IAIS guidance paper on investment risk management

1. IAIS guidance paper on investment risk management Insurance Training Seminar IAIS - ASSAL Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1-4 November 2005 Makoto Okubo – Member of the Secretariat International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS)

2. IAIS standards relevant to investment risk management • Insurance Core Principles (in particular ICP9, 10, 11, 18, 21, 22, 23) Oct 03 • Framework paper and Cornerstones paper Oct 05 • Principles on capital adequacy and solvency Jan 02 • Supervisory standard on asset management by insurance companies Dec 99 • Supervisory standard on derivatives Oct 98 • Supervisory standard on disclosures concerning investment performance for life and non-life insurers Oct 05 IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management • Stress testing by insurers guidance paper Oct 04 • Investment risk management guidance paperOct 05

3. Contents • Investment management • Investment risk management framework • Market risk / Credit risk / Liquidity risk • Supervisory considerations • Information from the insurer to supervisor IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

4. 1. Investment management by insurers Manage its assets in a sound and prudentmanner, taking account of: • Profile of its liabilities • Solvency position • Complete risk-return profile • Product and underwriting policies • Reinsurance policies • Asset liability management policies • Solvency level policies • Investment management policies IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

5. Investment management by insurers Investment policies would be expected to address: • Asset and liability considerations • Financial market environment • Eligible asset classes • Amount of delegated limits by management level • Strategic asset allocation • Conditions under which the insurer can pledge or lend assets • Maximum allowed deviation from strategic asset allocation • Capital considerations • Solvency and liquidity considerations • Concentration risk • Risk parameters IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

6. ST Index 2. Investment risk management framework Investment risk management framework should adhere to any regulatory requirements in relation to: • Investment policies • Asset mix • Valuation • Diversification • Asset liability matching • Risk management IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

7. Investment risk management framework Investment risk management framework should include: • A description and criteria for measuring each of the investment risks to be monitored • Market risk / credit risk / liquidity risk / operational risk • Compliance policies • Reputation risk management policies • Control procedures, including risk tolerances • Reporting format and frequency IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

8. Investment risk management framework • Role of the board of directors • Investment risk management function • Internal audit • Compliance • Control procedure • Reporting IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

9. 3.1 Market risk Market risk: The risk to an insurer’s financial condition arising from adverse movements in the level or volatility of market prices Market risk includes: • interest rate risk • equity and real estate risks • currency risk IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

10. Market risk Measurement and management • Measure its market risk across risk factors and across the entire portfolio • Document the following: • Appropriate products to be used • Items that can qualify to be hedged • Assessment of effectiveness • Individuals responsible for monitoring • Set appropriate limit structure to control its market risk exposure IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

11. Market risk Measurement and management (cont.) • Determine whether the market risk measures for different products should be added, compounded, have offsetting characteristics, or be combined in a more complex way • Use stress testing to determine the potential effects of economic shifts, market events, changes in interest rates, changes in foreign exchange and changes in liquidity conditions • Sufficient records should be retained to enable the insurer to perform back testing of methods and assumptions used for stress and scenario testing and for back testing of market risk models as Value at Risk (VaR) IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

12. 3.2 Credit risk Credit risk: The risk of financial loss resulting from default or movement in the credit quality of issuers of securities, debtors, or counterparties and intermediaries, to whom the company has an exposure Credit risk includes: • Default risk • Downgrade and migration risk • Indirect credit or spread risk • Concentration risk IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

13. Credit risk Measurement and management • Credit exposure limits • Rules for the aggregation of individual exposures within a common risk classification • Measurement tools to determine the insurer’s credit risk exposure: • Internal rating • External rating • Results of stress testing • Concentration aggregations • Concentrations with the insurer’s group of affiliated companies IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

14. Credit risk Measurement and management (cont.) • Policies may impose a credit limit to: • A single issuer, industry, geographic region, or some other risk classification • Certain levels of credit ratings • More sophisticated measures (cf. maximum VaR) • System to track portfolio diversification characteristics • Credit risk management function • Potential changes in financial and economic conditions • Measure and monitor its risk at both the transaction and portfolio level to the appropriate time horizon IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

