FMA takes measures to ensure operations of the Austrian subsidiary FWU Austria – activities of FWU Austria exclusively in fund-linked life insurance plans
On Friday, 19 July 2024, the German company FWU AG with registered office in Grünwald bei München declared its insolvency at the Amtsgericht München (the District Court in Munich). FWU AG is the holding company of the FWU Group, which comprises several insurance undertakings and which, among other business, markets life insurance products in Luxembourg, Austria and Italy. The entire FWU Group is supervised by the “Commissariat aux Assurances” (CAA) – the supervisory authority of Luxembourg. The Austrian subsidiary, FWU Life Insurance Austria AG (“FWU Austria”), is supervised by the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA).
The FMA is in intensive contact with the competent authority for group supervision (CAA) and with FWU Austria’s management, and has ordered measures intended to ensure FWU Austria’s ongoing operations as well as looking after FWU Austria’s insurance customers. FWU Austria will not underwrite any new business until further notice.
FWU Austria is an independent insurance undertaking that holds an Austrian licence. FWU Austria’s business exclusively consists of distribution of fund-linked life insurance plans, and as of the end of June 2024, had a customer base of around 38,000 contracts concluded primarily with Austrian customers as well as Italian ones. The fund volume stands at approximately € 880 million. Measured in terms of collected premiums, in 2023, FWU Austria had a market share of 1.3% in Austria.
In the case of fund-linked life insurance plans the premiums collected from the insured persons are invested in units in funds following the deduction of fees, taxes and an insurance risk premium. The performance of the units in the fund determines what benefit the insured persons receive from the life insurance; it depends on how the funds selected by the customer perform, and is therefore subject to financial market fluctuations. The fund units form a special fund (cover pool) to guarantee the claims of the insured persons. To date, FWU Austria has always fully observed regulatory capital requirements, meaning that extraordinary stress has always been able to be absorbed.
Background information:
FMA information about Life Insurance and the Austrian insurance market can be found on the FMA website:
- Information Brochure about Life Insurance (in German only)
- Austrian Insurance Statistics
- The FMA’s A to Z of Finance – Life insurance
Journalists may address further enquiries to:
Boris Gröndahl (FMA Media Spokesperson)
Phone: +43 (1) 249 59-6010
Mobile: +43 676 8824 9995
E-Mail: [email protected]