Railcar leasing gets the general-account airing
An InsuranceAUM.com episode pairs an asset manager and an insurance distributor to make the case for railcars in insurer portfolios.
August 19
The General Account Desk 8 stories this week · 54 total
AI demand is real; the credit concentration needs scrutiny
An Insurance AUM Journal essay argues that AI demand is real. For the general account, the accumulating credit concentration is the part worth watching.
Financials' 2026 lag hides an AI-cycle tailwind for banks
Insurance AUM Journal argues the AI buildout has a balance-sheet side — and banks are the overlooked way to own it.
For insurers, equity selection beats broad exposure in 3Q
Principal's third-quarter outlook says durable earnings and cash flow matter more than market participation as leadership narrows.
HALO framework makes durability the private-markets test
The framework urges insurers to weigh inflation pass-through ahead of asset-class labels.
Brookfield Wealth Solutions crosses $200 billion as Just Group closes
The Just Group deal took the balance sheet past $200 billion and delivered a full quarter of earnings. Operating income climbed while mark-to-market losses left the first half in the red.
Three Fed dissenters make the September meeting the one to watch
The July vote said more than the statement. NEAM's August Trade Winds explains why September matters.
Fidelity's Q3 active equity report stays institutional-only
The quarterly scorecard gives allocators a benchmark on active equity positioning, with no figures in the public summary.
Health insurers' investment income fell even as yields hit decade highs
Cash and Schedule BA income shortfalls erased the benefit of decade-high bond and dividend yields, according to NEAM's analysis in Insurance AUM Journal.
Fidelity's monthly fixed income note targets general accounts
The institutional-only monthly note pairs Fidelity's fixed income views with conflict disclosures for insurers steering portfolio decisions.
Real-assets resilience finds a natural buyer in the general account
Insurance AUM Journal's new essay argues for a post-efficiency era, giving general accounts a rationale for infrastructure and real assets, with a caveat about where pricing power sits.
Emerging-market bonds are a country-selection game for insurers
Dilawer Farazi, co-head of the emerging-market debt team, says reforms and local-currency funding have changed the risk of EM credit.
Warsh's hawkish June meeting leaves agency MBS carry thin
Warsh's hawkish debut and a bear-flattening curve produced a 2-basis-point OAS widening that tells insurers the carry is thin.
Fidelis Partnership cuts debt spread 225 bps in $2.04B Term Loan B
The MGA replaces its private-credit unitranche with a cheaper public loan, saving roughly $46 million a year to fund Lloyd's and Pine Walk growth.