Financial Services

Succeeding in a Recession
Financial Services

Global Financial Governance
Improving Stability and Mitigating Future Threats

The financial crisis revealed the need for legislative and regulatory change in the oversight of financial institutions on both the international and national levels. Policymakers will need to consider four aspects of the future governance framework, encompassing the measures needed to restore stability, the specific role of regulation, the changes that must take place in the industry itself, and the potential impact on the overall structure of the global financial services sector.

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The Future of Life and Pensions
Life-saving Solutions

Doomsayers are claiming that the life insurance industry is set to become the next victim of the credit crunch, but the outlook is not as poor as it may appear. Players that manage to reposition themselves in response to these six key trends are likely to benefit disproportionately from current market discontinuities.

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The Seven Deadly Sins of Cost Reduction

Banks of all sizes are struggling to sustainably reduce costs while maintaining their ability to grow. There are a number of pitfalls in cost-cutting initiatives, from paralyzing indecision to undue haste. To overcome these challenges, banks need to define a programmatic approach, choose the right team, and properly engage the organization.

View the complete file Seven Deadly Sins Cost Reduction (258 kb)

Rapid Restructuring
How Banks Need to Respond to the Financial Crisis

A Challenging Time for U.S. Insurers
How to Get Back to Basics

The current crisis has shaken society’s underlying trust in the financial system and has changed the banking landscape dramatically. Shareholders now expect banks to create long-term value and ensure market stability, rather than generate quick returns. This Perspectives outlines seven steps that banks must take to emerge from the downturn more resilient and able to respond to future crises.

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The U.S. insurers that manage to succeed in this increasingly challenging environment will be those that get back to basics, focusing on risk selection and pricing, slashing costs in claims and other functions, improving effectiveness in distribution, and carefully managing capital. They will also make better use of new technologies to leverage the power of information and analytics.

View the complete file A Challenging Time for U.S. Insurers (267 kb)