Articles from AM Best

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior), the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “aa” (Superior), and the Mexico National Scale Rating of “aaa.MX” (Exceptional) of Allianz México, S.A., Compañía de Seguros (Allianz Mexico) (Mexico City, Mexico). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of “aa” (Superior) of Allianz SE (Allianz) (Germany) and its rated subsidiaries. Concurrently, AM Best has affirmed the Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings (Long-Term IR) of the outstanding rated debt instruments issued by Allianz Finance II B.V. and guaranteed by Allianz. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. (See below for a detailed listing of the companies and Long-Term IRs.)

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “aa” (Superior), of Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty Resseguros Brasil S.A. (AGCS Re Brazil) (São Paulo, Brazil). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “bbb” (Good) of American Health and Life Insurance Company (AHLIC) and Triton Insurance Company (Triton) (both domiciled in Fort Worth, TX). Both companies are wholly owned subsidiaries of OneMain Holdings, Inc. (OneMain) [NYSE: OMF] (headquartered in Evansville, IN). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) of Nan Shan General Insurance Co., Ltd. (Nan Shan General) (Taiwan). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

In the past 30 days, Best’s Review readers have been most interested in the following insurance news coverage:

AM Best has revised the outlooks to positive from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb+” (Good) of Black Gold Re Limited (BGRe) (Bermuda).

AM Best has revised the outlook to positive from stable for the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term ICR of “bbb” (Good) of Revol One Insurance Company (Revol One Financial) (Spring Lake, MI). The outlook of the FSR is stable.

AM Best has removed from under review with negative implications and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) of The Pie Insurance Company (Columbus, OH) and its pooled affiliate, Pie Casualty Insurance Company (Chicago, IL), collectively referred to as Pie Insurance Group (Pie). The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

AM Best has revised the outlooks to negative from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a” (Excellent) of Co-operative Insurance Companies (Co-operative) (Middlebury, VT).

AM Best has revised the outlooks to positive from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) of Fidvest US LLC (Fidvest) (Charleston, SC).

AM Best has revised the outlooks to stable from negative and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) of ISMIE Mutual Insurance Company and ISMIE Indemnity Company (collectively known as ISMIE or the group). Both companies are domiciled in Chicago, IL.

AM Best is maintaining its stable outlook on Panama’s insurance industry, citing its growth and consistently profitable underwriting results, which are expected to continue as companies navigate challenges due to the adoption of IFRS 17.

AM Best has assigned a Long-Term Issue Credit Rating of “bbb-” (Good) to the $500 million 6.7% junior subordinated notes, due 2055, issued by Equitable Holdings, Inc. (Delaware) on March 26, 2025. The outlook assigned to this Credit Rating (rating) is stable.

AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “a+” (Excellent) to Biglari Reinsurance Ltd. (Bermuda). The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. Concurrently, AM Best has removed from under review with developing implications and affirmed the FSR of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICR of “a+” (Excellent) of First Guard Insurance Company (First Guard) (Scottsdale, AZ). At the same time, AM Best has removed from under review with developing implications and upgraded the FSR to A (Excellent) from B++ (Good) and the Long-Term ICR to “a+” (Excellent) from “bbb+” (Good) of Southern Pioneer Property and Casualty Insurance Company (Southern Pioneer) (Jonesboro, AR). The outlook assigned to these ratings is stable. These companies are collectively referred to as Biglari Re.

AM Best Managing Director Brad Mazur will participate in a panel discussion at the upcoming Cayman International Reinsurance Companies Association’s (CIRCA) ReConnect Conference. The event takes place April 10–11, 2025, at the Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman.

Eligibility redeterminations in the Medicaid managed care segment following the end of the public health emergency period is leading to a mismatch between acuity and rates, according to a new AM Best report.

AM Best has downgraded the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) to “bbb” (Good) from “bbb+” (Good) and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of B++ (Good) of PEMCO Mutual Insurance Company (PEMCO) (Seattle, WA). The outlook of the Long-Term ICR has been revised to stable from negative while the outlook of the FSR is stable.

