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The Impact of Surplus Distribution on the Risk Exposure of With Profit Life Insurance Policies Including Interest Rate Guarantees

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  • Alexander Kling
  • Andreas Richter
  • Jochen Ruß

Abstract

This article analyzes the numerical impact of different surplus distribution mechanisms on the risk exposure of a life insurance company selling with profit life insurance policies with a cliquet‐style interest rate guarantee. Three representative companies are considered, each using a different type of surplus distribution: a mechanism, where the guaranteed interest rate also applies to surplus that has been credited in the past, a slightly less restrictive type in which a guaranteed rate of interest of 0 percent applies to past surplus, and a third mechanism that allows for the company to use former surplus in order to compensate for underperformance in “bad” years. Although at the outset all contracts offer the same guaranteed benefit at maturity, a distribution mechanism of the third type yields preferable results with respect to the considered risk measure. In particular, throughout the analysis, our representative company 3 faces ceteris paribus a significantly lower shortfall risk than the other two companies. Offering “strong” guarantees puts companies at a significant competitive disadvantage relative to insurers providing only the third type of surplus distribution mechanism.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexander Kling & Andreas Richter & Jochen Ruß, 2007. "The Impact of Surplus Distribution on the Risk Exposure of With Profit Life Insurance Policies Including Interest Rate Guarantees," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 74(3), pages 571-589, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:jrinsu:v:74:y:2007:i:3:p:571-589
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1539-6975.2007.00225.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Lin, Hongcan & Saunders, David & Weng, Chengguo, 2017. "Optimal investment strategies for participating contracts," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 137-155.
    2. Andreas Reuß & Jochen Ruß & Jochen Wieland, 2016. "Participating Life Insurance Products with Alternative Guarantees: Reconciling Policyholders’ and Insurers’ Interests," Risks, MDPI, vol. 4(2), pages 1-18, May.
    3. Ninna Reitzel Jensen & Kristian Juul Schomacker, 2015. "A Two-Account Life Insurance Model for Scenario-Based Valuation Including Event Risk," Risks, MDPI, vol. 3(2), pages 1-36, June.
    4. Berdin, Elia, 2016. "Interest rate risk, longevity risk and the solvency of life insurers," ICIR Working Paper Series 23/16, Goethe University Frankfurt, International Center for Insurance Regulation (ICIR).
    5. Bruszas, Sandy & Kaschützke, Barbara & Maurer, Raimond & Siegelin, Ivonne, 2018. "Unisex pricing of German participating life annuities—Boon or bane for customer and insurance company?," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 230-245.
    6. Elia Berdin & Helmut Gründl, 2015. "The Effects of a Low Interest Rate Environment on Life Insurers," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 40(3), pages 385-415, July.
    7. Eling, Martin & Holder, Stefan, 2013. "The value of interest rate guarantees in participating life insurance contracts: Status quo and alternative product design," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(3), pages 491-503.
    8. Richter, Andreas & Weber, Frederik, 2009. "Mortality-Indexed Annuities," Discussion Papers in Business Administration 10994, University of Munich, Munich School of Management.
    9. Graf, Stefan & Kling, Alexander & Ruß, Jochen, 2011. "Risk analysis and valuation of life insurance contracts: Combining actuarial and financial approaches," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 115-125, July.
    10. Bohnert, Alexander & Gatzert, Nadine, 2012. "Analyzing surplus appropriation schemes in participating life insurance from the insurer’s and the policyholder’s perspective," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 64-78.
    11. Loriana Pelizzon & Matteo Sottocornola, 2016. "The Impact of the Monetary Policy Interventions on the Insurance Industry," EIOPA Financial Stability Report - Thematic Articles 8, EIOPA, Risks and Financial Stability Department.
    12. Antje Mahayni & Matthias Muck, 2017. "The benefit of life insurance contracts with capped index participation when stock prices are subject to jump risk," Review of Derivatives Research, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 281-308, October.
    13. Broeders, Dirk & Chen, An & Koos, Birgit, 2011. "A utility-based comparison of pension funds and life insurance companies under regulatory constraints," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 1-10, July.
    14. Bohnert, Alexander & Gatzert, Nadine & Jørgensen, Peter Løchte, 2015. "On the management of life insurance company risk by strategic choice of product mix, investment strategy and surplus appropriation schemes," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 83-97.
    15. Dirk Broeders & An Chen & Birgit Koos, 2014. "Utility-equivalence of pension security mechanisms," DNB Working Papers 414, Netherlands Central Bank, Research Department.

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