SEPTEMBER 2016 

ANNUAL REPORT ON THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY

Completed pursuant to Title V of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

FEDERAL INSURANCE OFFICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 
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Table of Contents

I. Introduction....................................................................................................1

A. Structure of Report ...................................................................................................... 1

B. Federal Insurance Office ............................................................................................. 1

II. Executive Summary.......................................................................................5

A. Insurance Industry Financial Overview ...................................................................... 5

B. Domestic Regulatory Developments........................................................................... 5

C. International Engagement and Standard-Setting......................................................... 7

III. Insurance Industry Financial Overview....................................................10

A. Domestic Insurance Marketplace Overview ............................................................. 11

1. Financial Performance and Condition....................................................................... 11

Box 1: Excess and Surplus (E&S) Lines Insurance .................................................. 28

2. Market Performance .................................................................................................. 36

3. 2016 Insurance Market Outlook................................................................................ 38

B. International Insurance Marketplace Overview ........................................................ 39

C. Capital Markets Activity ........................................................................................... 41

1. Mergers and Acquisitions.......................................................................................... 42

2. Alternative Risk Transfer Market.............................................................................. 42

IV. Domestic Regulatory Developments..........................................................44

A. Financial Stability Oversight Council ....................................................................... 44

1. Annual Review of Designated Nonbank Financial Companies................................ 44

2. Areas of Heightened Risk Management and Supervisory Attention ........................ 45

Box 2: Infrastructure Investments.............................................................................. 47

B. Supervision of Insurance Companies by the Federal Reserve .................................. 49

1. Capital Standards....................................................................................................... 50

2. Enhanced Prudential Standards for Insurance Companies Designated by the 

Council ...................................................................................................................... 51

3. Data Reporting .......................................................................................................... 51

4. Orderly Liquidation................................................................................................... 51

C. Regulatory Developments at the State Level ............................................................ 52

1. Capital ....................................................................................................................... 52

2. Reserving Requirements............................................................................................ 53
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3. Group Supervision..................................................................................................... 55

D. Cybersecurity............................................................................................................. 56

1. Federal Measures....................................................................................................... 56

2. State Measures........................................................................................................... 58

3. International Efforts .................................................................................................. 59

4. Cyber Risk Insurance ................................................................................................ 59

E. Terrorism Risk Insurance Program ........................................................................... 61

F. National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers.......................................... 63

G. The Availability and Affordability of Personal Automobile Insurance in the 

United States.............................................................................................................. 64

V. International Engagement and Standard-Setting ....................................66

A. Covered Agreement................................................................................................... 66

B. FIO Coordination with U.S. Authorities in the IAIS ................................................ 67

C. Stakeholder Engagement........................................................................................... 69

1. IAIS-Sponsored Engagement.................................................................................... 69

2. Domestic Engagement with Stakeholders................................................................. 70

D. International Standard-Setting................................................................................... 70

1. International Association of Insurance Supervisors.................................................. 70

2. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.................................... 76

E. Other International Cooperation................................................................................ 76

1. Updated Assessment Methodology for Global Systemically Important Insurers 

(G-SIIs) and Systemic Risk from Insurance Product Features.................................. 76

2. Financial Stability Board........................................................................................... 78

Box 3: Global Systemically Important Insurers Identified by the FSB in 2015..... 79
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Glossary

A&H .......... Accident and Health Insurance

AIG .......... American International Group, Inc.

BHC .......... Bank Holding Company

Certification Report .......... U.S. Department of the Treasury, The Process for 

Certifying an ”Act of Terrorism” under the 

Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (October

2015)

CISA .......... Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act

CMG .......... Crisis Management Group

CPMI .......... Committee on Payments and Marketing 

Infrastructure

ComFrame .......... IAIS Common Framework for the Supervision of 

Internationally Active Insurance Groups

Council .......... Financial Stability Oversight Council

Dodd-Frank Act .......... Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer 

Protection Act

EU .......... European Union

FACI .......... Federal Advisory Committee on Insurance

FCTF .......... IAIS Financial Crime Task Force

FDIC .......... Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

Federal Reserve .......... Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

FIO .......... Federal Insurance Office

FSB .......... Financial Stability Board

FSTC .......... IAIS Financial Stability and Technical Committee

G-20 .......... Group of Twenty

GAAP .......... Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

GDP .......... Gross Domestic Product

GE Capital .......... General Electric Capital Corporation

G-SIFI .......... Global Systemically Important Financial Institution

G-SII .......... Global Systemically Important Insurer

IAIG .......... Internationally Active Insurance Group

IAIS .......... International Association of Insurance Supervisors
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iCBCM .......... FSB Cross-Border Crisis Management Group for 

Insurers

ICPs .......... Insurance Core Principles of the IAIS

ICS .......... IAIS Insurance Capital Standard

IOSCO .......... International Organization of Securities 

Commissioners

IPO .......... Initial Public Offering

IPPC .......... OECD Insurance and Private Pensions Committee

LAE ........... Loss Adjustment Expenses

L/H .......... Life and Health Insurance

LMI .......... Low- and Moderate-Income Consumers

M&A .......... Mergers and Acquisitions

MetLife .......... MetLife, Inc.

Model Holding 

Company Act

.......... NAIC Model Insurance Holding Company System 

Regulatory Act

Modernization Report .......... Federal Insurance Office, U.S. Department of the 

Treasury, How to Modernize and Improve the 

System of Insurance Regulation in the United States

(December 2013)

NAIC .......... National Association of Insurance Commissioners

NARAB II .......... National Association of Registered Agents and 

Brokers Reform Act of 2015

NIST .......... National Institute of Standards and Technology

NTNI .......... Non-Traditional and Non-Insurance

OECD .......... Organisation for Economic Co-operation and 

Development

P/C .......... Property and Casualty Insurance

PBR .......... Principles-Based Reserving

Prudential .......... Prudential Financial, Inc. 

RBC .......... Risk-Based Capital

Report .......... Federal Insurance Office, U.S. Department of the 

Treasury, 2016 Annual Report on the Insurance 

Industry (September 2016)

ReSG .......... FSB Resolution Steering Group

ReWG .......... IAIS Resolution Working Group

S&P 500 .......... Standard and Poor’s 500 Index
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Secretary .......... Secretary of the Treasury

SLHC .......... Savings and Loan Holding Company

SMRTF .......... Supervisory Materials Review Task Force of the 

IAIS

SNL Financial .......... SNL Financial LC

Treasury .......... U.S. Department of the Treasury

TRIA .......... Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002

TRIP .......... Terrorism Risk Insurance Program

TRIP Reauthorization 

Act

.......... Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization 

Act of 2015

USTR .......... Office of the United States Trade Representative

WGCR .......... Joint Working Group on Cyber Resilience of CPMI 

and IOSCO
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I. INTRODUCTION

The 2016 Federal Insurance Office (FIO) Annual Report on the Insurance Industry (Report) is 

submitted pursuant to Section 502(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer 

Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act), which requires the FIO Director to report annually to the 

President, the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives, and the 

Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate “on the insurance industry and 

any other information as deemed relevant by the Director or requested by such committees.”1

A. Structure of Report

The Report begins with an overview of the domestic insurance industry that presents and 

analyzes the financial performance and condition of the key U.S. insurance industry sectors, 

namely the life and health (L/H) sector and the property and casualty (P/C) sector. This year’s 

report also includes an “outlook” section previewing industry financial performance and trends 

for 2016 based on interim results reported through June 30, 2016. 

The Report next addresses a range of developments – at the state, federal, and international 

levels – which have occurred over the past year, and which will or may have implications for the 

U.S. insurance sector. Discussions of domestic regulatory activities include updates on: the 

insurance-related activities of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (Council); supervision of 

insurers by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve); 

cybersecurity developments in the insurance industry; the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program 

(TRIP); the establishment of the National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers; and a 

range of state-based regulatory initiatives. The international section includes an overview of the 

progress of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and the Office of the United States 

Trade Representative (USTR) regarding a potential covered agreement with the European Union

(EU). The international section next addresses FIO’s engagement with the International 

Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation 

and Development (OECD); this section also outlines FIO’s engagement with stakeholders 

concerning international matters. 

B. Federal Insurance Office 

Title V of the Dodd-Frank Act established FIO within Treasury.

2

 In addition to advising the 

Secretary of the Treasury (Secretary) on major domestic and prudential international insurance 

policy issues and having its director serve as a non-voting member of the Council, FIO is 

authorized to:

 

1 31 U.S.C. § 313(n)(2).

2 31 U.S.C. § 321(a)(9). Title V also designates the Secretary as advisor to the President on “major domestic and 

international prudential policy issues in connection with all lines of insurance except health insurance.” 
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• monitor all aspects of the insurance industry, including identifying issues or gaps in the 

regulation of insurers that could contribute to a systemic crisis in the insurance industry 

or the U.S. financial system; 

• monitor the extent to which traditionally underserved communities and consumers, 

minorities, and low- and moderate-income persons have access to affordable insurance 

products regarding all lines of insurance, except health insurance;

• recommend to the Council that it designate an insurer, including the affiliates of such 

insurer, as an entity subject to regulation as a nonbank financial company supervised by 

the Federal Reserve;

• assist the Secretary in administering the TRIP established in Treasury under the 

Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002, as amended (TRIA); 

• coordinate federal efforts and develop federal policy on prudential aspects of 

international insurance matters, including representing the United States, as appropriate, 

in the IAIS and assisting the Secretary in negotiating covered agreements; 

• determine whether state insurance measures are preempted by covered agreements; 

• consult with the states (including state insurance regulators) regarding insurance matters 

of national importance and prudential insurance matters of international importance; and 

• perform such other related duties and authorities as may be assigned to FIO by the 

Secretary.3

Also, before the Secretary may make a determination as to whether to seek the appointment of 

the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver of an insurer under Title II of the 

Dodd-Frank Act, the Secretary must first receive a written recommendation from the FIO 

Director and the Federal Reserve.4 Additionally, FIO and the Federal Reserve coordinate on the 

conduct of annual analyses of nonbank financial companies supervised by the Federal Reserve, 

particularly with respect to stress testing, to evaluate whether such companies have the capital, 

on a consolidated basis, necessary to absorb losses as a result of adverse economic conditions.5

A summary of FIO activities pursuant to these authorities during the period covered by this 

Report (some of which are further detailed in this Report) is provided below.

In September 2015, Treasury published FIO’s report on the State of the U.S. Market for Natural

Catastrophe Insurance, presenting an overview of natural catastrophe insurance in the United 

 3 31 U.S.C. § 313(c)(1).

4 12 U.S.C. § 5383(a)(1)(C).

5 12 U.S.C. § 5365(i)(1)(A).
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States, including homeowner insurance, flood insurance, and earthquake insurance, as well as the 

reinsurance market for natural disasters.6

In October 2015, Treasury released a report entitled The Process for Certifying an ‘Act of 

Terrorism’ under the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (Certification Report).7 Following 

the release of the Certification Report, Treasury embarked on updating the regulations under 

TRIP to reflect changes included in the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act 

of 2015 (TRIP Reauthorization Act),8 including reforms relating to the certification process. On

April 1, 2016, Treasury published a notice of proposed rulemaking,

9 in response to which 

Treasury received 26 comment letters from the public.10 Treasury continues to evaluate the 

comments received in connection with the development of a final rule implementing the changes 

to TRIP.

In addition, pursuant to the TRIP Reauthorization Act, in June 2016 Treasury published a report 

on the effectiveness of the TRIP program, concluding that TRIP remains an important 

mechanism in ensuring the availability and affordability of terrorism risk insurance in the United 

States.11 This report was based in part on FIO’s voluntary data call of insurers conducted

between January and April 2016. 

In order to facilitate dialogue with the state insurance departments, the Director of FIO also has 

joined information sharing memoranda of understanding with the Council, the Office of 

Financial Research, and 38 state insurance departments.

FIO has continued working with state, federal, and international policymakers on the subject of 

cybersecurity in the financial sector, and particularly with respect to the insurance sector. During 

2016, FIO hosted a roundtable at Treasury to discuss issues related to the growing awareness of 

and market for cyber risk insurance.

 6 The Natural Catastrophe report is available at https://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/fio/reports-andnotices/Pages/default.aspx. FIO also discussed catastrophe insurance at length in last year’s Annual Report on the 

Insurance Industry, found at the same link.

7 The Certification Report is available at https://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/fio/reports-andnotices/Pages/default.aspx. 

8 Pub. L. No. 114-1, 129 Stat. 3 (2015).

9 The notice of proposed rulemaking is available at https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=TREAS-TRIP-2016-

0005-0001.

10 All public comments are available at

https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=25&so=DESC&sb=commentDueDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=TREA

S-TRIP-2016-0005.

11 The 2016 TRIP Program Effectiveness Report is available at https://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/fio/reports-andnotices/Pages/default.aspx.
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FIO also continued its work related to the affordability of personal auto insurance, adopting a 

study methodology after consideration of public comment.12 The core of the methodology is 

centered on the calculation of an affordability index (Index), developed by FIO for use 

exclusively in its auto insurance affordability study. The Index is further addressed in this 

Report. The results of the study will be published at a later date. 

The Federal Advisory Committee on Insurance (FACI), which provides advice and 

recommendations to FIO in performing its duties and authorities, met in Washington, D.C. in 

November of 2015 and in May and August of 2016. In addition, the Advisory Committee on 

Risk-Sharing Mechanisms, which provides advice and recommendations to Treasury with 

respect to private market risk-sharing mechanisms for protection against losses arising from acts 

of terrorism, met in Washington, D.C. in February and June of 2016.

Throughout 2015 and 2016, FIO has continued to reinforce its statutory role representing the 

United States in the IAIS and elsewhere (both bilaterally and multilaterally) on prudential 

insurance measures. In November 2015, Treasury and USTR sent letters to Congress noting that 

FIO and USTR intended to initiate negotiations with the EU on a covered agreement related to 

certain prudential insurance matters, and those negotiations formally began in February 2016.13 

FIO has taken numerous actions to coordinate U.S. efforts on international insurance matters, 

including ensuring that U.S. stakeholders have opportunities to meet and work with all of the 

U.S. participants at the IAIS. Working with state insurance regulators and the Federal Reserve, 

FIO regularly convenes U.S. stakeholders, including industry and consumer advocates, to meet 

and present to all U.S. members of the IAIS at one time. FIO will continue such engagement, 

which enables the U.S. members of the IAIS to receive the views of a wide range of U.S. 

stakeholders in a U.S.-based forum. FIO has also continued its work with the EU- U.S. 

Insurance Project, and frequently consults with supervisors from various jurisdictions on a 

bilateral basis. These and related international initiatives are addressed in this Report.

 12 The auto affordability methodology was published in the Federal Register: Monitoring Availability and 

Affordability of Auto Insurance, 81 Fed. Reg. 45,372 (July 13, 2016).

13 The November 20, 2015 letter to Congress is available at https://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/fio/reports-andnotices/Pages/default.aspx. On September 30, 2015, FIO published its annual “preemption report,” noting that

during the preceding year FIO did not take any actions regarding the preemption of any state insurance measures, 

also available at https://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/fio/reports-and-notices/Pages/default.aspx.
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II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A. Insurance Industry Financial Overview

This section of the Report provides an overview of the financial condition and performance of 

both the life and health (L/H) and property and casualty (P/C) sectors of the U.S. insurance 

industry in 2015. 

For 2015, the U.S. insurance industry reported another year in a run of solid financial 

performance, and, in the aggregate, remained in sound financial condition. Positive net income 

again raised the reported surplus level of the L/H sector to a record level of $367 billion at the 

end of 2015. The P/C sector was also profitable, but net unrealized capital losses caused surplus 

to remain essentially flat at $687 billion as of year-end 2015.

L/H sector aggregate net written premiums decreased very slightly to $638 billion in 2015, 

compared to $648 billion in 2014; lower sales of annuity products were the main reason for the 

decline. In 2015, P/C sector aggregate net written premiums increased three percent to a new 

record high level at $520 billion due to lower reinsurance costs and general economic growth. 

Premiums written in personal lines of insurance grew slightly faster than those in commercial 

lines.

Both sectors of the insurance industry were profitable in 2015. Net income for the L/H sector for 

2015 increased to $40 billion from $38 billion in 2014 as a decline in revenues was more than 

offset by a decline in total benefits and expenses. Pretax income increased 11 percent in 2015, 

but higher realized capital losses compared to 2014 held the gain in net income to seven percent. 

The P/C sector reported net income of $58 billion in 2015, lower than the $68 billion reported in 

2014. The sector showed an underwriting gain for the third consecutive year, but an increase in 

the combined ratio and lower investment income were responsible for the 10 percent drop in net 

income. 

The insurance industry remained active in the capital markets in 2015. In the aggregate, the 

industry raised $6 billion of new equity capital in 2015. Debt financing remained attractive as 

interest rates remained historically low, and the insurance industry issued $46 billion in new 

debt. Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity was significant in 2015, as a number of large 

transactions were announced. Several of these transactions were in the health insurance sector, 

and some have met with resistance due to market concentrations that could result from their 

completion. The aggregate value of the 87 insurance M&A deals announced between January 1, 

2015 and March 31, 2016 was over $150 billion, a level more than ten times the aggregate value 

of all insurance M&A transactions announced in 2014.

B. Domestic Regulatory Developments

This section of the Report addresses a number of regulatory developments in the United States 

relating to insurance. 
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The Financial Stability Oversight Council (Council) has previously voted to make a final 

determination that four nonbank financial companies, including three insurers, should be subject 

to supervision by the Federal Reserve and enhanced prudential standards. The four companies 

are American International Group, Inc. (AIG), MetLife, Inc. (MetLife), Prudential Financial, Inc. 

(Prudential), and General Electric Capital Corporation (GE Capital). In 2015, the Council 

completed its second annual reevaluations of AIG and Prudential and did not rescind the 

determinations regarding either company. On March 30, 2016, the U.S. District Court for the 

District of Columbia rescinded the Council’s determination regarding MetLife; the government 

has appealed the decision to the appellate court. In 2016, the Council voted to rescind the 

designation of GE Capital.

The Report examines the effects of the low interest rate environment on insurers—particularly 

life insurers. The effects of the low interest rate environment are exacerbated as life insurers also 

may face challenges constructing investment portfolios that properly match liabilities. The

Report next assesses the progress state insurance regulators have made to improve regulations 

relating to captive reinsurers that assume risk from affiliated life insurers. On this issue, state 

insurance regulators have improved standards applicable to ceding life insurers that engage in 

such transactions with captive reinsurers, but additional work is needed to develop a consistent 

oversight regime aimed at improving the transparency and solvency of captive life reinsurers. 

The Report discusses actions by the Federal Reserve in its role as the consolidated supervisor for 

insurance holding companies that own insured depository institutions, i.e., an insured bank or 

savings and loan association, as well as insurers designated by the Council. In 2016, the Federal 

Reserve published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on Capital Requirements for 

Supervised Institutions Significantly Engaged in Insurance Activities. The Federal Reserve 

proposed two different approaches for consolidated capital requirements, one for insurance 

depository institution holding companies and another for insurers designated by the Council. In 

2016, the Federal Reserve also proposed rules which would apply enhanced prudential standards 

to insurance companies designated by the Council, as well as a proposal to collect data on the 

Federal Reserve’s consolidated financial statement form. 

The Report also examines certain recent state-based insurance regulatory developments, in 

particular, the ongoing work related to the development of a “group capital calculation.”

Another development is the adoption of Principles Based Reserving (PBR) by a sufficient 

number of states to trigger the commencement of a three year implementation period, beginning 

January 1, 2017, for new standards governing reserving requirements for life insurers. The 

Report acknowledges that adoption of PBR is a significant accomplishment, but cautions that 

PBR presents certain concerns and may not eliminate the use of captive reinsurers. The Report 

also notes additional developments relating to the supervision of insurance groups by state 

insurance regulators.

Efforts are underway at both the federal and state levels to address cybersecurity issues relevant 

to the insurance sector, including information sharing. In December 2015, President Obama 

signed into law the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, which establishes a framework for 
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cybersecurity information sharing among federal government agencies and private sector 

participants. In 2015 and 2016, FIO hosted discussions with insurance stakeholders relating to 

cybersecurity issues. State insurance regulators have taken steps to address cybersecurity

concerns in the past year, including the development of the Insurance Data Security Model Law

and adoption of new (but not mandatory) resources to enhance examinations of insurers’ 

cybersecurity posture. The Report also discusses the current state of the cyber risk insurance 

market, including a summary of common cyber risk insurance products currently offered by 

insurers. 

The Terrorism Risk Insurance Program (TRIP), administered by the Secretary with the assistance 

of FIO, was reauthorized in 2015. On April 1, 2016, Treasury issued a notice of proposed 

rulemaking to implement changes to TRIP required by the TRIP Reauthorization Act, and FIO 

continues to consider comments received in developing a final rule. For the first time, FIO also 

collected terrorism risk insurance information from participating insurers pursuant to the new 

requirements of the TRIP Reauthorization Act and, based on that data, submitted a required 

report on Program effectiveness. That report concluded that TRIP remains an important 

mechanism in ensuring that terrorism risk insurance remains available and generally affordable 

in the United States.

This section of the Report concludes with an update on the establishment of a 13-member board 

of directors to govern the National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers and an 

overview of FIO’s approach to measuring the affordability of personal automobile insurance for 

traditionally underserved communities, minorities, and low- and moderate-income consumers. 

C. International Engagement and Standard-Setting

This section of the Report surveys and summarizes key developments with respect to 

international standard-setting and other international regulatory matters, including FIO’s 

engagement with a broad spectrum of these issues.

FIO has authority to coordinate federal efforts and develop federal policy on prudential aspects 

of international insurance matters, including representing the United States, as appropriate, in the 

IAIS and assisting the Secretary in negotiating covered agreements. FIO is also involved in the 

OECD. In its international work, FIO coordinates with federal and state authorities, and 

proactively engages with consumer, industry, and other stakeholders. 

FIO’s work at the IAIS includes participating with other member jurisdictions in the 

development of international standards for the supervision of insurance. International standards 

are not self-executing in member jurisdictions. The United States separately considers any 

international standard and may implement it, as appropriate, through a federal or state process. 

Whether at the state or federal level, implementation of an international standard occurs in a 

manner tailored to the unique features of the U.S. insurance sector – promoting competition and 

consumer choice, and supporting both consumer protection and financial stability.
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Title V of the Dodd-Frank Act authorizes the Secretary and USTR jointly to negotiate a covered 

agreement on behalf of the United States. A covered agreement is a written bilateral or 

multilateral agreement between the United States and one or more foreign governments or 

insurance authorities regarding prudential measures with respect to the business of insurance or 

reinsurance. In November 2015, Treasury and USTR jointly sent letters to Congress regarding 

the intention to initiate negotiations to enter into a covered agreement with the EU that would 

level the regulatory playing field for U.S.-based insurers and reinsurers operating in the EU, and 

further confirm that the existing U.S. insurance regulatory system serves the goals of insurance 

sector oversight, policyholder protection, and national and global financial stability. Four 

negotiating sessions have been held thus far, in February, May, July, and September 2016. State 

insurance regulators are closely consulted throughout these negotiations, including in the 

development of U.S. proposals.

