No. 158, June 17th, 2010
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XPRIMM
News - THE ROMANIAN INSURANCE MARKET NEWSLETTER No. 158, June 17th, 2010 Click here to subscribe! Click here to unsubscribe! |
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This was not a singular case, however, because another company, from the United States this time, had a resounding success selling over 20,000 of such at least strange insurance products. Among its clients: famous actors, universitary professors at Harvard, but also the always present religious fanatics. If you have such a policy, you have been kidnapped by an UFO and you have managed to get back to Earth, then all you have to do is to prove to your insurer that your happenings are real and you will be compensated. Accepted evidences include video recordings, lie detector tests or other third party testimonials. Unbelievable, but until now, two claims files were actually paid... But specialists in unusual insurance are the unions from the London market LLOYD'S - who, over the years, have insured people against risks worthy of a science fiction novel: vampires bites, werewolves attacks, kidnappings and experiments done by aliens and so on. Things continue, and - as amazing ideas catch on quickly - in 2002, an Englishman insured himself against psychological trauma which could affect him due to "premature defeat of England's team at the World Cup in 2002". Insured sum: 1 million pounds. Same coverage was bought in the same year by a hotel, who decided to aquire a policy of general liability for injuries produced to guests by paranormal phenomena, poltergeist type. Probably, nothing unusual. If in the case of individuals who protect themselves against the risk of being kidnapped by Klingons we can find an explanation that is their right to feel safe with the respective policy, in case of corporate clients things complicate a bit. The decision is a collective one, there are shareholders and managers that establish the risk management policy. And then, what's the point of a paranormal events' coverage? Simple: marketing - the customer wins, because he benefits of free promotion and attention from those fascinated by ghost stories, for example, while the insurer relies on notoriety. Thus, unconventional products benefit of a phenomenal media coverage and have an unparalleled impact in front of the final clients, compared to the classic subjects related to the growing claims rate and the benefits of insurance. Then, why not use this advantage instead of a cryptic approach that the public was not, is not and probably will never be interested in? by alexandru.ciuncan@mxp.ro |
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CEE, RUSSIA&CIS | FINANCIAL NEWS | EVENTS |
| INTERVIEW |
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Silvia SIRB: As a life insurance "consumer", I think it's too much to say that there is a specific of the Romanian profile market. The attitude of most people regarding financial products in general and, by default, regarding life insurance, has changed since 2009, and I think it is still changing today on all markets. Focusing on effects, I can say that 2009 has woken the insurance market up to reality. I refer, equally, to both consumers and insurers, and I think this is a very good thing. For too long there have been too easily overlooked, maybe often even neglected, the real needs of clients. It is now obvious to us, as professionals, that prioritary and correctly is to work in order to help people. We need to make them understand and be open towards us, so we can find out their real needs for safety and for a better financial situation. How do we do this? By clarifying, planning and, then, by choosing the right products for each person. These I believe are the most important elements of the insurance system, and today they are strongly justified, requireing their place at "maximum level" in the business decisions of all market players. For AEGON, whose business approach is client centered, all our activity starting and ending with the Client, the contextual matching is perfect. I remind you that I am simply being positive and, frankly, I believe that IT IS POSSIBLE! XPRIMM: What were the most important challenges your company had to face in 2009 and how did you overcome them? S. S.: Both as order and as importance, the biggest two challenges of AEGON are, even today: - finding solutions to gain the trust of those we want as customers; - solutions to further reduce the emotional distance between us and the customer. If we speak of this "distance", in its spatial form, AEGON has sought and found through bancassurance partnerships a way to be NEAR our client, in the most comfortable environment from his point of view. If we speak of a communication distance, AEGON has rebuilt the entire architecture of products, to meet, in any context, the following parameters: simplicity, transparency and intelligibility. XPRIMM: What are your expectations regarding the