Assureurs

Assureurs are entities that issue insurance contracts and assume financial risk from policyholders in exchange for premiums. They provide financial protection against defined risks and losses, such as death, illness, property damage, or liability.

They perform underwriting to assess risk, price policies, and decide which risks to accept; they issue policies, collect premiums, and establish reserves to cover future claims. They also invest premium income to generate returns that help meet future obligations and to support the insurer’s financial stability.

Insurers can be classified into life insurers (assureurs de personnes) and non-life insurers (assureurs de biens et responsabilités). They may be private companies, mutual organizations owned by policyholders, or, in some cases, state-owned. Reinsurers transfer part of their risk to other insurers to manage exposure and capital requirements.

Distribution channels include agents, brokers, direct sales, and bancassurance, where banks distribute insurance products. Regulation requires licensing and solvency oversight to protect consumers and ensure financial stability; in Europe, Solvency II sets capital and risk-management standards. The regulatory framework varies by country but generally emphasizes consumer protection, financial health, and market integrity.

Global markets feature large international groups, regional players, and specialized markets such as Lloyd’s. The sector faces ongoing trends in digitalization, data analytics, and product innovation (for example cyber and environmental risk), as well as growing emphasis on climate-related risk and transparent pricing.