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Global insurance regulation and systemic risk Axel P. Lehmann Group Chief Risk Officer Madrid, June 7, 2010.

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Presentation on theme: "Global insurance regulation and systemic risk Axel P. Lehmann Group Chief Risk Officer Madrid, June 7, 2010."— Presentation transcript:

1 Global insurance regulation and systemic risk Axel P. Lehmann Group Chief Risk Officer Madrid, June 7, 2010

2 © Zurich Financial Services Disclaimer and cautionary statement Certain statements in this document are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements that are predications of or indicate future events, trends, plans or objectives. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our targeted profit improvement, return on equity targets, expense reductions, pricing conditions, dividend policy and underwriting claims improvements, as well as statements regarding our understanding of general economic, financial and insurance market conditions and expected developments. Undue reliance should not be placed on such statements because, by their nature, they are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and can be affected by other factors that could cause actual results and plans and objectives of Zurich Financial Services Ltd or the Zurich Financial Services Group (the “Group”) to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward looking statements (or from past results). Factors such as (i) general economic conditions and competitive factors, particularly in our key markets; (ii) the risk of the global economic downturn and a downturn in the financial services industries in particular; (iii) performance of financial markets; (iv) levels of interest rates and currency exchange rates; (v) frequency, severity and development of insured claims events; (vi) mortality and morbidity experience; (vii) policy renewal and lapse rates; and (viii) changes in laws and regulations and in the policies of regulators may have a direct bearing on the results of operations of Zurich Financial Services Ltd and its Group and on whether the targets will be achieved. Zurich Financial Services Ltd undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise. Farmers is a trade name and may refer to Farmers Group, Inc. or the Farmers Exchanges, as the case may be. Farmers Group, Inc., a management and holding company, along with its subsidiaries, is wholly owned by Zurich Financial Services Group. The Farmers Exchanges are three reciprocal insurers, Farmers Insurance Exchange, Fire Insurance Exchange and Truck Insurance Exchange, including their subsidiaries and affiliates, owned by their policyholders, and managed by Farmers Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries. It should be noted that past performance is not a guide to future performance. Persons requiring advice should consult an independent adviser. This communication does not constitute an offer or an invitation for the sale or purchase of securities in any jurisdiction. THIS COMMUNICATION DOES NOT CONTAIN AN OFFER OF SECURITIES FOR SALE IN THE UNITED STATES; SECURITIES MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES ABSENT REGISTRATION OR EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION, AND ANY PUBLIC OFFERING OF SECURITIES TO BE MADE IN THE UNITED STATES WILL BE MADE BY MEANS OF A PROSPECTUS THAT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE ISSUER AND THAT WILL CONTAIN DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY AND MANAGEMENT, AS WELL AS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. 2

3 © Zurich Financial Services Evolution of the systemic risk debate Systemic risk originally constrained to banking sector as a result of asset-liability and duration mismatch and highly correlated assets (prone to same shocks) causing banks to fail in clusters – Traditional bank run: depositors demand their money back – Modern bank run: counterparties refuse to renew overnight loans Regulatory reaction to old-type systemic risk – Deposit insurance to protect small depositors – Central bank acting as lender of last resort Financial crises of the 1990s (Mexico 1995, Asia 1997, LTCM 1998) marked turning point away from banks as sole causes of systemic risk – Concept of contagion implies that failure of any financial institution (banks, broker dealers, hedge funds, and possibly insurers) and systematic shocks such as currency crises could quickly propagate to other institutions, markets or the whole financial system Regulatory reaction to new-type of systemic risk – Strengthened capital and liquidity provisions – Macro-prudential supervision of a wider range of financial market players 3

4 © Zurich Financial Services Insurance and systemic risk − main findings in the Geneva Association Report The insurance business model has specific features that make it a source of stability in the financial system Insurance is funded by upfront premiums, providing strong operating cash-flow without requiring wholesale short-term funding Insurance policies are generally long-term, with predictable outflows. Liquidity risk is negligible in the insurance industry The main risk for insurers is underwriting risk, which is idiosyncratic and can not be amplified by interactions of industry participants During the crisis, insurers maintained relatively steady capacity, business volumes and prices Insurers were net buyers of financial assets throughout the crisis and hence exerted a stabilizing effect on the financial system 4

5 © Zurich Financial Services In conclusion − insurance is not systemically relevant Industry recommendations * Implement comprehensive, integrated & principle-based supervision for groups Strengthen liquidity risk management Establish macro-prudential monitoring with appropriate insurance representation Strengthen risk management practices Enhance regulation of financial guarantee insurance Key takeaways Implement comprehensive, integrated & principle-based supervision for groups The financial crisis was not precipitated by core insurance activities Banking and insurance models are fundamentally different and so are systemic risk implications Focus should be on core risk activities and their associated risk profile Failure of an insurance firm unlikely to impair the economy * Source: Geneva Association Report, 2010 5

6 Thank you!


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