regulations News

China Drafts Rules for Insurers to Raise Private Equity Stakes; Trade Derivatives

China plans to double the amount insurers can invest in private equity and allow them to trade financial derivatives both at home and abroad as part of efforts to broaden their investment scope, according to a set of draft regulations …

House Lawmakers Reach Deal on Russia Trade Pact, Rights Bill

The top Republican and Democrat on the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee said on Thursday they had reached a deal to move forward on Russian trade legislation, including human rights provisions opposed by Moscow. “I am pleased that …

EU under Pressure to Delay Solvency II Insurer Capital Rules

The European Union may be forced to put back the January 2014 start date for its Solvency II capital regime for insurers after talks to agree a final draft of the strict new rules collapsed, Europe’s top insurance sector lobby …

EIOPA Releases Final ‘Own Risk and Solvency Assessment’ Report

The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has published its Final Report on draft Guidelines for Own Risk and Solvency Assessment (ORSA), which “underlines the purposes of the ORSA,” and provides “additional details on how the guidelines are to …

UK Watchdog Reviewing Regulatory Supervision after Libor Scandal

The UK’s Financial Services Authority (FSA) is reviewing how wholesale markets are supervised following the interest rate-setting scandal, its chairman Adair Turner said on Tuesday. “There are no free lunches, and shoddy wholesale practice is not a victimless act, even …

ABI Supports UK Government’s Proposals on Executive Pay Regulation

Otto Thoresen, the Director General of the Association of British Insurers, issued a positive comment on the announced plan by UK Business Secretary Dr. Vince Cable to regulate payments to company executives. The proposed measures include giving shareholders binding votes …

EU Insurers Still Coming to Terms with Solvency II as Start Date Nears

“Over the next 18 months it’s estimated that Ireland will spend 100 million euros (app. $125 million) on preparations for Solvency II (SII),” said Garvan O’Neill, a partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ financial services practice, who headed a panel discussion on the …

Accenture to Team with SAS Institute for Sweden’s Folksam Solvency II Regs

Global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company Accenture announced that it will team with SAS Institute “to implement the SAS Risk Management for Insurance solution group-wide at Folksam, one of Sweden’s largest insurers, to help comply with the Solvency …

IBM’s Algorithmics, Insurers Analyze Solvency II Compliance Preparation

Despite delays and complaints the European Union’s Solvency II regulations, which cover the insurance industry, are slowly but surely moving forward. While most of the industry is primarily concerned with the regulations governing capital requirements – Solvency II’s “Pillar I,” …

FSA’s Chief Executive Sants to Step Down in June

Hector Sants, the chief executive of the UK’s Financial Services Authority (FSA), has announced his intention to leave the organization at the end of June 2012. He indicated that, as the “fundamental design and delivery of the changes needed to …