Captives in Europe: do they still make sense?
Sandvik is one of Sweden’s great multinational companies, a global engineering group with employees around the world and revenues of around $10 billion. It is also the owner of one of Sweden’s thriving captives. Sandvik’s Fredrik Finnman talked to Captive International.
Optimising commercial P&C deductibles
Too many insureds buy too much insurance, and do not take advantage of significant savings that can be gained by better analysing loss history, says Randall Davis at Delphi Risk Management.
Insurance consultant advises captives to focus on growth
Too many captives are preoccupied with maintaining the status quo, rather than focusing on growth and innovation. They are missing a considerable opportunity to deliver greater value for their owners, as Andy Barile, founder of Andrew Barile Consulting, which is 20 years old next year, told Captive International.
Why investing in tech is a no-brainer
Investing in the best available technology is vital for the future success of a captive. Although the best technology is not cheap, this short-term cost is likely to pay for itself relatively quickly by improving pricing, improving internal and external communication and increasing efficiency, says Sean Barnes at United Educators Insurance Company, a reciprocal risk retention group.
Crisis support for workplace violence and active shooter incidents
The business insurance community, including alternative risk management vehicles, is asking how it can mitigate exposures to workplace violence, or transfer them, to de-risking their risk portfolios with available commercial insurance, says Paul Marshall of McGowan Program Administrators, in the first of a four-part series about the impact and aftermath of an active shooter event.
Your guide through the captive maze
Quest is one of the best-known captive service companies in Bermuda and the US and has been forming and managing single parent, group, and association captives since 1979. Jeff Kenneson of Quest Captive Management talked to Captive International about Quest’s business and the trends he is seeing in the market.
Funding for employee benefits: one size doesn’t fit all
As the regulatory environment around the healthcare industry changes, so must employer attitudes and approaches to offering healthcare benefits. Making the switch from traditional health benefits insurance to a self-funded plan can have a number of advantages, principally cost savings and increased flexibility, says Emilie Gastley at Captive Alternatives.
Aligned interests
Insurers have always tried to ensure that the incentives of their clients align with their own. But captive insurers have fewer concerns around moral hazard than their commercial counterparts, says captive insurance consultant and retired principal of WTW, Hugh Rosenbaum.
The IRS’ tough pill
The IRS is on a winning streak against 831(b) captive insurance companies, and as such could afford to take a tough line in its settlement offer to some micro captives, says Matthew Queen of Venture Capital Management.
Captive governance and the investment portfolio
Too often in the past, captive boards have neglected to properly oversee the governance of their investment portfolios. But the governance of the captive board and the governance of the captive investment portfolio must be treated as one and the same thing, says Sara Hakim, senior vice president of Callan.
