Life Insurers' Par Fund Performance - Key Takeaway !

 

Points To Note:

• Par Fund bonus levels are not guaranteed, insurers generally try to avoid large fluctuations in the bonus declared from year to year, by smoothing bonuses over time. This means that bonuses may be held back in years when the performance of the fund has been good, so that they can be maintained when conditions are less favourable.
  
• 90:10 rule Insurance Act, which states that the profits that the insurer can take out of the participating fund in any year are limited to 1/9 of the amount allocated to policy owners as bonus for that year. It is referred to as the 90:10 rule, because it means that 90% of any surplus determined to be distributable, as bonus goes to policy owners in the participating fund, and 10%goes to the insurer. 
• Bonuses are determined (or “declared”) on an annual basis and most commonly expressed in the form of an addition to the sum assured.
• Non-guaranteed benefits or bonuses are not guaranteed, because the level of non guarantee bonuses depends on the value of the assets backing the policies, which in turn depends, among other things, on the following key factors:

1. Investment performance (this is usually by far the most important factor);
2. The level of expenses incurred by or allocated to the participating fund; and
3. The amounts paid out to meet claims on policies in the participating fund.

 From the Above Singapore Insurers' Par Fund Performance Analysis, my key Takeaway : 

•  Last 10 Years Top 5 Par Fund Performance Life Insurers

1. AIA
2. Prudential
3. AXA 
4. GE Life
   
5. TM
   

• Last 3 Years Top 3 Par Fund Performance Life Insurers

1. Manulife
2. AXA
3. TM
   
4. AIA 
5. Prudential 

• TM Par performance look great but Ratio of non-Guaranteed Benefits Reserve drop from Y2017 32.4% to Y2019 26.2%. Not a good sign, suggest may be due to increase on Claim or Cost...

• Y2019 Top 5 Ratio of non-Guaranteed Benefits Reserve

1. Prudential
2. AIA
3. Income
4. GE Life
5. Aviva
   

In conclusion, with the current low interest rate environment, if you like to invest in any Par Fund Insurance Policies, an Insurer which a higher Ratio of non-Guaranteed Benefits Reserve looks like is a better choice to meet the projected return!