Latest Life Insurance Headlines

All the headlines from our Life Insurance Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Swiss Re Sees Continued Emerging Market Growth; Profitability Squeeze

Dec 20 2011 // Insurance in emerging markets has “experienced strong growth over the past decade and the outlook for the next decade remains promising,” a Swiss Re sigma study concludes.However, it also notes that...

The Costs of the Financial Crisis for Policyholders

Dec 16 2011 // When examining the consequences of the financial crisis on the insurance industry it is important to differentiate between direct and indirect effects on one hand, and short- and medium-term ramifications on the...

Foreign Insurers Losing Out in China

Dec 16 2011 // Ten years ago, foreign insurers were lining up to celebrate China’s entry into the World Trade Organization, eager to tap what was certain to become the world’s next big insurance frontier.A decade on, it is...

Latest Analysis Concludes Foreign Insurers Missing Out on China Party

Dec 7 2011 // Ten years ago, foreign insurers were lining up to celebrate China’s entry into the World Trade Organization, eager to tap what was certain to become the world’s next big insurance frontier.A decade on, it is...

India’s Insurance Regulator Issues IPO Guidelines

Dec 1 2011 // India’s insurance regulator on Thursday notified guidelines for life insurers to raise capital via initial public offering (IPO) or subsequent public fund raising from the equity markets.The Insurance Regulatory and...

Best Issues Special Report on New Zealand’s Non-Life Insurance Market

Nov 14 2011 // A new report from A.M. Best examines New Zealand’s non-life insurance market, which it describes as being “in a state of transformation as it grapples with prolonged earthquake activity in addition to...

Life Insurer Sues Bank of America Over Mortgages

Nov 10 2011 // Bank of America Corp. and its Countrywide Financial unit were on Wednesday hit with a new lawsuit alleging fraud in the sale of residential mortgage debt to a New York mutual life insurance company.National Integrity Life...

Weak Markets to Hobble Canadian Insurer Results

Oct 24 2011 // Canadian insurers are looking at a bleak quarter of financial results due to a sharp drop in stock markets and bond yields, and analysts are staying cautious on the stocks even at rock-bottom valuations.Sun Life Financial...

Report AXA, Generali, Tokio Marine, MS&AD Submit Bids for HSBC Unit

Oct 14 2011 // European insurers AXA SA, Assicurazioni Generali SpA, Japan’s Tokio Marine and MS&AD Insurance Group are among suitors to submit first round bids for HSBC’s non-life insurance business, sources with...

2 Life Insurers Meet Systemic Risk Criteria

Oct 13 2011 // Only two life insurers — MetLife Inc.. and Prudential Financial Inc. — meet the newly developed requirements to be considered “systemic” and regulated as such, KBW analysts said Wednesday.The...

HSBC Approaches Japanese Insurers on Sale of Non-Life Unit

Oct 6 2011 // HSBC Holdings has approached the top three property/casualty insurers in Japan about the sale of its non-life insurance business, which could fetch more than $1 billion, sources close to the matter said on...

Report: Allianz, AXA among Likely Bidders for HSBC Unit Sale

Sep 29 2011 // European insurers Allianz and AXA SA are among the potential bidders for HSBC Holdings Plc’s sale of its general insurance business, which could fetch more than $1 billion, sources familiar with the matter told...

How Federal Reserve’s Move Hurts Life Insurers

Sep 22 2011 // The Federal Reserve’s latest move to stimulate credit for consumers and businesses, known as Operation Twist, is likely to threaten the earnings of some of the country’s largest insurers for years to come.Wall...

HBSC Selling Non-Life Insurance Business: Reuters

Sep 12 2011 // HSBC Holdings Plc has launched the sale of its non-life insurance business, sources told Reuters on Monday, a global division worth about $1 billion and now part of the bank’s plan to strip away non-core units.HSBC,...

Best Affirms Ameriprise Financial and Subs Ratings

Aug 31 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “aa-” of Minneapolis-based RiverSource Life Insurance Company and its wholly...

California Regulator Wins Case Involving Sale of Life Insurer

Aug 26 2011 // A California state appeals court has upheld a state regulators’ refusal to approve the sale of a California insurance company to a French-owned company.The decision upheld Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones’...

MetLife to Sell Banking Unit to Avoid ‘Too Big To Fail’ Regulation

Jul 22 2011 // MetLife, the largest life insurance company in the United States, has put its banking operations up for sale to avoid the “too big to fail” regulatory scrutiny that analysts have said was likely.MetLife said...

Best May Cut Ratings Outlook on Life Insurers

Jul 19 2011 // Ratings agency A.M. Best may lower its outlook on the U.S. life insurance and annuity sector to “negative” from “stable,” it warned Tuesday, as American and European sovereign debt concerns continue...

S&P Revises Outlook on Nationwide to Stable; Affirms Ratings

Jul 18 2011 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has revised its outlook on Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. (NMIC) and its property/casualty (P/C) affiliates (collectively referred to as Nationwide) to stable from...

Japan’s Nippon Life to Invest in Germany’s Allianz

Jul 5 2011 // Privately held Nippon Life Insurance Co. said on Tuesday it will invest 500 million euros ($709 million) in Germany’s Allianz Se , amid an overseas push by Japanese insurers as their traditional life insurance market...