JFor years, the surplus shares of German life insurers have been falling. Thanks to the turnaround in interest rates, the first providers can now credit their customers with higher earnings again. The market leader Allianz announced on Monday that it would increase the current interest rate in its best-selling product “Perspective” with annually guaranteed interest until retirement from 2.4 to 2.6 percent. The total return (including credits at the end of the savings phase) increases by 0.3 points to 3.5 percent.
“We have a friendlier interest rate level, so we benefit from reinvestment,” said Volker Priebe, board member at Allianz-Leben of the FAZ. Allianz investors invested around 100 million euros every day. “We can use the stronger interest rate environment for reinvestment.” This also applies to other life insurers, who have also acted against the long-term trend in recent weeks. The new Bavarian officials increased the surplus participation by 0.2 percentage points, the Versicherungskammer even by 0.75 points from a low level of 1.5 percent. Others kept their level constant at above-average levels: like the Axa at 2.6 percent and the Ideal at 3 percent.
