only
- Telematics statistics indicate further good news
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- IBM / Citigroup deal to use IBM Watson
- Telematics growing in interest in UK amongst consumers says survey
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- BTG Pactual listing will be one of largest
- Most of UK life insurers sheltered from eurozone sovereign debt crisis says Fitch
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Global insurer IT spend to increase after decline says report
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- No payout on Greek CDS - official - challenge possible
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Newslink Interview-"New" Sequel spreads its wings
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Sarasin sells NZB stake back to NZB
- Geneva Association reviews catastrophic year and looks forward
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Solvency II goes too far says survey
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- London Market and other insurance centres worldwide reviewed from an historic, current, and future prospective post-Brexit
- Barclays banking complaints down - PPI UP
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Policy administration modernisation is next priority says survey
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Insurers falling behind other sectors in customer service says survey
- Newslink Interview-Xuber increasingly making its mark
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Global ceo survey indicates key reasons for growth being held back
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Vodafone - Visa announce global mobile wallet
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- More on Telefónica and MasterCard LatAm JV
- BBVA-Google first combined forecasts
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- SEPA payments date set as 1st February 2014
- Newslink Global InsuranceTrends
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Gibraltar plan to attract more funds
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- EIOPA issues 2012 Action Plan for Colleges of Supervisors
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- UK banks could still end up paying some FTT
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- EBA says vast majority of bank capital raising plans OK
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Insurers could look towards alternative asset classes because of Solvency II says survey
- Transformation progresses at IBM with the global insurance market as a focus
- European regulator warns politicians on Solvency II potential delay
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- UK insurers need to place more emphasis on product features says report
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Difficult decisions ahead for European insurers says Ernst & Young report
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- The MGAA-providing timely support for UK underwriting agencies
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- 2012 US Auto Claims Satisfaction study published
- " Empowering the Commercial Lines Underwriter"-a new FirstBest/Shillito white paper
- Local support for Thailand Catastrophe Fund plan
- Spanish plan for bank asset write-downs
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Digital cash for the digital wallet
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- SunTrust acquires FirstAgain for loan platform
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- S&P maintains stable outlook on reinsurance market
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- FIS announces POS mobile wallet
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Half of Visa Europe transactions on mobile by 2020
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Plan proceeding for 70-75% writedown on Greek debt?
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- BBVA and Google try to improve forecasting for clients
- Deloitte publishes 2012 Global Insurance Outlook report
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Geneva Association reviews three key issues for the global insurance industry
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Treasury Committee motor insurance report creates comment
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- World Economic Forum Global Risks 2012 report published
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- IBM Joins Bank Information Architecture Network
- LMG announces major steps forward following the London Matters research
- No delay on Basel III liquidity - peer review introduced
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Itaú Unibanco Latin America expansion
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Reawakening ATM standard cassette initiative
- EIOPA issues financial stability report
- Newslink Global Insurance Trends
- Ernst & Young outlines five success strategies for US p&c insurers
- Swiss National Bank president controversy
- NewslinkTrends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- IBM 10 year infrastructure deal with La Caixa
