InsurerCIO Sample Newsletter: A Complimentary Membership Benefit
2021 Asset Class Insights and Outsourcing for Insurers
Clearwater Analytics

"More than 1,000 insurers of all types and sizes participated in Clearwater’s 2021 Insurance Investment Survey. This report provides details into their portfolio makeup, how they account for private asset classes, their use of external asset managers, and the private asset classes they’re adding most to their portfolios."
Manager Fee Comparison: Fixed Income
SAA
As a resource for your organization, we've compared fixed income investment management fees, across various portfolio sizes, among managers in the insurance space. Whether conducting a search or routine due diligence, it is important to understand where your insurer's fees fall within the industry landscape.
Key Focuses for Insurer CIOs in 2021
KKR
KKR spoke with more than 50 global insurer CIO's to gauge the key ideas they are focused on as they approach their insurer's investment portfolio in 2021 and beyond. Key conclusions include:

"Interest Rate pressure has intensified:
Interest Rate pressure on portfolios has intensified mightily (especially in Europe where many nominal risk free rates are still negative), a stark reality that we believe can persist for some time."
Asset Allocation Implications of Life Insurance RBC Changes
MetLife Investment Management

MetLife explains new NAIC RBC factors that will impact insurer portfolios. Expect a similar change in AM Best BCAR factors?
Equities: Comparison to Other Risk Assets

Equities (also known as 'Common Stock') are the asset class predominantly utilized for the risk asset portfolio. As insurers and risk pools look to find ways to more effectively utilize their capital and surplus, we've compared equities to other asset types commonly used in the industry.
Mortgage-Backed Securities Primer for Insurers

Insurance companies consider mortgage-backed securities for their fixed income portfolio as they can potentially outperform corporate or government bonds, while also possibly offering less risk than other asset-backed securities.
Insurer Investment Review: Q3 - 2021
Global sovereign bond yields were little changed in the quarter. The US Federal Reserve said it would soon slow the pace of asset purchases. The Fed now sees inflation running to 4.2% this year, above its previous estimate of 3.4%. The Fed raised its GDP projections for 2022 and 2023 to growth of 3.8% and 2.5%, respectively.

More sobering is to look at real rates (nominal rates minus current inflation rate) where all investment-grade fixed income sectors’ real yields are sharply negative, which may facilitate a rethink of investment strategy depending on an organization’s risk appetite, investment horizon, and available capital to support investment volatility.
Disclaimer: The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but the accuracy of information cannot be guaranteed.