The similarities between a pandemic and a cyber attack should have all insurers reconsidering their stress scenarios. Key cyber risk concerns can be divided broadly into three categories, those related to silent cyber (non-cyber insurance policies that are liable for a cyber loss), claims trends and the effects of COVID-19. ... Continue Reading »
A.M. Best
Chart: Strong Growth in Cyber Premium Volume
The following chart, generated from A.M. Best data and research, shows the strong growth in premium volume for the property and casualty (P&C) industry cyber security segment. ... Continue Reading »
A.M. Best COVID-19 Stress Test
In May 2020, A.M. Best announced details of its COVID-19 stress test. The assumptions for its stress test are as follows: ... Continue Reading »
COVID-19’s Impact on Ratings
In March 2020, A.M. Best began evaluating the impact of the pandemic on ratings. Actions included implementing an operations survey for all rated entities, stress testing Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR) levels on all rating units and modifying sector outlooks. ... Continue Reading »
U.S. Property & Casualty Rating Upgrades Outpace Downgrades During the First Half of 2020
Given the confluence of COVID-19, ongoing fire and wind catastrophe events and A.M. Best’s evolving criteria it is increasingly important to stay on top of A.M. Best’s views, particularly on topical issues. ... Continue Reading »
Dedicated Reinsurance Capital: First Half 2019
With the majority of 2019 reinsurance renewals now complete, the impact of significant catastrophe activity has evolved from a year ago. Capital inflow levels and risk appetites are responding accordingly. Crucially, alternative capital dipped slightly in the first half of 2019 for the first time since 2012 to USD 92 billion as investors responded to evolving risk measures and ... Continue Reading »
TRIPRA: The Need to Ease Rating Agencies and Regulators’ Concerns
In 2018, the minimum industry trigger for the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2015 (TRIPRA) increased to USD 160 million, contributing to continued rating agency concerns. In late 2017, A.M. Best updated its terrorism methodology and fully integrated the peril into its stochastic Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR) Model. ... Continue Reading »
Reinsurance Market Assessment: What the Numbers Reveal about the Current Industry Status. Chapter 1
After several years of light catastrophe activity, particularly in the United States where capital deployment covering catastrophe exposures was heavily impacted by convergence capital, the events of 2017 provided a framework to evaluate how evolving market dynamics over the last few years held up to the real test of losses. ... Continue Reading »
Guy Carpenter Reports Capital Growth and Market Resilience Despite 2017 Losses
Guy Carpenter has released an estimate of year-end reinsurance capital levels and results of the January 2018 reinsurance renewal. According to the analysis, capital dedicated to reinsurance continued to grow in 2017 despite catastrophe losses. Due to ongoing excess supply and overall market resilience at January 1, rate firming was generally moderate and pricing shifts focused ... Continue Reading »
Critical Tool for Making Strategic Enterprise Risk Management Decisions
Thomas Hettinger, Managing Director, Strategic Advisory Contact There are indications that new A.M. Best Stochastic Based BCAR factor assignments may require more capital for companies entering a new line of business than for established writers growing in that line Companies will be under extra pressure to choose growth strategies carefully because of potential capital ... Continue Reading »