- Only 20% of actuaries and insurance finance managers completely confident in data control processes and spreadsheets says research
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- Fitch predicts future trend for US broker market
- NewslinkTrends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- Swiss Re reviews emerging markets
- MontePaschi new boss
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- eBay acquires German BillSAFE
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- Nigerian mobile money licences
- Own Debt fair value excluded from CT1 capital proposal
- NewslinkTrends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- IBM help for Kenyan banking
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- Newslink Trends:Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- London Market Group outlines five key initiatives for 2015
- Monitise and FIS strategic partnership
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- PayPal to join discount coupon bandwagon
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- WestImmo sale collapses - more jobs go at WestLB
- Newslink Opinion: Transforming data into intelligence-the insurance industry's challenge
- State Street exits UK & German bonds
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- Swiss Re sigma study reviews catastrophe costs
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- Aon Benfield publishes report on China p&c and reinsurance market
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- US life industry faces challenges says report
- NBNK may bid for Yorkshire & Clydesdale
- NewslinkTrends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- Swiss Re predicts bluer skies from 2013
- Sharia compliant Buy to Let Purchase Plan
- Newslink Trends: Global Insurance Analysis
- Long term investment move away from Equities
- Newslink Trends: Global Insurance Analysis
- Newslink Trends: Global Insurance Analysis
- Sabadell buys CAM, losses guaranteed
- NewslinkTrends: Global Insurance Analysis
- HSBC major regulatory failure at NHFA
- Newslink Trends: Global Insurance Analysis
- Two major solar power financing deals in the US
- Newslink Trends: Global Insurance Analysis
- Newslink Trends: Global Insurance Analysis
- LIMRA reviews US consumer life insurance buying trends
- NewslinkTrends: Global Insurance Analysis
- A.M.Best stress tests insurers exposure to eurozone debt
- Newslink Trends-Global Insurance Analysis
- 4 bids possible for RBS Aviation
- Newslink Trends: Global Insurance Analysis
- Takefuji restructure plan in doubt
- Raiffeisen told to consider dual-listing
- Newslink Trends: Global Insurance Analysis
- Newslink Trends: Global Insurance Analysis
- Hedge fund chief backs Financial Transaction Tax
- Newslink Trends: Global Insurance Analysis
- PayPal 6 fold increase in mobile payments over Thanksgiving
- Newslink Trends: Global Insurance Analysis
- Women are greater online fraud risk claim
- Newslink Trends: Global Insurance Analysis
- Sovereign bonds revised capital risk charges unlikely to be incorporated in Solvency II in near term says Fitch
- Newslink Trends: Global Insurance Analysis
- Survey indicates major issues for London Market players
- Newslink Trends: Global Insurance Analysis
- Deutsche Bank Asset Management part sale?
- NewslinkTrends:Global Insurance Analysis
- Social media central to SunGards mobile platform
- Newslink Trends: Global Insurance Analysis
- Google Wallet boost from Checkout
- EU fundamental look at bank structure and regulation
- Newslink Trends: Global Insurance Analysis
- Defaqto survey indicates vital role of financial advisers
- Newslink Trends: Global Insurance Analysis
- Global survey reveals insurers could improve services to customers
- London Market under threat says LMG/Boston Consulting global research report
- S & P highlights regulatory change for UK life insurers presents challenges but there are long term opportunities
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Deutsche Borse / NYSE derivatives proposal
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Commonwealth Bank major ATM contract
- NewslinkTrends: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Buffet sees value in financial services stock prices
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- New UBS CEO halves investment banking - sets financial targets
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Visa Digital wallet branded V.Me
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Social Media to inpact insurance market says report
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- NewslinkTrends: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Bank of Ireland cautiously optimistic trading statement
- NewslinkTrends: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Barclays insurance deals with Aviva and Legal & General
- Indian bad debts rise by one third in 12 months
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Volcker rule too complicated
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Only 48% of UK and US consumers trust their insurance provider says survey
- Ermotti to be made permanent UBS CEO this week?