FIO is a member of the IAIS, the international standard-setting body for supervision of the 

insurance sector. Other U.S.-based members of the IAIS include the Federal Reserve, each of 

the 56 state and territory insurance regulators, and the National Association of Insurance 

Commissioners (NAIC). FIO coordinated the establishment of a Steering Committee comprised 

of the U.S. regulatory participants at the IAIS to address pending and emerging international 

insurance matters, and has since held regularly scheduled calls and in-person meetings, with 

additional ad hoc calls or meetings occurring as needed. 

The Report also describes FIO’s work at the IAIS on standard-setting activities. This work 

includes revisions in June 2016 to improve the IAIS methodology to assess and identify global 

systemically important insurers (G-SIIs), insurers that may then be subject to heightened 

prudential requirements to the extent implemented by the relevant supervisor. In 2015, 

following consultation with the IAIS and national authorities, the Financial Stability Board 

(FSB) identified nine insurers as G-SIIs, including three U.S.-based firms: AIG, MetLife, and 

Prudential. The IAIS also published the paper Systemic Risk from Insurance Product Features in 

June 2016, revising and clarifying the concepts of substantial liquidity risk and macroeconomic 

exposure. In this paper, the IAIS discontinued its use of the previous non-traditional product 

criteria, replacing it with a more granular assessment of insurance product features, noting that 

certain insurance products may have a greater potential to pose systemic risk. This work should 

lead to identification of activities and products that contribute to higher systemic risk potential in 

insurance markets around the world. 

The IAIS continues to develop the Common Framework for the Supervision of Internationally 

Active Insurance Groups (ComFrame), an integrated, multilateral, and multidisciplinary 

framework for the heightened supervision of Internationally Active Insurance Groups (IAIGs). 

The initial development phase of the qualitative standards within ComFrame, pertaining to 

governance and risk management, was completed in 2014, followed by a public consultation 

phase. ComFrame is being field tested, and for the 2015 exercise a group of 34 volunteer 

insurers participated, including nine from the United States. The IAIS currently expects to 

continue to develop and field test ComFrame through 2019.
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ComFrame also aspires to provide a more common approach to group capital requirements 

through a calibrated group capital standard that is understood by supervisors across jurisdictions. 

To that end, work continues at the IAIS on a risk-sensitive Insurance Capital Standard (ICS), 

which is a proposed group capital standard, i.e., a measure of the capital adequacy of the entire 

insurance group. The IAIS began field testing of the ICS in 2013, with the process evolving 

through annual iterations to include testing of each of the relevant components of the ICS: 

valuation, capital requirements, and capital resources. 

Through the Financial Crime Task Force (FCTF), led by FIO, the IAIS engages in international 

efforts related to combating the role of insurance in financial crime including fraud, the financing 

of terrorism, and money laundering. The FCTF also addresses matters of cybersecurity in the 

insurance sector, and developed an Issues Paper on Cyber Risk to the Insurance Sector for 

publication in 2016. 

U.S. stakeholders have numerous opportunities to engage with FIO and with other IAIS 

members about matters before the IAIS. In recent months, these have included the development 

of the ICS, revisions to the IAIS G-SII Methodology, and resolution-related matters. IAIS 

engagement includes more than 140 hours of stakeholder sessions and meetings in 2015; open 

dialogue sessions, including with the IAIS Executive Committee during its 2016 Global 

Seminar; the release of formal consultation documents for public comment regarding a range of 

issues; engagement with insurance groups that are participating in the field testing of the ICS, 

including nine U.S.-based insurers; and a monthly newsletter that updates stakeholders regarding 

developments and frequent updates to the IAIS website.

FIO also provides U.S. stakeholders opportunities to engage directly with U.S.-based members 

of the IAIS. Such opportunities include sessions at Treasury that allow U.S. stakeholders 

interested in IAIS activities to meet jointly with FIO, the Federal Reserve, and state insurance 

regulators; frequent informal conference calls and meetings with U.S.-based IAIS members prior 

to IAIS meetings; frequent engagement with U.S. insurers participating in the IAIS field testing; 

and daily outreach to numerous stakeholders on nearly every issue on which FIO works, both in 

the IAIS and domestically. 
Annual Report on the Insurance Industry (September 2016)

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FEDERAL INSURANCE OFFICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

10

III. INSURANCE INDUSTRY FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

In the aggregate, the U.S. insurance industry, i.e., those U.S.- or foreign-owned regulated 

insurance entities operating in the United States, reported another year of solid financial

performance, and remained in sound financial condition through 2015.14 L/H sector net 

premiums written decreased slightly, primarily due to a decline in annuity premiums and 

deposits. Despite a higher invested asset base, investment yield continued to decline as a result 

of the current low interest rate environment. Total expenses decreased at a faster pace than the 

decline in revenues, leading to an increase in operating income compared to 2014. Net income 

and return on average equity both improved over 2014 levels. Capital and surplus attained a 

record high level, and leverage decreased slightly to its lowest level in the past ten years.

Total property and casualty (P/C) insurance premiums increased to yet another record level in 

2015. Underwriting activities again produced positive contributions to the bottom line; while the 

combined ratio15 for the P/C sector increased slightly, to approximately 98 percent in 2015, it 

remained below 100 for the third consecutive year. The increase in the combined ratio was 

driven by higher losses primarily in commercial automobile and non-catastrophic, weatherrelated personal lines of business. Net investment income and investment yield decreased in 

2015, with investment yield reaching its lowest level in the past ten years. The P/C sector’s net 

income decreased for the second consecutive year, driven by the decrease in the underwriting 

gain. The P/C sector’s policyholder surplus showed an essentially flat comparison with the 

record high achieved in 2014.

A recurring theme throughout the Report is the impact of the continued low interest rate

environment on the insurance industry. While the low interest rate environment has been in

place for a number of years, its negative impacts on the insurance industry have become more

visible in 2015. Investment income for both L/H and P/C insurers has stagnated, and net yields

on invested assets have continued to decline, reaching their lowest levels in the past ten years in

2015. Reinvestment risk – the inability to reinvest funds from maturing investments at rates of

return equal to what existed when the maturing investments were originally purchased – is 

making it difficult for life insurers in particular to match asset and liability cash flows. Insurers

have taken measured steps to address the effect of low interest rates, but those steps may not be 

 14 Except as otherwise indicated, data cited in this section of the Report are as of December 31, 2015, as derived 

from SNL Financial LC (SNL Financial) on April 25, 2016. These data are on a statutory accounting basis. SNL 

Financial continuously updates its data for corrections in filings; 2014 data in this report are based on updated data 

available as of April 25, 2016, and thus may be different in some respects from corresponding figures reported in 

FIO’s 2015 Annual Report on the Insurance Industry. Due to certain conventions used by SNL Financial for 

aggregation of industry data, some columns in the accompanying tables may not sum to the totals which have been 

separately accumulated by SNL Financial from individual legal entity data. Some figures may not add to 100 

percent due to rounding.

15 The combined ratio is an accepted metric used to compare underwriting performance in the P/C sector; it is the 

sum of the loss ratio (incurred loss divided by earned premiums) and the expense ratio (incurred expenses divided 

by written premiums). 
Annual Report on the Insurance Industry (September 2016)

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FEDERAL INSURANCE OFFICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

11

adequate if interest rates continue to remain historically low. The potential exit of the United 

Kingdom from the EU (Brexit), as the resulting heightened market volatility and uncertainty in 

financial markets suggests, may exacerbate these concerns.

A. Domestic Insurance Marketplace Overview

In 2015, total direct written premiums for the L/H and P/C sectors combined were $1.27 trillion, 

or approximately seven percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the United States.

Figure 1: Total Direct Premiums Written for Life and Property and Casualty ($ thousands)

Source: SNL Financial

1. Financial Performance and Condition

This section focuses on the financial performance and condition of the 995 L/H insurers, the 

2,673 P/C insurers, and the 1,077 health insurers licensed in the United States.16 Insurers in the 

L/H sector offer products in two segments: (1) life insurance and annuities, which generally 

protect against the risk of financial loss associated with an individual’s death and provide income 

streams for retirement, respectively; and (2) accident and health (A&H) products, which cover 

expenses for health and long-term care or provide income in the event of disability. Insurers in 

the P/C sector offer products that generally protect against the risk of financial loss associated 

with damage to property or exposure to liability for individuals and families (personal lines) or 

for businesses (commercial lines).

 16 A.M. Best Aggregates and Averages (2015) and SNL Financial. The L/H and P/C sectors are the primary 

insurance industry sectors in the United States. The Health sector includes companies licensed solely as health 

insurers or as Health Maintenance Organizations, but is not the focus of the remainder of this report.

950,000,000

1,000,000,000

1,050,000,000

1,100,000,000

1,150,000,000

1,200,000,000

1,250,000,000

1,300,000,000

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
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FEDERAL INSURANCE OFFICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

12

Net written premiums for the L/H sector were approximately $638 billion in 2015, or 37 percent 

of net written premiums for the combined L/H, P/C, and Health sectors.17 For the P/C sector, net 

written premiums were approximately $520 billion, or 30 percent of net written premiums for the 

combined L/H, P/C, and Health sectors. The Health sector reported $581 billion of net written 

premiums for 2015, or 33 percent of the combined total for the three sectors. At the end of 2015, 

the L/H sector held approximately $6.3 trillion of total assets (including $2.4 trillion held in 

separate accounts), the P/C sector held approximately $1.8 trillion, and the Health sector held 

approximately $355 billion. Capital and surplus in the L/H sector stood at approximately $367 

billion as of December 31, 2015, the P/C sector reported capital and surplus of approximately 

$687 billion, and the Health sector reported approximately $153 billion.

Figures 2 and 3 present snapshots of the L/H sector market, showing the ten largest L/H 

insurance groups measured by direct written premiums, and market share for life insurance 

(including annuities and other deposit-type contracts) and for A&H lines of business, 

respectively. Premiums shown in Figures 2 and 3 aggregate all L/H sector products and all 

geographies of the United States.

Figure 2: L/H Insurance Groups by 2015 U.S. Life Insurance Lines Direct Premiums Written

2014

Rank

2015

Rank Insurance Group

2014 Direct 

Premiums 

Written 

($000)

Share 

of Total 

(%)

2015 Direct 

Premiums 

Written 

($000)

Share 

of 

Total 

(%)

1 1 MetLife Inc. $ 95,331,132 16.14 $102,487,074 16.43

2 2 Prudential Financial Inc. 44,720,129 7.57 43,134,670 6.91

3 3 New York Life Insurance Group 28,393,849 4.81 29,647,519 4.75

4 4 Jackson National Life Group 26,708,218 4.52 27,457,195 4.40

5 5 AEGON NV 25,339,180 4.29 24,983,201 4.01

7 6 American International Group 23,279,901 3.94 24,976,781 4.00

8 7 Principal Financial Group Inc. 18,894,839 3.20 23,416,059 3.75

10 8 Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. 16,818,431 2.85 23,117,904 3.71

6 9 Lincoln National Corp. 24,329,107 4.12 22,676,916 3.64

15 10 AXA SA 13,236,998 2.24 19,478,236 3.12

Combined Top 10 $ 322,328,544 54.57 $ 341,375,555 54.72

Combined Top 25 $ 466,673,804 79.01 $ 496,278,055 79.56

Combined Top 100 $ 582,917,306 98.68 $ 616,328,687 98.80

Total U.S. Life Insurance Lines $ 590,586,565 $ 623,800,268

Source: SNL Financial (includes Life Insurance (No Annuity), Annuity Considerations, Deposit-type Contracts 

(State Page), Other Considerations (State Page))

The data presented in Figures 2 and 3 for life and annuity business, and in the comparable figures 

that follow for other lines of business, are aggregated at a group level from filings made with

state insurance regulators by individual legal entity insurers. For example, premiums shown for 

 17 Net written premiums means direct written premiums less net ceded reinsurance premiums.
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FEDERAL INSURANCE OFFICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

13

MetLife, Inc. include premiums written by all of its insurance subsidiaries in the United States, 

but exclude business written by affiliated entities in other jurisdictions. Similarly, Jackson 

National Life Group is foreign-owned, and results shown only include U.S. operations.

Over 2015, the market share rankings changed little among the five largest writers of life 

insurance and annuities. MetLife Inc. remained the largest writer of life insurance products in 

the United States. Growth at Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. raised the firm to the 

eighth-largest writer of life insurance products from its tenth place position in 2014. 

Additionally, solid growth from AXA SA’s U.S. businesses (primarily AXA Equitable Life 

Insurance Company and MONY Life Insurance Company of America) raised it into the top ten 

writers of life and annuity products at tenth place for 2015, while Manulife Financial

Corporation, in ninth place in 2014, dropped out of the top ten in 2015.

Figure 3: L/H Insurance Groups by 2015 U.S. A&H Lines Direct Premiums Written

2014 

Rank

2015 

Rank Insurance Group

2014 Direct 

Premiums 

Written 

($000)

Share 

of Total 

(%)

2015 Direct 

Premiums 

Written 

($000)

Share 

of 

Total 

(%)

1 1 UnitedHealth Group Inc. $ 43,507,883 26.21 $ 43,817,056 25.80

2 2 Aetna Inc. 23,151,559 13.95 24,962,250 14.70

4 3 Cigna Corp. 13,410,940 8.08 14,795,932 8.71

3 4 Aflac Inc. 14,601,368 8.80 13,643,143 8.03

5 5 MetLife Inc. 6,657,580 4.01 6,979,479 4.11

6 6 Unum Group 5,259,763 3.17 5,450,922 3.21

7 7 Mutual of Omaha Insurance Co. 3,262,797 1.97 3,473,322 2.05

8 8 Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America 3,214,961 1.94 3,413,472 2.01

9 9 Assurant Inc. 2,849,114 1.72 3,057,806 1.80

10 10 Genworth Financial Inc. 2,605,503 1.57 2,637,316 1.55

Combined Top 10 $ 118,521,468 71.42 $ 122,230,698 71.97

Combined Top 25 $ 143,006,952 86.17 $ 146,781,917 86.44

Combined Top 100 $ 164,473,914 99.08 $ 168,489,631 99.20

Total U.S. A&H Lines $ 166,000,384 $ 169,815,927

Source: SNL Financial

Figure 3 shows A&H premiums written by insurers authorized to offer both life and health 

insurance; it excludes A&H premiums written by insurers authorized to offer only health 

insurance (see Figure 7 below). Thus, for example, the data presented in Figure 3 for 

UnitedHealth Group Inc. does not reflect that insurer’s total health insurance premiums on a 

consolidated basis, but only premiums written by its subsidiaries licensed to offer both life and 

health insurance. UnitedHealth Group Inc. also writes health insurance business through 

subsidiaries that offer only health insurance, and those premiums are reflected in Figure 7. 

Cigna Corp. and Aflac Inc. exchanged third and fourth places (with Cigna Corp. rising to third) 

in 2015; otherwise, the market share rankings among the top ten writers of A&H business over 

the year did not change.
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FEDERAL INSURANCE OFFICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

14

As noted above, P/C insurers underwrite a variety of products, generally categorized as either 

personal lines or commercial lines. Figure 4 reports market share information on a combined 

P/C sector basis, which is then detailed for commercial lines (Figure 5) and personal lines 

(Figure 6). Figures 4 and 5 include 2014 and 2015 data for The Chubb Corp. on a combined 

basis with ACE Ltd.; in January 2016, ACE Ltd. acquired The Chubb Corp. and changed the 

name of the combined insurer to Chubb Ltd. 

On a combined basis (including all lines of P/C business), over 2015, Allstate Corp. and 

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. each gained one spot in market share, rising to second and third, 

respectively, due to strong premium growth. Due to relatively flat premiums compared to 2014, 

Liberty Mutual dropped to fourth place. Market share rankings did not change significantly 

among the top ten writers of commercial lines or the top ten writers of personal lines.

Figure 4: P/C Insurance Groups by 2015 U.S. Combined Lines Direct Premiums Written

2014

Rank

2015

Rank Insurance Group

2014 Direct 

Premiums 

Written 

($000)

Share 

of Total 

(%)

2015 Direct 

Premiums 

Written 

($000)

Share 

of 

Total 

(%)

1 1 State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance $ 58,508,587 10.25 $ 59,361,685 10.12

3 2 Allstate Corp. 28,892,088 5.06 30,180,756 5.14

4 3 Berkshire Hathaway Inc. 26,585,999 4.66 29,967,354 5.11

2 4 Liberty Mutual 29,364,559 5.14 29,848,412 5.09

5 5 Travelers Companies Inc. 22,790,776 3.99 23,200,304 3.95

7 6 Progressive Corp. 20,056,860 3.51 21,346,246 3.64

6 7 Chubb Ltd. 20,173,757 3.53 20,610,781 3.51

8 8 Nationwide Mutual Group 18,935,862 3.32 19,577,849 3.34

9 9 American International Group 18,653,981 3.27 19,066,161 3.25

10 10 Farmers Insurance Group of Cos 18,611,695 3.26 19,050,733 3.25

Combined Top 10 $ 262,574,164 45.99 $ 272,210,281 46.40

Combined Top 25 $ 368,967,388 64.63 $ 383,402,686 65.35

Combined Top 100 $ 485,462,432 85.04 $ 504,526,812 86.03

Total U.S. P/C Sector $ 570,782,303 $ 586,704,646

Source: SNL Financial (including all lines of business)
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FEDERAL INSURANCE OFFICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

15

Figure 5: P/C Insurance Groups by 2015 Commercial Lines Direct Premiums Written

2014

Rank

2015

Rank Insurance Group

2014 Direct 

Premiums 

Written 

($000)

Share 

of Total 

(%)

2015 Direct 

Premiums 

Written 

($000)

Share 

of 

Total 

(%)

1 1 American International Group $ 17,116,239 6.03 $ 16,980,061 5.90

2 2 Chubb Ltd. 16,367,803 5.77 16,626,321 5.77

3 3 Travelers Companies Inc. 16,164,807 5.70 16,347,492 5.68

4 4 Liberty Mutual 14,047,958 4.95 13,801,267 4.79

5 5 Zurich Insurance Group 12,986,152 4.58 13,403,445 4.66

6 6 CNA Financial Corp. 8,633,944 3.04 9,203,419 3.20

7 7 Nationwide Mutual Group 7,978,557 2.81 8,401,984 2.92

8 8 Hartford Financial Services 7,265,273 2.56 7,478,308 2.60

9 9 Berkshire Hathaway Inc. 5,990,165 2.11 7,056,856 2.45

10 10 Tokio Marine Group 5,712,232 2.01 5,956,554 2.07

Combined Top 10 $ 112,263,130 39.56 $ 115,255,707 40.04

Combined Top 25 $ 169,440,000 59.70 $ 174,079,000 60.47

Combined Top 100 $ 237,774,248 83.76 $ 246,417,152 85.60

Total U.S. P/C Commercial Lines $ 283,724,026 $ 287,931,459

Source: SNL Financial

Figure 6: P/C Insurance Groups by 2015 Personal Lines Direct Premiums Written

2014 

Rank

2015 

Rank Insurance Group

2014 Direct 

Premiums 

Written 

($000)

Share 

of Total 

(%)

2015 Direct 

Premiums 

Written 

($000)

Share 

of 

Total 

(%)

1 1 State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance $ 53,481,180 19.01 $ 54,340,977 18.57

2 2 Allstate Corp. 26,713,088 9.50 27,963,957 9.56

3 3 Berkshire Hathaway Inc. 20,525,245 7.30 22,828,453 7.80

4 4 Progressive Corp. 17,386,523 6.18 18,374,148 6.28

5 5 Liberty Mutual 15,312,058 5.44 16,039,932 5.48

7 6 USAA Insurance Group 14,540,246 5.17 15,562,507 5.32

6 7 Farmers Insurance Group of Cos 14,854,795 5.28 15,270,479 5.22

8 8 Nationwide Mutual Group 10,948,729 3.89 11,163,343 3.81

9 9 Travelers Companies Inc. 6,624,648 2.36 6,852,414 2.34

10 10 American Family Mutual Insurance Co. 6,071,432 2.16 6,420,260 2.19

Combined Top 10 $ 186,457,944 66.29 $ 194,816,470 66.57

Combined Top 25 $ 224,074,980 79.68 $ 234,115,970 79.99

Combined Top 100 $ 263,556,358 93.70 $ 275,437,309 94.13

Total U.S. P/C Personal Lines $ 281,293,906 $ 292,660,077

Source: SNL Financial

As shown in Figure 7 below, market share rankings among the top seven health insurance groups 

in 2015 did not change, although the largest, UnitedHealth Group Inc., increased its market share 

by approximately one percentage point. Molina Healthcare, Inc. entered the top ten for the first 

time in 2015, as Highmark Insurance Group (eighth-largest in 2014) dropped out of the top ten.
Annual Report on the Insurance Industry (September 2016)

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FEDERAL INSURANCE OFFICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

16

Figure 7: Health Insurance Groups by 2015 U.S. Health Lines Direct Premiums Written

2014

Rank

2015

Rank Insurance Group

2014 Direct 

Premiums 

Written 

($000)

Share 

of 

Total 

(%)

2015 Direct 

Premiums 

Written ($000)

Share 

of 

Total 

(%)

1 1 UnitedHealth Group Inc. $ 54,974,350 10.32 $ 67,313,486 11.35

2 2 Anthem Inc. 52,217,810 9.80 54,715,501 9.23

3 3 Humana Inc. 45,598,914 8.56 51,405,175 8.67

4 4 HealthCare Services Corp. a Mutual 28,740,192 5.40 32,644,621 5.51

5 5 Aetna Inc. 23,099,513 4.34 24,417,307 4.12

6 6 Centene Corp. 15,104,519 2.84 20,261,187 3.42

7 7 Independence Health Group Inc. 12,509,845 2.35 14,291,608 2.41

10 8 WellCare Health Plans Inc. 10,970,446 2.06 12,229,584 2.06

9 9 Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc. 11,173,259 2.10 11,934,022 2.01

15 10 Molina Healthcare Inc. 8,406,736 1.58 11,928,515 2.01

Combined Top 10 $ 266,218,327 49.98 $ 301,141,004 50.79

Combined Top 25 $ 375,662,412 70.53 $ 419,926,407 70.83

Combined Top 100 $ 504,169,106 94.66 $ 561,090,519 94.64

Total U.S. Health Lines $ 532,627,687 $ 592,895,074 

Source: SNL Financial

a. Life and Health Sector

i. Performance

This section presents additional analysis of the financial performance of the L/H sector in 2015

and is followed by a section that analyzes the L/H sector’s overall financial condition.

