Last checked at 7 Sep 2017 07:34
Statement re Legacy Review
Chesnara PLC
07 September 2017
Chesnara plc
("Chesnara" or "the Company")
Legacy Review
We note the FCA announcement this morning relating to the closure of one of the investigations into the disclosure of exit and paid up fees announced on 3 March 2016. As reported in the Chesnara half year results published on 31 August 2017.
"….The investigation into how Countrywide Assured disclosed exit fees to customers, initially announced on 3 March 2016, is ongoing. We have provided the FCA with all information requested. Discussions are ongoing and given the narrow scope of the investigation we retain our opinion that the outcome from the investigation should not have a material impact on the company…."
We continue to work with the FCA with the aim of bringing this investigation to a conclusion as quickly as possible.
Enquiries:
Roddy Watt, FWD Consulting - 0207 280 0651 / 07714 770493
Notes to Editors
Chesnara plc ('Chesnara'), which listed on the London Stock Exchange in May 2004, is the owner of Countrywide Assured plc ('CA plc'), Movestic Livförsäkringar AB ('Movestic') and Chesnara Holdings BV. Chesnara Holdings BV. is, the intermediate holding company of 'Waard Group' and 'Scildon'.
CA plc is a UK life assurance subsidiary that is closed to new business. In June 2005 Chesnara acquired a further closed life insurance company - City of Westminster Assurance - for £47.8m. With effect from 30 June 2006, CWA's policies and assets were transferred into CA plc. Save & Prosper Insurance Limited and its subsidiary, Save & Prosper Pensions Limited, were acquired on 20 December 2010 for £63.5 million. With effect from 31 December 2011, the business of Save & Prosper was transferred into CA plc. On 28 November 2013 Chesnara acquired Direct Line Life Insurance Company Limited (subsequently renamed Protection Life Company Limited) from Direct Line Group plc for £39.3m. On 31 December 2014 the PL business transferred into CA plc. CA plc operates an outsourced business model.
Movestic, a Swedish life assurance company which originally focused on pensions and savings, was acquired on 23 July 2009 for £20 million. The company is open to new business and seeks to grow its position in the Swedish unit-linked market. Its proposition was strengthened in February 2010 with the acquisition of the operations of Aspis Försäkringar Liv AB which has a risk and health product bias.
The Waard Group, a Netherlands-based Group comprising three closed book insurance companies and a servicing company, was acquired on 19 May 2015 for €69.9m. The Waard Group, comprising Waard Leven N.V., Hollands Welvaren Leven N.V., Waard Schade N.V. and Tadas Verzekeringen B.V. was previously owned by DSB Beheer B.V., a Dutch financial services Group. The policy base of the Waard Group is predominantly term life policies, with some unit linked policies and some non-life policies. On 5 April 2017 Chesnara completed its acquisition of Legal & General Nederland Levensverzeikering Maatschappij N.V. ('LGN') for €161.2 million. The LGN business which has been renamed Scildon, is in the Dutch life assurance market, and as with our Swedish subsidiary Movestic, Scildon will be writing protection and pension new business.
Further details are available on the Company's website (www.chesnara.co.uk).