Annual Special Ratings Issue

Each year, we publish a special ratings issue, which is a compilation of financial strength ratings of insurance companies. The issue explains the importance of ratings and suggests how they should be used by consumers and those who give advice to consumers. For the last several years, the September issue has been the special ratings issue, and subscribers to The Insurance Forum receive the issue as part of their subscription. However, the issue is also available alone, and it is widely purchased by insurance agents, brokers, and consumers.

September 2011 Special Ratings Issue

Our 32-page September 2011 special ratings issue explains the importance of financial ratings and suggests how they should be used by consumers and their advisers.

The ratings shown in the issue are as of August 8, 2011. We postponed the cutoff date from our usual August 1 to reflect the many downgrades announced on August 8 by Standard & Poor’s (S&P). Those downgrades followed S&P’s August 5 downgrade of the sovereign long-term debt rating of the United States of America from AAA to AA+.

The issue shows 1,705 ratings assigned to 989 U.S. and Canadian life-health companies, 708 ratings assigned to 273 large U.S. property-liability companies, and the rating outlooks assigned by A. M. Best, Fitch, Moody’s, and S&P. The issue also shows a list of 142 life-health companies that are suggested for consumers who are conservative from the standpoint of financial strength, a watch list of 216 life-health companies, the rating firms’ descriptions of their rating categories, and the distributions of the life-health ratings.

The issue is priced at $25. Quantities of the issue sent in one shipment are priced as follows: $18 each for at least 2, $12 each for at least 10, and $10 each for at least 25. Further discounts apply to orders of at least 100 reprints of the issue.  Also, please consider a regular one-year subscription, which is $120. We discuss many important insurance topics.

For information on how to order, click on the "How to Order" button, or click here.

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