(a) L/H Sector Net Written Premiums

Net written premium (i.e., direct written premiums less net reinsurance premiums ceded) is a 

principal measure of the size and growth of the insurance industry. Net written premiums 

accounted for 75 percent of total L/H sector revenues in 2015, a level slightly higher than the 

historical average. L/H sector net written premiums of $638 billion in 2015 marked a one

percent decrease from the $648 billion reported in 2014. The slight decline in total net written 

premiums was primarily the result of an eight percent decrease in annuity premiums and 

deposits, which was somewhat offset by a 13 percent gain in life insurance premiums. In 2015, 

annuity premiums and deposits still represented the majority (51 percent) of total net written 

premiums but this contribution was somewhat below the 54 percent level recorded in 2014, as 

shown in Figures 8 and 9. Sales of traditional life insurance products rose to 24 percent of 2015 

L/H sector net written premiums from 21 percent in 2014, with the remaining 25 percent 

comprised of A&H and other premiums. Higher reinsurance usage as compared to 2014 also 

contributed to the decrease in 2015 net written premiums.
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FEDERAL INSURANCE OFFICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

17

Figure 8: L/H Sector Net Premiums ($ billions)

Source: SNL Financial

Figure 9: L/H Sector Net Premiums, Considerations, and Deposits ($ thousands)

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Life Insurance Premiums $ 122,812,480 $ 130,546,216 $ 125,958,978 $ 133,829,367 $ 151,352,648

Annuity Premiums & Deposits 326,985,000 339,914,846 279,434,360 352,823,672 324,034,800

Accident & Health Premiums 151,068,078 151,396,375 153,305,130 156,634,527 158,755,638

Credit Life & Credit A&H Premiums 1,556,674 1,556,674 1,445,214 1,388,591 1,382,988

Other Premiums & Considerations 2,247,325 2,247,325 2,345,600 2,554,791 2,497,634

Total $ 604,669,557 $ 625,661,436 $ 562,489,282 $ 647,230,948 $ 638,023,708 

Share of Total 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Life Insurance Premiums 20% 21% 22% 21% 24%

Annuity Premiums & Deposits 54% 54% 50% 54% 51%

Accident & Health Premiums 25% 24% 27% 24% 25%

Credit and Other 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%

100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

Source: SNL Financial

In 2014, aggregate net premiums written were increased by a one-time, large transaction in 

which a subsidiary of Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. terminated a reinsurance 

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

$400

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

 Life Insurance Premiums Annuity Premiums & Deposits Accident & Health Premiums
Annual Report on the Insurance Industry (September 2016)

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FEDERAL INSURANCE OFFICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

18

arrangement with an affiliated captive insurer, and received approximately $41 billion of ceded 

premiums.18 Absent this transaction, net written premiums would have approximated $606 

billion for 2014, leading to a positive comparison for 2015.

(b) L/H Sector Policyholder Contract Benefits, Surrenders, and Other 

Expenses

Policyholder contract benefits are claims or obligations of L/H insurers under life insurance, 

annuity, and other contracts and policies. Contract surrenders occur when a policyholder or 

contract holder elects to cancel a policy or contract before the end of its contractual term and to 

receive its accumulated cash value. Contract benefit payments and contract surrenders make up 

the majority of total expenses for L/H insurers. Non-benefit-related expenses include general 

administrative and overhead expenses, expenses incurred in acquiring business (particularly 

producer commissions), and expenses related to payments made under contractual provisions of 

polices, including loss verification and adjustment expenses. Figures 10 and 11 show aggregate 

L/H sector benefit payments, surrenders, reserve increases, and all other expenses for recent 

years.

 18 Tim Zawacki, “Many moving parts in lower 2014 life profits,” SNL Financial LC (May 5, 2015).
Annual Report on the Insurance Industry (September 2016)

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FEDERAL INSURANCE OFFICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

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Figure 10: L/H Sector Expenses ($ billions)

Source: SNL Financial

Figure 11: L/H Sector Expenses ($ thousands)

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Total Benefits Payments $ 238,949,720 $ 241,773,268 $ 250,650,267 $ 251,769,459 $ 263,860,413

Total Surrenders Payments 237,281,666 245,728,327 248,702,088 281,532,892 272,978,642

Total Increase in Reserves 141,164,423 83,760,841 86,223,072 108,733,074 80,560,532

Total Transfers to Separate Accounts 32,427,424 61,550,446 (771,523) (16,464,689) 36,922,715

Commissions 51,369,302 52,614,950 53,015,154 52,064,515 55,459,053

General & Administrative Expenses 56,409,654 57,208,315 58,465,900 58,953,181 60,068,823

Insurance Taxes, Licenses and Fees 7,804,219 8,039,539 8,194,034 9,981,625 10,473,603

Other Expenses 8,132,687 6,681,631 (373,487) 65,834,251 (5,016,895)

Total $ 773,539,096 $ 757,357,317 $ 704,105,504 $ 812,404,309 $ 775,306,888

Source: SNL Financial

In 2015, the decrease in total expenses for the L/H sector exceeded the decline in revenues; total 

expenses decreased nearly five percent to $775 billion, led by the change in other expenses, 

which swung from a $65 billion expense in 2014 to $5 billion in income in 2015. Although total 

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Total Benefits Payments Total Surrenders Payments Total Reserve Increases
Annual Report on the Insurance Industry (September 2016)

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FEDERAL INSURANCE OFFICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

20

benefit payments increased five percent, surrenders declined three percent. Transfers between 

general and separate accounts shifted from a net transfer from separate accounts in 2014, to a net 

transfer to separate accounts in 2015. Also, there was a seven percent increase in commissions 

expense. The large reinsurance termination by a subsidiary of Hartford Financial Services (noted 

above) also increased aggregate expense figures for 2014.

(c) L/H Sector Investment Income

Net investment income represented about 20 percent of aggregate L/H sector revenues in 2015, 

at the low end of the range over the past ten years. Figures 12 and 13 show L/H sector net 

investment income from invested assets (excluding net realized gains and losses on the 

disposition of assets) and the net investment yield for recent years.

Figure 12: L/H Sector Annual Net Investment Income ($ billions) and Net Yield on 

Invested Assets

Source: SNL Financial (Net Yield based on Average Net Admitted Invested Assets)

$162

$168

$162

$157

$164

$167 $167 $167

$172 $171

4.0%

4.5%

5.0%

5.5%

6.0%

6.5%

$130

$135

$140

$145

$150

$155

$160

$165

$170

$175

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Net Investment Income (left axis) Net Yield on Invested Assets (right axis)
Annual Report on the Insurance Industry (September 2016)

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FEDERAL INSURANCE OFFICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

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Figure 13: L/H Sector Investment Income ($ thousands) and Net Yield

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Net Investment Income $ 167,322,081 $ 166,522,938 $ 167,085,528 $ 171,732,395 $ 170,721,775

Total Cash & Investments 3,360,535,194 3,403,292,657 3,482,338,468 3,631,660,457 3,703,355,921

Net Yield on Invested Assets 5.10% 4.92% 4.85% 4.83% 4.65%

Source: SNL Financial (Net Yield based on Average Net Admitted Investment Assets)

After falling over most of 2014, longer-term interest rates ended up slightly higher at the 

conclusion of 2015 (see Figure 14); nonetheless, the L/H sector continued to experience lower 

investment yields, falling to 4.65 percent for 2015, its lowest level in the past ten years. Net 

investment income decreased slightly, falling slightly less than one percent. The continued low 

interest rate environment continued to present risks to the L/H sector, as noted in FIO’s 2015

Annual Report on the Insurance Industry. A more detailed discussion of these risks can be found 

in Section IV.A.2.a. of this Report.

Figure 14: Percentage Yield on 10-year U.S. Treasury Bonds

Source: Bloomberg LP

As shown in Figure 15, growth of life insurer investments in some other asset classes outpaced 

growth in traditional bond investments in 2015, continuing the trend seen over the past several 

years. Of particular note were the eight percent increases in both mortgage loans (primarily 

commercial mortgage loans) and equity real estate investments. These assets tend to be less 

0.00%

1.00%

2.00%

3.00%

4.00%

5.00%

6.00%

Dec-05

Jun-06

Dec-06

Jun-07

Dec-07

Jun-08

Dec-08

Jun-09

Dec-09

Jun-10

Dec-10

Jun-11

Dec-11

Jun-12

Dec-12

Jun-13

Dec-13

Jun-14

Dec-14

Jun-15

Dec-15

Percent
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liquid than investment-grade fixed income investments. Unlike the past several years, 

investments in “Other Investments” decreased three percent in 2015.19

Figure 15: L/H Sector Invested Asset Compositions ($ thousands)

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Bonds $ 2,531,747,961 $ 2,543,145,116 $ 2,601,087,323 $ 2,684,898,636 $ 2,733,495,665

Preferred Stocks 8,082,049 7,781,708 8,259,459 9,140,252 9,643,097

Common Stocks 70,349,507 70,327,976 72,363,508 76,974,196 75,310,892

Mortgage Loans 323,074,554 335,592,215 353,149,725 373,011,956 404,214,467

Real Estate 20,576,284 21,369,248 22,352,892 21,885,613 23,700,250

Contract Loans 125,975,993 127,479,821 128,437,758 130,133,863 126,838,540

Derivatives 44,356,616 41,576,588 37,806,864 56,487,932 53,830,051

Cash & Short Term Investments 96,472,480 106,598,497 94,766,349 99,974,893 103,316,493

Other Investments 139,899,750 149,421,490 164,114,590 179,153,117 173,006,467

Total Cash & Investments $ 3,360,535,194 $ 3,403,292,657 $ 3,482,338,468 $ 3,631,660,457 $ 3,703,355,921

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Bonds 75% 75% 75% 74% 74%

Preferred Stocks 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

Common Stocks 2% 2% 2% 2% 2%

Mortgage Loans 10% 10% 10% 10% 11%

Real Estate 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%

Contract Loans 4% 4% 4% 4% 3%

Derivatives 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%

Cash & Short Term Investments 3% 3% 3% 3% 3%

Other Investments 4% 4% 5% 5% 5%

100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

Source: SNL Financial

In 2015, the L/H sector recorded net capital losses of $3.5 billion, nearly triple the $1.3 billion in 

realized capital losses reported in 2014, due primarily to increased losses on derivative 

instruments (almost exclusively used for hedging transactions).

(d) L/H Sector Net Income and Return on Equity

Figure 16 presents a summary income statement for the L/H sector. Total revenues in the L/H 

sector were $848 billion in 2015, a decrease of three percent from the record $878 billion in 

2014. The decrease in net written premiums (discussed above) and increased reinsurance 

 19 The “other investments” entry includes, but is not limited to, assets such as surplus notes, limited partnerships, 

joint ventures, hedge funds, and private equity funds and direct investments. Figure 15 excludes $2.4 trillion held in 

separate accounts. 
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FEDERAL INSURANCE OFFICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

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allowance, i.e., reserve adjustments on reinsurance ceded, were partially offset by a significant 

increase in “Other Income.” Total expenses decreased by slightly less than five percent to $775 

billion, leading to an 11 percent gain in pretax income. Net income increased only seven percent 

to $40 billion in 2015, largely due to the increase in net realized capital losses.

Figure 17 shows key operating ratios for the L/H sector. The L/H sector’s 2014 pretax operating 

margin improved a bit to 6.4 percent from 5.6 percent in 2014. Similarly, the increases in 

operating income and net income led to a slight increase in the sector’s return on average equity 

(ROAE) to 11.2 percent from the 11.0 percent recorded in 2014; growth in capital and surplus 

(discussed below) also dampened the improvement in ROAE.

Figure 16: L/H Sector Net Income ($ thousands)

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Premiums, Consideration & Deposits $ 604,504,205 $ 625,664,756 $ 562,581,362 $ 647,297,786 $ 638,023,707

Net Investment Income 167,322,081 166,522,938 167,085,528 171,732,395 170,721,775

Reinsurance Allowance (16,268,042) (30,779,711) (21,247,568) (14,987,927) (86,443,933)

Separate Accounts Revenue 26,085,975 29,516,587 31,425,593 34,270,975 35,197,929

Other Income 53,326,999 41,547,171 42,818,740 39,533,842 90,382,066

Total Revenue 834,971,218 832,471,742 782,663,655 877,847,071 847,881,543

Total Expenses 773,539,096 757,357,317 704,105,504 812,404,309 775,306,888

Policyholder Dividends 15,099,874 15,211,990 15,660,306 16,430,515 18,271,869

Net Gain from Operations before Tax 28,002,719 59,568,028 62,897,846 49,012,247 54,302,786

Federal Income Tax 4,676,585 9,865,190 8,553,612 10,106,677 10,558,927

Net Income before Capital Gains 22,895,712 49,709,026 54,344,234 38,905,570 43,743,859

Net Realized Capital Gains (Losses) (8,535,724) (9,448,488) (12,026,928) (1,307,404) (3,494,651)

Net Income $ 14,364,501 $ 40,260,418 $ 42,317,305 $ 37,598,166 $ 40,249,209

Source: SNL Financial

Figure 17: L/H Sector Operating Ratios 

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Pre-Tax Operating Margin 3.35% 7.16% 8.04% 5.58% 6.40%

Return on Average Equity 4.66% 12.64% 12.85% 10.96% 11.16%

Pre-Tax Operating Return On 

Average Equity 9.08% 18.70% 19.10% 14.29% 15.05%

Return on Average Assets 0.27% 0.73% 0.73% 0.61% 0.64%

Source: SNL Financial
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ii. Condition

This section presents information on the financial condition in 2015 of the L/H sector, 

highlighting common industry metrics associated with solvency and financial stability.

(a) L/H Sector Assets, Capital and Surplus, and Leverage

Figure 18 shows the financial condition of the L/H sector as represented by its assets, capital and 

surplus, and leverage ratios.

Figure 18: L/H Sector Financial Leverage ($ thousands)

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Capital & Surplus $ 310,372,997 $ 326,647,273 $ 331,982,056 $ 354,049,185 $ 367,385,297

General Account Assets 3,534,370,609 3,587,753,293 3,675,915,856 3,836,006,424 3,911,514,961

General Account Assets-to-Surplus 

Ratio 11.39x 10.98x 11.07x 10.83x 10.65x

Source: SNL Financial

Capital and surplus is the regulatory measure of capital available to an insurer (i.e., the amount 

by which reported assets of an insurer exceed its reported liabilities), and measures financial 

health by reflecting the ability of an insurer to satisfy obligations to policyholders and consumers 

(particularly in the event of unexpectedly large or catastrophic losses). Surplus is also indicative 

of the capacity of an insurer to write new business (i.e., to make insurance products more 

available to consumers).

Over 2015, general account assets of the L/H sector increased by two percent, but capital and 

surplus increased by nearly four percent. Capital and surplus reached a record $367 billion on 

higher net income, slightly lower dividends, and additive other adjustments compared to 2014. 

The L/H sector’s leverage ratio (i.e., assets-to-surplus) decreased for a second consecutive year, 

and reached its lowest level in the past ten years, indicating a stronger sector balance sheet.

Figure 19 presents a longer-term illustration of the L/H sector’s financial leverage. 

Improvements in capital and surplus have contributed to the maintenance of relatively lower 

leverage ratios as compared to pre-crisis years.
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Figure 19: L/H Sector General Account Assets-to-Surplus Ratio

Source: SNL Financial

(b) L/H Sector Reserves

Life insurance reserves generally represent the net present value of expected future obligations of 

a life insurer. Estimates of an insurer’s long-term liabilities are dependent on a number of key 

assumptions (e.g., mortality rates and interest rates) and actuarial judgment. For interest rate 

sensitive life and annuity business, reserve increases can be attributed in part to actuarial cash 

flow testing, which considers the changes in assets and liabilities under a variety of scenarios.

As shown in Figure 20, in 2015, total L/H sector reserves increased by more than two percent to 

slightly over $3 trillion, and exceeded the previous record level recorded in 2014. A nearly three 

percent increase in reserves for life insurance policies and contracts (including annuities) drove 

the overall increase in reserves.

11.87

11.56

12.63

11.11

10.95

11.39

10.98

11.07

10.83

10.65

9.5

10.0

10.5

11.0

11.5

12.0

12.5

13.0

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

L/H Sector General Account Assets-to-Surplus Ratio 10 year average
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Figure 20: L/H Sector Reserves ($ thousands)

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Net Policy Reserves - Life $ 2,313,640,468 $ 2,305,692,228 $ 2,375,623,986 $ 2,467,613,650 $ 2,530,139,745

Net Policy Reserves – A/H 222,224,551 219,108,157 218,819,918 223,486,037 231,286,101

Liability for Deposit-Type Contracts 266,873,754 270,573,877 264,312,909 267,690,525 269,906,123

Total Policy Reserves plus 

Deposits $ 2,802,738,773 $ 2,795,374,262 $ 2,858,756,814 $ 2,958,790,213 $ 3,031,331,969

Growth - Total Reserves & Deposits 4.90% -0.26% 2.27% 3.50% 2.45%

Source: SNL Financial

b. Property and Casualty Sector

i. Performance

This section presents additional analysis of the financial performance of the P/C sector, followed 

by a section that analyzes the financial condition of the sector.

(a) P/C Sector Net Written Premiums

Figure 21 shows the level and composition of P/C sector direct written premiums by major lines 

of business, and Figure 22 shows the corresponding dollar values and a reconciliation to net 

premiums earned (i.e., direct premiums written less net reinsurance premiums ceded and the 

change in unearned premiums reserve). For 2015, total P/C sector net written premiums reached 

a record level at $520 billion, marking a more than three percent increase over the 2014 result. 

Premium growth reflects continuing national economic growth and decreased investment 

income. Direct written premiums for personal lines of business grew by more than four percent, 

while direct written premiums for commercial lines of business increased slightly more than 

three percent. One area in the P/C sector that has been exhibiting faster growth over the past 

several years is the “excess and surplus lines,” or “non-admitted” market (Box 1). Net 

reinsurance premiums ceded decreased slightly, leading to the growth in net written premiums. 

Modest economic growth in the United States and rate increases continued to drive premium 

growth despite growing market pressures, particularly in commercial lines.20

 20 Jennifer Marshall, “U.S. P/C Industry Marks Third Consecutive Underwriting Gain, but Surplus Declines on 

Investment Results,” A.M. Best Co. (May 16, 2016). 
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FEDERAL INSURANCE OFFICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

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Figure 21: P/C Sector Direct Premiums Written ($ billions)

Source: SNL Financial

Figure 22: P/C Sector Premiums ($ thousands)

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Personal P/C Direct Premiums $ 250,654,728 $ 260,931,593 $ 272,367,335 $ 287,272,384 $ 300,054,004 

Commercial P/C Direct Premiums 235,982,944 247,128,276 259,943,105 270,997,951 279,803,539 

Accident & Health Direct Premiums 8,572,313 8,424,278 6,701,202 5,766,660 6,142,327 

Direct Premiums Written 502,011,305 523,914,193 546,334,118 570,782,303 591,758,049 

Net Reinsurance Premiums (60,036,358) (62,959,506) (64,406,185) (68,165,441) (71,530,151)

Net Premiums Written 441,974,947 460,954,687 481,927,933 502,616,863 520,227,898 

Change in Unearned Premiums 

Reserve 3,644,385 7,917,132 9,853,047 9,095,596 8,395,501 

Net Premiums Earned $ 438,330,562 $ 453,037,555 $ 472,074,886 $ 493,521,266 $ 511,832,397 

Source: SNL Financial

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Personal P/C Direct Premiums Commercial P/C Direct Premiums

Accident & Health Direct Premiums
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Box 1: Excess and Surplus (E&S) Lines Insurance

The U.S. excess and surplus lines, or nonadmitted, insurance market serves as an alternative 

market for insuring risks that are generally unacceptable to the standard or admitted insurance 

market. This market includes risks with unfavorable characteristics such as: a history of frequent 

or catastrophic losses; highly specialized or unusual risks; risks requiring high insurance limits; 

or new or emerging risks requiring special underwriting.

As shown in Figure A, over the past few years, growth in premiums in excess and surplus lines 

business has been strong, although the rate of growth has been slowing. The excess and surplus 

lines market is diverse, with over 150 insurer participants. The top five writers of this business, 

which include some of the largest U.S. insurers, are shown in Figure B. (The 2010 premium 

volume is attributed to all Excess and Surplus lines insurance operations consolidated in 

financial results of the relevant groups as of March 16, 2016, accounting for acquisitions 

occurring between 2010 and 2016.) 

Figure A: Direct Premiums Written (DPW) and Market Share ($ billions)

Source: SNL Financial

Figure B: Excess & Surplus Lines Insurers

2015 

Rank Group

2010 Direct 

Premiums

Written 

($000)

2010 U.S. 

Market 

Share (%)

2015 Direct 

Premiums

Written 

($000)

2015 U.S. 

Market 

Share (%)

1 American International Group $ 5,337,621 23.30 $ 4,659,354 15.43

2 Nationwide Mutual Group 1,149,824 5.02 1,770,685 5.86

3 Chubb Ltd. 1,344,069 5.87 1,671,739 5.53

4 W. R. Berkley Corp. 831,442 3.63 1,557,208 5.16

5 Zurich Insurance Group 1,217,132 5.31 1,231,600 4.08

Sector Total $ 22,908,556,624 $ 30,204,399,113 

Source: SNL Financial

4.3%

4.4%

4.5%

4.6%

4.7%

4.8%

4.9%

5.0%

5.1%

5.2%

$0

$5

$10

$15

$20

$25

$30

$35

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

E&S Lines DPW (left axis)

E&S Lines Market Share (right axis)
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(b) P/C Sector Underwriting Results

The combined ratio, a commonly accepted metric used to compare underwriting performance in 

the P/C sector, is the sum of the loss ratio (incurred loss and loss adjustment expense divided by 

earned premiums) and the expense ratio (incurred expenses divided by written premiums). 

Figure 23 shows the P/C combined ratio and its construction for the past several years.21 While 

the combined ratio for the P/C sector increased slightly to approximately 98 percent in 2015, it 

remained below 100 percent for the third consecutive year. A combined ratio less than 100 

percent indicates that premiums covered losses and expenses in a given period (i.e., underwriting 

operations made a positive contribution to net income). Investment income, realized capital 

gains/losses, and income taxes are not considered in the combined ratio. Catastrophe activity in 

the United States was relatively benign in 2015, but higher loss trends in commercial automobile 

insurance and higher non-catastrophic weather-related losses in personal lines drove the increase

in the combined ratio.22 The expense ratio rose in 2015, but it remained slightly below the levels 

of 2011, 2012, and 2013.

Figure 23: P/C Sector Operating Ratios 

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Loss Ratio 66.86% 61.95% 55.60% 57.20% 57.47%

Loss Adjustment Expense Ratio 12.58% 12.39% 11.94% 11.82% 11.84%

Loss and Loss Adjustment 

Expense Ratio 79.45% 74.34% 67.54% 69.03% 69.31%

Net Commission Ratio 10.22% 10.20% 10.24% 10.38% 10.55%

Salaries & Benefits Ratio 8.30% 8.41% 8.54% 8.14% 8.24%

Tax, License & Fees Ratio 2.60% 2.62% 2.60% 2.51% 2.54%

Administrative & Other Expense 

Ratio 7.25% 6.99% 6.78% 6.55% 6.71%

Expense Ratio 28.37% 28.22% 28.17% 27.58% 28.05%

Policyholder Dividend Ratio 0.53% 0.59% 0.64% 0.59% 0.59%

Combined Ratio 108.34% 103.15% 96.35% 97.20% 97.94%

Source: SNL Financial

(c) P/C Sector Investment Income

Net investment income for the P/C sector decreased by 11 percent to $49 billion in 2015, 

reverting back to a multiple year declining trend following an increase in 2014. 

