Archive for September, 2010

The secondary market for trading in catastrophe bonds has been experiencing increased volatility and has seen an augmented bid/ask spread on many cat bonds as a result of the contrast between the dramatic forecasts and actual relative calm (to date) of the Atlantic hurricane season says Baldwin & Lyons Capital Markets (BLCM).

We are big supporters of microinsurance (particularly weather index-linked insurance) so it’s great to receive a press release which demonstrates exactly what this sector can do to support rural communities and reimburse them financially when weather conditions affect their livelihoods.

The European Life Settlement Association (ELSA) has formed a regulatory committee to work closely with various European agencies to ensure that regulations that are developed protect investors in life settlements and to lobby for the sectors interests.

So far, the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season has been kind to insurers and reinsurers. On each occasion that a large loss has been expected the winds have died or the storm track has changed enough to prevent that large loss happening. Despite this being one of the most active seasons the losses are not mounting […]

‘More than 3.4 billion people worldwide are already threatened by natural hazards, most of them in the developing world. Climate change could make matters even worse. Innovative insurance solutions offer these large populations more adequate financial tools  to help them cope with the growing risks in a changing climate‘ says the second page of a […]

Guy Carpenter have published the first part of their report looking at the World Catastrophe Reinsurance Market. In it they look at the major loss events of the first half of 2010 and comment on how the market is fairing.

Hurricane Igor passed over Bermuda last night as a Category 1 storm. Thankfully Igor weakened a little prior to passing just to the west of the island, however Bermuda caught some of the strongest winds from the hurricane as they happened to be to its eastern edge. Hurricane force winds extended 90 miles from the […]

KRAKOW, POLAND (17 September 2010) –Attendees at the Weather Risk Management Association’s (WRMA) 11th European Meeting gained insight into the impact of volcanoes on weather patterns, the new EU proposed derivatives legislation, and how weather extremes affect risk. The meeting was held 15-17 September 2010 at the Sheraton Krakow Hotel in Krakow, Poland.

GRITIT are a ‘winter risk management firm’ based in the UK. They were the first commercial organisation within the UK to offer winter road gritting to help businesses keep on the move when winter weather arrives. Given their focus on helping organisations protect their bottom line against the weather it seems natural that they have […]

Demonstrating exactly why facilities like the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) are good for developing countries, the CCRIF has made good on its obligation to pay Anguilla speedily for the damage caused to it by hurricane Earl.