The interaction of worsening fundamentals and strategic complementarities among investors renders identification of self-fulfilling runs challenging. We propose a dynamic model to show how exogenous variation in firms' liability structures can be exploited to obtain variation in the strength of...

We propose that financial institutions can act as asset insulators, holding assets for the long run to protect their valuations from consequences of exposure to financial markets. We illustrate the empirical relevance of this theory for the balance sheet behavior of a large class of...

We reexamine life insurance and annuity pricing during the 2008 financial crisis. In contrastwith previous research, we find that insurers sold policies at significantly elevated markups overtheir fundamental values during the crisis months and, moreover, that statutory accountingpressures had...

To what extent do investors view life insurers as “too big to fail?” I first examine market reactions to a U.S. Treasury announcement that raised expectations about government backstops for the industry. I find that a subset of large life insurers benefited from significant protection...

Life insurers' odds of being placed under regulatory control (for example, conservatorship or receivership) during the financial crisis years of 2008 and 2009 increased with deteriorating fundamentals at a much higher rate than during normal times or during the previous recession. However, no...

This article deals with the impact of the global financial crisis on the scale and structure of investment portfolios of insurance companies, with respect to their difference compared to other types of financial institution, which derives from the specific nature of insurance activities. The...

During the financial crisis, life insurers sold long-term policies at deep discounts relative to actuarial value. The average markup was as low as −19 percent for annuities and −57 percent for life insurance. This extraordinary pricing behavior was due to financial and product market...

On 23rd February 2017, SUERF and EY organized a conference on "Brexit and the Implications for Financial Services" at EY's offices, Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London. While the outcome of the Brexit negotiations remains highly uncertain, the conference discussed the burning questions for...

The paper analyzes the use of credit default swaps (CDS) for regulatory capital relief and its consequences for systemic risk. Equity capital acts as a buffer against losses, and reduces incentives for excessive risk taking. Basel capital regulation states that banks can lower capital...

The following article reviews the recent regulatory efforts in defining systemic risk in the insurance sector and the designation of systemically important insurers. Although current evidence suggests that core insurance activities are unlikely to cause or propagate systemic risk, the...