Latest AM Best Headlines
All the headlines from our AM Best Topic Page, ordered by recency.
It’s a Surety Thing: Companies Are On the Move in the Surety Market
Jan 15 2001 // For the past decade, the surety market has been profitable and today, competition remains strong. Underwriters come and go while the economy plays a major role in this segment of the industry. Even with big losses in 1999,...
A.M. Best Affirms Munich Re, Gerling Global Ratings
Dec 21 2000 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed high ratings for two of Germany’s biggest insurance groups, giving its A++(superior) rating for Munich Re and its subsidiaries, including American Re and related companies, and its A...
A.M. Best Downgrades Amwest to C-
Dec 19 2000 // A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength rating of Amwest Insurance Group, Calabasas, California, to C- (Weak) from B (Fair). This rating action applies to Amwest Surety Insurance Company and its subsidiary, Far...
A.M. Best Assesses Excess Capital in U.S. Property/Casualty Industry
Dec 6 2000 // Over the past decade, the U.S. property/casualty insurance industry’s excess capital position has grown dramatically due to slower premium growth, better risk management techniques and significant surplus gains. This...
The Evolving Excess & Surplus Lines Market
Nov 13 2000 // The excess and surplus lines, or non-admitted, market is comprised of property & casualty companies that provide insurance that is unavailable to businesses in the standard, or admitted, market due to the unique...
Surplus Lines Market Shows Signs of Shaping Up
Nov 13 2000 // When retail agents or brokers cannot find coverage for a unique or high-risk insured with a company in the standard or admitted market, they often turn to the surplus lines—or excess and surplus (E&S)—market for...
A.M. Best Ups AXA Global Risks Rating
Oct 3 2000 // A.M. Best’s rating service announced that it had “raised the financial strength rating of AXA Global Risks US Insurance Company, New York, to A- (Excellent) from B++ (Very Good.” Best noted that the...
Singleentry.com, A.M. Best Pair to Provide Ratings Access
Sep 29 2000 // Singleentry.com, an Internet-based process service provider to the property and casualty insurance industry, has reached an agreement with A.M. Best to give members of singleentry.com instant access to the A.M. Best...
A.M. Best Downgrades Unionamerica to B+
Sep 28 2000 // A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength rating of Unionamerica Insurance Company Limited, London to B+ (Very Good) from A (Excellent) and removed the rating from under review. The actions follow the Sept. 19...
P/C Industry Combined 1st Half Ratio Hits 109.2 in 2000,
Sep 11 2000 // Despite a recent hardening of prices in the property/casualty industry, underwriting performance worsened during the first half of 2000, according to A.M. Best Co.’s six-month report. The industry’s average...
A.M. Best Revises Outlook on PXRE
Aug 23 2000 // While it affirmed the PXRE Group’s overall A (Excellent) rating, A.M. Best nevertheless revised the outlook for PXRE Reinsurance Co. and Transnational Insurance Co. to negative due to a number of recent adverse...
A.M. Best Downgrades Reliance to C
Aug 17 2000 // A.M. Best has downgraded the financial strength rating of Reliance Insurance Group, New York, from B to C and revised its under review status from developing to negative. The action follows the release of second-quarter...
Reliance Downgraded by A.M. Best
Jul 17 2000 // A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength rating of Reliance Insurance Group, New York, to B (Fair) from B++ (Very Good). The property/casualty group’s rating remains under review with developing...
A.M. Best Downgrades 14 Life, Health Units of Conseco
Jun 16 2000 // A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength ratings of 14 life and health insurance subsidiaries of Conseco Inc., based in Carmel, Ind., to B++ from A-. The financial strength ratings of Frontier National Life...
Admiral Insurance Co. Ratings Lowered by A.M. Best
Jun 15 2000 // A.M. Best Co. has lowered the financial strength rating of Admiral Insurance Co. and its reinsured subsidiary Admiral Indemnity Co. Together, these companies are the flagship operation of W.R. Berkley Corp.’s...
A.M. Best Downgrades Reliance, Reliance Disagrees with Rating Action
Jun 9 2000 // Following an evaluation of the group’s worse-than-expected first quarter underwriting results and unfavorable operating trends, A.M. Best Co. downgraded the financial strength rating of Reliance Insurance Group from...
Progressive Ratings Lowered by A.M. Best
Jun 6 2000 // A.M. Best has lowered the financial strength rating of the Progressive Casualty Pool to A + from A++, reflecting the group’s downturn in its operating earnings, intense price competition in its predominant personal...
A.M. Best Completes Year-End Review Of Calif. Workers’ Comp Carriers
May 30 2000 // A.M. Best Co.’s year-end review of insurance carriers with concentrated exposure to the volatile California workers’ comp market culminated in the downgrades of three large carriers in this market over the past...
A.M. Best Downgrades Ohio Casualty Group
May 16 2000 // A.M. Best Co., one of the nation’s largest rating agencies, has downgraded the financial strength rating of the Ohio Casualty Group to A (Excellent) from A+ (Superior). The rating change reflects the group’s...
Lloyd’s Keeps A.M. Best’s A (Excellent) Rating With Continued Negative Outlook
May 2 2000 // The losses at Lloyd’s, actual and projected, were not deemed serious enough, as yet, to warrant any change in Lloyd’s A (Excellent) rating by A.M. Best. It affirmed Lloyd’s capital strength, based on the...
