Conclusions

Abstract

The aim of this book has been to analyze different aspects of the bancassurance phenomenon, that is unquestionably one of the most important trend in the evolution of the European financial services industry. The first part of the book provides a description of the phenomenon, examining its historical roots and main drivers of development. Alternative bancassurance organizational models are also investigated, paying attention to the current state of cooperation between banks and insurance companies in various European countries, for different types of life and P&C products. The second part is devoted to more specific issues, relative to accounting principles and regulatory constraints, outlining their main evolution in more recent years. After a comprehensive literature review of academic studies focused on bancassurance, the last part of the book presents the empirical investigations conducted in order to measure its potential efficiency gains on both the cost and the profit sides.