Commensurately, the net yield on invested assets dropped 47 basis points to 3.18 percent, 

marking the lowest level in net yield in the past ten years. The 2014 measures were increased by 

 21 SNL Financial ratios include the policyholder dividend ratio for transparency because dividends represent a cash 

outlay.

22 Jennifer Marshall, “U.S. P/C Industry Marks Third Consecutive Underwriting Gain, but Surplus Declines on 

Investment Results,” A.M. Best Co., (May 16, 2016).
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a one-time extraordinary dividend of approximately $7 billion between subsidiaries of Berkshire 

Hathaway Inc. Figure 24 depicts a longer-term view of the trend in net investment income and 

net yield on invested assets for the P/C sector, and Figure 25 provides this data for the past five 

years. Realized capital gains and losses are reported separately and are not a component of net 

investment income.

Figure 24: P/C Sector Annual Net Investment Income ($ billions) and Net Yield on 

Invested Assets

Source: SNL Financial (Net Yield based on Average Net Admitted Invested Assets)

Figure 25: P/C Sector Investment Income ($ thousands) and Net Yield

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Net Investment Income $ 50,890,625 $ 50,284,734 $ 49,280,948 $ 54,970,232 $ 48,720,206 

Total Cash & Investments 1,341,904,107 1,389,359,572 1,483,929,648 1,531,950,173 1,529,559,447 

Net Yield on Invested Assets 3.83% 3.68% 3.43% 3.65% 3.18%

Source: SNL Financial

As P/C insurers are less dependent on net investment income to fund losses and expenses than 

are L/H insurers, net investment income accounted for nine percent of total sector revenues in 

$53.1

$56.5

$53.1

$48.4 $48.1

$50.9

$50.3

$49.3

$55.0

$48.7

3.0%

3.2%

3.4%

3.6%

3.8%

4.0%

4.2%

4.4%

4.6%

4.8%

5.0%

$42

$44

$46

$48

$50

$52

$54

$56

$58

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Net Investment Income (left axis)

Net Yield on Invested Assets

(right axis)
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2015 (compared to approximately 20 percent in the L/H sector). Nonetheless, historically low 

interest rates have caused P/C insurers to look to investments in mortgage loans and “alternative” 

investments for higher rates of return. Figure 26 shows the composition of the P/C sector’s 

invested assets over the past five years. Although bonds continue to receive the largest 

allocation, the balance grew by less than one percent in 2015. Large increases in mortgage loans 

and equity real estate investments (24 percent and 15 percent, respectively) in 2015 reflected 

reallocations from common stock (two percent decrease) and cash and short-term investments 

and other investments (three percent declines for both) resulting in year-end 2015 total cash and 

invested assets remaining essentially flat with 2014. These moves among asset classes left the 

allocation to bonds slightly higher compared to the 2014 level.

Figure 26: P/C Sector Invested Assets ($ thousands)

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Bonds $ 902,517,274 $ 907,500,784 $ 927,718,487 $ 942,388,043 $ 950,068,015 

Preferred Stocks 11,619,100 11,929,781 11,553,193 14,585,403 13,996,520 

Common Stocks 227,253,516 254,465,023 317,702,214 330,149,685 322,346,199 

Mortgage Loans 4,969,359 5,682,044 7,985,242 10,020,467 12,451,815 

Real Estate 10,371,780 10,384,874 9,960,744 10,151,145 11,673,664 

Derivatives 648,785 591,755 577,504 636,629 651,844 

Cash & Short Term Investments 72,598,930 82,597,162 83,653,996 90,779,656 88,437,190 

Other Investments 111,924,482 116,207,246 124,778,268 133,239,146 129,934,200 

Total Cash & Investments $ 1,341,904,107 $ 1,389,359,572 $ 1,483,929,648 $ 1,531,950,173 $1,529,559,447 

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Bonds 67% 65% 62% 61% 62%

Preferred Stocks 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%

Common Stocks 17% 18% 21% 21% 21%

Mortgage Loans 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%

Real Estate 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%

Derivatives 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

Cash & Short Term Investments 5% 6% 6% 6% 6%

Other Investments 8% 8% 8% 9% 8%

100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

Source: SNL Financial

Realized capital gains on investments also contributed to the P/C sector’s profitability, although 

to a lower extent than in the prior year; over 2015, the P/C sector recorded net realized capital 

gains of $10 billion, which was 14 percent less than the 2014 level. Declining equity markets led 

to the reduction in realized capital gains.23

 23 Jennifer Marshall, “U.S. P/C Industry Marks Third Consecutive Underwriting Gain, but Surplus Declines on 

Investment Results,” A.M. Best Co. (May 16, 2016).
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(d) P/C Sector Net Income

The P/C sector’s net income decreased for the second consecutive year in 2015, dropping 10 

percent to $58 billion from the $65 billion reported in 2014, as shown in Figure 27. The 11 

percent drop in net investment income (discussed above) and a 21 percent decline in net 

underwriting gain were the main causes of the decrease in net income. A significant decline in 

“All Other” only partially offset these decreases. The combination of these factors led to a nine 

percent decrease in pretax operating income, but with income taxes remaining relatively flat, the 

end result was a 10 percent decrease in net income for 2015. Figure 28 provides a summary 

income statement for the P/C sector.

Figure 27: P/C Sector Net Income ($ billions)

Source: SNL Financial

-$60

-$40

-$20

$0

$20

$40

$60

$80

$100

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Net Underwriting Gain (Loss) Net Investment Income Net Income
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Figure 28: P/C Sector Net Income ($ thousands)

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Net Premiums Earned $ 438,330,562 $ 453,037,555 $ 472,074,886 $ 493,521,266 $ 511,832,397 

Losses and Loss Adjustment Expense 

Incurred 348,239,144 336,783,331 318,842,292 340,666,139 354,744,960 

Other Underwriting Expense Incurred 123,907,662 129,766516 136,211,881 139,104,986 145,066,499 

Other Underwriting Deductions 1,475,530 322,517 (471,225) (475,218) 840,613

Net Underwriting Gain (Loss) (35,292,561) (13,832,891) 17,489,999 14,225,359 11,180,325 

Policyholder Dividends (2,313,871) (2,655,098) (3,017,264) (2,931,501) (3,016,579)

Net Investment Income 50,890,625 50,284,734 49,280,948 54,970,232 48,720,206 

Net Realized Capital Gains (Losses) 7,577,786 8,658,738 18,399,919 11,772,541 10,069,696 

Finance Service Charges 3,179,471 3,287,835 3,403,200 3,271,709 3,332,974

All Other (869,762) (1,063,361) (1,892,032) (6,158,575) (1,808,534)

Net Income After Capital Gain 

(Loss) Before Tax 23,155,391 44,670,672 83,663,527 75,149,624 68,478,086 

Federal Income Tax 3,030,002 6,257,395 12,038,618 10,318,140 10,188,552 

Net Income $ 20,124,876 $ 38,415,881 $ 71,624,732 $ 64,830,436 $ 58,289,534 

Source: SNL Financial

Figure 29 displays key measures of returns for the P/C sector. Each of these metrics declined for 

a second consecutive year, but remained higher than the corresponding values recorded in all 

other post-crisis years with the exception of the peak year of 2013. The 2015 return on average 

equity of 8.5 percent was slightly below the average of nine percent for the past ten years.

Figure 29: P/C Sector Operating Ratios

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Pre-Tax Operating Margin 3.17% 7.12% 12.48% 11.62% 10.39%

Return on Average Equity 

(Capital & Surplus) 3.59% 6.65% 11.35% 9.57% 8.47%

Pre-Tax Operating Return on 

Average Equity 2.78% 6.23% 10.34% 9.35% 8.49%

Return on Average Assets 1.28% 2.37% 4.23% 3.67% 3.24%

Source: SNL Financial

ii. Condition

This section presents additional information on the financial condition of the P/C sector, 

highlighting industry metrics associated with solvency and financial stability.

(a) P/C Sector Policyholder Surplus

After increasing every year since 2011, the P/C sector’s policyholder surplus decreased very 

slightly (less than 50 basis points) to $687 billion at the end of 2015 from the record high $689 

billion recorded in 2014. Figure 30 provides a longer-term perspective on the sector’s leverage, 
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with corresponding dollar values for periods since 2010 shown in Figure 31. The ratio of net 

premiums written to policyholder surplus is the standard measure of leverage in the P/C sector, 

as contrasted with the assets-to-surplus ratio used in the L/H sector; this is reflective of the 

shorter duration and higher volatility of P/C sector liabilities relative to L/H sector liabilities. As 

is also the case for the L/H sector, in recent years the P/C sector has been deleveraging (Figure 

30). The 2015 premiums-to-surplus ratio of 76 percent was below the ten-year average, although 

it increased slightly from the 2014 level as surplus growth was slowed by lower profitability.

Figure 30: P/C Sector Annual Net Premiums-to-Surplus Ratio

Source: SNL Financial

Figure 31: P/C Sector Financial Leverage ($ thousands)

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Net Premiums Written $ 441,974,947 $ 460,954,687 $ 481,927,933 $ 502,616,863 $ 520,227,898 

Policyholder Surplus 560,322,549 595,162,557 666,745,679 688,567,272 687,331,911 

Net Premiums Written/Average 

Policyholder Surplus 78.78x 79.79x 76.38x 74.17x 75.62x

Source: SNL Financial

0.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1.20

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

P/C Premium-to-Surplus Ratio

10 year average
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(b) P/C Sector Reserves

P/C sector reserves represent estimates of the ultimate incurred losses and loss adjustment 

expenses (LAE) for events that have already occurred, but that remain unpaid as of the balance 

sheet date. Estimation of P/C sector reserves includes a significant degree of professional 

actuarial judgment, as is the case for L/H sector reserves.

Total P/C sector reserves increased by slightly more than one percent in 2015, as shown in 

Figures 32 and 33. The increase in total reserves was mainly the result of a five percent increase 

in personal lines reserves, while commercial lines reserves remained essentially flat for the

second consecutive year.

Figure 32: P/C Sector Change in Loss and LAE Reserves

Source: SNL Financial

2.2%

3.9%

4.3%

-0.5%

0.9%

5.5%

0.4%

-0.9%

0.5%

1.3%

-2%

-1%

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
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Figure 33: P/C Sector Reserves ($ thousands)

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Major Segment - Personal $ 123,939,203 $ 124,837,760 $ 125,430,095 $ 128,970,336 $ 135,869,443

Major Segment - Commercial 471,810,967 473,384,558 467,433,830 466,400,530 467,019,133 

Major Segment - Accident & Health 5,005,952 5,205,155 5,388,272 5,922,874 6,193,944 

Total Loss and Loss Adjustment 

Expense Reserves $ 600,685,813 $ 603,162,056 $ 597,988,984 $ 601,051,981 $ 608,848,146 

Change in Loss & Loss 

Adjustment Expense Reserves 5.48% 0.41% -0.86% 0.51% 1.30%

Source: SNL Financial

2. Market Performance

Stock price movements are indicators of investors’ perceptions about the recent financial results 

and future financial prospects of a firm, an industry sector, or in a broader context, the general 

economy. The discussion that follows considers the price performance of stock indices for the 

L/H and P/C sectors, as compared to the performance of the Standard and Poor’s 500 Index 

(S&P 500).

Over the ten year period from December 31, 2005 through the end of 2015, the SNL Stock Price 

Index for the U.S. P/C sector outperformed the S&P 500, as shown in Figure 34. On the other 

hand, the L/H sector stock index underperformed the S&P 500 during this period. The P/C 

sector was basically a market performer leading up to the financial crisis, but has outperformed 

the S&P 500 since the crisis. The L/H sector slightly outperformed the S&P 500 leading up to 

the financial crisis, and has underperformed during and since the crisis. Since the end of 2005, 

the P/C stock index gained 104 percent and the L/H stock index increased 21 percent; over the 

same period, the S&P 500 gained 64 percent. In the short-term, for 2015, the P/C stock index 

increased two percent, outperforming the S&P 500’s one percent loss, but the L/H sector stock 

index significantly underperformed, depreciating seven percent, as shown in Figure 35.
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Figure 34: Insurance Sector Stock Prices vs. S&P 500

Source: SNL Financial

Figure 35: Insurance Sector Indexed Stock Prices vs. S&P 500

Dec - 14 Mar -15 Jun - 15 Sep - 15 Dec - 15 Qtr/Qtr Yr/Yr

SNL Life 130 126 132 118 121 2.1% -7.3%

SNL P/C 200 198 196 193 204 5.3% 2.0%

S&P 500 165 166 165 154 164 6.5% -0.7%

Source: SNL Financial

The price-to-book value multiple, which compares on a per share basis the market value of a 

firm to its book value (i.e., reported equity on its balance sheet) is a popular metric by which to 

measure valuation. If a share of an insurer’s stock is selling for less than its book value per 

share, the market is valuing the firm at less than its assets minus its liabilities (net worth); the 

opposite is true if the stock is trading at a premium to its book value. Figure 36 compares L/H 

and P/C sector price-to-book value ratios from year-end 2005 through year-end 2015. The 

narrowing in the premium of L/H sector stocks to book value that began in 2014 continued over 

2015, settling at a multiple of 1.03 times book value at the end of the year, down slightly from 

the 1.07 multiple at the end of 2014. P/C sector stocks saw premium over book value remain 

essentially flat, ending 2015 at a multiple of 1.34 times book value compared to a multiple of 

1.35 times book value at the end of 2014.

0

50

100

150

200

250

Dec-05

Jun-06

Dec-06

Jun-07

Dec-07

Jun-08

Dec-08

Jun-09

Dec-09

Jun-10

Dec-10

Jun-11

Dec-11

Jun-12

Dec-12

Jun-13

Dec-13

Jun-14

Dec-14

Jun-15

Dec-15

12/31/2005 = 100

SNL US Insurance L/H SNL US Insurance P/C S&P 500
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Figure 36: Insurer Price / Book Value Ratios

Source: SNL Financial

3. 2016 Insurance Market Outlook

Full-year 2016 industry results will be reviewed in FIO’s 2017 Annual Report on the Insurance 

Industry. Based on financial results reported by insurers in the first six months of 2016, several 

notable trends already have emerged. The negative impacts of the continued low interest rate 

environment became more prominent as the larger U.S. life insurers reported declines in 

investment income on top of significant losses from “alternative investments,” i.e., hedge funds, 

in the first quarter of 2016.24 Insurers and analysts also attribute declining sales of annuity 

products to low interest rates, especially variable annuities linked to equity markets. Some 

market observers expect that the U.K.’s referendum vote to leave the EU (Brexit) will prolong 

the current low interest rate environment.25 In the P/C sector, commercial lines rates were under 

pressure and declined across the first half of 2016 in most product areas.26 More generally, the 

P/C sector experienced a decline in underwriting gains as incurred losses increased faster than 

 24 Sources: Company first and second quarters 2016 press releases.

25 See Section IV.A.2.a. for additional discussion of interest rate risk.

26 Matt MacFarland, “Commercial P&C Rates Fell Further in Q2, Industry Survey Shows,” SNL Financial LC 

(August 5, 2016).

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

Dec-05

Jun-06

Dec-06

Jun-07

Dec-07

Jun-08

Dec-08

Jun-09

Dec-09

Jun-10

Dec-10

Jun-11

Dec-11

Jun-12

Dec-12

Jun-13

Dec-13

Jun-14

Dec-14

Jun-15

Dec-15

SNL US Insurance L/H SNL US Insurance P/C
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earned premiums; nonetheless, the sector maintained underwriting profitability in the first 

quarter of 2016.27 Market observers expect challenges in private auto insurance, higher natural 

catastrophe losses in the first half of 2016, and pressure on pricing in commercial lines to 

continue to compress underwriting results.

28

B. International Insurance Marketplace Overview

In real terms, according to Swiss Re Sigma, global insurance direct written premiums grew by 

3.8 percent to $4.6 trillion in 2015, led by a 4.0 percent increase in life insurance direct written 

premiums, while non-life direct written premiums increased by 3.6 percent.

29 Life direct written 

premiums represented 56 percent of the global total. This growth was achieved despite more 

moderate global growth in real gross domestic product, which expanded globally by only 2.5 

percent in 2015.30 As shown in Figure 37, the United States remains the world’s largest singlecountry insurance market, with 29 percent of global total direct written premiums; this market 

share increased year-over-year from 27 percent in 2014, and marked the highest level since 2008. 

For 2015, the Peoples’ Republic of China overtook the United Kingdom as the third largest 

insurance market, and Taiwan replaced the Netherlands in tenth place. Globally, profitability 

remained challenged by the prevailing low to negative interest rate environment in most 

developed economies.

 27 Tim Zawacki, “First Look at Q1 P&C Statutory Results Finds Erosion in Underwriting Profits,” SNL Financial 

LC (May 19, 2016).

28 Tim Zawacki and Terry Leone, “Industry Faces Compression in Underwriting Margins, U.S. P&C Insurance 

Market Report Projects,” SNL Financial LC (July 25, 2016).

29 Swiss Re Sigma, “World Insurance in 2015: Steady Growth Amid Regional Disparities” (June 29, 2016), 

available at http://media.swissre.com/documents/sigma_3_2016_en.pdf. Swiss Re Sigma examines insurance and 

macroeconomic data from 147 countries sourced through Swiss Re Economic Research and Consulting. Growth 

rates are presented in real terms, i.e., adjusted for inflation as measured by local consumer price indices. Swiss Re 

Sigma separates the insurance industry into “life” and “non-life” sectors as is the practice outside of the United 

States; under this convention, the “non-life” sector includes health insurance.

30 Id. at 1.
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Figure 37: Gross Premium Written in Market Share by Country, 2010 vs. 2015

2010 

Rank

2015 

Rank Country

2010 Premium Volume

($ millions)

2010 

World 

Market 

Share 

(%)

2015 Premium Volume

($ millions)

2015 

World 

Market 

Share 

(%)

Change in 

World 

Market 

Share 

(%)

1 1 United States $ 1,162,160 26.88 $ 1,316,271 28.90 7.55

2 2 Japan 563,866 13.04 449,706 9.88 -24.27

6 3 China 214,626 4.96 386,500 8.49 71.00

3 4 United Kingdom 300,242 6.94 320,176 7.03 1.26

4 5 France 283,227 6.55 230,544 5.06 -22.70

5 6 Germany 234,985 5.43 213,263 4.68 -13.82

7 7 Italy 174,347 4.03 165,036 3.62 -10.11

8 8 South Korea 114,064 2.64 153,619 3.37 27.89

9 9 Canada 113,694 2.63 114,967 2.52 -3.98

11 10 Taiwan 76,425 1.77 95,979 2.11 19.26

10 11 Netherlands 102,280 2.37 80,595, 1.77 -25.17

12 12 India 74,393 1.72 71,775 1.58 -8.38

14 13 Australia 72,728, 1.68 70,586 1.55 -7.84

15 14 Brazil 64,264 1.49 69,091 1.52 2.09

13 15 Spain 73,072 1.69 61,315 1.35 -20.32

16 16 Switzerland 52,827 1.22 61,288 1.35 10.17

18 17 Ireland 48,073 1.11 55,174 1.21 8.99

17 18 South Africa 48,632 1.12 45,958 1.01 -10.26

24 19 Hong Kong 23,096 0.53 45,748 1.00 88.09

21 20 Sweden 38,218 0.88 33,502 0.74 -16.76

World $ 4,324,239 $ 4,553,785 

Source: Swiss Re Sigma

According to the International Monetary Fund, the economic growth of emerging markets 

increased 4.0 percent in 2015 compared to 1.9 percent for advanced economies.31 Likewise, 

2015 growth in total insurance direct written premiums was stronger in emerging markets than in 

advanced economies. Total direct written premiums increased nearly 10 percent in emerging 

economies, compared to a 2.5 percent increase in developed economies.32 For emerging 

markets, life direct written premiums grew by 12 percent, and non-life direct written premiums 

 31 International Monetary Fund, “World Economic Outlook: Too Slow for Too Long” (April 2016), p. 168, 

available at http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2016/01/pdf/text.pdf. See also pp.148-49 noting the countries 

included in emerging markets and advanced economies.

32 Swiss Re Sigma, pp. 35, 38. Swiss Re Sigma’s country classifications of “advanced” and “emerging” generally 

follows the International Monetary Fund classification. 
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increased nearly 8.0 percent, compared to 2.5 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively, for advanced 

economies. 

Insurance penetration, which is measured as the ratio of premiums to real GDP, was 2.9 percent 

for emerging markets and 8.1 percent for advanced economies in 2015. On a year-over-year 

basis, insurance market penetration increased 7.7 percent for emerging economies but decreased 

0.3 percent in advanced economies, which suggests that, compared to the prior year, insurance 

premiums constitute a larger percentage of GDP in emerging markets and a smaller percentage 

of GDP in advanced economies. 

India and China – the two largest emerging economies – experienced increases in real GDP of 

7.6 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively, in 2015.

33 India is the world’s 12th largest insurance

market, with about 1.5 percent of worldwide premium volume.34 Life insurance dominates the 

Indian market, constituting 79 percent of all premium volume. China is the world’s 4th largest 

insurance market, and about 54 percent of its premium volume is life insurance. Total insurance 

premiums in China increased 18 percent year-over-year with life insurance premium increasing 

almost 20 percent. 

 

C. Capital Markets Activity

Despite less than favorable equity market conditions for much of the year,35 the U.S. domestic 

insurance industry continued to access the capital markets for new capital in 2015. During the 

year, 27 insurance-related equity offerings were announced, with an aggregate value of $5.9 

billion.36 This level of activity was somewhat lower in terms of both the number of deals and the 

aggregate value compared to 2014 (37 offerings valued at $8.0 billion). Of the total offerings, 

only one transaction valued at $34.7 million was an initial public offering (IPO), marking a 

significant decline from the six IPOs valued at $604 million that occurred in 2014. Private 

equity investors continued to cash out investments in the insurance industry as 12 of the equity 

offerings in 2015 included some level of selling of interests by private equity investors; this 

compares to three such transactions in 2014.

Debt markets remained the preferred source of additional capital for insurers in 2015. During the 

year, U.S. insurers raised an aggregate $46.1 billion in 89 separate debt offerings, continuing to 

benefit, at least in that respect, from the historically low interest rate environment. Debt issuance 

increased from the $37.3 billion raised in 86 offerings in 2014. UnitedHealth Group Inc. was the 

largest issuer of debt in 2015, raising $10.5 billion (23 percent of the industry total) through eight

 33 The World Bank, “GDP growth (annual%)” (last accessed September 29, 2016), available at 

http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG?locations=IN-CN. 

34 Swiss Re Sigma, p. 40.

35 The S&P 500 traded in a narrow band of plus or minus three percent until mid-August 2015, when the index 

turned decidedly negative, ending the year down one percent.

