210 | Just Group PLC | Annual Report and Accounts 2023
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS continued
34. FINANCIAL AND INSURANCE RISK MANAGEMENT continued (c) Credit risk Credit risk arises if another party fails to perform its financial obligations to the Group, including failing to perform them in a timely manner. Credit risk exposures arise from: • Holding fixed income investments. The risk of default (where the counterparty fails to pay back the capital and/or interest on a corporate bond) is mitigated by investing only in higher quality or investment grade assets. Concentration of credit risk exposures is managed by placing limits on exposures to individual counterparties, sectors and geographic areas. The Group holds a portion of its fixed income investments as loans secured against a variety of types of collateral including but not limited to commercial real estate and commercial ground rents as well as residential ground rents. • Counterparties in derivative contracts – the Group uses financial instruments to mitigate interest rate and currency risk exposures. It therefore has credit exposure to various counterparties through which it transacts these instruments, although this is usually mitigated by collateral arrangements (see note 19). • Reinsurance treaties. Reinsurance is used to manage longevity risk and to fund new business but, as a consequence, credit risk exposure arises should a reinsurer fail to meet its claim repayment obligations. Credit risk on reinsurance balances is mitigated by the reinsurer depositing back more than 100% of premiums ceded under the reinsurance agreement and/or through robust collateral arrangements. • Reinsurance concentration risk: to reduce risk, the Group ensures it trades with a wide range of counterparties to diversify exposures. • Cash balances – credit risk on cash assets is managed by imposing restrictions over the credit ratings of third parties with whom cash is deposited, as well as the balances permitted. • Credit risk for lifetime mortgages secured on residential property has been considered within “property risk” above. (i) Credit ratings of financial assets The following table provides information regarding the credit risk exposure for financial assets of the Group, which are neither past due nor impaired at 31 December:
AAA £m
AA £m
A £m
BBB £m
BB or below £m
Unrated £m
Total £m
2023
1,135
6 –
– –
– –
– –
–
1,141
Units in liquidity funds
–
495
495
Investment funds
927
2,283
4,521
5,763
160
– –
13,654
Debt securities and other fixed income securities
– – –
100
425
181
– – – –
706
Deposits with credit institutions
– –
– –
– –
5,681
5,681
Loans secured by residential mortgages Loans secured by commercial mortgages
764
764 779
164
20
185 151
410 764
– –
Long income real estate 1
64
121
13 41
1,113
Infrastructure loans
– – – – –
–
–
–
123
164
Other loans
28
1,686
649
– – – –
14
2,377 2,549 1,043
Derivative financial assets
2,549
–
–
–
Gilts – subject to repurchase agreements
264
193
387
199
Reinsurance²
–
–
–
60
60
Other receivables
Total
2,290
5,371
7,161
8,154
214
7,336 30,526
1 Includes residential ground rents of £164m rated AAA and £12m rated AA. 2 This is the reinsurance asset position excluding CSM.
Powered by FlippingBook