The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) has introduced new liquidity regulations for the insurance sector in an effort to strengthen its oversight of liquidity management.
These regulations have been met with criticism from some industry experts who question their relevance to the insurance business model. Critics argue that these regulations do not take into account the unique nature of insurance operations, where liquidity crises are rare due to upfront premium payments.
Existing investment regulations already prohibit insurers from concentrating their investments in illiquid assets, and catastrophic losses are often managed through reinsurance arrangements, which are not mentioned in the new guidelines.
The new regulations place the responsibility of liquidity risk management on insurance company management, with FINMA reviewing and approving their strategies. The response from the insurance industry has been relatively muted, with some expressing skepticism about the necessity of the rules.
Concerns have been raised about the thoroughness and competence of FINMA's regulatory processes, particularly regarding the transitional provisions for compliance. The implications of these regulations for financial stability and regulatory oversight are yet to be seen, and ongoing dialogue between regulators and the insurance sector will be important in shaping liquidity management practices.