36 All data in this section sourced from SNL Financial LC, as collected and calculated by FIO.
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separate offerings. The next largest issuer of debt was the combination of MetLife, Inc. and its 

largest operating subsidiary, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, which together raised an 

aggregate $8.6 billion, or 19 percent of the total for the industry. The remainder of the top five 

issuers of debt included American International Group ($8.3 billion), Berkshire Hathaway Inc. 

($4.3 billion), and New York Life Insurance Company and an affiliate ($2.8 billion); together, 

the funds raised by the top five issuers of debt accounted for 75 percent of the 2015 industry 

total. The largest single offerings during 2015 were two separate $2.0 billion issues sold by 

UnitedHealth Group Inc.

1. Mergers and Acquisitions

Several very large mergers were announced in 2015. In the P/C sector, ACE Ltd. announced its 

merger with Chubb Corp. through a transaction valued at $28 billion. In addition, two 

announcements were made of significant mergers in the Health sector, with Aetna Inc. acquiring 

Humana Inc. and Anthem Inc. buying Cigna Corp. in deals estimated at $35 billion and $48 

billion, respectively.37 Other M&A activity of note included Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc.’s 

acquisition of HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. and Exor SpA’s (headquartered in the Netherlands) 

purchase of Bermuda-based PartnerRe Ltd.

Altogether 87 deals were announced or completed in the 15 months following January 1, 2015. 

Of these, 30 were still pending as of March 31, 2016. The estimated total sum of the announced 

deals for which data is available was $154 billion.38 

2. Alternative Risk Transfer Market

The global reinsurance industry continues to be affected by innovation and developments in the 

“alternative risk transfer” market segment, including insurance-linked securities, industry loss 

warranties, collateralized reinsurance, and reinsurance sidecars.39 This market supplements 

traditional reinsurance markets by linking insurance risk transfer to securities, derivatives, and 

other secured investment vehicles. Aon Benfield reports that the amount of alternative capital in 

this risk transfer market reached $72 billion in 2015 and now amounts to 12 percent of global 

reinsurance capital.

40

 

37 On July 21, 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice and attorneys general from multiple states and the District of 

Columbia filed suits to block Anthem’s proposed acquisition of Cigna and Aetna’s proposed acquisition of Humana, 

alleging that the transactions would increase concentration and harm competition across the country.

38 SNL data on industry merger and acquisition activity since January 1, 2015. 

39 U.S. Department of the Treasury, “Annual Report on the Insurance Industry” (2015), p. 43, available at

https://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/fio/reports-and-notices/Pages/default.aspx. 

40 Aon Benfield Reinsurance Market Outlook (April 2016), p. 1, available at 

http://thoughtleadership.aonbenfield.com/sitepages/display.aspx?tl=567.
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As a consequence of tapping into global capital and derivatives markets, this alternative segment 

increases the supply of global reinsurance. The greater supply puts downward pressure on 

reinsurance premiums at a time when premiums have also been facing pressure from higher 

retentions by primary insurers and an extended period of below average catastrophic losses. Aon 

Benfield’s 2016 Reinsurance Outlook observed that catastrophic losses decreased for the fourth 

consecutive year in 2015, and that insured losses as a percentage of global insurer capital reached 

a 10-year low.41 Altogether, these factors have contributed to lower reinsurance premiums.

Both as a source of risk transfer capacity and as a potential challenge to traditional markets, the 

alternative risk transfer market segment continues to garner attention.42 

 41 Aon Benfield Reinsurance Market Outlook, (January 2016) pp. 21- 23, available at

http://thoughtleadership.aonbenfield.com/sitepages/display.aspx?tl=551. 

42 See, e.g., Leslie Scism and Anupretta Das, “The Insurance Industry Has Been Turned Upside Down by 

Catastrophe Bonds,” Wall Street Journal (August 8, 2016).
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IV. DOMESTIC REGULATORY DEVELOPMENTS

A. Financial Stability Oversight Council

The Financial Stability Oversight Council (Council) was established by Title I of the DoddFrank Act and is charged with: (1) identifying risks to the financial stability of the United States; 

(2) promoting market discipline; and (3) responding to emerging threats to the stability of the 

U.S. financial system.43 The Council consists of ten voting members and five nonvoting 

members. The Director of the Federal Insurance Office serves as a nonvoting member of the 

Council.

The Dodd-Frank Act also authorizes the Council to designate a nonbank financial company to be 

subject to supervision by the Federal Reserve and enhanced prudential standards if the Council 

determines that the company’s material financial distress—or the nature, scope, size, scale, 

concentration, interconnectedness, or mix of its activities—could pose a threat to U.S. financial 

stability.44 The Dodd-Frank Act requires the Council to take into account 10 specific statutory 

considerations when evaluating those companies.45

The Council has voted to make a final determination that four nonbank financial companies, 

including three insurers, should be subject to supervision by the Federal Reserve and enhanced 

prudential standards. These four companies are American International Group, Inc. (AIG), 

General Electric Capital Corporation (GE Capital), MetLife, Inc. (MetLife), and Prudential 

Financial, Inc. (Prudential).46

1. Annual Review of Designated Nonbank Financial Companies

Under Section 113 of the Dodd-Frank Act, the Council is required at least annually to reevaluate 

each existing determination and rescind any determination if the nonbank financial company no 

longer meets the statutory standards.47 The Council will provide the company and its primary 

financial regulatory agency with a notice explaining the primary basis for any decision not to 

rescind the determination and addressing the material factors raised by the company in any 

submission to the Council contesting its determination. 

In 2015, the Council completed its second annual reevaluations of AIG and Prudential. AIG did 

not contest the Council’s determination in its 2015 reevaluation. Subsequently, during a meeting 

 43 12 U.S.C. § 5322(a)(1).

44 Id.

45 12 U.S.C. § 5323(a)(2).

46 A list of nonbank financial company designations is available at

https://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/fsoc/designations/Pages/default.aspx.

47 12 U.S.C. § 5323(d)(1).
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of the Council on July 31, 2015, the Council did not rescind its determination regarding AIG.

48 

Prudential did contest its determination during the most recent reevaluation. As part of the 

reevaluation, staff of the Council members and member agencies met with Prudential to discuss

the company’s annual review, considered information submitted by Prudential, and consulted

with certain of the company’s regulators. On December 17, 2015, the Council voted not to 

rescind the designation of Prudential.49 

In October 2015, the Council notified MetLife of its annual review of the company’s December 

2014 designation. The Council invited the company to meet with staff of the Council to discuss 

the annual review and submit information regarding any changes that the company deemed 

relevant to the threat the company could pose to financial stability. Staff of the Council 

members and member agencies considered information submitted by MetLife and consulted with 

certain of the company’s regulators. On March 30, 2016, the U.S. District Court for the District 

of Columbia rescinded the Council’s determination regarding MetLife; the government has 

appealed, and the appellate court scheduled oral argument for October 24, 2016. 

On June 28, 2016, the Council voted to rescind the designation of GE Capital.50

2. Areas of Heightened Risk Management and Supervisory Attention

The Council, in its 2015 Annual Report, made several recommendations to its members and 

member agencies regarding areas which the Council identified for heightened risk management 

and supervisory attention. As part of these recommendations, the Council recommended that 

FIO and state insurance regulators continue to closely monitor and assess the growing risks that 

insurers have been taking by extending the duration of their portfolios and by investing in lower 

quality or less liquid assets in order to increase investment yield in the current low interest rate 

environment. Additionally, the Council also recommended that state insurance regulators 

continue to work to improve the public availability of data, including financial statements of 

captive reinsurers, and that FIO continue to monitor and publicly report on the regulatory 

treatment of issues relating to captive reinsurance.

a. Risk Taking by Insurers in a Low Yield Environment

A significant aspect of interest rate risk for insurers is the prospect of investment returns that 

decline despite the static nature of the insurer’s contractual promises to policyholders. For life 

insurers in particular, assets with the longest available durations (typically 30 years) often do not 

cover the full length of liabilities. In an extended period of declining interest rates, when those 

investments mature, the proceeds must be reinvested in securities earning lower yields. Lower 

 48 Available at https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0135.aspx.

49 Available at https://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/fsoc/councilmeetings/Documents/December%2017,%202015.pdf.

50 Available at https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0503.aspx. 
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interest rates mean lower reinvestment returns, less attractive and/or more expensive retirement 

security products, and increased risks to insurers resulting from the inability to adequately match 

asset and liability cash flows. The United Kingdom’s recent vote to leave the EU (Brexit) has 

elevated global concerns in the insurance industry about the risks of low interest rates, 

particularly as Brexit-imposed heightened volatility and uncertainty in financial markets may 

exacerbate the continuing protracted low- and negative-interest rate environment. The longer the 

low-interest rate environment persists, and the more protracted the reinvestment activity that 

occurs in such an environment, the lower the overall yield on an insurer’s entire investment 

portfolio. These circumstances challenge the ability of life insurers to construct investment 

portfolios to support contractually guaranteed benefits on various insurance and retirement 

security products entered into years or even decades earlier, when interest rates were higher. Put 

differently, low interest rates challenge the ability of insurers to continue to offer such 

guaranteed benefits, at least at certain levels and on affordable terms, at a time when consumers 

need them the most. 

Fixed-income assets such as bonds and mortgages comprise a significant part of an insurer’s 

investment portfolio. As of year-end 2015, approximately 72 percent of the industry’s assets 

were invested in these investment classes (85 percent for L/H insurers, and 63 percent for P/C 

insurers).

51 In part, U.S. life insurers have responded to the low interest rate environment by 

increasing exposures to both commercial and residential mortgage loans. In the years leading up 

to the financial crisis, mortgage loans comprised slightly less than 11 percent of the L/H sector’s 

total cash and invested assets. This figure dropped below 10 percent in 2010, but rose back to 11 

percent by 2015.

52 In addition, since the financial crisis, the percentage growth in both 

commercial and residential mortgage loans has far outpaced the increase in total cash and 

invested assets in general, and bonds in particular. Still, mortgage loans remain a relatively 

small component of the L/H total investment portfolio.

 51 Source: SNL Financial and FIO calculations.

52 Source: SNL Financial and FIO calculations.
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Box 2: Infrastructure Investments

Interest in infrastructure investments as a potential mitigant for life insurers’ interest rate and 

reinvestment risks has been growing. The concept of infrastructure investments was discussed in 

FIO’s 2015 Annual Report on the Insurance Industry, noting that such investments could take 

several forms.53 The more recent discussion has centered on public-private partnerships that 

would require a direct equity investment in a project with distinct cash flows from which to pay 

consistent dividends to investors. In May 2016, the Bipartisan Policy Center released a report on 

modernizing the U.S. infrastructure (the BPC Report).54 The BPC Report notes that the 

insurance industry has been a long-time investor in the traditional municipal debt market, and 

thus has familiarity with funding infrastructure projects. Further, the BPC Report postulates that 

direct investments in infrastructure are an “attractive asset class for life insurers,” among other 

types of investors, which are looking for “long duration, safe, stable assets.”55 However, under 

the current state regulatory capital regime, the high required capital charges on equity 

investments may make such investments in infrastructure unattractive; the BPC Report 

recommends that “insurance regulators should consider the performance history of infrastructure 

investments in setting capital requirements for insurers participating in this asset class.”56 In an 

October 2013 paper, the OECD noted that institutional investors such as insurance companies are 

frequently cited as an alternative source of financing for infrastructure investments.57

Similar discussions have taken place in Europe. In October 2015, the European Commission 

(EC) asked the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) for technical 

advice on direct infrastructure investments. After conducting research and due diligence, EIOPA 

submitted its final advice to the EC on June 30, 2016.58 In summary, EIOPA concluded that 

high quality infrastructure investments by insurers should qualify under the infrastructure asset 

class in Solvency II, risk charges for such investments should be calibrated differently and, to 

benefit from a different treatment, insurers should conduct due diligence and have adequate risk 

management systems in place to monitor credit risks of infrastructure investments.

The issue of different treatment for infrastructure investments in the United States was discussed 

at an August 2016 meeting of the NAIC’s Valuation of Securities Task Force.

 53 U.S. Department of the Treasury, “Annual Report on the Insurance Industry” (2015), pp. 45-46, available at

https://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/fio/reports-and-notices/Pages/default.aspx.

54 Bipartisan Policy Center, “Bridging the Gap: A New Model to Modernize U.S. Infrastructure” (May 2016), 

available at http://cdn.bipartisanpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/BPC-New-Infrastructure-Model.pdf.

55 Id., p. 68.

56 Id., p.76.

57 Della Croce, R., and Yermo, J., “Institutional Investors and Infrastructure Financing,” OECD Working Papers on 

Finance, Insurance, and Private Pensions, No. 36, OECD Publishing, October 2013, p. 7.

58 EIOPA Press Release, available at https://eiopa.europa.eu/Publications/Press%20Releases/2016-06-

30%20Advice%20on%20infrastructure%20corporates.pdf.
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Insurers place significant emphasis on the development and implementation of strategies to 

manage interest rate risk. For example, life insurers typically seek to match liabilities with assets 

of corresponding durations. Practically, however, asset-liability management strategies have 

limitations, e.g., the duration of available assets in which to invest in the marketplace is often not 

as long as that of the liabilities which an insurer seeks to match. Alternatively, and subject to 

prior regulatory approval, insurers may be able to lower contractually guaranteed interest rates 

paid on certain existing (or “in force”) products. However, such actions may have competitive 

and reputational implications, and the timeliness or outcome of the regulator’s decision cannot be 

assured. Also, insurers have discretion in establishing contractually guaranteed rates for newly

issued policies, but lowering guarantees may reduce the competitiveness of those policies in the 

marketplace compared to investment and savings products offered by non-insurance financial 

services providers. Additionally, insurers can mitigate the impact of interest rate swings on 

operating results through hedging programs that use derivative instruments such as interest rate 

swaps (i.e., contractual agreements between the insurer and a counterparty to exchange interest 

rate cash flows). However, abnormally low interest rates increase the risks posed by upward 

swings in rates, which in turn can raise hedging costs and add another source of volatility to an 

insurer’s balance sheet as the values of interest rate-related derivatives fluctuate.

b. Regulatory Treatment of Captive Reinsurance

Captive insurers typically are entities (usually corporate affiliates set up by a parent company) 

that provide a self-funded insurance-like product for non-insurance businesses. Captive insurers 

include a diverse set of entities and are most often established to meet the unique risk transfer 

needs of the owner. 

As first discussed by FIO in its 2013 Modernization Report, however, captive insurers have also 

been established as a tool for insurers to transfer risk within an affiliated insurance group. 

Certain U.S. life insurers transfer insurance risk to affiliated captive reinsurers (reinsurance 

captives) as a means of addressing regulatory reserve requirements for some life insurance and 

annuity products. When used in this manner, reinsurance captive programs “can be mechanisms 

by which insurers decrease capital and reserves at the insurance entity level through intra-group 

reinsurance arrangements while also reducing overall regulatory scrutiny across the group.”59 

The impetus for certain reinsurance captives allegedly arises from statutory reserve requirements 

that some claim result in excessive (i.e., “redundant” or “non-economic”) required reserves in 

relation to the reserves that life insurers will need to meet policy obligations when they become 

due. In the Modernization Report, FIO recommended that state insurance regulators improve the 

manner in which reinsurance captives are regulated by developing a consistent capital 

requirement for reinsurance captives and requiring reinsurance captives to publically disclose 

financial statements. Concerns about the increasing amount of risk being ceded to reinsurance 

 59 U.S. Department of Treasury, “How to Modernize and Improve the System of Insurance Regulation in the United 

States” (December 2013), p. 32, available at https://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/fio/reports-andnotices/Pages/default.aspx. 
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captives, the lack of financial information disclosed by reinsurance captives, and the inconsistent 

approach to regulation of captives across the states were also raised by other federal regulatory

agencies, including the Council, as well as various state regulators and commenters.

In 2014 and 2015, state insurance regulators developed, adopted, and began to implement a 

framework (Captive Framework) to enhance regulations and disclosure requirements governing 

the cession of risk for term life and secondary guarantee universal life insurance to a reinsurance 

captive. Among other things, the Captive Framework outlines new standards that a life insurer 

must satisfy in order to receive reinsurance credit for such cessions. In brief, the Captive 

Framework requires that a ceding insurer receive collateral from the reinsurance captive 

sufficient to assure recovery of the so-called “economic” portion of the ceded statutory reserves 

in the event that payment from the reinsurance captive may not be forthcoming, while any 

additional statutory reserve amount (the so-called “redundant” or “non-economic” portion) may 

be collateralized by lower quality security.

In January 2016, state insurance regulators adopted amendments to the Credit for Reinsurance 

Model Law that would provide states with the authority to implement regulations relating to the 

Captive Framework, as well as regulations applicable to reinsurance captives outside the scope 

of the Captive Framework (e.g., captives reinsuring long-term care insurance and variable 

annuities). State insurance regulators continue to develop model regulations that relate to 

reinsurance captives. Until these regulations are adopted and implemented, Actuarial Guideline 

48, which became effective January 1, 2015 as a component of the Captive Framework, applies 

to the reserving methodology for cessions to captive reinsurers. 

The steps discussed above demonstrate progress in efforts to address concerns about the use of 

reinsurance captives, but these changes are indirect and focus primarily on ceding life 

insurers. Reinsurance captives will continue to operate under less stringent requirements than 

life insurers and, because financial statements of such captives remain largely exempt from 

disclosure, without sufficient transparency. While the states have improved the oversight of 

ceding life insurers, reinsurance captives are U.S.-domiciled insurance entities that warrant

appropriate, rigorous, and nationally uniform regulation. Accordingly, state insurance regulators 

should continue to develop a nationally consistent and appropriately tailored capital, solvency, 

and disclosure framework for reinsurance captives.

B. Supervision of Insurance Companies by the Federal Reserve

As a result of the Dodd-Frank Act, the Federal Reserve serves as the consolidated supervisor for 

a number of insurance holding companies, including insurance holding companies that own an 

insured bank or savings and loan association, as well as insurers designated by the Council for 

Federal Reserve supervision and enhanced prudential standards. The principal supervisory 

objectives for the Federal Reserve are protecting the safety and soundness of the consolidated 
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firms and subsidiary depository institutions, while mitigating risks to financial stability.60 The 

insurers supervised by the Federal Reserve vary in size and collectively hold approximately $2 

trillion in total assets, representing approximately one-fourth of U.S. insurance industry assets.61 

1. Capital Standards

Under section 165 of the Dodd-Frank Act, the Federal Reserve is required to establish enhanced 

prudential standards for nonbank financial companies that have been designated by the Council. 

Among other things, these prudential standards must include more stringent requirements related 

to risk-based capital, leverage, liquidity, and overall risk management, as well as stress tests.

62 

In December 2014, the President signed into law the Insurance Capital Standards Clarification 

Act of 2014,63 which provides the Federal Reserve with flexibility to tailor its capital framework 

to companies that are substantially engaged in insurance underwriting activity. 

On June 14, 2016, the Federal Reserve published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking 

(ANPR) on Capital Requirements for Supervised Institutions Significantly Engaged in Insurance 

Activities.

64 Through the ANPR, the Federal Reserve has invited comment on two approaches to 

consolidated capital requirements for these institutions: an aggregation approach that uses 

existing legal entity capital requirements as building blocks for insurance depository institution 

holding companies – bank holding companies (BHCs) and savings and loan holding companies 

(SLHCs) – and a consolidated approach for insurance companies designated by the Council.

Under the Federal Reserve’s proposed aggregation approach that would apply to BHCs and 

SLHCs, capital resources and capital requirements across different legal entities in the group 

would be aggregated to calculate combined, group-level amounts. Capital requirements would 

generally be the sum of the capital requirements at each regulated insurance or depository 

institution’s subsidiary based on the regulatory capital rules of each respective subsidiary’s lead 

insurance or banking regulator. Adjustments may be needed to address other exposures, e.g., to 

harmonize permitted accounting practices that vary across states.

The consolidated approach for insurers designated by the Council would categorize all 

consolidated assets and insurance liabilities into risk segments tailored to account for the liability 

structure and other unique features of the insurer. The proposal would then apply risk factors to 

the amounts in each risk segment. The approach would be based on U.S. GAAP, with 

appropriate adjustments for regulatory purposes. Furthermore, the consolidated approach would 

allow for supervisory stress testing.

 60 “Insurance Companies and the Role of the Federal Reserve,” Speech by Federal Reserve Governor Daniel K. 

Tarullo (May 20, 2016), available at https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/tarullo20160520a.htm.

61 Id.

62 12 U.S.C. § 5365(b)(1).

63 Pub. L. No. 113–279, 128 Stat. 3017 (2014) (amending 12 U.S.C. § 5371).

64 81 Fed. Reg. 38,631 (June 14, 2016).
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2. Enhanced Prudential Standards for Insurance Companies Designated by the 

Council

In June 2016, the Federal Reserve published a proposed rule to apply enhanced prudential 

standards to insurance companies designated by the Council.65 These standards would subject 

insurers to liquidity, corporate governance, and risk management standards. The proposal 

includes the implementation of an enterprise-wide risk management framework, maintenance of 

a risk committee, and appointment of a chief risk officer and chief actuary. Under the proposal, 

these insurers would also be required to implement a number of prudential standards to manage 

liquidity risk, including key internal control requirements with respect to liquidity risk

management, comprehensive cash flow projections, monitoring of liquidity risk tolerance, a 

contingency funding plan to manage liquidity stress events when normal sources of funding may 

not be available, and liquidity stress testing together with a liquidity buffer.

3. Data Reporting

In April 2016, the Federal Reserve published a proposal to collect data on its consolidated 

financial statement form applicable to nonbank financial companies designated by the Council.

66 

These reports would keep the Federal Reserve informed as to: the financial condition and risk 

profile of the insurers; systems in place for monitoring and controlling financial, operating, and 

other risks; and the extent to which activities and operations of these insurers comply with 

federal law. On a quarterly basis, the new form would collect consolidated financial information 

on a U.S. GAAP basis including a balance sheet, an income statement, and a statement of 

changes in equity, as well as supporting schedules that would provide additional or more detailed 

information.

4. Orderly Liquidation

Title II of the Dodd-Frank Act provides enhanced systemic protection through the orderly 

liquidation of large financial institutions, including insurers.67 Under Title II, if certain 

statutorily prescribed criteria are met,

68 an insurer, or a holding company for which the largest 

subsidiary is an insurer, can be placed into receivership by the Secretary (in consultation with the 

 

65 81 Fed. Reg. 38610 (June 14, 2016). See also Federal Reserve System, Draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 

“Enhanced Prudential Standards for Systemically Important Insurance Companies” (June 3, 2016), available at

http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/press/bcreg/bcreg20160603a2.pdf.

66 81 Fed. Reg. 24097 (April 25, 2016).

67 12 U.S.C. §§ 5381-5394.

68 12 U.S.C. § 5383(b). A financial company can be placed into receivership if it is in default or danger of default 

(with no viable private sector alternative to prevent default), and the default would have serious adverse effects on 

U.S. financial stability. A federal regulatory agency must have ordered the financial company to convert all of its 

convertible debt instruments subject to the regulatory order. Furthermore, placing the insurer into receivership must 

mitigate adverse effects on the claims or interests of creditors, counterparties, and shareholders.
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President of the United States). Prior to a determination by the Secretary under Title II with 

respect to an insurance company, the Secretary must receive a recommendation from the 

Director of FIO and a majority of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (in 

consultation with the FDIC). 

