Insurance

摘要

Merger makers were plenty busy, with 406 deals worth $142 billion announced in the first three quarters. Berkshire Hathaway hooked up with General Re. AIG is merging with SunAmerica. Variable annuities remain hot, with sales of close to $99 billion last year, up from $88 billion in 1997. Low inflation in 1999 should help both property/casualty and life companies, but then there is the perennial problem of excess capacity giving rise to cutthroat pricing.