AM Best has placed under review with positive implications the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) of Next Insurance US Company (Next US) (headquartered in Palo Alto, CA).

AM Best has downgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A- (Excellent) from A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings to “a-” (Excellent) from “a” (Excellent) of Cities and Villages Mutual Insurance Company (Cities and Villages) (Wauwatosa, WI). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) has been revised to negative from stable.

AM Best has assigned a Long-Term Issue Credit Rating of “bbb+” (Good) to the newly issued $1 billion, 6.35% subordinated notes, due March 15, 2055, issued by MetLife, Inc. (MetLife) (headquartered in New York, NY) [NYSE: MET]. The outlook assigned to this Credit Rating (rating) is stable. All other ratings of MetLife and its subsidiaries remain unchanged.

AM Best is requesting comments from market participants in the insurance industry and other interested parties on a draft update to its criteria procedure, “Best’s National Scale Ratings (NSR),” which is available on the methodology section of AM Best’s website until April 23, 2025.

AM Best’s Dawn Walker appears as a guest in an episode of the Insurance Uncut podcast, which highlights leading issues impacting the insurance industry, to discuss the state of the delegated underwriting authority enterprise (DUAE) segment and the credit rating agency’s recent survey of rated carriers on the DUAE segment’s growth potential.

The use of the artificial intelligence model DeepSeek among mainland China insurance companies has the potential to help small to medium-sized carriers improve operational efficiencies. Overall, according to its new commentary, AM Best views the use of DeepSeek as being credit neutral for China’s insurance industry over the short term.

AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) to IQUW Re Bermuda Limited (IQUW Re) (Bermuda). IQUW Re is a wholly owned subsidiary of IQUW Holdings Bermuda Limited (IQUW), the ultimate holding company of the IQUW group. In addition, AM Best has assigned a Long-Term Issue Credit Rating of “bbb-” (Good) on $170 million senior unsecured notes, due 2035, issued by IQUW. The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The March issue of Best’s Review includes the following exclusive rankings:

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a” (Excellent) of Sun Hung Kai Properties Insurance Limited (SHKPI) (Hong Kong). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent), the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) and the Vietnam National Scale Rating (NSR) of aaa.VN (Exceptional) of PVI Insurance Corporation (PVI Insurance). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a” (Excellent) of China Taiping Insurance (Macau) Company Limited (CTIM) (Macau). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb” (Good) of Pacific International Insurance Pty Limited (Pacific) (Australia). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of B++ (Good), the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “bbb” (Good) and the Vietnam National Scale Rating (NSR) of aaa.VN (Exceptional) of Hanoi Reinsurance Joint-Stock Corporation (Hanoi Re). The outlook of the FSR and NSR are stable, while the Long-Term ICR is positive.

As more companies seek greater financial flexibility amid a hard reinsurance market with higher interest rates, the U.S. property/casualty and health segments have increased their use of surplus notes over the past two years, according to a new AM Best report.

AM Best has commented that the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a+” (Excellent) of the members of ProAssurance Group (ProAssurance) are unchanged following the March 19, 2025, announcement that all outstanding shares of ProAssurance Corporation (PRA) (NYSE: PRA) (Birmingham, AL) will be acquired by The Doctors Company Insurance Group (TDC Group). The outlook of ProAssurance’s Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

AM Best has commented that the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICRs) of “a+” (Excellent) of the members of The Doctors Company Insurance Group (TDC Group) (Napa, CA) are unchanged following the March 19, 2025, announcement that TDC Group will acquire all outstanding shares of ProAssurance Corporation (PRA) (NYSE: PRA) (Birmingham, AL). The outlook of TDC Group’s Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb+” (Good) to Cadence Indemnity Inc. (Cadence) (Galveston, TX). The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) to Premier Land Title Insurance Company (Premier) (Coppell, TX). The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

AM Best and Best’s Insurance Professional Resources have released the latest installment of the Best's Insurance Law Podcast series, which examines timely insurance issues from a legal perspective.