Following a determination by the Secretary to place such an insurer into receivership, the 

applicable state insurance regulator(s) must begin liquidation proceedings for the insurer under 

the applicable state law(s). If a state regulator fails to act within sixty days of the Secretary’s 

determination, the FDIC has the authority to “stand in the place of the appropriate regulatory 

agency and file the appropriate judicial action in the appropriate State court to place such 

company into orderly liquidation or rehabilitation under the laws and requirements of the 

State.”69

In December 2015, Congress passed, and the President signed into law, the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2016 (2016 Omnibus), which includes provisions relating to the orderly 

liquidation authorities under Title II of the Dodd-Frank Act as it applies to insurers and insurance 

subsidiaries.70 The 2016 Omnibus provides state insurance commissioners with the authority to 

protect funds and assets of insurance companies, or insurance subsidiaries, from being used to 

provide capital as a source of strength to a distressed affiliated financial institution within an

SLHC. The impact of this change is minimal: the Bank Holding Company Act already provided 

this authority to state insurance regulators as it pertains to BHCs; the 2016 Omnibus also now

provides this authority as it pertains to SLHCs. 

C. Regulatory Developments at the State Level

In addition to the regulatory developments ongoing at the federal level, state insurance regulators 

have a number of ongoing regulatory development work streams. While these work streams are 

coordinated at the NAIC, they do not have legal effect except to the extent that each individual 

state insurance regulator, or in some cases the individual state legislature and the respective

Governor, implements the changes within the respective states. The independent sovereignty of 

the NAIC’s 56 members can lead to variances in regulatory requirements across states.

1. Capital

In the United States, state insurance regulators impose minimum capital requirements on a legal 

entity basis but have not, to date, developed a capital requirement for insurance groups. In late 

2015, state insurance regulators expressed a desire to construct a U.S. group capital “calculation”

using an RBC aggregation approach. The states’ proposed approach is conceptually similar to 

the “building block” approach being considered by the Federal Reserve for application to insured 

 69 12 U.S.C. § 5383(e)(3).

70 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, Pub. L. 114-113, 129 Stat. 2242 (2015). 
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depository institution holding companies (BHCs and SLHCs) subject to the Federal Reserve’s

supervision.71

The RBC aggregation approach would use existing regulatory capital calculations for all entities 

within the holding company structure, rather than developing replacement or additional 

standards. For example, this approach would use RBC for U.S. legal entity insurers, jurisdictionappropriate calculations for non-U.S. legal entities, and Basel Committee on Banking 

Supervision requirements for banking entities. For legal entities without existing capital 

requirements, a standard would need to be adopted.72 For multi-national insurers, this approach 

may need to address how to aggregate jurisdictional requirements of multiple countries that 

differ in design and calibration. 

The RBC aggregation approach will be explored as a group capital “calculation,” although

regulators have not indicated when or how it may become a requirement by individual states.

2. Reserving Requirements

Insurers establish “reserves” as balance sheet liabilities in order to recognize obligations to pay 

policy benefits in the future. In the case of non-life insurers, such obligations include the 

estimated cost of claims and related expenses that have been incurred through the balance sheet 

date regardless of whether those claims have yet been reported to the insurer, as well as 

provisions for unearned income relating to the unexpired portion of policy contracts. For life 

insurers, reserves are established for future policy benefits that may be paid out under life 

insurance contracts, annuities, and other policies and contracts. The determination of reserves 

involves complex actuarial calculations and estimations based on past experience, and may also 

include additional margins for conservatism or to recognize regulatory prudence.

For decades, life insurers in the United States have followed a standardized formula prescribed 

under state insurance laws to calculate reserves for products. Critics of this approach contend 

that it is too static and conservative; that it fails to capture the risks associated with increasingly 

complex products and product features favored by consumers; and that it does not reflect life 

insurers’ risk management practices. In addition, insurers argue that redundant reserve 

requirements have forced the expansion of captive reinsurance in order to allow life insurers to 

more efficiently use capital.

To address these issues, including limiting the use of reinsurance captives, state regulators have 

developed a new reserving method referred to as principles-based reserving (PBR). With PBR,

reserving requirements reflect current mortality rates, the life insurer’s particular business model, 

 71 See Section IV.C.1 for additional information on the Federal Reserve’s proposed approaches.

72 “NAIC ComFrame Development and Analysis (G) Working Group Discussion Draft on Approaches to a Group 

Capital Calculation” (July 23, 2015), available at 

http://www.naic.org/documents/committees_g_cfwg_related_us_group_capital_calc_draft.pdf. 
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and the insurer’s unique risk profile. Whereas the formula-based approach to quantifying 

reserves incorporates standardized calculations, PBR relies upon an insurer’s individualized risk 

modeling and analysis techniques, including the use of insurer-specific claims experience with 

specific portfolio(s) of business, to incorporate consideration of particularized risks and, thereby, 

more closely tailor calculations to the actual attributes of an insurer’s portfolio. 

In December 2012, state insurance regulators adopted a Valuation Manual which contains details 

of the principles-based approach and defines the methods for calculating reserves under 

PBR. While the Valuation Manual was adopted by state insurance regulators, state law stipulates 

that in order to begin implementation of PBR, the revised reserving principles must be enacted 

by 42 state legislatures, representing 75 percent of total U.S. premium. In 2016, the 42nd state 

formally enacted the revised reserving principles, allowing for a three-year implementation 

period for PBR to begin on January 1, 2017 (although insurers may voluntarily implement PBR 

at any time during the three-year period). For life insurance reserves, PBR will apply only to 

policies issued on or after January 1, 2017. 

State insurance regulators have developed a written implementation plan which includes: 

(1) having the NAIC, a non-regulatory private association, hire additional actuaries to support 

the states with implementation of PBR; (2) establishing a framework for development of riskfocused PBR examination procedures; (3) changing the schedules used by insurers to report 

reserves and enhance automated financial analysis and prioritization tools; and (4) training state 

insurance department staff.

While the adoption of PBR presents several potential advantages, it also raises concerns. PBR 

relies heavily on each insurer’s application of internal models to complex data sets, which are 

unique to each insurer, and necessarily demanding of expertise and resources. The limited 

number of sufficiently trained expert actuaries and examiners on staff at most state insurance 

departments has raised questions regarding the ability of states to implement PBR in an effective 

manner.

In response to these concerns, some state insurance regulators have proposed to delegate central 

regulatory responsibilities to the NAIC, or to vendors or consultants hired by the NAIC.

However, this approach may inappropriately delegate regulatory functions to a private 

association with limited oversight by state legislators and governors.

Finally, the NAIC has stated that once PBR is fully effective and implemented, incentives to 

engage in captive reinsurance financing transactions will be eliminated.73 However, according to 

Fitch Ratings74 the new standards will have mixed implications, and PBR “will reduce but not 

 73 NAIC and The Center for Insurance Policy & Research, “Captive Insurance Companies” (July 15, 2016), 

available at http://www.naic.org/cipr_topics/topic_captives.htm. 

74Fitch Rating Press Release, “Fitch: PBR Implications Mixed for US Life Insurers” (June 28, 2016), available at 

https://www.fitchratings.com/site/pr/1008105.
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necessarily eliminate the industry’s use of captive insurers to finance” policy reserves as 

described in Section IV.A.2.b of this Report. 

3. Group Supervision

The U.S. system of insurance regulation provides complementary, tiered regulation, supervision, 

and oversight by state and federal authorities. As discussed earlier in this Report, the Federal 

Reserve is the consolidated supervisor of insurance holding companies that own an insured bank 

or thrift, as well as insurance companies designated by the Council for Federal Reserve 

supervision and enhanced prudential standards. FIO also serves an important role at the federal 

level. State insurance regulators focus supervision at the individual entity level. Taken as a 

whole, the U.S. insurance regulatory system achieves the fundamental goals of group 

supervision: consumer protection, financial stability, and global engagement. 

In recent years, state insurance regulators have sought to establish certain consolidated 

supervisory authorities over insurers with multiple subsidiaries and affiliates. In 2010, state 

insurance regulators adopted, and state legislatures enacted, amendments to the Model Insurance 

Holding Company System Regulatory Act (Model Holding Company Act). The amendments 

authorize a state insurance regulator to obtain information about non-insurance entities within the 

holding company structure of an insurance entity domiciled in that state, and permit the regulator 

to access the books and records of the non-insurance entities. However, even with these 

amendments, state regulators’ authority over non-insurance affiliates within groups is still 

exercised through its direct oversight of insurance entities rather than through direct oversight of 

the non-insurance affiliates, including parent holding companies. On January 1, 2016, the 2010 

amendments to the Model Holding Company Act became a standard for accreditation under the 

NAIC Financial Regulation Standards and Accreditation Program.75

In late 2014, state insurance regulators further amended this model act to provide for the 

supervision of Internationally Active Insurance Groups (IAIGs) by a single group-wide 

supervisor. Under the amended Model Holding Company Act, a state insurance regulator may 

determine that it is the group-wide supervisor for an IAIG that conducts substantial insurance 

operations in the state. The 2014 amendments also authorize the group-wide supervisor, in 

coordination with other insurance regulatory officials of the jurisdictions where subsidiaries of 

the IAIG are domiciled, to compel development and implementation of reasonable measures to

mitigate enterprise risk to subsidiaries of the IAIG that are engaged in the business of insurance. 

Additionally, the amended Model Holding Company Act provides for confidential treatment of 

information received though group-wide supervision.76 

 75 The NAIC Financial Regulation Standards Accreditation Program evaluates member states for substantial 

compliance with NAIC-established solvency oversight standards and practices. To be accredited, a state must have 

in force laws that are substantially similar to the key provisions in each of the relevant NAIC model laws or 

regulations. 

76 Insurance Holding Company System Regulatory Act § 7.1 (2015), available at

http://www.naic.org/store/free/MDL-440.pdf. 
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State insurance regulators have proposed that the 2014 amendments to the Model Holding 

Company Act become an accreditation standard and have sought public feedback on the issue. 

In particular, state insurance regulators are interested in obtaining public comments with respect 

to imposing the 2014 amendments as accreditation standards for (1) states that are the groupwide supervisor of an IAIG, (2) states that regulate an insurer that is part of a U.S.-based IAIG, 

which has (or may have) a U.S. state as the group-wide supervisor, and (3) states that do not 

regulate an insurer that is part of a U.S.-based IAIG.

The 2014 amendments to the Model Holding Company Act raise important questions. For 

example, it is uncertain how a U.S. state insurance regulator that declares itself a group-wide 

supervisor under the laws of its state will resolve jurisdictional disputes with other state 

insurance regulators (including those in states that have not enacted the 2014 amendments to the 

Model Holding Company Act) or international regulators.

D. Cybersecurity

Insurers and insurance regulators have important and growing roles both in protecting the 

insurance sector from cyber risks and in providing policyholders with risk transfer opportunities 

to protect against losses arising from cyber incidents. As the data breaches at health insurers 

Anthem Inc. and Premera Blue Cross that were publicized in 2015 illustrate,77 insurers – which

collect and manage large stores of personally identifiable information and private health 

information from consumers – may be attractive targets for cyber criminals and other hackers. 

Insurers should continue to improve risk management practices that protect against this growing 

threat, and state insurance regulators should continue to improve oversight of such practices. In 

addition, the growing cyber insurance market provides an avenue for a degree of cyber risk 

transfer.

1. Federal Measures

As the sector-specific agency overseeing critical infrastructure for the U.S. financial services 

sector, Treasury serves as the federal interface for matters involving cyber threats and 

cybersecurity for institutions within the financial services sector, including insurers. In this role, 

Treasury acts as the coordinating agency with the Department of Homeland Security and other 

relevant federal agencies—including the regulatory, law enforcement, and intelligence 

communities. Treasury also collaborates with state government agencies and with the private 

sector. With regard to insurance, Treasury, through both FIO and more broadly, encourages state 

insurance regulators to work in a coordinated manner with the federal and state supervisors of 

 77 Anthem, Inc., “Statement regarding cyber attack against Anthem,” available at https://www.anthem.com/healthinsurance/about-us/pressreleasedetails/WI/2015/1813/statement-regarding-cyber-attack-against-anthem; Premera 

Blue Cross, “About the Cyberattack” (March 2015), available at https://www.premera.com/wa/visitor/about-thecyberattack.
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other sectors, including through Treasury’s role as lead coordinator for cyber risk in the U.S. 

financial sector. 

Information sharing is a vital part of cybersecurity risk management and government oversight. 

In addition to any other information sharing initiatives in which insurers may be involved, 

Treasury strongly encourages insurers and other financial institutions to join the Financial 

Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC), which provides a platform for the 

global financial services sector to exchange information about cyber threats.78 Also relating to 

information sharing, in December 2015, President Obama signed into law the Cybersecurity 

Information Sharing Act (CISA), which establishes a system for cybersecurity information 

sharing within the federal government, between the federal government and the private sector, 

and within the private sector.

79 CISA also directs the Department of Homeland Security to build 

an automatic system to share cyber threat indicators. In addition to any other information 

sharing initiatives in which insurers may be involved, Treasury encourages insurers to participate 

in this capability, called Automated Indicator Sharing (AIS), which enables the exchange of 

cyber threat indictors between the Federal Government and the private sector at machine speed 

to quickly expose threats.

80

Treasury encourages insurers and financial institutions to adopt best practices and baseline 

protections to enhance their cybersecurity. The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s 

(NIST) Cybersecurity Framework offers a number of best practices and outlines a multitude of 

baseline protections to assist entities in developing ways to prevent breaches of their networks, 

systems, and data, and to prevent damage if there has been a breach. It can help identify an 

entity’s cyber posture and determine its risk profile and tolerance. 

It is important to note, however, that the Framework is an evolving guide and is not designed to 

serve as a regulatory standard. The NIST Cybersecurity Framework should serve as a common 

lexicon to facilitate the development of a common risk-based approach to cybersecurity across 

the financial sector. Informed by their regulatory and supervisory process, individual regulators 

could leverage that common risk-based approach to address any unique statutory and regulatory 

requirements, as well as any distinct cybersecurity risks presented by segments of the financial 

sector they oversee. 

Treasury also encourages insurers and other financial institutions to prepare response and 

recovery plans that can be deployed if a cybersecurity incident occurs. A response and recovery 

plan, or “playbook,” should clearly set out the roles and responsibilities of the board of directors, 

 78 Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center, “About FS-ISAC,” available at

https://www.fsisac.com/about.

79 Pub. L. 114-113, Div. N, Title I, § 102, 129 Stat. 2936; see also The National Law Review, “Happy New Year –

Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act” (January 6, 2016), available at

http://www.natlawreview.com/article/happy-new-year-cybersecurity-information-sharing-act.

80 Department of Homeland Security, “Automated Indicator Sharing,” available at https://www.dhs.gov/ais. See 

https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/daily-guidance/Pages/02122016.aspx.
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management, incident response teams, and other key individuals internally—as well as how 

those individuals will notify and coordinate with external parties, such as regulators, law 

enforcement, business partners, vendors, clients, and customers. The response and recovery 

plans should also be tested and exercised regularly to ensure they account for developments in 

the institution’s risk exposure and the overall cybersecurity risk landscape. Insurers should 

consider reviewing the Presidential Policy Directive on United States Cyber Incident 

Coordination to understand how the Federal government will coordinate its incident response 

activities in the event of a large-scale cyber incident.81

Recognizing the potential benefits of cyber insurance, both in terms of risk transfer and in 

encouraging sound cyber hygiene practices, Treasury has supported private sector growth of this 

market. In 2015 and early 2016, FIO sponsored roundtable discussions on cyber insurance 

bringing together a range of stakeholders, including insurers, brokers, regulators, and 

policyholders.82

2. State Measures

FIO encourages state insurance regulators to develop, adopt, and uniformly implement 

cybersecurity examination standards for insurers that are consistent across all states and which 

comply with best practices for the oversight of financial institutions. For example, as noted 

above, the National Institute for Standards and Technology’s Framework for Improving Critical 

Infrastructure Cybersecurity (NIST Cybersecurity Framework) provides a voluntary blueprint 

that insurers of all sizes can use to evaluate, maintain, and improve the resiliency of computer 

systems and reduce cyber risk. 

State insurance regulators established a Cyber Security Task Force in 2014 to coordinate 

insurance regulatory activities relating to cybersecurity issues. In April 2015, state insurance 

regulators released Principles for Effective Cybersecurity Insurance Regulatory Guidelines—12 

guiding principles to assist states in developing regulatory regimes intended to protect consumers 

and the insurance industry from cyber threats.83 In December 2015, state insurance regulators 

adopted a Roadmap for Cybersecurity Consumer Protections. Among other things, the roadmap 

states that consumers have the right: (i) to know the types of information collected and stored by 

insurers, agents, and related third party service providers; (ii) to easily find a publicly available 

privacy policy posted by the insurer or agent; (iii) to expect that insurers, agents, and related 

third-party service providers are taking reasonable steps to protect consumer information; (iv) to 

receive notice if the insurer, agent, or third party service provider has a data breach; and (v) to be 

 81 The White House, “Presidential Policy Directive – United States Cyber Incident Coordination (July 26, 2016), 

available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/07/26/presidential-policy-directive-united-statescyber-incident.

82 See https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/daily-guidance/Pages/02122016.aspx.

83 “Principles for Effective Cybersecurity: Insurance Regulatory Guidance” (April 2015), available at

http://www.naic.org/documents/committees_ex_cybersecurity_tf_final_principles_for_cybersecurity_guidance.pdf.
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provided with at least one year of identity theft protection paid for by the insurer or agent in the 

event of a data breach.84 Also in 2015, state insurance regulators approved revisions to the 

information technology examination section of the NAIC’s Financial Condition Examiners 

Handbook. New guidance in these revisions specifically addresses cybersecurity by guiding 

examiners to assess insurers’ cybersecurity in an approach mapped to the NIST Cybersecurity 

Framework (i.e., identify, prevent, detect, respond and recover). These revisions are included in

the 2016 edition of the Financial Condition Examiners Handbook and are self-executing, 

although they are considered guidance rather than a mandatory examination standard. Finally, in 

March 2016 the Cyber Security Task Force issued a draft Insurance Data Security Model Law.

85 

The model law may be considered for adoption later in 2016.86

3. International Efforts

FIO is involved in international efforts addressing cybersecurity in the insurance sector. FIO 

chairs the International Association of Insurance Supervisors Financial Crime Task Force 

(FCTF), which is considering the development of internationally applicable guidance on 

cybersecurity for insurance supervisors.

87 FIO also participates in the Organization for 

Economic Cooperation and Development’s Insurance and Private Pensions Committee, which in 

2016 began a project assessing cyber risk insurance and the ways that such insurance products 

can contribute to improved cybersecurity for consumers.

88 Treasury is also co-chair of a 

working group impaneled by the finance ministers and central bank governors of the G-7 

countries. The G-7 cyber expert group is mandated with exploring ways to address cybersecurity 

risks in the international financial system, including the development of non-legally binding 

principles that describe the fundamental elements of cybersecurity for public and private entities 

in the financial sector. 

4. Cyber Risk Insurance

Cyber risk insurance is a broad term referring to insurance products that cover risks arising

“from the use of electronic data and its transmission, including technology tools such as the 

internet and telecommunications networks,” as well as “physical damage that can be caused by 

cyber attacks, fraud committed by misuse of data, any liability arising from data storage, and the 

 84 “NAIC Roadmap for Cybersecurity Consumer Protections” (December 2015), available at 

http://www.naic.org/documents/committees_ex_cybersecurity_tf_related_roadmap_cybersecurity_consumer_protect

ions.pdf.

85 Available at 

http://www.naic.org/documents/committees_ex_cybersecurity_tf_160524_draft_ins_data_sec_model_law.pdf.

86 Sutherland, “Legal Alerts: NAIC Task Force Continues Work on Insurance Data Security Model Law” (June 6, 

2016), available at http://www.sutherland.com/NewsCommentary/Legal-Alerts/189526/Legal-AlertNAIC-TaskForce-Continues-Work-on-Insurance-Data-Security-Model-Law.

87 The FCTF is further discussed in Section V.D.1.e.

88 OECD, “Cyber Risk Insurance,” available at http://www.oecd.org/finance/insurance/cyber-risk-insurance.htm.
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availability, integrity, and confidentiality of electronic information.”89 The global cyber risk 

insurance market is relatively small but is predicted to continue experiencing rapid growth; the 

global market reached $2.75 billion in 2015,90 and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has estimated 

that the global market will reach $5 billion by 2018 and at least $7.5 billion by 2020.91 

Currently, 90 percent of the demand for cyber insurance products comes from the United 

States.92 Cyber insurance coverage is available through standalone policies or by endorsements 

to products such as Business Owners Policies, typically purchased by small businesses. Today, 

“most insurers offer cyber policies with coverage on an a la carte basis; a company can choose 

which coverages are right for it.”93 

A 2016 report on cyber insurance noted that 19 different categories of coverages are available to 

a greater or lesser extent in the cyber insurance market.94 The most common cyber insurance 

coverages in place today relate to data breaches, including first party coverage for costs such as 

crisis management and identity theft response fund coverage and third party coverage related to, 

for example, privacy liability.95 Other coverages under various cyber insurance products, such 

as cyber extortion, business interruption, data asset protection, and property damage and bodily 

injury, are also available under certain policies. In addition, many cyber insurance policies 

provide pre-claim risk mitigation and post-claim incident response services for policyholders.96 

To provide these services, insurers are increasingly partnering with cybersecurity firms.

97

 89 CRO Forum, “Cyber Resilience: The Cyber Risk Challenge and the Role of Insurance” (December 2014), p. 5, 

available at http://www.thecroforum.org/cyber-resilience-cyber-risk-challenge-role-insurance/.

90 Standard & Poor’s, “Looking Before They Leap: U.S. Insurers Dip Their Toes In The Cyber-Risk Pool” (June 

2015), available at 

https://www.globalcreditportal.com/ratingsdirect/renderArticle.do?articleId=1403078&SctArtId=320678. 

91 PricewaterhouseCoopers, “Insurance 2020 & Beyond: Reaping the dividends of cyber resilience” (2015), p. 10, 

available at http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/industries/financial-services/insurance/publications/insurance-2020-

cyber.html.

92 Standard & Poor’s, “Looking Before They Leap: U.S. Insurers Dip Their Toes In The Cyber-Risk Pool” (June 

2015), available at 

https://www.globalcreditportal.com/ratingsdirect/renderArticle.do?articleId=1403078&SctArtId=320678.

93 The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers, “Cyber Insurance Market Watch Survey: Executive Summary”

(October 2015). 

94 Centre for Risk Studies and RMS, “Managing Cyber Insurance Accumulation Risk” (February 2016), p. 10, 

available at http://static.rms.com/email/documents/managing-cyber-insurance-accumulation-risk-rms-crsjan2016.pdf.

