Pension and hedge funds flush with cash and hungry for yield are creating a market for reinsurers willing to look past the price cuts these investors have inflicted on traditional catastrophe coverage. The growth of insurance-linked products that allow investors …
Increasing competition and lower underwriting margins in the reinsurance market highlights the importance of disciplined underwriting, according to an A.M. Best briefing entitled “Global Reinsurers: Who Will Gain Despite All the Pain?” “The market is expected to remain challenging in …
The largest ever volume of non-life catastrophe bonds was issued during the second quarter of 2014 (Q2), according to a report by Willis Capital Markets & Advisory (WCMA), part of Willis Group Holdings. The Willis report on insurance-linked securities found …
Catastrophe bond and insurance-linked securities (ILS) issuance have surged to record levels this year thanks to the continuing influx of alternative capital into the reinsurance market, leaving credit analysts and industry executives with questions about the challenges and benefits this …
In 2008, Florida’s government-run property insurer paid Warren Buffett $224 million to agree to buy its debt if a major storm struck. Six hurricane-free years later, the state is turning investors away. With hurricane season set to start June 1, …
The 57th Reinsurance Rendez-vous is winding down, and, while it’s been another successful networking opportunity for the re/insurance industry’s movers and shakers, most of the discussions have ended on a note of uncertainty. The elephant in the room this year …
Reinsurance market rates continued to be driven by an influx of capital from third-party investors at the July 1 renewals, in spite of catastrophe losses reaching approximately $20 billion during the first six months of 2013, Guy Carpenter & Co. …
North Carolina’s two residual homeowners insurance markets have jointly issued $500 million in pre-event catastrophe bonds to ensure they have enough money on hand to quickly pay claims following hurricanes and other named storms. The North Carolina Joint Underwriting Association …
Assurant, Inc., a provider of specialized insurance and insurance-related products and services, has finalized the structure of the company’s 2013 Property Catastrophe Reinsurance Program, including $185 million of newly issued three-year, fully collateralized catastrophe bonds. Multiple factors are considered in …
The impact of Hurricane Sandy on the catastrophe bond market is likely to be muted based on current estimates, with little impact on new pricing, according to Willis Capital Markets & Advisory (WCMA), part of global insurance broker, Willis Group …