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B (Fair) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bb+” (Fair) of Middle East Insurance Company Plc (MEICO) (Jordan). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

Public voting is now open for AM Best’s 2025 Student Challenge, which gives undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to develop innovative solutions for risk management and insurance.

The U.S. property/casualty (P/C) industry recorded a $22.9 billion net underwriting gain in 2024, signifying the segment’s first underwriting profit since 2020, and marking a substantial swing from the $21.3 billion loss recorded in the prior year, according to a new AM Best report.

Retained earnings and new capital inflows helped drive the estimated capacity level in the insurance-linked securities (ILS) segment to a record USD 107 billion at year-end 2024, according to a new AM Best report.

AM Best has downgraded the Financial Strength Rating to D (Poor) from C- (Weak) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “c” (Poor) from “cc” (Very Weak) of Casualty Underwriters Insurance Company (CUIC) (Salt Lake City, UT). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is negative. Concurrently, AM Best has withdrawn these ratings as CUIC has requested to no longer participate in AM Best’s interactive rating process.

AM Best has removed from under review with negative implications and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of B (Fair) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “bb” (Fair) of National Security Fire and Casualty Company (NSFC). AM Best also has removed from under review with negative implications and affirmed the FSR of B- (Fair) and the Long-Term ICR of “bb-” (Fair) of Omega One Insurance Company, Inc. (Omega). The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. In addition, AM Best has maintained the under review with negative implications status for the FSR of B (Fair) and the Long-Term ICR of “bb” (Fair) of National Security Insurance Company (NSIC). All companies are domiciled in Elba, AL and are subsidiaries of PhenixFIN Corporation (PhenixFin), which operates as a business development corporation.

In the March issue, Best’s Review looks at how insurers are solidifying their relationships with independent agents. The article titled, “Technology, Communication Are Front and Center as Insurers Vie for Independent Agents’ Business,” highlights insurers’ strategies to attract independent agents, including online self-service portals, proximity to agents and clients, as well as incentive programs. Read the article here.

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICRs) of “a” (Excellent) of American Southern Insurance Company (Topeka, KS), and its wholly owned and 100% reinsured subsidiary, American Safety Insurance Company, (collectively referred to as American Southern Group). Additionally, AM Best has affirmed the FSR of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICRs of “a-” (Excellent) of Bankers Fidelity Life Insurance Company, and its wholly owned and 100% reinsured subsidiaries, Bankers Fidelity Assurance Company and Atlantic Capital Life Assurance Company, (collectively referred to as Bankers Fidelity Life Insurance Group [BFLIG]). Concurrently, AM Best has affirmed the Long-Term ICR of “bbb-” (Good) of the publicly traded parent company, Atlantic American Corporation (Atlantic American) [NASDAQ: AAME]. All companies are domiciled Atlanta, GA, unless otherwise specified. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a” (Excellent) of Energas Insurance (L) Limited (ENERGAS) (Malaysia). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is negative.

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICRs) of “aa” (Superior) of the life insurance subsidiaries of Western & Southern Financial Group, Inc. (WSFG). The WSFG subsidiaries included in this rating unit are The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company (WSLIC), Western-Southern Life Assurance Company, Columbus Life Insurance Company, Integrity Life Insurance Company, National Integrity Life Insurance Company (Greenwich, NY) and The Lafayette Life Insurance Company (Lafayette Life) (collectively referred to as W&SF Group). WSFG is an intermediate stock holding company of the ultimate parent company, Western & Southern Mutual Holding Company. All companies are domiciled in Cincinnati, OH, unless otherwise specified.

AM Best has commented that the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of “aa-” (Superior) of the primary life insurance subsidiaries of Protective Life Corporation (headquartered in Birmingham, AL), collectively known as Protective, remain unchanged following an announced reinsurance arrangement under which it will cede $9.7 billion of reserves to Resolution Life Group Holdings Ltd. Protective will retain administration of the underlying policies.

