Debunking The Myth of Insurance Company Financial Ratings.

Do you care about issues that don't directly affect you? Then insurance company financial ratings are a waste of time!

You care about a company:
  • Making as little as possible on you
  • Being polite
  • Paying a claim
  • Return your phone calls
  • Not overcharging you
  • Being organized
The insurance company cares about:
  • Making as much as possible on you
  • Paying fewer claims
  • Increasing premiums to market levels
  • Reducing staff
  • Lowering debt ratios
  • Making good acquisitions
  • Bolstering market share
  • Getting a good return the money they pay ratings agencies!
What is good for the carrier, isn't always good for the policy holder, and your goals may even be opposite. If a company doing exceedingly well, find out why.

Almost every third party rating agency is paid by the insurance companies they are grading. Weiss Ratings Inc., is the only service that does not accept money directly from insurers. They admit:
"Unlike other rating agencies, we accept no compensation from the companies we rate. Nor do we give the companies the opportunity to preview the ratings or suppress their publication if they’re unfavorable, as most other rating agencies do."
Would you pay someone to give you a low rating, for both your current and potential customers to see?

Even if the blatant conflict of interest weren't there, a financial rating is like a picture of a business's bank account. If you were thinking about doing business with someone, you would not ask for their bank records.

Instead, you might:
  • Check with the BBB, for complaints
  • Ask friends if they had heard of them
  • Inquire about their return policy
  • Get a feel for if the business is reputable
Let's say a company had great financial rating (a large bank account). Did they get that way by fighting claims? Reducing staff? Increasing premiums?

Now lets say that you did care about how much money a carrier had. If the company didn't like their ratings being lowered, they can request them withdrawn.

Also, ratings are usually confusing. All 6 have different criteria and grades. Chances are you can't tell the difference between an B++ and an A. People usually avoid things they can't understand, and the same things go for financial ratings.

They tell you ratings are important to make sure the company will be around so they can pay their long term commitments, but out of the numerous carriers out there, can you name a carrier that:
  • Has gone out of business?
  • Has been is bought out?
  • Would go out of business, with all their assets and client policies disappearing?
The reality is that most of sick companies client base can be very attractive to competitors, and now that the company is sick, they see an opportunity to expand their client base on a large scale at discount rates.

Now there is a place for these ratings agencies. They are very useful to the insurers themselves, or creditors and investors. But most people only want to buy a coverage, not part of the company, and few individuals have enough money to loan an insurer.

In summary, think of financial ratings as just a measure of "potential." having the ability to pay your claims, survive for 30 years and avoiding debt is one thing, but having competitive prices, and good customer service and actually paying claims without a court order, is another. Next, we will review the different ratings services.

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