Amalgamations of Life Assurance Companies

Extract

In his Presidential Address delivered in November 1910 Sir Gerald Ryan discussed at some length the policy and practice of amalgamation (J.I.A. Vol. XLV, p. 12), and went on to suggest that a useful purpose would be served if a paper were written by one of our Fellows on the theme of “Assurance Amalgamations.” Papers on the subject are to be found in the early numbers of the Journal, but as the last one dealing solely with amalgamations was written in 1858 it may be of interest to members if the matter is examined again in the light of the happenings in recent years. Other references have appeared in Presidential Addresses and papers of a legal character. Some of these expressed the opinion that the requirements of the Assurance Companies Act, 1870, were unworkable. For many years amalgamations of life offices have been governed by the Assurance Companies Act, 1909 (hereafter referred to as the 1909 Act), but it can scarcely be said that its requirements are easier to comply with than those of the 1870 Act. It is not surprising, therefore, to find that many of the transactions of the nature of amalgamations in recent years have been carried through by other means.