Lessons from CBL

Lessons from CBL

Earlier this year the New Zealand carrier CBL Insurance Ltd was placed in interim liquidation. The parent group’s Irish carrier (CBL Insurance Europe DAC) has also been put into administration (though the group’s Australian carrier, Assetinsure Pty Ltd, stresses that it continues to operate normally). Whether the

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Some of my best friends are actuaries… or why I built “an Introduction to the Mathematics of Reinsurance”

Some of my best friends are actuaries… or why I built “an Introduction to the Mathematics of Reinsurance”

All professions build mystiques. It’s intellectual protectionism. Lawyers use Latin a lot (not as much as they used to but their replacement phrases are almost as incomprehensible), accountants create impenetrable legislation and rules. You will have your own lists and examples. Actuaries, statisticians and modellers don’t really

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So close yet so far

So close yet so far

So close and yet so far! How to turn a positive outlook into an upgrade. Achieving a rating upgrade once the outlook has been changed to positive is often regarded as little more than a formality. However, what could be taken for granted may turn out to

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The slippery slope – Ratings downgrades and capital

The slippery slope – Ratings downgrades and capital

Re/Insurers rating downgrades: it’s not just about the capital! For almost all cedants and brokers the “financial strength” rating of their reinsurers remains a fundamental part of their selection process. For reinsurers, achieving and maintaining a rating at the desired level is mission critical. Many cedants themselves

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Why reinsurers should worry about cedant financial failure

Why reinsurers should worry about cedant financial failure

Why reinsurers should worry about cedant financial failure Or “don’t buy the apartment without knowing the neighbourhood” We’ve been asking a question of reinsurers regularly over the last 18 months –Q. How much attention do you pay to the financial profile of the cedant?We’ve had a wide

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The Litmus First XI

The Litmus First XI

You and your Rating Agency – Top Tips In an update to our article first published in 2013 (“The Litmus First XI – Top Tips for Managing the Relationship with your Rating Agency”), we share some further insights we have gained over the last four years.  

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Press Release: Litmus appointed as ongoing consultants to the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA)

Press Release: Litmus appointed as ongoing consultants to the British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA)

Litmus is delighted to announce that we have been retained as ongoing consultants to The British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA), providing technical support on issues that relate to broker use of credit ratings and the subject of insurer solvency more generally. The two organisations currently provide BIBA

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Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail

Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail

Fail to prepare…prepare to fail: Best’s new criteria will mean rating upgrades and downgrades. One of the lessons I learned when I moved into the world of ratings having been a broker was that the market only really focuses on ratings when the bad news comes out.

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Same Game, Different Rules

Same Game, Different Rules

Core elements of difference in A.M. Best and S&P rating criteria On 10 March 2016 A.M. Best published its draft insurance rating criteria for public comment. The initial comment period closed on 30 June and updated criteria reflecting Best’s reactions to the comments, and a further comment period, are expected later this year, with the stated goal to release and implement the final criteria in early to

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Turning the science of ERM into an art

Turning the science of ERM into an art

The science of corporate ‘enterprise’ risk management for insurers has developed exponentially over the last 10 years – from the silo based approach at the turn of the century, to the position today where even smaller re/insurers are considering the appointment of a CRO, a role that

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