AM Best News

State Residual Markets See Policy Count Double in 5 Years: AM Best

State-sponsored residual property markets have seen in influx of risks come in since 2018, with some states growing by more than 200%. According to insurance industry ratings firm AM Best, the policy counts of personal and commercial property Fair Access …

People Moves: Gillard Named President of AM Best Rating Services, Succeeding Mosher

AM Best, headquartered in Oldwick, New Jersey, named James A. Gillard Jr. as president of A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc., succeeding Matthew C. Mosher. Mosher is retiring as president and CEO, effective at the end of the year. Gillard most …

As E&S Market Growth Hits New Heights, Some Risk May Be There to Stay: AM Best

In 2023 the U.S. surplus lines market for the first time surpassed the $100 billion mark in direct premiums written, and some of the risk that has found non-admitted insurers might stay there beyond an eventual turn in the market …

Mutual Insurers Chase Rate Adequacy, Financial Strength Remains Strong: AM Best

The U.S. property/casualty mutual segment has leaned on investment income to maintain strong overall financial performance and grow surplus in the face of underwriting volatility and severe weather-related activity, according to an AM Best report. To combat underwriting losses and …

Personal Lines Turnaround Fuels US P/C Industry Underwriting Gain

A turnaround in the personal lines insurance segment results was a key driver of an overall $3.8 billion profit from underwriting for the U.S. property/casualty insurance industry, according to a new report from AM Best. Best’s Special Report, titled, “First …

AM Best: Unfavorable Operating Performance Key Driver of Downgrades

Deteriorating market conditions and rising loss costs led to a 60 percent increase in rating downgrades of AM Best-rated U.S.-based insurers in 2023 compared with two years earlier, according to a newly issued report. The latest Best’s Special Report indicates …

AM Best Places Credit Ratings of Oregon Mutual Group Members Under Review

AM Best has placed under review with negative implications the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a-” (Excellent) of Oregon Mutual Insurance Co. and Western Protectors Insurance Co., which are domiciled in McMinnville, …

Viewpoint: CrowdStrike Failure Highlights Potential Aggregation Risks for Reinsurers

The unique, evolving and often volatile nature of cyber risks has always lurked beneath the surface as the cyber insurance premium climbed in recent years. The recent CrowdStrike software failure underscored the dormant threats posed by aggregation risk, and the …

SEC’s WhatsApp Probe Expands as Rating Agencies Hit With Fines

Moody’s Corp., S&P Global Inc. and Fitch Ratings Inc. will pay a combined $48 million over allegations that the credit-rating companies failed to keep proper electronic communications — the latest fallout from US regulators’ so-called WhatsApp investigations. The Securities and …

Munich Re and Swiss Re Both Top List of 2023’s Largest Reinsurers

Munich Re tops the list of the world’s 50 largest reinsurers that use IFRS 17 reporting standards, while Swiss Re is the largest non-IFRS 17 reinsurer, according to AM Best. Among the largest IFRS 17 reporting reinsurers, Munich Re is …