15. 3.3 Liquidity risk Liquidity risk: The risk that an insurer, though solvent, has insufficient liquid assets to meet its obligations when they fall due • Liquidity profile of an insurer is a function of both its assets and liabilities Liquidity risk includes: • Liquidation value risk • Affiliated investment risk • Capital funding risk IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

16. Liquidity risk Measurement and management • Cash flow modeling • Assess the magnitude of deficits, surpluses and the ability of contingent funding to meet the needs of the insurer • Liquidity ratios • Address the need for liquidity by establishing a normal expected amount of liquidity • Emergency liquidity funding in the event of catastrophe by drawing cash early under reinsurance policies or by other means • Liquidity contingency plan IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

17. 4 Supervisory considerations Supervisor should review the insurer’s: • Investment risk management framework • Identification of risks • Measurement of risks • Control procedures • Reporting procedures • Investment policies • Execution thereof IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

18. Supervisory considerations The insurer’s investment policies: • Compliance with regulatory requirements • Protection of policyholders rights • Operational risks • Appropriate emphasis on risk management and demonstration of asset liability management • Use and management of third parties • Use of derivatives and structured products • Risk-return profile IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

19. Supervisory considerations The insurer’s overall investment risk management policies: • Insurer’s risk tolerance • Investment risk management function • Investment guidelines and procedures • Adequate staff who understand the risks involved and clearly defined responsibilities • Approval and regular review by the board of directors IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

20. Supervisory considerations Supervisor: • Should satisfy itself that investment risk management functions are independent of the investment function • Should assess whether insurer: • Is aware of the range of risks • Has procedures in place to identify, monitor and measure there risks • Take steps to manage and mitigate them effectively • Should conduct regular evaluations of an insurer’s policies, procedures and practices • May apply its own tests • Should assess compliance in a group context IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

21. Supervisory considerations Means to assess the insurer’s investment risk management framework: • Regulatory reporting • External validation and/or use of experts (ex auditors ,actuaries, risk managers) • Review of the insurer’s systems and controls • On-site inspections • Off-site surveys and surveillance • Internal audit report • Review of the insurer’s product control • Publicly disclosed reporting • Documentation describing risk management and investment committee framework IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

22. 5 Information the supervisor may request from the insurer Documents relating to management of investment risk • Investment risk management policies • Asset liability management procedures • Investment policies • Procedures for the approval of counterparties • Embedded options • Procedures for seeking approval to use new investment instruments and for monitoring the risks associated with these instruments • Description of the board of directors’ overall approach and policies IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

23. Information the supervisor may request from the insurer Sample reports • Investment risk management reports • Internal and external audit and risk assessment functions • Investment risk measurement report • Investment activities • Positions by asset type • Concentration analysis of credit exposures by counterparty • Regulator or internal limits breached in the period and subsequent actions taken, when appropriate • Planned future investment activities IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

24. Information the supervisor may request from the insurer Sample reports(cont.) • Market risk reports • Market risk types (interest rate risk, equity and real estate risk, commodity risk, and currency risk) • Expected change in the economic value change of assets and liabilities for changes in interest rate • Significance of economic value of derivatives and structured products • Returns made on the investment portfolio IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

25. Information the supervisor may request from the insurer Sample reports(cont.) • Credit risk reports • Credit exposures • Credit decisions • Information relevant to assessing current credit quality • Liquidity risk reports • Prospective cash flows • Level of liquid assets held and the terms and condition of existing credit lines IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

26. Information the supervisor may request from the insurer Regular reporting to the supervisor • Establish reporting mechanisms, directly with insurers, including internal audit, and third party reports, depending on the regulatory framework • Consideration should be given to the frequency of the data requests Ad hoc requests • An overall business plan • Details on the insurer’s stress testing for economic trends in investment markets • Internal management information on asset portfolios etc. IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

27. IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management (Recap) • Investment management • Investment risk management framework • Market risk / Credit risk / Liquidity risk • Supervisory considerations • Information from the insurer to supervisor IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management

28. www.iaisweb.org International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) Questions and Answers makoto.okubo@bis.org or visit www.insurance-finance.com IAIS Guidance paper on investment risk management