market evolution in 2010? Will this year bring opportunities to support the recovery of the insurance market? At the opposite pole, which could be the main threats for the market evolution? S. S.: We expect the life insurance market to decrease somewhere around -5%. For us though, 2010 will be the year when sales and communication strategy that AEGON Romania has built will say a word. Which will be reflected in the results three times higher than in 2009. So far, we did not speak and we acted. In 2010 we will continue to act, but I trust that the market will feel the "waves" made by AEGON. In any case, I do not see opportunities brought easily by the market. Threats? The biggest one: if the legislative and the insurers are not congruent and constructive in everything they do, the negative effects will be amplified, because the market is sensitive, like a period of convalescence. XPRIMM: What are your company's objectives for 2010? S. S.: Regarding the sales, which I believe the market is more interested in, three times more than in 2009. There are others that target quality and efficiency, and I always talk about those. XPRIMM: If you were in the position to develop a marketing strategy, which do you think would be number one priority for the Romanian insurance market at this time? S. S.: From the position of those who have power to make it happen: encreased deductibility and effective education system. From our position, as insurer, we think the strategy we have now is the best one. Naturally, because otherwise we would change something. XPRIMM: What products from your company's portfolio enjoy the biggest success in front of customers? What are the elements that "make a difference" in the case of these products? S. S.: Indeed, customers look at the market this way: in terms of Products and of "what makes the difference". The product AEGON star will appear this year. But we are sure that making the product itself is not enough. The complete formula we have in mind is: product, way of sale-distribution, services and benefits. They will give the final measure. Otherwise, it's like you would dress only 50% or 25%. We will actually have three modular products, that will complete each other. AEGON has shown in 2009 the ability to create customized products for each significant distributor, each one being able to sell in its target market. This brought us happy quality clients and satisfied distribution partners. Now we take the next step, underlining the services, benefits and convenience of choosing AEGON. XPRIMM: Thank you! |
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CEE, RUSSIA&CIS | FINANCIAL NEWS | EVENTS |
| TOP PRESS |
| Tommy PERSSON: Insurance industry did not generate the crisis "Although affected by the financial crisis, the insurance industry is not the one that has generated it. Therefore, the CEA believes that measures to strengthen the supervision of the financial-banking system at European level should not be extended to insurers", said the CEA President, Tommy PERSSON, in the opening of the International Conference "Insurance in a Changing World", which took place on Friday, June 11, in London. Click here to read more! by mihaela.circu@mxp.ro, 11.06.2010 Major threats for European insurers In the insurance industry, the business model is different from any other financial industry, reason for which this area should have specific regulations. Thus, "the insurance industry may be affected by the danger of systemic risks, but the particularity is that they are born and, therefore, come from other industries", said Peter BRAUMULLER, President of IAIS - International Association of Supervisors, during the CEA Conference in London. Click here to read more! by andreea.ionete@mxp.ro, 14.06.2010 The Council of Bureaux has a new President The 45 Members of the Green Card system gathered in Stockholm for the 44th General Assembly of the Council of Bureaux and proceeded with the election of the new President to guide the organisation into the next 5 years. Romania was represented by B.A.A.R. - The Romanian Motor Insurance Bureau, leaded by Liviu STOICESCU, President. The successful vote went to Mariusz WICHTOWSKI, the Chairman of the Polish Motor Insurers' Bureau since September 2000. Click here to read more! by mihaela.circu@mxp.ro, 09.06.2010 Solvency II - in Romania, starting January 1, 2013 According to the latest statements of Paul MITROI, General Manager, General Direction of Solvency Reglementations and Implementation, ISC, Solvency II system will be implemented in Romania starting January 1, 2013. In this context, Romanian insurance companies have to rethink their strategies and risk management models. This was also the theme of the recent conference "A Practical Approach on Risk Management", organized on June 14, 2010, by IRES - Romanian Institute for Assessment and Strategy, in partnership with ISC - Insurance Supervisory Commission and supported by Media XPRIMM. Click here to read more! by oana.radu@mxp.ro, 16.06.2010 Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia, Romania and Serbia: the only CEE countries where the population spends less than EUR 100 annually for insurance In 2009, Romanians spent for insurance an average of EUR 98.6, as one of the five countries of Central and Eastern Europe where the population has allocated less than EUR 100 per year for these products. Albanians have spent on average to insure EUR 18.5, placing themselves at this chapter on the last position among the top countries in the region. Under 100 EUR have spent on insurance products the Bosniaks (EUR 44.5), Macedonians (EUR 34.3) and Serbs (EUR 75.7). Click here to read more! by vlad.boldijar@mxp.ro, 10.06.2010 Romania ranks third in underwritings and second in claims on the motor segment in CEE The total volume of underwritings on motor insurance (MTPL, Motor Hull and Green Card, added up) recorded by the Romanian insurance market in 2009 (EUR 1.32 billion) has placed our country, at the level of the year 2009, on the third position in Central and Eastern Europe space, shows the Special Report "CEE, Russia & CIS INSURANCE MARKETS 2009". Click here to read more! by vlad.boldijar@mxp.ro, 15.06.2010 Property insurance increased in CEE; in Romania it fell In 2009, underwritings correspondent to propery insurance (fire, natural disasters and damage to property, added up) experienced a decline of about 9.7%. This decrease is in contrast to what happened in Central and Eastern Europe, the nominal evolution of the CEE market in 2009 being a positive one, of 2.8%, according to Special Report "CEE, RUSSIA & CIS INSURANCE MARKETS 2009". Click here to read more! by vlad.boldijar@mxp.ro, 14.06.2010 European Commission, interested in insuring catastrophic risks European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, Michel BARNIER, announced recently, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the Commission's intention to thoroughly examine insurance systems designed to cover national catastrophic risks, especially those of floods. Click here to read more! by oleg.doronceanu@mxp.ro, 07.06.2010 Only 10% of Romanians plan to buy an insurance in the next year Half of Romanians said they trust insurance companies. However, only 10% of them intend to contract an insurance product in the next 12 months. These are the results of a study of IRES - Romanian Institute for Assessment and Strategy, presented at the Conference "A Practical Approach on Risk Management", held on June 14, 2010, by IRES in partnership with ISC, with the support of Media XPRIMM. Click here to read more! by vlad.panciu@mxp.ro, oana.radu@mxp.ro, 14.06.2010 Romania is the second largest Motor Hull insurance market in CEE The EUR 790 million written premiums of the voluntary Motor Hull insurance class in 2009 have placed our country on the second place in Central and Eastern Europe, after Poland (EUR 1.19 billion), according to Special Report "CEE, RUSSIA & CIS INSURANCE MARKETS 2009". The next three positions were occupied by the insurance markets of the Czech Republic (EUR 627 million), Hungary (EUR 330 million) and Bulgaria (EUR 308 million). Click here to read more! by vlad.boldijar@mxp.ro, 17.06.2010 At ASIROM, you buy MTPL and you also have Motor Hull benefits ASIROM VIENNA Insurance Group has launched at a press conference, held on the 9th of June, an innovative product for the Romanian insurance market, offering for the first time to those that have MTPL the benefits associated with owning a Motor Hull policy. Click here to read more! by oana.radu@mxp.ro, 09.06.2010 MEDICOVER invests EUR 50 million in a private hospital The company MEDICOVER has recently signed the acquisition documents of the land on which the MEDICOVER Hospital will be built in Bucharest. This initiative, with a major role in the company's business plan, underlines its determination to further develop more and more efficient healthcare services. Click here to read more! by mihaela.circu@mxp.ro, 16.06.2010 8 Romanian companies are in Top 50 general insurance in CEE ALLIANZ-TIRIAC (12th place), OMNIASIG (15th), ASTRA Asigurari (21st), GROUPAMA (24th), BCR Asigurari (33rd), ASIROM (34th), UNIQA (37th) and GENERALI (45th) are the best placed Romanian general insurance companies in the Central and Eastern Europe, the volume of underwritings made in 2009 placing them among the Top 50 companies in the region. Click here to read more! by vlad.boldijar@mxp.ro, 09.06.2010 Romania has two companies in TOP 50 life insurance in CEE BCR Asigurari de Viata and ING Asigurari de Viata are the two companies from Romania that were situated, in 2009, at the level of the Central and Eastern European Region, among the Top 50 profile companies. Thus, with an underwritings volume of around EUR 60.2 million, BCR Asigurari de Viata was ranked 49th, while ING Asigurari de Viata ranked 28th. In the first six months of 2009, ING Asigurari de Viata ranked 27th, while BCR Asigurari de Viata was ranked 57th. Click here to read more! by vlad.boldijar@mxp.ro, 