In South Africa, long-term insurers experienced some strains during the financial crisis, but there were no crisis-related failures. The capital markets suffered sharp declines but no systemic failures. The three standards assessments have found the regulatory system fundamentally sound. The...

This technical note discusses key findings of the assessment of Insurance Core Principles (ICP) for the reinsurance industry for Switzerland. It reveals that the Swiss reinsurance market is dominated by three large players with a strong international presence. The reinsurance industry comprises...

The Belgian insurance industry was adversely affected by the global financial crisis and continued to confront challenges related to legacy assets and economic uncertainties in Europe. The Belgian authorities have made significant progress in updating the insurance regulatory regime and...

Although progress has been made in strengthening the Swiss economy, systemic risks posed by large banks as well as revisions to the macroprudential framework are still in train. The authorities welcomed the too-big-to-fail (TBTF) legislation and intervention of the Swiss National Bank (SNB) on...

This paper presents assessment results for the current state of the implementation of the Basel Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision (BCP) in Spain. It found that significant changes have occurred in Spain since the last Financial Sector Assessment Program. The most serious has been...

This report discusses key findings of the Financial Sector Stability Assessment on Canada. Canada’s financial system successfully navigated the global financial crisis, and stress tests suggest that major financial institutions would continue to be resilient to credit, liquidity, and...

This paper discusses key findings of the Detailed Assessment of Observance of International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) Insurance Core Principles for the United States. Most U.S. insurers write primary insurance on U.S. risks. The U.S. market is characterized by low market...

The staff report for Rwanda’s combined 2008 Article IV Consultation, Fifth Review Under the Three-Year Arrangement under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility, and Request for Waiver of Nonobservance of Performance Criterion is examined. Sound macroeconomic and structural policies...

This report presents a Detailed Assessment of the Observance of the Insurance Core Principles Report on Jersey. Other than the international business, most cover is obtained from insurers based overseas by the large insurance broker community on the island. There is no ombudsman and no...

The staff report highlights that the insurance sector in Sweden is well developed and mature. The captive insurance segment is mainly driven by tax advantages. This assessment provides an update on the significant regulatory and supervisory developments in the insurance sector of Sweden since...