Arduous journey to accounting change worth the effort: S&P
Arduous journey to accounting change worth the effort: S&P
29 August 2022
S&P Global Ratings says changes that will reshape insurance accounting from January onwards will prove worthwhile after a sometimes arduous journey for the sector in preparing for the new standard.
International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 17, issued by the International Accounting Standards Board in 2017, has been described as one of the most significant changes to insurance accounting in more than 20 years. Initially it was intended to take effect in 2021.
“Preparing for the new standard has, at times, been arduous, but S&P Global Ratings anticipates that the improved transparency will be worth it,” it says
“In particular, IFRS 17 should make it easier to identify and compare how insurers and reinsurers generate profits and handle risk.”
The accounting change is, by itself, unlikely to trigger rating actions, S&P says in a report answering some recent frequently asked questions on the changes.
“That said, if insurers change their risk appetite or capitalisation strategy following the introduction of IFRS 17, these second-order effects could lead to rating actions,” it says.
Questions addressed in the report include how S&P will treat risk adjustment and contractual service margins (CSM) in its capital model and how the share of unrealised gains on insurers’ investments booked in CSM will be treated.
