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Inflation up, rates down?
Market conditions have been extremely unusual in 2021, with stock prices climbing at the same time as bond yields fell. A number of very specific factors have caused this uncoupling, as the Fed bets on growth trumping inflation, says Jack Meskunas of Oppenheimer & Co.
Playing the odds: Bull vs Bear markets
Oppenheimer’s Jack Meskunas examines the history of Bear and Bull markets in the US and explains why, over the long term, it has historically paid to be bullish as an investor.
Preparing for the unique investment challenges of 2021
The most interesting, and potentially threatening, changes to the investment market outlook for insurance companies have to do with asset class behaviour. This will have important implications for captive insurance strategic asset allocation, says Carl Terzer of CapVisor Associates.
Banking on your captive
In the first in a new series of video interviews with key individuals in the captive insurance industry, Captive International spoke to James Larkin, head of business development for captive insurance at Barclays.
Stocks are not all created equal
Investing in an index implies a high degree of diversification, but in fact weighting by market capitalisation means indexes such as the S&P 500 are dominated by their largest stocks, to a quite surprising degree, as Jack Meskunas of Oppenheimer explains.
A joined-up approach to banking: how Barclays is supporting the captives sector
Barclays Corporate Banking is the platinum sponsor of this year’s Bermuda Captive Conference. Ahead of the event, Captive International sat down with James Morris, head of UK insurance and captive banking, to discuss how Barclays is supporting the sector.
Viruses and volatility
Captives and individual clients alike have been awestruck by the recent moves in the markets. With the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak quickly becoming a pandemic, just as an oil price war broke out between Saudi Arabia and Russia, markets have experienced a perfect storm. Oppenheimer’s Jack Meskunas attempts to put recent market moves into perspective.
Let’s make the Year of the Rat the year of the captive investment portfolio
Nearly 100 years ago, the first single parent captive insurance companies were formed onshore in the UK. There has been tremendous evolution in the captives industry, but there has not been as much progress with the captive investment portfolio, says Callan’s Sara Hakim.
Why schemes need to be mindful of the 20:50 rule - and how ICCs can help
It is only a matter of time before a more simplified approach to longevity swaps becomes more prevalent, Robus Insurance (Guernsey) directors Kate Storey, Frank Oldham and David Riley, explain.
How to give your captive financial flexibility
Many captives remain fixated with investing in fixed income products, but that should not mean a lack of financial flexibility, says Stephen Price of RBC Dominion Securities.
