Insurers Increasingly Seek Legacy Transfers to Shed Long-Tail Liabilities

July 31, 2018 by Anna Dill

Several recent reserve cover deals—including the single-largest reinsurance transaction on record—demonstrate a growing interest on the part of insurers to shed their long-tail liabilities.Executive SummaryMany insurers are seeking ways to free up capital when their legacy liabilities begin to drag on earnings, which is creating a robust legacy reserve cover marketplace, says Anna Dill of TigerRisk.

Executive Summary

Many insurers are seeking ways to free up capital when their legacy liabilities begin to drag on earnings, which is creating a robust legacy reserve cover marketplace, says Anna Dill of TigerRisk.

A sharp uptick in reserve disposals in 2017, bolstered by continued momentum in early 2018, indicate the legacy market is here to stay. Some 25 reserve covers were closed in 2017—five of them transferring reserves of $750 million or more. Thus far in 2018, approximately 10 deals have been announced.