08.06.2010 Transaction within CARPATICA Group CARPATICA Commercial Bank (BCC) has sold, in March, to the company ATLASSIB, a pack of shares representing 8.96% of the share capital of insurer CARPATICA Asig. Following this transaction between the two companies both controlled by businessman Ilie CARABULEA, whose value amounted to about RON 1.9 million, ATLASSIB stake in the insurance company increased from 83.46% to 92.42%. Click here to read more! by andreea.ionete@mxp.ro, 07.06.2010 55% of MTPL files, closed by amicable report By the end of March, after the first nine months since the implementation of the amicable report, over 55% of the files opened on MTPL were based on this procedure. Thus, out of the total of over 294,000 cases of claims files related to motor third party liability policies, over 162,000 have been approved by the amicable report form. Click here to read more! by mihai.cracea@mxp.ro, 07.06.2010 40% of the house owners agree with the mandatory household insurance Over 35% of Romanians would choose for a voluntary household insurance, besides the mandatory one. Moreover, 40% of respondents agree with the introduction of mandatory household insurance, it is shown in a market survey conducted by GfK Romania. Another 20% of respondents have agreed with this project, but to a more moderate extent. Click here to read more! by mihai.cracea@mxp.ro, 09.06.2010 |
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CEE, RUSSIA&CIS | FINANCIAL NEWS | EVENTS |
| CEE, RUSSIA&CIS |
GENERALI'S Sergio BALBINOT elected new CEA vice-president At the CEA's General Assembly held in London on 10 June, Sergio BALBINOT, Managing Director of GENERALI, was elected vice-president of the federation. He will serve a term of one year, before taking over from Tommy PERSSON as CEA president in June 2011 for a mandate of three years. Welcoming the appointment, PERSSON said: "I am delighted with the election of Sergio BALBINOT as CEA vice-president. Bringing a wealth of experience as an active top level executive in GENERALI, he will strengthen the CEA, both now and in the future." Click here to read more! by andreea.ionete@mxp.ro, 16.06.2010 The most important insurance publications meet in Sofia Starting today, June 17, 2010, Sofia will be host of the 55th annual meeting of PIA (Presse Internationale des Assurances). Media XPRIMM will be represented at the event by Daniela GHETU, Editorial Director of PRIMM Publications, Mihaela CIRCU, Editor in Chief of XPRIMM Newsletters and Oleg DORONCEANU, International Markets Coordinator. Click here to read more! by andreea.ionete@mxp.ro, 17.06.2010 COFACE receives Russian credit insurance license Credit insurer COFACE announced that the Russian state authority for insurance (FSSN) has granted a license to its subsidiary "ZAO COFACE Rus Insurance Company" based in Moscow, according to Insurance Journal. COFACE is the first international credit insurer to obtain its license in Russia. Click here to read more! by mihai.cracea@mxp.ro, 17.06.2010 Property, motor insurance prices in Bulgaria could rise by 2% Bulgaria's general insurance companies will pay a 2% tax on collected premiums plus a 10% tax on profits. Life insurance and permanent health insurance covers will not be imposed the additional tax, according to the latest proposal by the Ministry of Finance. Click here to read more! by dnevnik, 02.06.2010 Are you interested to invest in Moldova? Book your place at the Moldova Business Week 2010 Moldavian Ministry of Economy in partnership with the local Investment and Export Organization (MIEPO), under the auspice of the Prime Minister is organizing the Investment Week "Moldova Business Week 2010". Entitled "World Economic Crisis - Challenges and New Opportunities for Moldavian Economy", the event is to take place in Chisinau between June 22-25 2010. The event is also organized in partnership with Vienna Economic Forum. Click here to read more! National Congress of Insurance Underwriters has come to its 2nd edition The aim of the conference, organized by the NATIONAL Insurance Guild, and Association of Insurance Specialists Underwriters' Club in partnership with BUSINESS Format Group, is to create a new, democratic venue for exchanging experience, related to the vital issues of insurance underwriting, and working out the strategy of development. Also, organizers have committed themselves to enhance the Russian underwriters' professional reputation among the international community of insurers and clients as well as to develop methodological bases for assessing the underwriters' professional level. Click here to read more! |
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CEE, RUSSIA&CIS | FINANCIAL NEWS | EVENTS |
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RON appreciates after motion failure Romania, second-highest Q1 workforce spending rise EU-wide FITCH: Romanian economy to drop by 1 pc in 2010 DAIMLER plant to be built in Sebes |
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