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 »
rating agencies
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 »
The Changing Nature of Risk: Part II
The (re)insurance industry entered 2020 with a strong balance sheet, pricing tailwinds and abundant capital. The impact of COVID-19 was sudden and violent and even though the equity markets have recovered from the depth of the crisis, the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) property & casualty (P&C) index (down 13 percent year-to-date) still lags the broader S&P 500 (up ... Continue Reading »
Standard & Poor’s Outlook on COVID-19
GC Capital Ideas recently featured a four-part article on Standard & Poor's (S&P) assessment of COVID-19's impact across the insurance and reinsurance markets. The series discusses the pandemic's effect on U.S. property & casualty (P&C) insurance, U.S. life insurance, global reinsurance and stress test modeling. Global Reinsurance Sector S&P recently ... Continue Reading »
Risk-Based Capital Stress Testing in Today’s Environment
As companies continue to navigate the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that they understand the pandemic’s impact on risk-based capital (RBC). Insurers are dealing with COVID-19’s effects on assets and liabilities, both of which can affect capital levels, according to Robert Lumia, Senior Vice President, and David Domino, President, U.S. Segments, Guy ... Continue Reading »
Standard & Poor’s Outlook on COVID-19: Overview
GC Capital Ideas recently featured a four-part article on Standard & Poor's (S&P) assessment of COVID-19's impact across the insurance and reinsurance markets. The series discusses the pandemic's effect on U.S. property & casualty (P&C) insurance, U.S. life insurance, global reinsurance and stress test modeling. Global Reinsurance Sector S&P recently ... Continue Reading »
Risk-Based Capital Stress Testing: Part IV
Guy Carpenter has developed a model that mirrors aspects of how rating agencies perform stress tests on accident and health company financials. The test looks at the effects COVID-19 has on the marketplace and provides benchmark comparisons of company capital levels by estimating changes to company-level RBC ratios based on stresses to both assets and liabilities. ... Continue Reading »
Risk-Based Capital Stress Testing: Part III
As companies continue to navigate the repercussions of COVID-19, it is important that they understand the pandemic’s impact on risk-based capital (RBC). ... Continue Reading »
