Latest AM Best Headlines

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

AM Best Assigns Ratings to Accredited Specialty Insurance in Arizona

Dec 9 2020 // AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A- (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “a-” to Accredited Specialty Insurance Co. in Phoenix, Ariz. The outlook assigned...

AM Best Assigns ‘A-‘ Rating to Newly Formed Conduit Reinsurance Ltd.

Dec 9 2020 // AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” to Conduit Reinsurance Ltd., with a stable outlook.The ratings reflect Conduit Re’s balance...

PrimeOne Insurance Co. in Utah Has Ratings Outlooks Revised to Stable

Nov 25 2020 // AM Best has revised the outlooks to stable from negative and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb-” of PrimeOne Insurance Co. in Salt Lake City,...

AM Best Upgrades Rating of T.H.E. Insurance Co. of Florida

Nov 19 2020 // T.H.E. Insurance Company (T.H.E.), an AXA XL insurance company and a McGowan Allied Specialty Insurance partner, has been upgraded to A+ (Superior)/XV by AM Best.This recent AM Best upgrade to A+ XV affirms the financial...

Kliethermes to Take Over as CEO of Illinois’ RLI When Michael Retires

Nov 18 2020 // Peoria, Ill.-based RLI Corp. says Craig W. Kliethermes, current RLI Insurance Co. president and chief operating officer, will succeed Jonathan E. Michael as RLI’s chief executive officer, upon Michael’s...

Allied World Sells Majority Stake in High-Net Worth Insurer Vault

Nov 18 2020 // Fairfax Financial Holdings and its subsidiary Allied World Assurance Co. have agreed to sell their majority interests in Florida-based high-net worth insurer Vault E&S Insurance Co. to private equity investor Cornell...

Obsidian Specialty Insurance Company Receives A- Rating from AM Best

Nov 16 2020 // AM Best has assigned the recently-formed excess and surplus (E&S) lines insurer, Obsidian Specialty Insurance Company, a financial strength rating of A- (Excellent).Obsidian Specialty is a program fronting carrier...

Orchid Insurance, Homesite Launch Homeowners Insurer TRUE in Florida

Nov 16 2020 // Orchid Underwriters Agency, LLC (Orchid), a specialty underwriter of catastrophe-exposed property insurance, and Homesite Group, a national property insurer, have created TRUE, a reciprocal insurance company to protect...

13 New U.S. Property/Casualty Insurer Impairments in 2019

Nov 16 2020 // The U.S. property/casualty industry saw 13 new insurance company impairments in 2019, two more than in 2018, involving entities operating in a mix of lines of business and a variety of states, according to a new AM Best...

Professional Liability Underwriters Feeling Pressure From COVID: AM Best

Nov 13 2020 // The COVID-19 pandemic is creating varying levels of disruption for writers in the U.S. professional liability insurance market, with many expecting a sizable increase in claims, according to a new AM Best report.With its...

Rating Outlooks for United Equitable, American Heartland Insurance Revised to Negative

Nov 6 2020 // AM Best has revised the outlooks to negative from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of C++ (Marginal) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “b” for United Equitable...

U.S. P/C Insurer Impairments Rise Slightly in 2019: AM Best

Nov 5 2020 // The U.S. property/casualty industry saw 13 new insurance company impairments in 2019, two more than in 2018, involving entities operating in a mix of lines of business and a variety of states, according to a new AM Best...

AM Best Upgrades Credit Rating of Upland Mutual Insurance in Kansas

Nov 4 2020 // AM Best has upgraded the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) to “bbb+” from “bbb” and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of B++ (Good) of Junction, Kansas-based Upland Mutual...

AIG’s Plan to Divest Life & Retirement Business Could Prompt Ratings Downgrades

Nov 2 2020 // American International Group’s plan to downsize by divesting its Life & Retirement (L&R) business is drawing cautious and wary reactions from rating agencies that follow the property/casualty insurance...

AM Best’s Estimates for U.S. Insurers’ Asbestos & Environmental Losses Unchanged

Oct 22 2020 // AM Best said its estimates of $100 billion in asbestos losses and $46 billion in environmental losses for the U.S. property/casualty industry remain unchanged as of year-end 2019.In a report, AM Best notes that A&E...

Golden Bear in California Upgraded by AM Best

Oct 22 2020 // AM Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “a” from “a-” of Golden Bear Insurance Co. in Stockton, Calif.The...

Ratings of Texas’ Hallmark Financial No Longer Under Review with Negative Implications

Oct 20 2020 // AM Best has removed from under review with negative implications and affirmed the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “bbb-” and the Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings (Long-Term IR) of Hallmark...

AM Best Upgrades Credit Ratings for Members of Arbella Insurance Group

Oct 15 2020 // AM Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings to “a” from “a-” of Arbella Mutual Insurance Company and its three...

Nigerian Insurance Market Faces Challenges to Realize Its Potential: AM Best

Oct 9 2020 // Nigeria’s insurance market has great potential given its position as Africa’s largest economy, its substantial oil and gas reserves and its young and growing population. Yet Nigeria’s insurance market has...

P/C Mutual Insurers Improved Underwriting in 2019: AM Best

Oct 5 2020 // Top 10 Hold 72% of Market: AM BestDespite a highly competitive property/casualty insurance industry and pressures on operating performance, U.S. mutual insurance companies reported continued improvement in underwriting...