Singapore

Singapore listed insurance trio posts 8.6% return in May

The three insurers performed strongly despite intensified competition.

Singapore listed insurance trio posts 8.6% return in May

The three insurers performed strongly despite intensified competition.

HSBC Insurance rolls out digital insurance platform

It currently offers two life insurance solutions.

Tokio Marine Singapore enhances chatbot with calculator feature

Users can now see for themselves the gap between their income and insurance coverage.

Singapore life insurance premiums up 14% to $689.23m in Q1

Linked policies led the charge after surging 82% in Q1.

AXA Insurance appoints Sean Goh as managing director of Life Strategic Business Unit in Singapore

He takes over from Neil Frith who will be moving to a new role based in Spain.

Singapore battered by massive $669.97b mortality and critical illness gap

This represents the gap residents must cover in case of emergencies rendering them unable to work and provide for their families' financial needs.

Great Eastern profits ballooned 68% to $115.02m in Q1

Thanks to the insurer’s booming business in Singapore.

FWD to offer insurance products on blockchain platform

The company’s customers can now manage their insurance needs on PolicyPal Network.

Singapore to roll out blockchain-powered insurance ecosystem

Deloitte, FWD and Ziliqa are amongst the launching partners.

Insurance Asia Awards 2018 now open for nominations

The deadline for nominations is on 20 April 2018.

Product liability coverage for SME exporters and manufacturers

A major US automaker was involved in three of the biggest product liability payouts of all time, the latest having been in February 2014, based on faulty ignition switches that could shut off vehicle engines during driving, disable power steering and brakes, and prevent airbags from inflating. Other large claims have been made against cigarette manufacturers for causing cancer; and medical equipment makers for leaky silicone breast implants. Whilst most of the largest product liability episodes involve public companies, and are filed in the US, claims can happen almost anywhere. In October 2017, a private US medical supply and healthcare company was hit with a product liability problem involving its disposable contact lenses shipped to Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, necessitating the recall of more than 31,000 boxes.

Challenges for the insurance sector

Asia is vast geographically, comprises more than 15 major jurisdictions and possesses extreme diversity in terms of the ethnicity of its population, its cultures and the varying stages of economic, social and technological development in each country, making it one of the most varied markets globally. Therefore, there are many different risks and challenges posed by the increased opportunities created by innovative and technological advances, not least in the insurance industry. A prime example of such growth is the emergence of insurtech in the Asian market.

How Asia's insurers can profit from the disruption wave

Asian insurers are riding several positive trends, like the region’s growing middle class and their increasing demand for insurance. Over the past five years, Asian consumers contributed more than half of the global growth in life insurance premiums. Capital markets have certainly noticed: Insurance players with a significant Asian presence have an average price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio close to 20—compared to a P/E of 10 to 15 for those that don’t, according to Bloomberg. But insurance companies also face challenges. Government bond rates have fallen from more than 10% in the 1980s to 2% or less in many Asian countries, shrinking investment returns.

Disrupt or be disrupted

The diverse insurance market in Asia-Pacific sees plenty of growth opportunities and challenges pertaining to distribution and regulation. Insurers are increasingly aware of the importance of customer centricity, product and service innovation, as well as alternative business models to drive growth.

How insurers can get their customers to love them

Retail insurers in Asia Pacific and around the world have a problem: their customers don’t love them, don’t appreciate them, and don’t stay with them. Because customers don’t discern much difference between insurers, companies end up competing largely on price, and that can lead to a downward spiral of cost-cutting, profit erosion, and customer churn. In a word, commoditisation.

Don't get tripped up by banana skins

Keeping pace with changing demographics, changing customer expectations, as well as technological advances are some of the major challenges that insurers face, and is likely to continue to be a major concern in the next 2-3 years. The recent 2017 Insurance Banana Skins survey launched by CSFI and PwC looked at the top risks that the insurers are facing. In Singapore, the top 3 risks to the insurers are all interconnected: change management, technology, and quality of management. Here’s the reason why:

Here are the winners of the Insurance Asia Awards 2017

Over 180 trophies were awarded to winning banks and insurance companies.