Research

Insurance Asset Outsourcing Analysis 2011 (Submitted: Wednesday, March 23, 2011) How are insurance companies using third party investment managers and what is changing? What types of investment mandates (specific to asset class, style and services) are being outsourced by insurance companies specific to company type, region of domicile and size? Which investment managers are being hired for what types of mandates and services? Which consultant firms are helping insurance companies with hiring decisions? Based upon analysis of Insurance Asset Tracker data through December 2010.
Insurance Asset Managers' New Business Gained Through RFPs (Submitted: Friday, November 05, 2010) How many RFPs are insurance asset managers seeing? Are RFPs increasing or decreasing in use? What percent of insurance asset managers' business comes through RFPs? Based upon a survey of leading insurance asset managers.
Consultant Involvement in Insurance Asset Outsourcing (Submitted: Sunday, September 05, 2010) In the decade preceding the credit crisis, investment consultants' involvement in third party insurance asset manager hires was a sleepy static 15%. But times have changed. In the two most recent quarters of 2010, consultant-assisted manager hires have doubled relative to historical levels. What are the demographics behind this trend? Which consultant firms are involved in insurance placements?
Insurance Companies' Response to the Credit Crisis – May 2009 (Submitted: Friday, May 01, 2009) What are the most critical issues insurance companies are facing as a result of the credit crisis? What actions are they taking to address these issues? What changes are they making to asset allocations? How are insurance companies using external service providers to meet the challenges they face? How is the credit crisis affecting insurance asset outsourcing? Based upon a survey of insurance company investment decision makers.
Manager Selection and Evaluation Practices (Submitted: Monday, December 01, 2008) Which information sources to insurance companies use to make investment manager selection decisions? Which databases if any are used to evaluate candidate investment managers? What criteria are used to choose one firm over others? Is performance evaluated on a pre-tax or after-tax basis, and versus a standard market index, customized index or universe of insurance portfolios? How is risk measured? How do answers to these questions differ according to insurance companies’ investment goals, business lines and company size?
Outsourcing practices (Submitted: Monday, December 01, 2008) What types of mandates (core active fixed income, buy and hold fixed income, high yield, municipal bonds, senior secured bank loans, global equity, etc.) do insurance companies outsource to third party investment managers most often? Which mandates will most often be outsourced over the next two years? How many different investment management firms are used? How prevalent is the one manager, "total investment outsourcing" model, and will it gain popularity? How do answers to these questions differ according to business lines and insurance company size? Exchange participants can answer these questions through the Eager, Davis & Holmes Outsourcing Practices report, based upon an August 2008 survey of insurance companies.
Fees Paid for Third Party Investment Management – 2008 (Submitted: Monday, December 01, 2008) This report examines the actual fees paid for investment mandates outsourced to third party unaffiliated managers of insurance assets from 2005 through 2008, specific to asset class, investment style, and mandate size. The extent of and basis for fee discounts are evaluated. Based upon 2006 and 2008 surveys of insurance companies.
Insurance Companies' Investment Goals and Practices (Submitted: Friday, December 01, 2006) How prevalent are total return versus book value yield investment goals? How are those goals pursued? Are investment strategies more often buy and hold, unconstrained active management or some point in between? What are typical investment guidelines? What tax-sensitive investment practices are most often used? Do the stereotypes attributed to property/casualty versus life/health companies hold up? Based upon a 2006 survey of insurance company decision makers.

Insurance Asset Outsourcing Analysis 2011 (Submitted: Wednesday, March 23, 2011)

How are insurance companies using third party investment managers and what is changing? What types of investment mandates (specific to asset class, style and services) are being outsourced by insurance companies specific to company type, region of domicile and size? Which investment managers are being hired for what types of mandates and services? Which consultant firms are helping insurance companies with hiring decisions? Based upon analysis of Insurance Asset Tracker data through December 2010.

Insurance Asset Managers' New Business Gained Through RFPs (Submitted: Friday, November 05, 2010)

How many RFPs are insurance asset managers seeing? Are RFPs increasing or decreasing in use? What percent of insurance asset managers' business comes through RFPs? Based upon a survey of leading insurance asset managers.

Consultant Involvement in Insurance Asset Outsourcing (Submitted: Sunday, September 05, 2010)

In the decade preceding the credit crisis, investment consultants' involvement in third party insurance asset manager hires was a sleepy static 15%. But times have changed. In the two most recent quarters of 2010, consultant-assisted manager hires have doubled relative to historical levels. What are the demographics behind this trend? Which consultant firms are involved in insurance placements?

Insurance Companies' Response to the Credit Crisis – May 2009 (Submitted: Friday, May 01, 2009)

What are the most critical issues insurance companies are facing as a result of the credit crisis? What actions are they taking to address these issues? What changes are they making to asset allocations? How are insurance companies using external service providers to meet the challenges they face? How is the credit crisis affecting insurance asset outsourcing? Based upon a survey of insurance company investment decision makers.

Manager Selection and Evaluation Practices (Submitted: Monday, December 01, 2008)

Which information sources to insurance companies use to make investment manager selection decisions? Which databases if any are used to evaluate candidate investment managers? What criteria are used to choose one firm over others? Is performance evaluated on a pre-tax or after-tax basis, and versus a standard market index, customized index or universe of insurance portfolios? How is risk measured? How do answers to these questions differ according to insurance companies’ investment goals, business lines and company size?

Outsourcing practices (Submitted: Monday, December 01, 2008)

What types of mandates (core active fixed income, buy and hold fixed income, high yield, municipal bonds, senior secured bank loans, global equity, etc.) do insurance companies outsource to third party investment managers most often? Which mandates will most often be outsourced over the next two years? How many different investment management firms are used? How prevalent is the one manager, "total investment outsourcing" model, and will it gain popularity? How do answers to these questions differ according to business lines and insurance company size? Exchange participants can answer these questions through the Eager, Davis & Holmes Outsourcing Practices report, based upon an August 2008 survey of insurance companies.

Fees Paid for Third Party Investment Management – 2008 (Submitted: Monday, December 01, 2008)

This report examines the actual fees paid for investment mandates outsourced to third party unaffiliated managers of insurance assets from 2005 through 2008, specific to asset class, investment style, and mandate size. The extent of and basis for fee discounts are evaluated. Based upon 2006 and 2008 surveys of insurance companies.

Insurance Companies' Investment Goals and Practices (Submitted: Friday, December 01, 2006)

How prevalent are total return versus book value yield investment goals? How are those goals pursued? Are investment strategies more often buy and hold, unconstrained active management or some point in between? What are typical investment guidelines? What tax-sensitive investment practices are most often used? Do the stereotypes attributed to property/casualty versus life/health companies hold up? Based upon a 2006 survey of insurance company decision makers.

Other research projects will be prioritized based upon need. Please use the feedback page to suggest useful research topics that could be addressed through the Exchange.