The Insurance Australia Group Ltd, the nation’s largest home and auto insurer, has announced that it will be acquiring New Zealand’s AMI Ltd, one of the largest property insurers in New Zealand. The $286 million deal is already underway, but will require the approval of New Zealand’s insurance regulators before Insurance Australia can begin taking over policies. This is good news for those affected by the devastating earthquake that struck New Zealand in February of this year, as they will soon be able to enjoy policies from a larger, more…
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Current Chinese insurance and reinsurance marketplace influx
There have been many changes to the Chinese insurance marketplace over the last few months, with the introduction of foreign insurers as well as the recent increases in the premiums for property and casualty insurance. Aon Benfield has just announced that those premiums had risen to $6.5 billion in 2011, which was a 67 percent increase over those in 2005. Furthermore, it has been forecasted that this growth will continue to rise as the China Insurance Regulatory Commission places its focus on premium increases and policies that will form a…
Read MoreChina to open its auto insurance market to foreign insurers next year
China may soon open its doors to foreign auto insurance companies. China is the world’s largest auto market and insurance coverage in mandatory for all drivers in the nation. The country has been closed to foreign companies for decades, but China’s prominent place in the auto market may soon change that fact, according to Jin Jianqiang, chairman of the Insurance Association of China. The change may come as soon as 2012. China’s auto insurance market is valued at $31 billion currently. The market is dominated by Chinese insurance companies, which…
Read MoreItaly turns to the insurance industry to help with crippling debt crisis
Italy is on the verge of a financial meltdown, which may have dire ramifications for the global economy. Investors and financial institutions have begun casting doubt on Italy’s ability to survive a financial disaster, and now the government is turning to the insurance industry for help. Italian officials are looking to adopt disaster insurance to help mitigate the impact of a potential economic catastrophe. The country’s debt – more than $2 trillion – could mean that it is beyond rescue, even for the insurance industry. The insurance industry in Europe…
Read MoreChina State Council may discuss allowing foreign auto insurance companies into the country
Since 2009, China has been able to boast a profit in its auto insurance sector, as it experienced a tightening on the regulation of price controls that turned it around after years of losses within the insurance industry as a whole, as 70 percent of its profits were from that sector. Now, China’s State Council is thinking about taking things a step further, with the consideration of a plan that would permit some foreign insurers to sell their own liability policies for the first time within the country, increasing the…
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