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Guy Carpenter reviews Asia Pacific catastrophe scenario
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Dodd Frank cheat sheet
- European insurers analytics survey indicates progress and trends
- simplytap - mobile purchase by entering just 2 codes
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Credit Agricole and impact of Greece and Italy
- NewslinkTrends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- SocGen creating UK online bank using Selftrade
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- Total loss customer satisfaction lower says US auto insurance study
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- Visa Europe and FIS take stake in Monitise
- Bidding warms up for Sarasin stake
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- Newslink Trends: Weekly Global Insurance Analysis
- Banks and the Euro crisis deal
- Newslink Opinion: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Newslink Opinion: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- BNP Paribas profit drop on sovereign debt writeoff
- Newslink Opinion: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Norton Rose reviews financial institutions globally
- Newslink Opinion: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Newslink Opinion: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Newslink Opinion: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Newslink Opinion: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- CEA opposes US bills relating to taxing of foreign insurers
- Coutts branding
- Big Data-a challenge but an opportunity to differentiate
- Newslink Interview: Xchanging-providing a global platform adapted for local markets
- RDT spreads its wings
- Newslink Opinion: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Google wallet open for all banks
- MF Global Files for Chapter 11 protection
- Newslink Opinion: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Newslink Opinion: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Newslink Interview: Customer experience emphasis at Pegasystems
- JPMorgan Q3 profit down a little
- Newslink Opinion: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Newslink Opinion: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Fitch reviews UK life sector
- HSBC Trinkaus drops talks for WestLB units
- Newslink Opinion: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Mobile banking software ranked
- Newslink Opinion: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- UK websites compared for speed and how it affects purchase
- Newslink Opinion: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- More Brits use online banking than use Facebook or Tweet
- Newslink Opinion: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- NBNK, Virgin and Flowers bid for Northern Rock
- Newslink Opinion: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Newslink Opinion: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Barclays bid for CAM - looking for other Cajas?
- Newslink Opinion: Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- The mobile wallet reaches Papua New Guinea
- Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- NBNK only bidder to meet deadline for Lloyds branches
- Visa Europe mobile wallet coming next year.
- Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Fusion-io speeds up Deutsche credit risk calculation
- Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Capital One social gaming spend
- Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Rabobank in talks to sell stake in Sarasin
- Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Google Wallet live in US
- Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- UBS rogue trading - story so far
- Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- John Mack retires at year end from Morgan Stanley
- Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Future of UK retail banking final report
- Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- Egypts first major M&A deal since revolution
- Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- UBS heads roll - rogue trading warnings ignored
- Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- SAS-a hybrid analytics approach to fighting insurance fraud
- NBNK confirms talks - shares suspended
- Creating an environment for improving and widening decision making
- Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- NBNK to buy Lloyds branches, Clydesdale & Yorkshire banks?
- Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- LSE to buy LCH.Clearnet?
- Spain nationalises three more Cajas
- Weekly Insurance Global Analysis
- The Global Insurance Week
- Many interested in London Metals Exchange
- The Global Insurance Week
- Visa Europe mobile P2P service
- The Global Insurance Week
- The Global Insurance Week
- The Global Insurance Week
- The Global Insurance Week
- The Global Insurance Week
- The Global Insurance Week
- Monitise granted Nigerian Mobile Payment licence
- The Global Insurance Week
- Sergio Ermotti appointed interim UBS CEO
- The Global Insurance Week
- Banks must work harder to attract 'Facebook Generation'
- The Global Insurance Week
- Banks borrowed $1.2tr of secret US federal funds
- China Investment Corporation seeks UK bank investment
- HSBC T&B bidding for parts of WestLB
- The Global Insurance Week
- The Global Insurance Week
- India Post-bank soon?
- The Global Insurance Week
- RBS bigger loss - underlying progress
- The Global Insurance Week
- Swiss / German withholding tax - template for future?
- US finally pushed towards EMV cards
- The Global Insurance Week
- The Global Insurance Week
- Visa to chip its cards in the US
- The Global Insurance Week
- The Global Insurance Week
- Elavon to accept China Unionpay cards
- UBS rogue trader losses approx $2bn
- The Global Insurance Week
- The Global Insurance Week
- HSBC - expense cuts not straight to the bottom line
- The Global Insurance Week
- Moody's AAA for Footballer Ronaldo as collateral
- The Global Insurance Week
- Hugh Osmond is 3rd bidder for Lloyds branches
- The Global Insurance Week
- Berchtold & Meister to head Credit Suisse Private Banking
- TStone & Flowers joint bid for Woori?
- Xuber keeps in the headlines
- UK banks retail market share
- New CEOs and Chairman at Deutsche Bank
- HSBC selling non-life insurance businesses
- VITAband wristband - the future of contactless payment?
