Archive for December, 2008

I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the latest seminar run by the Willis Research Network (WRN) yesterday evening. The WRN is a partnership between academia and the insurance industry which focuses on evaluating the frequency, severity and impact of extreme events. The event outlined the latest research on two topics; tropical cyclone […]

Bloomberg is carrying another article discussing the current lack of interest in catastrophe bonds from an investment point of view. The current economic climate combined with the collapse of Lehman Brothers has caused a massive drop in investor confidence and reluctance among issuers to launch new deals. A side effect of that and much discussed […]

Risk Management Solutions have issued a paper on the risks associated with a Hayward Fault earthquake event. The Hayward Fault in California is a geologic fault zone capable of generating extremely destructive earthquakes. About 60 kilometers long, it lies mainly along the western base of the hills on the east side of San Francisco Bay […]

Not many people are happy to divulge their predictions for the Atlantic Tropical Storm season so far ahead, and it’s rare to get a glimpse into the prospects for hurricanes this far in advance. Tropical Storm Risk, Aon Benfield Re’s tropical storm research division have released their 2009 storm season prediction already. The TSR forecast […]

The call for a national catastrophe insurance scheme for the U.S. is strengthening after the heavy losses incurred this year. This article has been doing the rounds of the press today and raising profile for the cause. Mississippi however are doing just fine with their improved and modernised wind pool, so perhaps the nation as […]

Blue Wings Ltd is a catastrophe bond which transfers the risk of severe river floods in Great Britain and earthquakes in Canada and the US excluding California. This cat bond holds two risks; earthquake in Canada and the US (excluding California), using a “modeled loss” trigger and second, river flood in Great Britain using a […]

The 2008 Atlantic tropical storm and hurricane season officially ended yesterday, the season runs from the 1st June to the 30th November. Damage caused by this years storm season is estimated at $54b according to the National Climatic Data Centre (excellent season review from them here). That’s the second largest annual loss from atlantic storms […]