Insurance Linked Securities (ILS)

North Yorkshire Pension fund as administered by North Yorkshire County Council. Following a recent investment strategy review, the Pension Fund Committee (the 'PFC') of the North Yorkshire Pension Fund (the 'Fund') is currently considering introducing an Insurance-Linked Securities ('ILS') mandate(s). The allocation is expected to account for between 3.3% - 5% of total Fund assets (equivalent to c. £110m to c. £165m). The rationale behind the appointment is to reduce the Fund's overall exposure to equities (as the source of assets for the ILS appointment will be equities) following recent material improvement in the Fund's solvency level. The returns from ILS depend on the underlying risks which are very different from those of traditional assets. This facet is unique. Allocating to ILS therefore helps in building a more robust overall portfolio with a strong risk/return profile.