- UK banks retail ombudsman complaints
- The lesson from the European stress test.
- Friday night is European stress test result night
- Bank governance changes required
- Carney named as new Bank of England governor
- PayPal buys Zong
- Bancassurer Basel III workaround
- Big UK retail bank brands lose market share
- RBS banking customer complaints INCREASE 40%
- Australian court finds S&P 'not reasonably competent'
- UK considering 3X greater liquidity levels for banks
- Three parties interested in RBS branches
- Fed generous to card issuers on Durbin cap
- New shape of HSH Nordbank
- RBS branches and portfolio back on market
- The Liikanen banking reform proposals
- IMF Chief in controversial boost bank capital call
- ABN in profit and more expense cuts
- Spanish NPA close to double figures
- Inaugural Credit Agricole Public Sector covered bond
- UK - decline of the residential mortgage
- Sainsbury joins cash-back credit card battle
- Standard Chartered seeking controlling share of Warka Bank
- Delay for UK bank ring fencing rumoured
- Capital One purchase of HSBC US Card business
- Lloyds sell branches for give-away price
- MySlipcase insurance networking platform launched in London
- StanChart yet again reports record profits
- Mobile commerce grows fast in UK & Germany
- Big Banks need $566bn to meet Basel III
- Estimates of SIFI capital surcharges applied by bank
- Bank of America needs $50bn additional capital
- O2 / Telefónica UK mobile wallet launch
- Helaba says has withdrawn from European stress test
- SWIFT launches financial research institute
- French banks most exposed to Italian sovereign debt
- Another bank onshores call centre
- Bank of America sells Balboa Life
- Report finds women bankers bigger risk takers
- NYSE Euronext shareholders approve Deutsche Borse deal
- Fiserv buys CashEdge
- Fed to review foreign bank capital rules
- Horta-Osorio manifesto for Lloyds Banking
- Mood music for LSE / Nasdaq merger?
- VeriFone unveils suite for MNOs to manage mobile wallet acceptance
- Google to offer real time UK stock prices
- Project Merlin 'success' as UK banks reduce lending to business
- Weglin & Co branded 'fugitive' by US prosecutors
- No challenge by Deutsche and NYSE Euronext to merger block
- Visa prepaid gift cards dispensed via ATM
- LME bidding process underway
- Government the loser when Lloyds accepted Co-op bid?
- UK government confirms retail bank capital ringfencing
- Western Union result
- MasterCard certification for 2 Blackberry NFC phones
- Santander can exceed 9% CT1 ratio without going to market
- M-Pesa now serving 70% of Kenyan adults
- Chi-X Australia to launch October 31st
- PayPal's rapid growth helped by mobile
- Julius Baer / Macquarie strategic alliance
- Mobile Payments for Goods to exceed $170bn by 2015
- Debit card fees may change mpayments and lose banks money
- French banks and commercial wholesale funding
- Pay for Android Apps on your Vodafone Bill
- Worth reading report on mobile payments
- Boku consolidates in French mobile payment
- UK Credit card fraud at 10 year low
- Visa - ditching the card for the phone?
- HSBC profits up on lower tax and lower losses
- UK mobile operators group form another new NFC joint venture
- Capital One wins bidding for ING Direct USA
- US prepaid card usage may approach $500bn this year
21st December 2011
Swiss Re reviews emerging markets
The latest Swiss Re sigma publication, "Insurance in emerging markets: growth drivers and profitability," focuses on two of the regions that have contributed the most to emerging market premium growth, Emerging Asia and Latin America. Drawing on ten years of experience of rapid insurance development in these markets, the study explores growth drivers and profitability in these two key regions, and provides an outlook on emerging markets.
Emerging markets continue to attract global insurers
Insurance premiums in emerging markets have expanded robustly by 11.0% per annum in real terms over the last decade, compared with 1.3% growth in industrialised economies. Emerging markets’ outperformance is expected to continue in the next decade and is attracting the attention of global insurers, who look to emerging markets for profitable growth beyond more saturated mature markets.
