经济学人:英国曼岛的保险业 (2)

 A striking example is a policy offered by Old Mutual¹ International (OMI), a subsidiary of London-listed Quilter, 一个显著的例子是伦敦上市公司Quilter的子公司先机国际（OMI）提供的一种保险：

which pays out a lump sum of millions of pounds to heirs in Singapore inheriting property in Britain, 向新加坡的英国遗产继承者一次性支付百万英镑，

allowing them to foot the inheritance-tax bill without needing to sell the properties. 这一保险让他们能够在不需要售卖财产的情况下支付遗产税。

But this policy at least has a large cash payout; many others are "wrappers" that simply fold existing assets into insurance payouts. 但是该保险至少要有一大笔现金支付；许多其他的政策就像包装袋一样，不过是将现有资产折成了保险理赔。

Reasons to buy range from wealth protection—from high taxes, government expropriation or succession squabbles—to tax arbitrage². 购买这些保险的原因，从财富保护—比如高税收、政府征收或是继承权之争—到税收套利，各不相同。

In many countries the proceeds of a life-insurance policy attract less tax than a direct inheritance. 在很多国家，一份人寿保险的收益税少于一次直接继承所收的税。

Unhappily for Manx firms, these products are sold with hefty commissions. Some of their brokers³ in far-flung countries charge 6-7% of a policy's value. 不幸的是，对曼岛的公司来说，出售这些产品能获取高额的佣金。其中一些遥远国度的经纪人的收费是一项保险单价值的6-7%。

Though that is similar to commissions in onshore jurisdictions—around 6% in Ireland, for instance— 虽然这和岸上司法管辖区的佣金差不多—例如在爱尔兰约为6% —

onshore life insurance is mainly about death benefits, annuities⁴ and to an extent savings⁵. 岸上人寿保险主要是关于死亡抚恤金、养老金以及一定程度上的储蓄金。

A better comparator for Manx products is financial advice, where commissions have been slashed⁶. 对曼岛的产品来说，一个更好的对比是财务咨询，财务咨询业务的佣金已经被削减。

In Britain financial advisers⁷ must charge retail⁸ investors⁹ fixed¹⁰ fees rather than commissions, to avoid conflicts of interest. 在英国，财政顾问可以向散户收取固定费用但不能收取佣金，以此避免利益冲突。

Business might shift to avoid the new rules. One Manx official worries about competition from the British Virgin¹¹ Islands. 该行业或许会为了规避新的规则而转移。一名曼岛官员担心来自英属维尔京群岛的竞争。

Or clients boggling at the newly revealed fees may switch to a different sort of vehicle for asset protection, 或者对新披露费用犹豫不决的客户会转而寻求不同种类的资产保护工具，

for example the trusts in which Jersey¹² and Guernsey, also Crown dependencies, specialise. 比如同属王权属地的泽西岛和根西岛所专注的信托业务。

The Isle¹³ of Man will still benefit from a stable legal environment and specialist talent. 曼岛仍将从一个稳定的法律环境和专业才能中获益。

It already offers some products that rely on neither Britain's tax forbearance nor rich individuals elsewhere. 它已经提供了一些既不依赖于英国收税延展也不依赖于别处富有个人的产品。

Notably¹⁴, the Manx operations of Zurich Insurance, a global insurer, focus on life-insurance and pensions schemes for the employees of multinational¹⁵ firms. 全球保险公司苏黎世保险在曼岛开展的业务尤其专注于为跨国公司的员工提供人寿保险和养老金项目。

But the island's financial industry will have to diversify¹⁶: to new types of customers such as corporations, for example, or to products that are less dependent on brokers. 但是该岛的金融行业将不得不寻求多样化：例如开发新的客户类型，如公司，或者提供对经纪人依赖较少的产品。

 

1 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

2 arbitrage   

n.套利，套汇

参考例句：

• This is an example of arbitrage.这就是套利的一个例子。
• That is interest arbitrage in practice.这就是所谓的套利。

3 brokers   

n.（股票、外币等）经纪人( broker的名词复数 )；中间人；代理商；（订合同的）中人v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的第三人称单数 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• The firm in question was Alsbery & Co., whiskey brokers. 那家公司叫阿尔斯伯里公司，经销威士忌。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• From time to time a telephone would ring in the brokers' offices. 那两排经纪人房间里不时响着叮令的电话。 来自子夜部分

4 annuities   

n.养老金；年金( annuity的名词复数 )；（每年的）养老金；年金保险；年金保险投资

参考例句：

• Many companies in this country grant their old employees annuities after they retire. 这个国家的许多公司在老年雇员退休后发给他们养老年金。 来自辞典例句
• Can I interest you in one of our Easter Annuities or IRA accounts? 您对我们的复活节年金保险或者个人退休金帐户有兴趣吗？ 来自电影对白

5 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

6 slashed   

v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
• He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

8 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

9 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

10 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

11 virgin   

n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的

参考例句：

• Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？
• There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。

12 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

13 isle   

n.小岛，岛

参考例句：

• He is from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea.他来自爱尔兰海的马恩岛。
• The boat left for the paradise isle of Bali.小船驶向天堂一般的巴厘岛。

14 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

15 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

16 diversify   

v.（使）不同，（使）变得多样化

参考例句：

• Our company is trying to diversify.我们公司正力图往多样化方面发展。
• Hills and woods diversify the landscape.山陵和树木点缀景色。