Latest Reinsurance Headlines

All the headlines from our Reinsurance Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Converium’s Conundrum: Reserve Requirements Hit Reinsurer

Sep 20 2004 // When Zurich Financial Services (ZFS) spun off its reinsurance operations into Converium in September 2001, the new company had a bright future. Initial capitalization exceeded $1.6 billion; ZFS had agreed to retain...

Best Affirms ‘B+’ Rating of NZ’s Pioneer Insurance

Sep 17 2004 // A.M. Best Co. announced that it has affirmed the financial strength rating of B+ (Very Good) of New Zealand’s Pioneer Insurance Company Limited, with a stable outlook. “The rating reflects Pioneer’s...

Fitch Estimates Ivan May Become Second Costliest Hurricane For U.S. P/C Insurers

Sep 17 2004 // Chicago-based Fitch Ratings has issued some preliminary comments on the extent of the losses from Hurricane Ivan’s destructive rampage through Alabama, Florida and other Gulf Coast States. Fitch noted that...

Study Finds EU Insurers Believe They Are Well Prepared for Next Market Cycle

Sep 16 2004 // A study, released at the Reinsurance Rendezvous in Monte Carlo, has concluded that “the vast majority of European insurers (85 percent) feel well prepared for the next market cycle.” The survey, commissioned by...

S&P: Challenges to Property Catastrophe Reinsurers

Sep 16 2004 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has published a review of the property catastrophe reinsurance industry, titled “Is Property Catastrophe Reinsurance a Commodity,” examining its commodity-like...

Survey Finds European Insurers Increasingly Concerned By Growing Tort Claims

Sep 14 2004 // According to the findings of a survey commissioned by The Insurance Leadership Institute of GE Insurance Solutions, independently conducted by Tillinghast, European insurers are becoming increasingly concerned by the...

Guy Carpenter Releases Study of 2004 World Catastrophe Reinsurance Market

Sep 14 2004 // Guy Carpenter & Company, Inc., MMC’s reinsurance brokerage division, announced the release of its annual, comprehensive study of the property catastrophe reinsurance market, “The World Catastrophe...

Best Reports on Bermuda Insurers

Sep 14 2004 // A.M. Best Co. has issued a report on Bermuda’s insurance and reinsurance industry, timed to coincide with the Reinsurance Rendezvous, currently being held in Monte Carlo. Best reported that in the “first six...

Asbestos – Any Options Left for Insurers’

Sep 14 2004 // While the United States Senate has expressed its willingness and commitment to solving the asbestos litigation problem facing the county, insurers remain under a siege of asbestos related claims. While hope remains that a...

Boston’s Insurance Professional of the Year Award to be Presented to David Lane, Agent and Representative

Sep 13 2004 // The Insurance Library Association of Boston will present its annual Insurance Professional of the Year Award to industry leader and public servant, David J. Lane, an owner and chairman of Hastings Tapley Insurance Agency,...

Fitch Affirms Imagine Insurance ‘A’ Ratings: Outlook Raised to Positive

Sep 13 2004 // Fitch Ratings announced that it has affirmed the “A” insurer financial strength rating of the Barbados/Bermuda-based Imagine Insurance Company Limited. The rating outlook has also been raised from stable to...

Converium Confirms U.S. Operations Run-off ; Comments on Ratings Downgrades

Sep 13 2004 // Swiss-based reinsurer Converium expressed disappointment with Standard & Poor’s latest decision to lower the holding company’s ratings from “A-” to “BBB.” It also confirmed plans to...

S&P Concerned by Hurricane Ivan; “Challenges Insurers’ Predictive Models”

Sep 13 2004 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has issued a bulletin indicating that it “views the approach of Hurricane Ivan, which is projected to be moving toward Florida, with concern.” Reinstatement...

A.M. Best Says Reinsurer Financial Strength in Balance

Sep 11 2004 // A mix of positive and negative forces continues to influence the financial strength of reinsurers, according to A.M. Best Co. in the special report, Global Reinsurance. The net effect reportedly continues to be a largely...

Review Worldwide Reinsurance Awards for RMS, Guy Carpenter, Hannover Re

Sep 10 2004 // The 2004 Worldwide Reinsurance Awards, published by The Review magazine, have been announced at the Review Worldwide Reinsurance Awards ceremony in London. California-based Risk Management Solutions, Inc. (RMS), a leading...

S&P Affirms American Re and Affiliates ‘A’ Ratings

Sep 10 2004 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has affirmed its “A” counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on U.S.-based American Re-Insurance Co. and its subsidiaries American...

The Midland Co. Projects Frances Losses

Sep 10 2004 // The Midland Company, an Ohio-based provider of specialty insurance products and services, today reported projected losses from Hurricane Frances. “Based on the information received to date, we expect to incur pre-tax...

Assured Guaranty Names Samson to Head Reinsurance

Sep 9 2004 // Bermuda-based Assured Guaranty Ltd. announced that Pierre Samson, President of Assured Guaranty Re International, Ltd. has assumed responsibility for the Company’s financial guaranty reinsurance segment. Assured...

Vesta Insurance Group Notes Frances Sub Losses

Sep 7 2004 // Alabama-based Vesta Insurance Group Inc. announced that its Florida Select subsidiary expects to incur losses between $5.0 and $10.0 million, net of reinsurance, from Hurricane Frances. In addition, the company has...

S&P Raises Outlook, Affirms ratings on Tokio Marine’s Dublin Reinsurer TMGRe

Sep 3 2004 // Accompanying its announcement on TMRe, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services also noted that it has revised its outlook on Dublin-based reinsurer Tokio Marine Global Re Ltd. (TMGRe) to stable from negative, and...