Germany
Asia’s next big growth market
Asia-Pacific is still very much the place to be in insurance terms but as Jenni Marsh reports the less traditional markets, outside of China and Japan, are expected to be the real growth stories in the coming years.
Mandatory commission – an necessary evil?
Rumors of mandatory commission disclosure have plagued the market since the start of the year but as the European Commission confirms brokers fears Francesca Nyman assesses the impact on European brokers.
Commission disclosure overhaul could hit Germany hardest
Commission disclosure requirements in the revised Insurance Mediation Directive would have a particular impact on the German market according to law firm Norton Rose.
Talanx completes Warta aquisition
Talanx International AG has completed the acquisition of Polish insurance company TUiR Warta SA from KBC.
View from the Top: Winds of change in the power industry
Germany's policy shift towards renewable energies has been a tremendous boost to wind-farm prospects.
A mutual future?
Regulations like Solvency II will have a significant impact on mutuals across Europe. Francesca Nyman asks whether the model will survive.
Belgian mutual becomes Allianz's second acquisition this month
Allianz Belgium has agreed to acquire the insurance activities of Mensura CCA and its subsidiary Mensura Assurances SA.
Talanx may rethink July IPO owing to market volatility
German insurance group Talanx is thought to be considering postponing its initial public offering slated for July, as market volatility continues following Greece's election, Reuters reported.
German regulator seeks insurance supervisor head
Bafin, the German financial regulator, is seeking a new head of insurance supervision.
Solarif and HDI Gerling partner with LDK Solar for complete PV cover
Solar insurance and finance firm Solarif has partnered with solar photovoltaic manufacturer LDK Solar to offer customers what it claims is the first full insurance package at the system level.
Axa moves to loans to diversify investment portfolio
Insurance group Axa will offer loans to mid-cap companies in France as the firm looks to diversify its investment portfolio.
UK insurers face capital hike under RMS v11
UK insurers may see increases of up to 97% in their capital requirement for catastrophe exposures under Solvency II rules when making calculations under the new RMS model version 11, with French and German insurers facing similar though not quite so…
German financial watchdog on the hunt for new insurance head
Germany's financial regulator Bafin is seeking a new head of insurance supervision following Gabriele Hahn's move to a new role after only 18 months in the job.
MGA Dual expands with new Austrian office
Dual Group, the underwriting arm of Hyperion Insurance Group, has announced that Dual Austria will open its doors in Vienna on 1 July fronted by liability specialist Hannes Puchner.
Germany 'must open up' to global insurance market
The Eurozone crisis and the export-led boom in German industry mean that Germany's insurance buyers must look to markets outside their own borders for insurance solutions, according to Jan Blumenthal, Lloyd's general representative for Germany.
View from the top: German PI market open for growth
Germany's nascent professional indemnity market still lags behind those of its European peers, but it has considerable growth potential, as Frederik Wulff explains.
Towers Watson opens German branch
Towers Watson (Re)Insurance Brokers has continued its expansion in continental Europe with the creation of an operation in Germany.
Europa to delist following acquisition
Talanx International AG and Japanese insurer Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company have successfully closed their joint acquisition of the Polish Europa Insurance Group.
Munich Re pulls Indian reinsurance support over premium concerns
Munich Re has almost pulled out of India entirely, it has been reported.
Terrorism and civil unrest: Risky business
With several parts of the world engulfed by violence and civil unrest, is traditional terrorism and political risk cover increasingly irrelevant?
Talanx enters Indian market via joint venture
Talanx-owned insurer HDI-Gerling will enter the Indian market through a joint venture with Indian firm NBFC Magma Fincorp after a three-year bid to gain a licence for the region.
Social Media: The social media circle
With a culture of risk aversion, insurance is not a major social media player. But will the emergence of innovative German player Friendsurance change things?
Post magazine - 24 May 2012
The latest issue of Post is now available to subscribers as a digital and interactive e-book.
HDI Gerling opens Singapore branch
HDI Gerling is opening a Singapore branch after obtaining a licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.