This course introduces the principles of accounting and solvency regulation of insurance companies. It starts by identifying the peculiarities and risks of insurance companies’ business models that affect the structure and the content of their financial statements. Students will learn the key issues and challenges in the accounting for insurance contracts. The course covers the rationale for solvency regulation, outlines the regulatory and supervisory landscape in the European Union. It highlights the issues associated with the current insurance accounting (practice) in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 4. A particular focus will be on the accounting for insurance contracts in accordance with the IFRS 17. Specifically, the course covers the definition, recognition, measurement, presentation of insurance contracts and related disclosures. The course also highlights the key aspects of insurance accounting under Austrian GAAP (VAG). Throughout the course, we will discuss the insights and evidence from academic studies and critically assess the (consequences of) extant and future accounting rules for insurance contracts.

Learning outcomes

After completing this course, students will:

• Know the key accounting and solvency issues affecting insurance companies from a conceptual perspective
• Know the key aspects of insurance regulation and supervision in the European Union
• Have a deeper understanding of the accounting rules for insurance contracts
• Understand the structure and key components of insurance companies’ financial statements
• Understand how different business models are reflected in insurance companies’ financial statement presentation, recognition and measurement
• Appreciate the impact of differing accounting standards (IFRS, VAG) and (changes in) risk on the financial statements of insurance companies

Cognitive and Subject Specific Skills:

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Apply the most important accounting rules for insurance companies
• Interpret information presented in financial statements of insurance companies under IFRS and Austrian GAAP
• Evaluate the impact of risks in the financial statements of insurance companies
• Assess how changes in accounting and/or solvency regulation might affect insurance companies

Key Skills:

After completing this course, students will have:

· Developed their analytical skills and

· Enhanced their ability to reflect critically on accounting standards and financial numbers reported in the financial statements of insurance companies

This course is a PI course with 80% attendance.

The course is a mixture of lectures, practical exercises, group work and student-led presentations. The lectures explain the key concepts of relevant IFRS and insurance regulation. The practical exercises and group work help students to engage actively with the material, to deepen their understanding and to learn how to apply accounting rules in practice. Invited practitioners will provide more in-depth insights from their industry practice. Students are expected to be prepared and actively participate in each class.

Students’ assessment is based on several modes of assessment to provide students with different opportunities and ways to engage with the material and to demonstrate their acquired knowledge and skills. The assessment will consist of three compononents:

Individual homework (30%)

Quizzes (30%)

Group work including presentations (40%)

Further information will be provided in the first lecture of the course.

In order to pass the course, students are required to achieve more than 50 % of the total possible points.

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