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A++ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of “aa+” (Superior) of Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Insurance Company (Omaha, NE) and its five property/casualty affiliates. These companies collectively are referred to as Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies (BHHC). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. (See below for a detailed listing of companies.)

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “a-” (Excellent) of Finial Reinsurance Company (Finial Re) (Stamford, CT), an indirect subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Berkshire) [NYSE: BRK A and BRK B]. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “aa-” (Superior) of Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company and its subsidiaries, United of Omaha Life Insurance Company, Companion Life Insurance Company (Melville, NY) and United World Life Insurance Company. Concurrently, AM Best has affirmed the Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings (Long-Term IRs) of “a” (Excellent) of Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company’s surplus notes. (Please see below for a detailed listing of the Long-Term IRs.) The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The group (collectively referred to as Mutual of Omaha) is domiciled in Omaha, NE, unless otherwise specified.

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a+” (Excellent) of ReliaStar Life Insurance Company of New York (Woodbury, NY) and ReliaStar Life Insurance Company (Minneapolis, MN), collectively known as ReliaStar Life Insurance Group (ReliaStar). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. Both companies are life insurance subsidiaries of Voya Financial Inc. (Voya), which is headquartered in New York, NY.

AM Best has assigned a Long-Term Issue Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) to the $750 million, 5.2% senior unsecured medium-term notes, due 2035, issued by Prudential Financial, Inc. (Prudential) (Newark, NJ) [NYSE: PRU]. The outlook assigned to this Credit Rating (rating) is stable. All other ratings of Prudential and its subsidiaries remain unchanged.

AM Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “a” (Excellent) from “a-” (Excellent) of Kentucky Associated General Contractors Self Insurers’ Fund (KYAGC or the Fund) (Louisville, KY). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) has been revised to stable from positive.

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) of KBFG Insurance (China) Co., Ltd. (KBFG China) (China). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

Issuer Credit Rating (rating) downgrades on U.S. property/casualty (P/C) insurers leveled off to 43 in 2024, compared with 55 in the previous year, despite the ongoing challenging conditions in the personal lines segment, according to a new AM Best special report.

AM Best has placed under review with positive implications the Financial Strength Rating of C++ (Marginal) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “b” (Marginal) of Wolverine Mutual Insurance Company (Wolverine) (Dowagiac, MI).

Issuer Credit Rating (rating) downgrades in the U.S. life/health insurance segments increased to 27 in 2024 from 17 in the previous year, while the number of ratings placed under review more than tripled to 37, according to a new AM Best special report.

AM Best has affirmed the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of “a” (Excellent) and the Long- and Short-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term IR; Short-Term IR) of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UnitedHealth Group) (Minnetonka, MN) [NYSE: UNH]. Concurrently, AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term ICRs of “aa-” (Superior) of the health and dental insurance subsidiaries of UnitedHealth Group, collectively referred to as UnitedHealthcare. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. (See link below for a detailed listing of the companies and ratings.)

A panel of senior AM Best analysts and industry experts will discuss the growth trajectory, challenges and opportunities shaping the Delegated Underwriting Authority Enterprises sector during an online briefing on April 3, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. ET.

AM Best has withdrawn the Financial Strength Rating of B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb-” (Good) of Newpoint Reinsurance Company Limited (NPRE) (St. Kitts and Nevis). At the time of the withdrawal, the Credit Ratings (ratings) were under review with the implications revised to negative from developing.

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICRs) of “a-” (Excellent) of GuideOne Insurance Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries, collectively referred to as GuideOne Insurance Companies (GuideOne). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is negative. All companies are domiciled in West Des Moines, IA. (Please see below for a detailed listing of the companies and ratings.)

AM Best has affirmed a Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a-” (Excellent) of Falcon Indemnity Company, Inc., Galaxy Indemnity Company, Inc., and Golden Eagle Insurance Company, Inc. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The above-mentioned companies are collectively known as the Falcon Insurance Group (Falcon) and are domiciled in South Jordan, UT. Concurrently, AM Best has withdrawn these ratings as Falcon has requested to no longer participate in AM Best’s interactive rating process.

