In this article we identify risk and return profiles of two types of investment guaranteesin unit-linked life insurance products: an interest rate guarantee and a lookbackguarantee. This is done by comparing guarantee costs and performance for thematurity payoff and by testing the investment...

As early as the 1970s, European Union (EU) member countries implemented rulesto coordinate insurance markets and regulation. However, with the more recentmovement toward a general single EU market, financial services regulation hastaken on new meaning and priority. Solvency I regulations went...

Die aktuellen EU-Solvabilitätsvorschriften sind seit ihrer Einführung in den Jahren1973 (Nichtlebensversicherungen) und 1979 (Lebensversicherungsunternehmen)Gegenstand massiver Kritik.1 Ein zentraler Kritikpunkt resultiert aus derTatsache, dass sich die EU-Solvabilitätsregeln lediglich am...

Die Mindesteigenkapitalausstattung von Banken und Versicherungen unterliegteiner weitreichenden gesetzlichen Regulierung.1 Als Begründung für Eingriffedes Staates in die unternehmerische Freiheit wird im Versicherungsbereich häufigauf eine spezielle Gläubigerstellung des Versicherungsnehmers...

Universal life policies are the most popular insurance contract design in theUnited States. They have either a level death benefit paying a fixed faceamount, or an increasing death benefit, which additionally pays the availablecash value, and both types include the option to switch from one to...

The aim of this article is to identify fair equity-premium combinations for non-lifeinsurers that satisfy solvency capital requirements imposed by regulatory authorities. In particular, we compare target capital erived using the value at risk concept as planned for Solvency II in the European...

In recent years, industry loss warranties (ILWs) have become increasingly popular in the reinsurance market. The defining feature of ILW contracts is their dependence on an industry loss index. The use of an index reduces moral hazard and generally results in lower prices compared to...

Common features in life insurance contracts are an interest rate guarantee andpolicyholder participation in the returns of insurers’ reference portfolio, which canbe of substantial value. The aim of this paper is to analyze the model risk involvedin pricing and risk assessment that arises from...

Die seit nunmehr 20 Jahren geführte gesellschaftspolitische Debatte zum Konzept desShareholder-Value ist vor allem auch durch eine unklare Belegung und Abgrenzung derverwendeten betriebswirtschaftlichen Begriffe gekennzeichnet. Im vorliegenden Beitragwird in einem ersten Schritt eine formale...

In this paper, we investigate the impact of different asset management and surplus distributionstrategies in life insurance on risk-neutral pricing and shortfall risk. In general,these feedback mechanisms affect the contract’s payoff and hence directly influence pricingand risk measurement. To...