Kundenbindung in der Versicherungswirtschaft: Ergebnisse einer theoretischen und empirischen Analyse

In this article customer retention is analysed both theoretically and empirically, especially the retention of customer to insurance intermediaries. After the construct of customer retention has been conceptualised, the determinants of customer retention in the insurance business are derived. The empirical analysis is based on interviews of German customers of an internationaly operating financial services company. A total of 1,003 interviews were conducted. The analysis of customer retention through the usage of structural equation modelling forms the main part of this article. A comparison of three methods — structural equation modelling, neural networks and decision trees — shows that they are complementary and a combined application of these methods brings additional insights. On the basis of the determinants of customer retention, a typology of customers is built through hierarchical cluster analysis. The management of customer retention can be realised either by manipulating the determinants of customer retention or by ad dressing the identified customer types with a segment specific marketing mix.     

Die Rolle der Versicherungsmathematik innerhalb der gesamten Wissenschaft und Praxis der Versicherung

Abstract

Der überraschenden ehrenvollen Einladung in den drei skandinavischen Hauptstadten im Verein der Aktuare einen Vortrag zu halten, bin ich zwar gern aber nicht ohne Bedenken gefolgt; weiss ich doch nicht, ob ich in einem solchen Kreise von Sachverstandigen der Wissenschaft und Praxis der Versicherung etwas bieten kann. Aber die so überaus liebenswürdige Schreiben Ihrer Herrn Vorsitzenden geben mil' den Mut hier zu sprechen. Ich will kein speziell versicherungsmathematisches Thema behandeln: rch will vielmehr den Rahmen weiterspannen und iiber die {iRolle der Versicherungsmathematik innerhalb del gesamten Wissenschaft und Praxis der Versicherung sprechen.     

Hedge-Fonds als Asset-Klasse: Betrachtungen aus der Perspektive der deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft

The over performance of hedge funds until the current financial market turbulences led to a large number of insurers increasing their hedge funds quota. In the following this asset class is examined and particularly analyzed with respect to its adequacy for an insurance company's asset allocation by focusing on the axiom of safety, as demanded by national law. The problem of survivorship-bias and the Markowitz requirements of normal-distribution and constant correlations among the asset classes and their impact on a strategic asset allocation are studied.     

Der volkwirtschaftliche Wert der Versicherung — eine Input-Output-Analyse der Versicherungswirtschaft

What is the value of insurance to a society and its economy? What are the interdependencies and interrelations between the insurance sector and other sectors of the economy? By applying the tool of input-output-analysis we are able to measure on the one hand the flow of goods and services from other sectors to the insurance sector and on the other hand the flow of insurance to other sectors of the German economy. The results show that the output-multiplier, representing the demand induced by an increased demand for insurance, is surprisingly large. In the course of our study we are further able to give a detailed picture of the input-factors needed to produce insurance and also to quantify how much insurance other sectors of the economy for their intermediate consumption.     

Informations- und Beratungspflichten des Versicherers nach der VVG-Reform

The insurer’s duty to enable the customer to come to an appropriate decision, providing advice and information, is a central topic of the reform of the German insurance contract law. The obligations of intermediaries given by the Directive 2002/92/EC on insurance mediation are transferred to insurers and thereby enlarged in some aspects. The duty to give advice in §6 I 1 VVG depends on the objective circumstances of each individual case depending upon either the complexity of the insurance contract and problems in understanding its terms, or the characteristics and situation of the customer. Therewith, the regulation both refers to former jurisdiction and exceeds it by implementing a duty for the insurer to ask for the demands and the needs of the customer. Without reason in the special case the customer has to disclose his need for advice to obtain it. During the term of the contract the insurer is only obliged to give advice if he knows or — acting diligently — could know the needs of the policy-holder. On a European level further duties to inform and advise could help to achieve an effective internal insurance market.     

Von der „railway spine“ zum Schleudertrauma — Geschichte und aktuelle Bedeutung seelischer Störungen nach entschädigungspflichtigen Ereignissen

Although post traumatic stress disorder was only recently admitted into the international classification systems, psychological reactions to traumatic incidents have been frequently described for far more than 100 years. The article describes the mental reactions to a trauma in different historical situations. Included are the ?railway spine“ injuries of the 19. century, victims of accidents where third party liability could be claimed and the psychological consequences of the catastrophes which characterized the 20. century; World War One, the rule of National Socialism, World War Two, the expulsion and persecution of political opponents. In the last part the article deals with the whiplash injury. The analysis suggests that different reactions don’t describe an identical disorder. It seems that reactions to injuries are mainly influenced by the historical and social background and the fact of being insured.     

Zu den zwei Versicherungsbegriffen von Werner Mahr und ihrer Bedeutung in der heutigen Zeit

Werner Mahr differentiates between two notions of insurance based upon either the mutuality or the speculation principle. While Mahr however supposes that these two principles melt into the pure insurance-technological economics through the interplay of the probability principle, the differences will be stressed. In the first step, the (theoretical) distinctions are elaborated between the “ideal” insurance model of K. J. Arrow, based on the mutuality principle, and the “classical” insurance model of K. Borch, building on the speculation principle or the reserve theory according to A. Willett. In the second step, these differentiations are elucidated with the help of three examples: uncertainty about the risks, correlated risks, and macroeconomic, in particular demographic risks.     

Strategisches Asset-Liability Management in der Versicherungswirtschaft — Ein Ansatz zur integrierten Bilanzstrukturoptimierung

Asset-Liability Management has gained increased significance within the German insurance industry. This was mainly driven by recent capital market developments. In fact, insurers have encountered challenges to earn given interest guarantees. Regulatory changes also require more sophisticated ALM-tools. Solvency II will change the underlying paradigm and shift balance sheets perception towards a market value oriented view. Especially liabilities will have to be accounted for using the fair value approach. Most ALM-tools appear to be unable to cope with these demands. To improve this current practice, in this paper a Markowitz-approach is employed in order to generate an integrated method for the optimization of assets and liabilities in the life insurance industry. This technique aims to link new regulatory requirements to the latest capital market theory and therefore delivers a procedure for an integrated asset allocation policy in the insurance industry.