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) of Summit Insurance Company Limited (Summit) (Nassau, Bahamas). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is negative.

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a” (Excellent) of Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company (Des Moines, IA) and Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company of New York (New York, NY). These subsidiaries of Fidelity & Guaranty Life Holdings, Inc. (FGLH) (Delaware), are referred to collectively as Fidelity & Guaranty Life Group (FGL). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. In addition, AM Best has affirmed the Long-Term ICR of “bbb” (Good) of FGLH. The outlook of this rating is stable. At the same time, the Long-Term Issue Credit Rating of “bbb” (Good) with a stable outlook was withdrawn due to an early redemption on the $550 million 5.5% senior unsecured notes.

The withdrawal of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is the latest sign of political turmoil in the region, but the direct impact on (re)insurance markets will be limited in the short term, according to a new commentary from AM Best.

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A++ (Superior), the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “aa+” (Superior) and the Mexico National Scale Rating of “aaa.MX” (Exceptional) of Seguros Monterrey New York Life, S.A. de C.V. (SMNYL) (Mexico City, Mexico). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

AM Best is projecting modest growth in capital & surplus of approximately $48 billion for the U.S. life/annuity (L/A) insurance industry over the combined 2024-2025 period, according to a new Best’s Market Segment Report.

Members of AM Best’s insurance ratings and analytics team will share their latest perspectives on the reinsurance industry, trend observations in the Algerian insurance marketplace, and discuss Best’s National Scale Ratings (NSR) during an upcoming market briefing taking place in the African nation. The briefing is scheduled for Thursday, 10 April 2025 at the Hôtel El Aurassi in Alger Centre.

AM Best’s ratings of (re)insurers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have generally trended positively through 2024, despite challenging regional geopolitical conditions.

AM Best has revised the outlooks to positive from stable for the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICRs) and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term ICRs of “aa-” (Superior) of Arch Reinsurance Ltd. (Arch) (Bermuda) and its strategic affiliates. Concurrently, AM Best has revised the outlook to positive from stable and affirmed the Long-Term ICRs of “a-” (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings (Long-Term IRs) of Arch Capital Group Ltd. (Arch Capital) (Bermuda) [NASDAQ: ACGL], the ultimate holding company; Arch Capital Group (US) Inc (Delaware); and Arch Capital Finance LLC (Delaware). (See below for a detailed listing of the companies and ratings.) The outlook of the FSR is stable.

The March issue of Best’s Review examines the relationship between insurance carriers and independent agents:

AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A- (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “a-” (Excellent) to MGT Specialty Insurance Company (MGT Specialty) (Phoenix, AZ). The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. Additionally, AM Best has affirmed the FSR of A- (Excellent) and a Long-Term ICR of “a-” (Excellent) of MGT Insurance Company (MGT Insurance) (Greenwood Village, CO). The outlook of these ratings is stable. These companies comprise a newly formed group, MGT Group (MGT).

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICRs) of “aa” (Superior) of The Canada Life Assurance Company (Canada Life) (Winnipeg, Manitoba) and its affiliates. Concurrently, AM Best has affirmed the Long-Term ICR of “a” (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings (Long-Term IRs) of Great-West Lifeco Inc. (Winnipeg, Manitoba). Additionally, AM Best has affirmed the Long-Term ICR of “a” (Excellent) of LRG (US), Inc. (Delaware). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. (See below for a detailed listing of the affiliates and Long-Term IRs.)

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of “a” (Excellent) for the life/health and property/casualty (P/C) operating subsidiaries of Coralisle Group Ltd. (CG). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. CG is a wholly owned intermediate holding company of Edmund Gibbons Limited, the ultimate parent company. All companies are domiciled in Bermuda unless otherwise specified. (See below for a detailed listing of these companies.)