95 Long Finance, “Promoting U.K. Cyber Prosperity” (July 2015), p. 22, available at

http://www.longfinance.net/images/Promoting_UK_Cyber_Prosperity_28July2015.pdf.

96 The Betterley Report, “Cyber/Privacy Insurance Market Survey - 2015” (June 2015), p. 7; 144-45, available at

https://www.ciab.com/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=5513. 

97 Sonali Basak, “How AIG Is Using Cyber Intelligence to Protect Property from Cyber Attacks,” Insurance Journal

(July 22, 2015), available at http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2015/07/22/375991.htm. 
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Some market participants have expressed the view that coverage limits currently available for 

these product are insufficient and that more capacity is needed.98 A significant challenge for 

insurers offering cyber insurance products continues to be the management of accumulation risk, 

i.e., the risk that a single incident could cause losses to multiple policyholders, or the risk that a 

single incident will affect multiple lines of coverage placed by a policyholder with a single 

insurer.

99 A range of solutions to this potential impediment are being developed by the 

industry.100

In June 2015, state insurance regulators adopted a Cybersecurity and Identity Theft Insurance 

Coverage Supplement to collect data regarding cybersecurity and identity theft policies written

including information regarding the number of claims reported and policies in force. Submission 

of such data became mandatory for the 2015 reporting year (collected in 2016), and is now 

required on an annual basis.101

E. Terrorism Risk Insurance Program

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks resulted in an insurance industry loss of about $32.5 

billion (in 2001 dollars), which at the time was the largest insurance loss in history.102 Following 

those attacks, insurers and reinsurers largely withdrew from the terrorism risk insurance market, 

threatening planned construction, property acquisition, business projects, and other economic 

 98 Rachel King, “Cyber Insurance Capacity is ‘Very Small’: AIG CEO,” Wall Street Journal (April 2, 2015), 

available at http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2015/04/02/cyber-insurance-capacity-is-very-small-aig-ceo/; Gina Chon, 

“Cyber attack risk requires $1bn of insurance cover, companies warned,” Financial Times (February 18, 2015), 

available at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/61880f7a-b3a7-11e4-a6c1-00144feab7de.html (referencing a Lockton 

executive); The Betterley Report, “Cyber/Privacy Insurance Market Survey – 2015” (June 2015), p. 8, available at

https://www.ciab.com/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=5513 (“larger organizations are not able to secure the 

kinds of limits that they may need [especially] for the breach response costs, which are being severely sublimited by 

many insurers”).

99 Centre for Risk Studies and RMS, “Managing Cyber Insurance Accumulation Risk” (February 2016), p. 7, 

available at http://static.rms.com/email/documents/managing-cyber-insurance-accumulation-risk-rms-crsjan2016.pdf.

100 See, e.g., id. p. 4; Lloyd’s, “Lloyd’s Leads Development of Core Data Requirements for Cyber Insurance” 

(January 19, 2016), available at https://www.lloyds.com/news-and-insight/press-centre/pressreleases/2016/01/lloyds-leads-development-of-core-data-requirements-for-cyber-insurance; Sarah Veysey, “Lloyd’s 

of London develops common core for cyber risks,” Business Insurance (January 19, 2016), available at 

http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20160119/NEWS06/160119825. 

101 NAIC, “Cybersecurity and Identity Theft Insurance Coverage Supplement” (June 2015), available at 

http://www.naic.org/documents/committees_ex_cybersecurity_tf_related_cyber_id_theft_ins_suplement.pdf;NAIC, 

“Early NAIC Analysis Sheds Light on Cybersecurity Insurance Data” (June 30, 2016), available at

http://www.naic.org/Releases/2016_docs/cybersecurity_insurance_data_analysis.htm.

102 President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, “The Long-Term Availability and Affordability of Insurance 

for Terrorism Risk” (April 2014), p. 5, available at https://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/fio/reports-andnotices/Documents/PWG_TerrorismRiskInsuranceReport_2014.pdf.
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activity.103 In response, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (TRIA) was enacted,104 which 

created the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program (TRIP) within Treasury.105 TRIP was established 

to incentivize the private market to offer insurance for terrorism risk, while providing a 

transitional period for the private market to resume pricing terrorism risk and build capacity to 

absorb future insurance losses.106 The Dodd-Frank Act authorizes FIO to assist the Secretary in 

administering TRIP.107

In general, TRIA requires each commercial P/C insurer to participate in TRIP and to make 

coverage available for terrorism risk insurance.108 In addition, an insurer may be reimbursed by 

TRIP for “insured losses” resulting from one or more certified acts of terrorism. In this regard, 

when industry losses exceed the specified trigger amount, TRIA authorizes the Secretary to make 

federal payments to an insurer as reimbursement for a portion of insured losses resulting from a 

certified act of terrorism that exceeds the insurer’s deductible as determined under TRIA. 

Insurers co-participate with federal funding with respect to payments for losses above the 

deductible, and would be required to impose a surcharge on policyholders in order to fund any 

recoupment payments to Treasury. 

On January 12, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program 

Reauthorization Act of 2015 (TRIP Reauthorization Act),109 which amended the termination date 

of TRIA to December 31, 2020 and reformed several provisions of TRIA. Shortly after the 

enactment of the TRIP Reauthorization Act, Treasury released interim guidance to reflect the 

immediate changes to certain requirements under the TRIP regulations as a result of the TRIP 

Reauthorization Act.110 Since that time, Treasury has taken a number of steps to further 

implement the TRIP Reauthorization Act.

On April 1, 2016, Treasury issued a notice of proposed rulemaking for TRIP, which proposed 

amendments to the existing regulations to implement the changes to TRIP required by the TRIP 

Reauthorization Act. The proposed rules: (1) generally revised 31 C.F.R. Part 50 to incorporate 

the new financial and operational provisions for TRIP contained in the TRIP Reauthorization 

Act; (2) established new regulations regarding Treasury’s data collection authority; and (3) 

 103 TRIA § 101(a)(5). Because the provisions of TRIA appear in a note (i.e., 15 U.S.C. § 6701 note), instead of 

particular sections, of the United States Code, references to its provisions in this Report are identified by the sections 

of the Act.

104 Pub. L. No. 107-297, 116 Stat. 2322 (2002).

105 For purposes of this Report, TRIP refers to the program, as it is administered through regulations found in 31 

C.F.R. Part 50.

106 TRIA § 101(b).

107 31 U.S.C. § 313(c)(1)(D).

108 TRIA §§ 103(a)(3), 103(c)(1)

109 Pub. L. No. 114-1, 129 Stat. 3 (2015).

110 Interim Guidance Concerning the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2015, 80 Fed. Reg. 

6656 (Feb. 6, 2015), available at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-02-06/pdf/2015-02556.pdf.
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proposed rules governing the certification process following Treasury’s report on improving the 

certification process.111 Treasury received 26 comments from interested parties in response to its 

notice of proposed rulemaking,112 which it continues to evaluate as it develops the final rule 

implementing the changes to TRIP.

As required by the TRIP Reauthorization Act, beginning in 2016, Treasury will annually collect 

terrorism risk insurance information from insurers in order to analyze the overall effectiveness of 

TRIP.113 In 2015, Treasury consulted extensively with insurance industry stakeholders and state 

regulators regarding the current availability of information from participating insurers, in order 

to identify the information that would be available and to develop the proposed data collection 

regulations published in Treasury’s April 1, 2016 notice of proposed rulemaking.

Treasury’s authority to collect data under Section 111 of the TRIP Reauthorization Act began 

“[d]uring the calendar year beginning on January 1, 2016.” Treasury established a voluntary 

data collection process specific to 2016 to obtain information in a timely fashion for the initial 

report. Treasury’s 2016 collection process consisted of a web portal for the reporting of certain 

specified information through an insurance statistical aggregator.114 Although production of 

information for calendar year 2016 was voluntary, insurers representing approximately 41% of 

all TRIP-eligible insurance premiums in the United States provided some information in 

response to Treasury’s data collection request.

Based upon the data collected, Treasury submitted its report on TRIP effectiveness on June 30, 

2016.115 In that report, Treasury concluded that TRIP remains an important mechanism in 

ensuring that terrorism risk insurance remains available and generally affordable in the United 

States. The report also addressed issues concerning the impact of TRIP on the workers’ 

compensation market, the availability of private reinsurance capacity to support terrorism risk 

exposure that is not backstopped by TRIP, and the collection of terrorism risk premium by the 

industry since the inception of TRIP.

F. National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers

Under state insurance laws, insurance producers (agents or brokers) operating in more than one 

state must complete separate applications, pay separate licensing fees, and meet different prelicensing and continuing education requirements established by each state in which they seek to 

 111 81 Fed. Reg. 18950 (April 1, 2016).

112 All comments are available at

https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=25&so=DESC&sb=commentDueDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=TREA

S-TRIP-2016-0005.

113 TRIP Reauthorization Act § 111.

114 81 Fed. Reg. 11649 (March 4, 2016).

115 Available at https://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/fio/reports-and-notices/Pages/default.aspx.
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be licensed. These often redundant regulatory burdens for producers can be prohibitively

expensive, restrict economic activity, and are detrimental to the interests of consumers.

On January 12, 2015, as Title II of the TRIP Reauthorization Act, President Obama signed into 

law the National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers Reform Act of 2015 (NARAB 

II).116 Its purpose is to provide a national, standardized licensing process, i.e., “a mechanism 

through which licensing, continuing education, and other nonresident insurance producer 

qualification requirements and conditions may be adopted and applied on a multi-state basis.”117 

The National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers is governed and supervised by a 13-

member board of directors. Members of the board of directors are appointed by the President, 

with the advice and consent of the United States Senate.118 The board of directors consists of 

eight state insurance regulator members, three industry members with expertise and experience 

in property and casualty insurance producer licensing, and two industry members with expertise 

and experience in life or health insurance producer licensing.119 As of July 31, 2016, President 

Obama has nominated ten candidates to serve on its board of directors. 

G. The Availability and Affordability of Personal Automobile Insurance in the 

United States 

For its first insurance affordability study pursuant to Title V of the Dodd-Frank Act,120 FIO has 

focused on personal automobile insurance because of its importance to working families and 

individuals throughout the United States. In 2014 and 2015, through a Federal Register notice 

and extensive stakeholder outreach, FIO received public comments on a definition of 

affordability, a methodology for measuring affordability, and the best means for obtaining data 

to monitor affordability.121 FIO considered comments from stakeholders – including state 

insurance regulators, consumer organizations, insurance industry representatives, policyholders, 

academics, and others – and also conducted its own additional research and consultation. 

 116 Pub. L. No. 114-1, Title II, 129 Stat. 12. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act provided that unless a majority of the 

states enacted uniform producer licensing laws or reciprocal frameworks by a specified date, the original National 

Association of Registered Agents and Brokers would be established by operation of law. See Pub. L. No. 106-102, 

Subtitle C, 113 Stat. 1338. The NAIC subsequently certified that a majority of states had adopted uniform laws or 

reciprocity, thus halting establishment of the original NARAB.

117 15 U.S.C. § 6752.

118 15 U.S.C. § 6754(c).

119 Id.

120 FIO is authorized to monitor the extent to which traditionally underserved communities and consumers, 

minorities, and low- and moderate-income persons have access to affordable insurance products regarding all lines 

of insurance, except health insurance. 31 U.S.C. § 313(c)(1).

121 See Monitoring Availability and Affordability of Auto Insurance, 79 Fed. Reg. 19,969 (Apr. 10, 2014); 

Monitoring Availability and Affordability of Auto Insurance, 80 Fed. Reg. 38,277 (July 2, 2015).
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On July 13, 2016, FIO published a methodology for measuring the affordability of personal 

automobile insurance for traditionally underserved communities, minorities, and low- and 

moderate-income (LMI) consumers (collectively, Affected Persons).122 The methodology 

requires the calculation of an affordability index (Index), which is the ratio of the average annual 

written personal automobile liability premium in the voluntary market to the median household 

income for U.S. Postal Service ZIP codes identified as being majority-minority or majorityLMI.

123 Personal auto insurance is presumed to be affordable for Affected Persons if the Index 

is less than or equal to two percent.124 Notably, FIO’s Index does not reflect the affordability of 

personal auto insurance for every individual consumer, and does not reflect or analyze state-bystate differences in allowable rating factors. FIO also published notice of its intent to request 

that certain large insurers voluntarily provide premium data to statistical agents for analysis in 

connection with this ongoing study of personal auto insurance affordability.125

 122 Monitoring Availability and Affordability of Auto Insurance, 81 Fed. Reg. 45,372 (July 13, 2016).

123 Id. The July 2016 notice details the methodology’s rationale and its elements, describing, for example, insurance 

market segments based on risk profiles and explaining that the standard and non-standard markets together comprise 

the “voluntary market” (as distinct from the residual market and state-assigned risk pools).

124 Id.

125 Proposed Collection; Comment Request, 81 Fed. Reg. 45,381 (July 13, 2016).
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V. INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT AND STANDARD-SETTING

International standard-setting for insurance has significantly lagged behind that for other 

financial services such as banking, but as the experience of the financial crisis demonstrates, 

insurers are an essential part of the global financial system. In addition, multi-national insurers 

are becoming increasingly global and new markets are emerging around the world. In 

recognition of these developments, FIO has authority to coordinate federal efforts and develop 

federal policy on prudential aspects of international insurance matters, including representing the 

United States, as appropriate, in the IAIS and assisting the Secretary in negotiating covered 

agreements. In addition to the IAIS, FIO also is involved in various activities of other 

organizations, such as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. 

In its international work, FIO coordinates with federal and state authorities, and proactively 

engages with consumer, industry, and other stakeholders. This section of the Report describes 

FIO’s engagement in these matters.

A. Covered Agreement

Title V of the Dodd-Frank Act authorizes the Secretary and the Office of the United States Trade 

Representative (USTR) jointly to negotiate a covered agreement on behalf of the United States. 

A covered agreement is a written bilateral or multilateral agreement regarding prudential 

measures with respect to the business of insurance or reinsurance that achieves a level of 

protection for insurance and reinsurance consumers that is substantially equivalent to the level of 

protection achieved under state insurance or reinsurance regulation.126

In November 2015, Treasury and USTR jointly wrote to Congress regarding the intention to

initiate negotiations to enter into a covered agreement with the EU. Treasury and USTR advised 

Congress that a covered agreement with the EU would help level the regulatory playing field for 

U.S.-based insurers and reinsurers operating in the EU, and further confirm that the existing U.S. 

insurance regulatory system serves the goals of insurance sector oversight, policyholder 

protection, and national and global financial stability.127 To facilitate technical feedback from 

state insurance regulators on the covered agreement negotiations, Treasury and USTR consult 

regularly with a group of state insurance regulators, including on development of U.S. proposals. 

 126 Treasury publicly called for a covered agreement in FIO’s 2013 Report, “How to Modernize and Improve the 

System of Insurance Regulation in the United States,” available at https://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/fio/reportsand-notices/.

127 The November 20, 2015 letter was addressed to the Chair and Ranking member of four committees (the House 

Committee on Financial Services, the House Committee on Ways and Means, the Senate Committee on Banking, 

Housing, and Urban Affairs, and the Senate Committee on Finance) and is available at

https://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/fio/reports-and-notices/. See also Press Release (November 20, 2015), available 

at https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0284.aspx.
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On February 18 and 19 of 2016, representatives of the United States – including Treasury and 

USTR officials – met in Brussels with EU officials to begin negotiating a covered agreement. 

During this meeting, both sides agreed to move forward efficiently and expeditiously and 

affirmed their good faith pursuit of a covered agreement relating to group supervision, exchange 

of confidential information between supervisory authorities, and reinsurance supervision 

including collateral requirements. Additionally, both sides agreed to meaningful stakeholder 

consultation and engagement throughout the negotiations.

128 Talks continued in Washington in 

May 2016, at the conclusion of which U.S. and EU representatives expressed commitment to 

pursuit of an agreement that will improve regulatory and supervisory treatment for insurers and 

reinsurers operating on both sides of the Atlantic.129 A third negotiating session was held in 

Brussels on July 26 and 27, and a fourth in Washington D.C. on September 21 and 22. In a joint 

statement, EU and U.S. representatives advised that they had “made progress on key issues, and 

identified next steps toward a possible completion of negotiations in the near future.”130

As noted, the key subjects for negotiation are group supervision, the confidential exchange of 

information across national borders, and reinsurance supervision, including collateral. With 

respect to collateral requirements in the United States for EU-based reinsurers, state regulators 

notably and unanimously adopted in 2011 a model law and regulation that would reduce or 

eliminate pre-reform collateral requirements.

131 To date, 32 states have adopted such reforms. 

Recently, to address the lack of consistency across the United States, state regulators have 

announced that adoption of reinsurance collateral reform may become a state-by-state 

accreditation standard. 

B. FIO Coordination with U.S. Authorities in the IAIS 

The IAIS, established in 1994, is the international standard-setting body for supervision of the 

insurance sector. IAIS membership consists of insurance regulators and supervisors of more 

than 200 jurisdictions in nearly 140 countries, representing 97 percent of global insurance 

premiums. The IAIS mission is to: (1) promote effective and globally consistent supervision of 

the insurance industry in order to develop and maintain fair, safe, and stable insurance markets 

for the benefit and protection of policyholders; and (2) contribute to global financial stability. 

The IAIS also provides a forum for members and stakeholders to share experiences and 

understanding of insurance supervision and insurance markets, and to develop standards based 

on best practices.

 128 Joint Statement (Feb. 23, 2016), available at https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/pressreleases/Pages/jl0362.aspx.

129 Joint Statement (May 27, 2016), available at https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/pressreleases/Pages/jl0468.aspx.

130 Joint Statement (September 27, 2016), available at https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/pressreleases/Pages/jl0558.aspx.

131 See FIO, “The Breadth and Scope of the Global Reinsurance Market and the Critical Role it Plays in Supporting 

Insurance in the United States “ (February 11, 2015), available at https://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/fio/reportsand-notices/Pages/default.aspx.
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FIO’s participation at the IAIS and in other international initiatives benefits U.S. insurance 

consumers and the U.S. insurance industry by promoting high quality and consistent prudential 

standards around the world, which helps maintain a level playing field and prevent unaddressed 

financial vulnerabilities from flowing into the United States. However, international standards 

are not self-executing. Separately and independently, the United States considers and 

implements any international standards through federal or state regulatory authorities in a 

manner tailored to the U.S. market and regulatory structure.

The U.S.-based members of the IAIS include FIO, the Federal Reserve, the 56 state and territory 

insurance regulators who represent the individual sovereign jurisdictions within the United 

States, and NAIC. State regulators were among the founding members of the IAIS in 1994 and 

have been actively engaged ever since. FIO became a full member of the IAIS in 2012, and the 

Federal Reserve became a full member in 2014.

Title V of the Dodd-Frank Act authorizes FIO to coordinate federal efforts and develop federal 

policy on prudential aspects of international insurance matters.132 Under this authority, in 2014,

FIO coordinated the establishment of a steering committee comprised of the U.S. participants at 

the IAIS. While each member of the steering committee is independent of the others, including 

in their IAIS engagement, the steering committee works to promote shared understanding and 

open dialogue and alignment on relevant issues. Since being established, this committee has 

held regularly scheduled calls and in-person meetings, with additional ad hoc calls or meetings 

occurring as needed. 

In addition to coordinating international efforts at the principal level through the steering 

committee, FIO works and communicates daily with counterparts at numerous state insurance 

departments and the Federal Reserve. This collaboration occurs in relation to various IAIS 

working group meetings and in related interim activities involving matters such as governance, 

risk management, capital standards, cybersecurity and financial crimes, and financial stability, 

among others. FIO coordinates and works with the Federal Reserve and state regulators by 

telephone, email, and full day in-person meetings. U.S. participants and the IAIS also meet

before and during IAIS meetings. NAIC staff also join in this collaboration.

 

132 31 U.S.C. § 313(c)(1)(E).
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C. Stakeholder Engagement 

U.S. stakeholders have numerous opportunities, both formal and informal, to engage with FIO 

about matters before the IAIS. In recent months, these have included the development of the ICS 

and revisions to the IAIS G-SII Methodology, among other matters.

1. IAIS-Sponsored Engagement

In 2014, the IAIS adopted reforms to improve its financial independence, efficiency, and 

transparency by eliminating a prior IAIS policy under which stakeholders paid an annual fee to 

attend IAIS meetings as “observers.” The new policy went into effect as of January 2015, such 

that the IAIS no longer differentiates among stakeholders through fees or special privileges. In 

2015, the IAIS hosted more than 140 hours of stakeholder sessions and meetings with insurance 

industry experts on a variety of subjects. The IAIS also held open dialogue sessions, in person 

and by telephone, on IAIS activities such as insurance core principle (ICP) revisions, ComFrame, 

capital standards, and financial stability. In addition, the IAIS held open discussions between 

stakeholders and the IAIS Executive Committee during its 2016 Global Seminar. These 

discussions focused on ICS objectives, convergence of supervisory regimes, and the effects of 

recent organizational reforms.

The IAIS releases consultation documents for public comment regarding all substantive issues. 

For example, in December 2014 and again in July 2016, the IAIS published public consultation 

documents to solicit stakeholder comments and insights to help in its efforts to develop the 

ICS.

133 In November 2015, the IAIS published two separate documents for public consultation,

one regarding the Proposed Updated G-SII Assessment Methodology and another regarding 

Non-Traditional and Non-Insurance (NTNI) activities and products.

134 The IAIS also engages 

extensively with at least 34 insurers, including nine U.S.-based insurers, through its work with 

insurance groups that participate in the ICS field testing. Following the release of consultation 

documents, the IAIS holds explanatory stakeholder discussions and, after the conclusion of each 

consultation, publishes replies to comments received. In addition, the IAIS publishes a monthly 

newsletter that updates stakeholders regarding prior and upcoming developments, and updates its 

website frequently.

 133 IAIS, “Consultation on Risk-based Global Insurance Capital Standard (ICS) Version 1.0 Public Consultation 

Document,” available at http://www.iaisweb.org/page/consultations/current-consultations/risk-based-globalinsurance-capital-standard--second-consultation.

134 IAIS, “Global Systemically Important Insurers: Proposed Updated Assessment Methodology” (November 25, 

2015), available at http://www.iaisweb.org/page/consultations/closed-consultations/g-siimethodology//file/58005/g-sii-assessment-methodology-public-consultation-document; IAIS, “Non-traditional Noninsurance Activities and Products,” available at http://www.iaisweb.org/page/consultations/closedconsultations/ntni.
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2. Domestic Engagement with Stakeholders

FIO also provides U.S. stakeholders opportunities to engage with U.S.-based members of the 

IAIS. Since August 2014, FIO has convened sessions at Treasury for U.S. stakeholders 

interested in IAIS activities to meet jointly with FIO, the Federal Reserve, and state insurance 

regulators. Participating stakeholders have included consumer representatives, representatives of 

the U.S.-based global systemically important insurers (G-SIIs), U.S.-based potential IAIGs,135

foreign-based IAIGs with U.S. operations and potential IAIGs with significant U.S. business 

operations, other U.S.-based insurers, industry trade groups, and other interested state and federal 

officials. Topics discussed in these sessions have included the development of global capital 

standards and ongoing IAIS field testing, cross-border resolution, and the G-SII assessment 

methodology. In addition to these meetings, U.S. stakeholders participate in formal and informal 

conference calls and meetings with U.S.-based IAIS members prior to IAIS meetings to further 

discuss these and other issues such as corporate governance and group supervision. 

