Description: The US healthcare system before and after Obamacare – better or worse and what's next?

Description: The purpose of this article is to discuss some of the challenges insurance companies face when participating in the immediate annuity market for retirement income planning and to suggest ways that reinsurers could be of service to the direct writers of immediate annuities.

Description: Discussion of the evolving role of reinsurance in driving business decisions for the direct side, with particular emphasis on underwriting and risk classification and the emphasis on automatic versus facultative business.

Description: Looking at the future, a panel of executives from leading global reinsurers predicted a broader framework in which capital markets, reinsurers and direct writers would be able to provide ways to offer or free up capital.

Description: The main purpose of “excess reinsurance” was to enable the direct writer to retain as much face amount as it could justify and merely cede the amounts which it felt was excessive relative to its surplus, earnings or other financial criteria.

Description: Insurance companies significantly expanded their use of life reinsurance throughout the late '90s and early '00s. This has meant that volumes being ceded to the reinsurance market have continued to expand after a brief respite in 2001 through quota share opportunities with direct insurers keeping only a portion of their published retention.

Description: Significant consolidation has occurred in the U.S. reinsurance market over the last five years. The number of companies operating in ordinary life reinsurance has continued to decline—13 primary companies excluding retrocessionaires contributing to the Munich American Reassurance Survey in 2004, compared to 20 companies in 1999. Table 1 and Table 2 indicate the change in market share as well as the change in the composition of the leading participants in the U.S. market for 2004 versus 1999.

Description: For the last five years, mainstream competitors operating in the life reinsurance segment have faced significant headwinds. Nevertheless, there’s evidence to suggest that life reinsurers are likely to grow in relevance within the life insurance industry. This reflects the fact that reinsurers are increasingly capable, primary market distribution for life insurance (protection) is in flux in many markets, and reinsurers have actively invested in new technology (to be ahead of the curve).

Description: A recent Society of Actuaries study calculates safety and stability for current Long Term Care Insurance premiums.

Description: The article looks back at the development of life protection product underwriting and pricing in UK. It describes the development in waves of change, looking at different drivers, e.g. consolidation of the life insurance industry, the role of technology as a driver for efficiency gains via electronic underwriting. Different levels of sophistication are being discussed and possible implications for the relationship between direct offices and reinsurers. This rather thought provoking article is based upon Munich research as well as market experience and ties in with a number of current topics as for example potential changes as a result of the Retail Distribution Review and the Gender Directive implementation.