Oliver Futterknecht, co-author of the new sigma study, says “Due to their size, industrialised countries are in absolute terms still the main insurance premium contributors, but emerging markets are catching up fast.” In 2010, for example, industrialised economies contributed $120bn in additional premiums in nominal terms, with emerging markets following closely with $109bn.
Emerging Asia and Latin America contributed the most to emerging market premium growth in the past ten years. Many factors have driven this premium growth, including a sound economic environment, improvements in insurance regulations, product innovation, and a leveraging of multiple distribution channels.
“The healthy economic environment with low inflation has had a positive effect on insurance premium growth in Emerging Asia and Latin America,“ says Futterknecht. In addition, in an attempt to encourage healthy competition, certain markets have reduced state involvement and taken insurance-enabling regulatory measures. Product innovation has also driven fast-paced growth in certain insurance segments, including microinsurance and takaful. The use of multiple distribution channels has also helped insurance to reach a broader audience in emerging markets.
Bancassurance, for example, a concept that was virtually non-existent prior to the year 2000, has gained importance in many countries, especially for the distribution of life insurance. Its rapid growth has been driven mainly by regulatory reforms in key emerging markets including China and India. Amit Kalra, the other co-author of the sigma study, comments “In India, bancassurance premiums made up 22% of new business premiums for private sector players in 2010. With a growing middle class and over 70 000 bank branches, bancassurance in India has plenty of room to expand.”
Although insurers in emerging markets have seen stellar premium expansion, achieving profitable growth is far from the norm. For example, out of around 174 life insurers from a sample of Emerging Asian and Latin American markets, 46% of insurers failed to report consistent profits between 2006 and 2009, and only 20% registered profit margins (net profits divided by direct premiums) in excess of 10%. In non-life markets, 49% of all non-life insurers in the sample emerging markets recorded negative underwriting margins (underwriting results divided by direct premiums), with around 36% of non-life insurers reporting margins in the range of 0% to 10%.
Low profitability may indicate an overly aggressive focus by insurers on top-line growth rather than profitable growth. The sigma study examines profitability in emerging markets, and explores whether ownership structure, affiliation with financial conglomerates, or economies of scale can tilt profitability upward.
Kalra observes that “in the life sector, domestic insurers and foreign branches and subsidiaries generally achieve better profitability than joint ventures. The success of domestic life insurers could be due to their large distribution networks, their local market expertise, and possibly lower costs resulting from economies of scale. In comparison, many joint ventures have only a short operational history and are still incurring heavy start-up costs. The picture in the non-life sector is less certain, as there are no apparent differences among insurers of different ownership structures.”
Between now and 2021, more than half the growth of the global economy is expected to come from emerging markets. Non-life insurance premiums in emerging markets are foreseen to grow more than twice as fast as in industrialised countries. Life premiums are also expected to outpace those in industrialised countries.
Even though they face strong competition from domestic insurers, many international insurers plan to actively pursue opportunities in the rapidly growing emerging markets. Banks are also likely to leverage their branch networks to further penetrate these markets. However, with interest rates expected to remain at low levels for an extended period of time in both developed and emerging markets, insurers will find it increasingly difficult to achieve profitable growth.
“Going forward, insurers will need to place great importance on professional and disciplined underwriting to benefit from the healthy growth outlook in emerging markets and operate on a sustainable basis. Capital management will also be vital to support growth and comply with tightening solvency requirements,” says Kalra.
Policymakers can play a strong role in strengthening private sector incentives by devoting sufficient resources to the legal, educational and regulatory infrastructure. They can also support insurance-specific efforts by allowing private pensions, making health or workers’ compensation insurance compulsory, and introducing and enforcing other obligatory lines of business. Compulsory third-party liability insurance, for example, ensures that funds are available to compensate accident victims, and compulsory earthquake insurance helps to avoid adverse selection.