In collaboration with Willis Re, Willis Re Securities says it has structured and placed $100 million of insurance-linked securities (ILS) for Minnesota Life, a life insurance subsidiary of Securian Financial Group.

With this deal, Minnesota Life will be the first US direct writer of life insurance to utilise an extreme mortality bond structure.

La Vie Re, which closed October 23, is the first underwritten Rule 144A cat bond exposed to extreme mortality risk on an indemnity basis.

It provides Minnesota Life and Securian Financial Group with a single $100 million tranche of fully collateralised protection against a deterioration of the performance of its group life business over a three-year period.

Quentin Perrot, senior vice president, Willis Re Securities said: “We are proud to have supported Securian in its inaugural catastrophe bond transaction. Thanks to the robust structure that an underwritten Rule 144A cat bond offers, investors have supported this first indemnity extreme mortality bond.

“This speaks to the increased openness of the ILS market to not only broaden the scope of assumed risks, but also recognises the strength of the Minnesota Life portfolio.”

Jim Fallon, executive vice president, Willis Re added: “The La Vie Re cat bond will allow Securian Financial a long term and more sustainable access to the broader capital market investors. It demonstrates Securian Financial’s strategic utilisation of all the available sources of reinsurance capital.

“Our team’s deep technical knowledge of Life, Accident and Health risk, ability to collaborate with our client and determination to find optimal solutions, were instrumental in successfully navigating the challenges of the present market environment. We are delighted to strengthen our relationship with Securian Financial through the issuance of this catastrophe bond.”

Source: Reinsurance News