U S Insurance Regulation

A Brookings Institution Press and Georgia State University publication Important changes have buffeted the insurance industry over the past decade. The 1999 repeal of key provisions of the Glass-Steagall Act unleashed a wave of conglomeration in financial services, as bank holding companies acquired insurance and securities businesses and, to a much lesser degree, insurance companies acquired securities firms and banks. Rivalry within the sector has intensified: insurance companies have developed products that compete directly with the offerings of banks and securities firms and vice versa. In addition, the industry has become increasingly global. Against this backdrop, pressure has been building for fundamental changes to the structure of insurance regulation in the United States. Despite several court challenges over the years, insurance continues to be regulated by the states. Many insurance companies view state regulation as an increasing drag on their efficiency and competitiveness and support a federal regulatory system. However, powerful stakeholders, including state officials, state and regional insurance companies, and many insurance agents, oppose federal regulation. As a result, proposals to establish an optional federal charter (OFC) for insurance companies and agents remain mired in fierce debate. The Future of Insurance Regulation in the United States gathers some of the country's leading experts on financial regulation to assess the case for an enhanced federal role in the insurance sector. They pay particular attention to the merits of an OFC and how it might be designed. They also consider the principles that should guide insurance regulatory policies, regardless of the institutional framework, and examine the implications of financial convergence and the internationalization of insurance markets for an optimal regulatory structure. The debate over insurance regulation has only grown in complexity and intensity since the financial crisis began in the fall of 2008. This book will both inform and help to shape those critical discussions. Contributors: John A. Cooke (International Financial Services London), Robert Detlefsen (National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies), Martin F. Grace (Georgia State University), Robert W. Klein (Georgia State University), Robert E. Litan (Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and Brookings Institution), Phil O’Connor (PROactive Strategies), Hal S. Scott (Harvard Law School), Harold D. Skipper (Georgia State University), Peter J. Wallison (American Enterprise Institute).

The future of the insurance regulation begins now For those involved with the insurance industry, from investmentprofessionals to policy makers, and regulators to legislators,tremendous change is coming. With insurance premiums constitutingan ever-growing portion of annual U.S. GDP and provisions of theDodd-Frank Act specifically calling for modernization of insuranceregulations, the issues at hand are pervasive. In ModernizingInsurance Regulation, these issues are described against abackdrop of the political and industry discussions that surroundinsurance, regulation, and systemic risk. Experts Viral V. Acharyaand Matthew Richardson discuss a variety of issues with topthinkers in the fields of finance, derivatives, credit risk, andbanking to bring to light the most germane elements of this ongoingdiscussion. In Modernizing Insurance Regulation, Acharya andRichardson call on the expertise of all the relevant stakeholderswithin government, academia, and industry to offer a well-roundedand independent view of insurance regulation and how the evolutionof this key industry affects the U.S. economy now and in thefuture. Provides an overview of the feasibility of maintaining astate-level regulatory structure Offers a view of the issues from top academics, industryleaders, and state regulators Explores the debate surrounding the insurance industry andsystemic risk Provides an in-depth look at upcoming changes under theDodd-Frank Act Modernizing Insurance Regulation provides a look into thecrucial changes coming to insurance regulation and an overview ofhow those changes will affect almost everyone.

Offering an innovative and experience-based perspective, Richard G. Liskov's erudite treatise provides a comprehensive overview of the basic principles and procedures for how state insurance regulators in the US supervise a crucial sector of the economy. The book not only explores the theoretical dimensions of insurance regulation, but also presents practical insights and guidance for dealing with the main US insurance regulatory issues. Chapters dexterously navigate key themes, including: the history behind insurance regulation; the respective regulatory roles of the federal government and US states; the organisation of insurance departments and how they operate; and the process of licensing insurance companies and professionals. The book further explores how US state insurance regulators deal with issues of supervision arising from a global marketplace and technological innovation, and how they oversee the financial solvency and market conduct of insurers. This authoritative book will act as a fundamental resource for legal practitioners across multiple jurisdictions and executives working in insurance companies and brokerage firms. Law students who are seeking valuable information on this important aspect of US financial services regulation will similarly find this to be a beneficial read.

In response to heightened competition, the larger insurance companies and various insurance industry groups have become interested in the concept of federal chartering and regulation.

This book examines policy developments that have been occurring in the field of financial regulation and their implications for the insurance industry and markets. With UK and US contributors from academia and legal practice, this book will be essential reading for policy-makers, insurance regulators, insurance and legal professionals as well as students and academics researching and studying insurance law.