Let's help make a deal; intermediaries feel the squeeze as mergers and acquisitions add up - more than 200 insurance deals last year alone

Article Abstract:

Acquisitions and mergers peaked in 1997, as more than 200 deals worth over $28 billion were concluded during the year. The surge in consolidation deals has highlighted the competition among intermediaries such as investment banks and financial advisers. New competitors have also emerged, including commercial banks that acquire brokerages to form their own broker-dealers. Intermediaries are also offering a growing number of services, such as financial due diligence and actuarial appraisals of a firm's economic value, insurance assistance and risk management.

Investment Banking and Securities Dealing, Investment Banking, Security brokers and dealers, Mergers, acquisitions and divestments, Services, Investment banks, Acquisitions and mergers

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Weathering ups and downs of long-term stock investing

Article Abstract:

Insurance companies should carefully evaluate their investment strategies. Many financial advisers and the general public believes that stocks have outperformed bonds and other investments in the long-term. While equity investments have generally outperformed fixed-income investments, research by Stein Roe & Farnham Inc suggests that equities will underperform government bonds from Jun 1996 to Jun 2001. A variety of economic scenarios were tested. Insurers should strongly consider investing less in stocks.

Research, Portfolio management, Investment analysis, Securities analysis, Stein Roe and Farnham Inc.

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Commercial mortgage lending can be good for the bottom line

Article Abstract:

Life insurers can learn from the disastrous consequences of insurers' commercial real estate lending practices in 1980s. Survey results show that five major areas of distinction contributed to insurers' lending success or failure. Those areas are discussed. It appears that, in the mid-1990s, insurers are avoiding some of the lending mistakes that insurers made in the 1980s.

Mortgage bankers and correspondents, Mortgage Bankers, Real Estate Credit, Management, Mortgage banks, Mortgages

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