Monument Re acquires Belgian run-off portfolio

Monument Re has acquired a run-off portfolio of flexible premium retail life insurance contracts from Belgian insurer Ethias, known as the First A Portfolio through its European subsidiary Laguna Life DAC. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval.

Laguna Life DAC is an Irish domiciled insurance undertaking and a 100 percent subsidiary of Monument Re and its Irish subsidiary Monument Insurance DAC. The Irish subsidiaries of Monument Re trade as Monument Insurance in Ireland.

The policyholders will be informed that the insurer will no longer be Ethias but Laguna Life DAC. The terms and conditions of the contracts will remain unchanged.

However, this transfer will result in the loss of the savings guarantee in Belgium up to a maximum of €100,000. Ireland, the country where the new insurer is established, has no equivalent system.

Following the completion of the acquisition of the First A Portfolio from Ethias, Monument Insurance said that it intends to make a new surrender offer, the details of which have not yet been revealed.

Manfred Maske, chief executive officer (CEO) of Monument Re Group, and Kieran Hayes, CEO of Monument Insurance, said that: “It has been a pleasure to work with Ethias on the divestiture of the First A portfolio. We continue to make progress executing our Benelux and Ireland consolidation strategies and firmly establishing our long-term presence in these key markets. We are pleased to make this announcement as the First A Portfolio transfer provides Monument Insurance with its second acquisition following the successful integration of Laguna into the Monument Re Group and the acquisition of ABN AMRO Life Capital, Monument Re’s first transaction in Belgium.

“This operation relates to the implementation of the decision to sell the remaining First A Policies, as announced in May 2017, and is the final step in the full divestiture of this portfolio,” said Philippe Lallemand, CEO of Ethias.

“It is a balanced agreement in which we have sought to ensure that the further management of this portfolio is carried out by a buyer specialised in the run-off management of life insurance products and who, as an Irish company, is also subject to the same European Solvency requirements as Ethias. The payment of the guaranteed returns on these contracts (i.e. 3.46 percent on average) should therefore not be affected by this transfer.

“We are also pleased that Monument Insurance is planning a redemption campaign for the approximately 4,400 remaining policyholders who have not responded to previous 'Switch' campaigns conducted by Ethias and we trust this will also be welcomed by the Belgian Minister of Economic Affairs and by the Belgian consumer associations.”