Additionally, FIO and other U.S.-based IAIS members engage regularly through calls and 

meetings with the nine U.S. insurers participating in the IAIS field testing, in order to monitor 

progress and discuss relevant issues such as data quality.

FIO conducts outreach to numerous stakeholders – including consumer advocates, insurers, 

insurance agents and brokers, and insurance trade groups – for engagement on issues on which 

FIO works, both in the IAIS and domestically. This outreach includes discussions with CEOs 

and other executives, government affairs staff, and subject matter experts on topics including, 

among others, capital standards, cybersecurity, terrorism risk insurance, mortgage guaranty, and 

auto insurance affordability.

D. International Standard-Setting

The United States participates in a number of initiatives in international forums intended to 

improve the efficacy and consistency of insurance supervisory standards across jurisdictions, 

enhance financial stability, and promote a level playing field for U.S. insurers operating globally.

1. International Association of Insurance Supervisors

As an international standard-setting body for the supervision of insurance, the IAIS has a 

committee structure with numerous working groups and task forces that focus on a wide variety 

of topics involving prudential regulation and supervision, financial stability, and market conduct, 

among others. This section discusses some of the projects and work streams in which FIO is 

actively engaged at the IAIS. 

 135 ComFrame has not been finalized, and no insurers have yet been formally identified as IAIGs.
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a. Common Framework for the Supervision of Internationally Active 

Insurance Groups

Beginning in 2009, the IAIS set out to develop the Common Framework for the Supervision of 

Internationally Active Insurance Groups (ComFrame), an integrated, multilateral, and 

multidisciplinary framework for the supervision of IAIGs. ComFrame, an ongoing effort, is 

intended to be “a framework for supervisors to coordinate supervisory activities efficiently and 

effectively and share information about IAIGs at the group-wide level and between group-wide 

and host supervisors.” ComFrame will include a quantitative Insurance Capital Standard (ICS) 

as well as qualitative standards for group-wide supervision, governance, risk management, and 

recovery and resolution. 

As currently proposed, an IAIG is an insurance group that has either (1) total assets of at least 

$50 billion, or (2) gross written premiums of at least $10 billion (on a rolling three year average 

basis) across three or more jurisdictions, at least 10 percent of which is written outside its home 

jurisdiction. While some discretion in identifying IAIGs is left to the individual supervisors, 

approximately 50 global insurance groups appear to meet the proposed criteria for IAIGs.136

To develop ComFrame, including the quantitative ICS (see below), the IAIS established a field 

testing process through which the 34 participating insurers137 provide data and perspective that 

shape the standard-setting exercise. The initial development phase of the qualitative standards 

within ComFrame, pertaining to governance and risk management, was completed in 2014, 

followed by a public consultation phase.138 In 2015, the IAIS field tested those qualitative 

standards in order to determine the existence of gaps between the proposed ComFrame 

requirements and current jurisdictional supervisory requirements on the one hand, and actual 

insurer practices on the other. ComFrame field testing involves data collection from both 

volunteer insurers and insurance supervisors, with the goal of gathering information to improve

both the qualitative and quantitative aspects of ComFrame, as well as to assess the estimated 

costs and benefits to both IAIGs and jurisdictions of implementing ComFrame. 

The IAIS plans to continue to develop and field test ComFrame through 2019.

b. International Capital Standards

As insurance markets become increasingly global, supervisors are increasingly concerned with 

understanding the financial viability of insurers that are based elsewhere but operate in their 

 136 IAIS, “Frequently Asked Questions for The IAIS Common Framework for the Supervision of Internationally 

Active Insurance Groups (ComFrame)” (June 25, 2015), p. 4, available at

http://www.iaisweb.org/file/52819/comframe-frequently-asked-questions-updated-25-june-2015. 

137 While 34 insurers participated in 2015 field-testing, the number has increased for 2016.

138 IAIS, “Common Framework for the Supervision of Internationally Active Insurance Groups,” Revised Draft 

(September 2014), available at http://www.iaisweb.org/page/supervisory-material/common-framework.
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markets. The amount and quality of an insurer’s capital are important measures of the insurer’s

financial viability and its ability to absorb unexpected levels of losses which may occur, 

especially under stressed conditions. 

One means to enhance a more common understanding among IAIG supervisors is through a 

commonly understood quantifiable capital standard. While the IAIS has long maintained ICPs, 

including with respect to valuation and capital adequacy, the ICPs “allow a wide range of 

regulatory approaches and supervisory processes to suit different markets and the range of 

insurance entities and groups operating within these markets.”139 In contrast, and with respect to 

IAIGs, ComFrame aspires to provide a more common approach through a calibrated group 

capital standard that is understood by supervisors across jurisdictions.

Work continues at the IAIS on a risk-sensitive ICS, or a proposed group capital standard, i.e., a 

measure of the capital adequacy of an entire insurance group. While some jurisdictions currently 

have a local group capital requirement applicable to insurers, such initiative has only recently 

been undertaken in the United States.140

The ICS has several foundational building blocks: (1) a valuation basis for assets and liabilities; 

(2) a capital requirement that considers all relevant and material risks and is calibrated at a 

sufficient level; and (3) criteria to determine qualifying capital resources that are available to 

meet that capital requirement.141

The IAIS began field testing the ICS in 2013, with the process evolving through annual iterations 

to include testing of each of the relevant components of the ICS: valuation, capital requirements,

and capital resources. In 2016, capital requirements will be tested for each risk and under each 

of the two valuation bases currently being studied: a market adjusted valuation basis, and a 

valuation based on a firm’s audited consolidated financial statements under the applicable 

jurisdictional set of generally accepted accounting principles. The ICS is intended to replace the 

Basic Capital Requirement as the foundation for the Higher Loss Absorbency requirement. 

Published by the IAIS in 2014 and 2015, respectively, these standards are subject to further 

review and improvement, and would apply only to G-SIIs. 

ICS Field testing in 2016 is also evaluating the use of different options for discounting insurance 

liabilities. This is an issue of particular significance to insurers that issue long-term insurance 

contracts. Different criteria are also being explored to define qualifying capital resources, 

 139 IAIS, “Common Framework for the Supervision of Internationally Active Insurance Groups,” Revised Draft 

(September 2014), p. 2. 

140 As discussed in Sections IV.B.1. and IV.C.1. of this Report, both the Federal Reserve and the state insurance 

regulators have work underway regarding insurance group capital. 

141 Qualifying capital resources include accumulated earnings, capital instruments that meet specific criteria, and 

certain other items that can also provide loss absorbency.
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including, for example, whether limits should be established on certain types of capital and, if so, 

at what levels. 

While the ICS field testing does involve the consideration and evaluation of certain alternatives, 

e.g., with respect to valuation, IAIS members agreed in 2015 on an “ultimate goal” for the ICS to 

help steer the technical work that is currently underway and will continue for some time. IAIS 

members agreed:

The ultimate goal of a single ICS will include a common methodology by which one 

ICS achieves comparable, i.e. substantially the same, outcomes across jurisdictions. 

Ongoing work is intended to lead to improved convergence over time on the key 

elements of the ICS towards the ultimate goal. Not prejudging the substance, the key 

elements include valuation, capital resources and capital requirements.142

The “ultimate goal” is a long-term and aspirational objective. In the near term, incremental 

progress will be made and convergence will improve by building upon data, analysis and testing. 

Work will proceed gradually toward milestones that are realistic, achievable, and driven by 

factual analysis and consensus.

Importantly, international standards are not self-executing and are not binding on member 

jurisdictions. If deemed appropriate, the United States would separately implement the IAIS 

standards through a federal or state process. Whether at the state or federal level, 

implementation of an international standard occurs in a manner tailored to the unique features of 

the U.S. insurance sector, promoting competition and consumer choice, and supporting both 

policyholder protection and financial stability.

c. Cross-Border Resolution Planning

In 2015, work on the development of international standards regarding the resolution of IAIGs 

continued through both the IAIS and Financial Stability Board (FSB). The IAIS Resolution 

Working Group (ReWG) was formed in late 2013 to develop and maintain supervisory guidance 

on the resolution of insurers, including G-SIIs, and to contribute to the resolution-related content 

of ComFrame and related ICPs. The ReWG also represents the IAIS at relevant FSB bodies 

such as the Resolution Steering Group (ReSG) and its subcommittee, the Cross-Border Crisis 

Management Group for Insurers (iCBCM). 

The FSB is the standard-setting body for resolution issues, having promulgated the Key 

Attributes for Effective Resolution Regimes for Financial Institutions.

143 The FSB’s iCBCM 

assists and supports regulatory authorities in the development and implementation of resolution-

 142The ultimate goal of the ICS is addressed in the March 2015 IAIS Newsletter, available at

http://www.iaisweb.org/page/news/newsletter-archive##. 

143 FSB, “Key Attributes of Effective Resolution Regimes for Financial Institutions” (October 15, 2014), available 

at http://www.fsb.org/wp-content/uploads/r_141015.pdf. 
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related policy measures. Specifically, the iCBCM assists the ReSG in: finalizing implementation 

guidance for resolution regimes for systemically important insurers; monitoring the progress of 

Crisis Management Groups (CMGs) for each G-SII and the negotiation of cross-border 

cooperation agreements among CMG members; and the development of guidance on resolution 

strategies and recovery and resolution plans for G-SIIs. In late 2015, the FSB published a 

consultation paper entitled Developing Effective Resolution Strategies and Plans for Systemically 

Important Insurers.

144 Following the receipt of public comments in early 2016, the iCBCM held 

a stakeholders’ meeting on the development of effective resolution strategies and plans that 

reflected the common themes identified in those comments. A final version of the document is 

anticipated by the end of 2016.

While the FSB and the IAIS are both involved in work on resolution matters relating to GSIIs, 

the IAIS also works on the development of resolution-related policy standards for a broader 

range of insurance firms. During 2015, the ReWG continued its revisions to resolution-related 

content in the ICPs and ComFrame. In early 2016, the ReWG convened a stakeholders’ meeting 

on the supervisory powers needed for resolution of non-GSIIs and the loss absorbing capacity of 

GSIIs in resolution.

In June 2016, the ReWG chose not to recommend establishing a common minimum loss 

absorbing capacity (LAC) standard for G-SIIs at this time.145 The ReWG further proposed to 

reassess that conclusion after the ICS is further developed, and consider if, by then, critical 

functions are found to exist for G-SIIs, or if one or more of the CMGs consider LAC in 

resolution helpful to improve specific G-SII resolution plans.

d. Other Supervisory Developments

The IAIS’s Governance Working Group, Insurance Groups Working Group, and Supervisory 

Materials Review Task Force, all of which report to the IAIS Financial Stability and Technical 

Committee (FSTC), are working towards improvements to the ICPs, ComFrame, and 

international supervision. The Governance Working Group develops high-level corporate 

governance principles, standards, and guidance for the supervision of insurers IAIGs. In 2015, 

the Governance Working Group finalized revising ICP 4 (Licensing), ICP 5 (Suitability of 

Persons), ICP 7 (Corporate Governance), ICP 8 (Risk Management and Internal Controls), and 

related terminology used in the ICP Glossary. The Governance Working Group is also working 

on revising corporate governance sections of ComFrame.

 

144 FSB, “Developing Effective Resolution Strategies and Plans for Systemically Important Insurers” (November 3, 

2015), available at http://www.fsb.org/2015/11/consultative-document-on-developing-effective-resolutionstrategies-and-plans-for-systemically-important-insurers/.

145 LAC in resolution is similar to the Total Loss Absorbing Capacity, or TLAC, construct used in the banking 

industry.
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The Insurance Groups Working Group (IGWG) provides a framework for developing and 

advancing standards for effective and efficient group-wide supervision. In 2015, the IGWG 

finalized revisions to ICP 23 (The Group-wide Supervisor), sections of ICP 25 (Supervisory 

Cooperation and Coordination), and related glossary terms. The IGWG is also involved in 

recommending revisions to ComFrame related to the proposed qualitative standards on group 

supervision. 

The Supervisory Materials Review Task Force (SMRTF), chaired by an NAIC staff member, is 

responsible for revising other principles, standards, and guidance that are otherwise the 

responsibility of any other IAIS working group or task force, as well as for assessing the ICPs’ 

Introduction and Assessment Methodology. In addition, the SMRTF is responsible for 

overseeing the ICPs as a whole to ensure style consistency across the standards. In 2015, the 

SMRTF began revising ICP 9 (Supervisory Review and Reporting), ICP 10 (Preventative and 

Corrective Measures), and ICP 11 (Enforcement), as well as the Introduction to the ICPs.

e. Combating Financial Crime in Insurance

Through the Financial Crime Task Force (FCTF), chaired by FIO, the IAIS engages in 

international efforts related to the involvement of insurance activities in combating financial 

crime including fraud, the financing of terrorism, and money laundering. This work includes 

monitoring developments at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), on which the FCTF 

represents the IAIS. 146 The FCTF reports to the FSTC, which, in 2014, expanded the work of 

the FCTF to address matters of cybersecurity in the insurance sector.

To raise awareness and identify areas of interest for insurers and supervisors of the challenges 

presented by cyber risk, including current and contemplated supervisory approaches for 

addressing these risks, during 2015, the FCTF developed an Issues Paper on Cyber Risk to the 

Insurance Sector for publication in 2016. An IAIS Issues Paper does not establish supervisory 

expectations, but may shed light on the need for additional, more specific IAIS material to 

support supervisors in addressing cyber risk.

Through the FCTF, the IAIS has been represented on the Joint Working Group on Cyber 

Resilience (WGCR) of two other international standard-setting bodies, the Committee on 

Payments and Marketing Infrastructure (CPMI) and the International Organization of Securities 

Commissions (IOSCO). On June 29, 2016, the WGCR published its Guidance on Cyber 

Resilience for Financial Market Infrastructures.

147

 

146 The FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 the ministers of its member jurisdictions, the 

objectives of which are to set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory, and operational 

measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and other related threats to the integrity of the 

international financial system, Information is available at http://www.fatf-gafi.org/about/.

147 Press release and link to the guidance are available at http://www.bis.org/ /publ/d146.htm.
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2. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was created in 1961 to 

promote policies that improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.148 

The OECD consists of membership from 34 countries and provides a forum in which 

governments work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems.149 By 

working with governments to understand the drivers of economic, social and environmental 

changes, the OECD measures productivity and global flows of trade and investment. The OECD 

serves as a source of advice on various policymaking and implementation matters, and collects 

and publishes statistical data and analyses on economics, trade, employment, education, health, 

social issues, migration, the environment, and many other fields.

150 

The OECD operates through more than 200 committees and working groups, composed of 

national experts and supported by OECD Secretariat staff. Insurance issues at the OECD are 

discussed at the Insurance and Private Pensions Committee (IPPC), while the Working Party on 

Private Pensions (WPPP) may also engage on certain issues closely related to insurance. The 

official U.S. delegation to the OECD varies by committee, with representatives from the 

Departments of Commerce, Labor, and Treasury representing the views of the United States at 

the IPPC and WPPP. Recently, work at the IPPC and WPPP has included an examination of 

governance standards for institutional investors in relation to environmental and social factors, in 

particular those associated with climate change, the financial management of flood risks, disaster 

risk financing strategies, and cyber risk insurance. 

E. Other International Cooperation

1. Updated Assessment Methodology for Global Systemically Important 

Insurers (G-SIIs) and Systemic Risk from Insurance Product Features

In July 2013, the IAIS developed a methodology (2013 Methodology) to identify as G-SIIs 

insurance-dominated financial conglomerates whose distress or disorderly failure, because of 

their size, complexity and interconnectedness, would cause significant disruption to the global 

financial system and economic activity.151 The 2013 Methodology involved three steps: 

collection of data, methodological assessment, and a supervisory judgment and validation phase. 

The 2013 Methodology, which disproportionately penalized activities and insurance products in 

the U.S. market, was based solely on quantitative indicators grouped into five categories 

 148 OECD, available at http://www.oecd.org/about/.

149 OECD, available at http://www.oecd.org/about/.

150 OECD, “Secretary General’s Report to Ministers” (2015), p. 4.

151 IAIS, “Global Systemically Important Insurers: Initial Assessment Methodology” (July 18, 2013), available at

http://www.iaisweb.org/page/supervisory-material/financial-stability-and-macroprudential-policy-andsurveillance/file/34256/final-g-siis-policy-measures-18-july-2013. 
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influenced by the specific nature of the insurance sector: size, global activity, 

interconnectedness, non-traditional and non-insurance (NTNI) activities, and substitutability. 

In November 2015, the IAIS took steps to improve the assessment methodology with the 

publication of a public consultation document on proposed revisions to the 2013 Methodology, 

which culminated in the IAIS issuing the Updated G-SII Assessment Methodology (the 2016 

Methodology) in June 2016. The 2016 Methodology outlines a five-phase approach to the G-SII 

assessment process that includes both qualitative and quantitative elements.152 The 2016 

Methodology also incorporates absolute reference values for certain indicators in Phase II of the 

2016 Methodology, which allows the IAIS to better assess the systemic importance of insurers 

within the broader insurance sector and financial system. The 2016 Methodology reclassifies the 

Phase II indicators according to systemic risk transmission channels (e.g., the asset liquidation 

and interconnectedness categories). An additional assessment phase (Phase III) in the 2016 

Methodology includes a supplemental reinsurance assessment for insurers with significant thirdparty reinsurance activities. The 2016 Methodology also includes significantly improved 

transparency measures for both the public and the insurers involved in the annual G-SII exercise. 

Prospective G-SIIs now have the opportunity to exchange information with the IAIS prior to the 

IAIS making a recommendation to the FSB to identify insurers as potential G-SIIs. 

In November 2015, the IAIS also published a consultation paper on NTNI activities and products 

to: (1) further clarify the concept of NTNI, (2) analyze the characteristics, features, and risk 

profiles of a wide range of NTNI-like activities and products across jurisdictions, and (3) identify 

the transmission channels through which they could contribute to systemic risk.153 The 

consultation paper is part of an effort by the IAIS to update and improve upon NTNI concepts 

that were published in a July 2013 G-SII Policy Measures paper and were largely focused on 

U.S.-only insurance activities.154

The IAIS published the paper Systemic Risk from Insurance Product Features in June 2016 (June 

2016 paper), revising and clarifying the concepts of substantial liquidity risk and macroeconomic 

exposure.155 This paper also discontinued the use of the non-traditional (NT) product label and 

 

152 IAIS, “Global Systematically Important Insurers: Updated Assessment Methodology” (June 16, 2016), available 

at http://www.iaisweb.org/page/supervisory-material/financial-stability-and-macroprudential-policy-andsurveillance//file/61179/updated-g-sii-assessment-methodology-16-june-2016.

153 IAIS, “Non-traditional, Non-insurance Activities and Products” (November 25, 2015), available at

http://www.iaisweb.org/page/supervisory-material/financial-stability-and-macroprudential-policy-andsurveillance/file/34257/final-initial-assessment-methodology-18-july-2013.

154 IAIS, “Global Systemically Important Insurers: Policy Measures” (July 18, 2013), available at

http://www.iaisweb.org/page/supervisory-material/financial-stability-and-macroprudential-policy-andsurveillance//file/34256/final-g-siis-policy-measures-18-july-2013.

155 IAIS, “Systemic Risk from Insurance Product Features (previously referred to as Non-traditional Non-insurance 

Activities and Products)” (June 16, 2016), available at http://www.iaisweb.org/file/61174/systemic-risk-frominsurance-product-features. 
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the first two NTNI-related principles from the 2013 G-SII Policy Measures paper. The IAIS 

replaced this NTNI label with a more granular assessment of insurance product features, noting 

that certain insurance products may have a greater potential to pose systemic risk. The IAIS also 

removed double counting in the assessment of risk of derivatives and variable annuities by 

removing the value of hedged exposures from the minimum guarantee on the variable products 

indicator. The paper concludes that “products with features that expose the insurer to substantial 

macroeconomic exposure risk (including credit guarantees) or substantial liquidity risk . . . 

contribute to the higher systemic risk potential of insurers.”156 While the IAIS analysis of 

insurance activities and products remains ongoing, the direction of its work – if globally focused 

– should lead to identification of such activities and products in insurance markets around the 

world. In particular, in the June 2016 paper, the IAIS committed to, among other things, 

“development of alternative approaches to better measure an insurer’s macroeconomic exposure, 

including but not limited to, the various methods and tools within the ICS framework to measure 

macroeconomic exposure across an insurer’s whole balance sheet.”157

2. Financial Stability Board

The FSB is an international body that the Group of Twenty (G-20) established to implement the 

G-20 financial sector reform agenda. The FSB promotes international financial stability through 

cooperation among financial regulatory authorities and international standard-setting bodies as 

each works toward developing strong regulatory and supervisory policies across financial 

sectors. Through such efforts, the FSB seeks to strengthen financial systems and increase the 

stability of international financial markets. FSB-recommended reforms are not self-executing, 

and are not binding unless and until implemented by member jurisdictions and national 

authorities in accordance with domestic processes. The United States is represented at the FSB 

by Treasury, the Federal Reserve, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

In 2009, in response to the global financial crisis, G-20 leaders asked the FSB to develop a 

policy framework to address the systemic and moral hazard risks associated with global 

systemically important financial institutions (G-SIFIs).158 In response, the FSB developed a 

framework and called on the relevant international standard-setting bodies to, among other 

things, develop methodologies for identifying G-SIFIs in each financial services sector. To the 

extent implemented by the home jurisdictions, the framework recommends that G-SIFIs be 

subject to heightened prudential requirements, including enhanced group-wide supervision and 

group-wide resolution planning. 

Based on the recommendation of the IAIS, and in consultation with national authorities, the FSB 

began in 2013 to identify on an annual basis a list of G-SIIs. Since 2013, the FSB has identified 

 156 Id., p. 4.

157 Id., p. 3.

158 FSB, “Addressing SIFIs,” available at http://www.financialstabilityboard.org/what-we-do/policydevelopment/systematically-important-financial-institutions-sifis/.
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nine insurers as G-SIIs (see Box 3 for the 2015 list of G-SIIs). The 2015 list of G-SIIs includes 

Aegon N.V., which had not previously been identified as a G-SII, and excludes Assicurazioni 

Generali SpA, which had been identified as a G-SII in 2013 and 2014.

Box 3: Global Systemically Important Insurers Identified by the FSB in 2015

Aegon N.V. Netherlands

Allianz SE Germany

American International Group, Inc. United States

Aviva plc United Kingdom

AXA S.A. France

MetLife, Inc. United States

Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. China

Prudential Financial, Inc. United States

Prudential plc United Kingdom

Source: FSB, “2015 update of list of global systemically important insurers (G-SIIs)” (November 3, 2015), 

available at http://www.fsb.org/wp-content/uploads/FSB-communication-G-SIIs-Final-version.pdf.