The criteria includes a summary of how it fits into the overarching GCR Ratings Framework, details of which are available in the Criteria for the GCR Ratings Framework (please click here for further details). The criteria includes a scope and summary of key changes, together with a breakdown of how each of the components is to be assessed and scored.
The new Criteria for Rating Insurance Companies has rolled the previous six insurance criteria into one, with appendices attending to additional considerations for specific business or risk types. As a result, GCR will be retiring the following:
Global Master Criteria for Rating Long Term Insurance Companies, updated May 2018
Criteria for Rating Newly Established and Start-Up Insurance Companies, updated May 2018
Criteria for Rating Insurers’ Debt and Hybrid Equity Instruments, updated May 2018
Criteria for Rating Cell Captive Insurers, updated May 2018
Criteria for Rating South African Medical Schemes, updated May 2018
Entities previously rated under these retiring criteria shall be assessed under the ‘Criteria for Rating Insurance Companies’.
GCR will accord “Financial Strength” ratings to all insurers going forward, replacing the term “Claims paying ability” previously applied to short term insurers. Nevertheless, financial strength ratings are an equivalent assessment of an insurer’s capacity to honour obligations to policyholders (i.e. the Financial Strength rating is a change in nomenclature only, and is not a change in the basis or outcome of the analysis).
The new criteria retains much of the fundamentals utilised in the previous GCR methodologies. Of significance is the criteria’s alignment to the broader GCR Ratings Framework. Furthermore, a more consistent approach to rating debt instruments has been adopted, which replaces the previous insurance-specific Criteria for Rating Insurers’ Debt and Hybrid Equity Instruments, updated May 2018.
GCR previously invited comment on the criteria from market participants. There have been no significant amendments to the criteria based on feedback. Smaller changes to the criteria include increased explanation regarding how the criteria/ framework is utilised, as well as various editing changes.
GCR anticipates a moderate to moderately high impact on the ratings of rated insurance entities.
All insurance companies and South African medical schemes rated by GCR have been placed “Under Criteria Observation”. The ratings of all affected entities will be reviewed using the new criteria over the next six months (between May 23 2019 and November 22 2019), which results in previously applicable review dates for these entities being potentially extended or brought forward.
ALL GCR CREDIT RATINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LIMITATIONS, TERMS OF USE OF SUCH RATINGS AND DISCLAIMERS. PLEASE READ THESE LIMITATIONS, TERMS OF USE AND DISCLAIMERS BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK:HTTP://GCRRATINGS.COM. IN ADDITION, RATING SCALES AND DEFINITIONS ARE AVAILABLE ON GCR’S PUBLIC WEB SITE AT WWW.GCRRATINGS.COM/RATING_INFORMATION. PUBLISHED RATINGS, CRITERIA, AND METHODOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THIS SITE AT ALL TIMES. GCR's CODE OF CONDUCT, CONFIDENTIALITY, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, COMPLIANCE, AND OTHER RELEVANT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THIS SITE.
CREDIT RATINGS ISSUED AND RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS PUBLISHED BY GCR, ARE GCR’S OPINIONS, AS AT THE DATE OF ISSUE OR PUBLICATION THEREOF, OF THE RELATIVE FUTURE CREDIT RISK OF ENTITIES, CREDIT COMMITMENTS, OR DEBT OR DEBT-LIKE SECURITIES. GCR DEFINES CREDIT RISK AS THE RISK THAT AN ENTITY MAY NOT MEET ITS CONTRACTUAL AND/OR FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS AS THEY BECOME DUE. CREDIT RATINGS DO NOT ADDRESS ANY OTHER RISK, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: FRAUD, MARKET LIQUIDITY RISK, MARKET VALUE RISK, OR PRICE VOLATILITY. CREDIT RATINGS AND GCR’S OPINIONS INCLUDED IN GCR’S PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT STATEMENTS OF CURRENT OR HISTORICAL FACT. CREDIT RATINGS AND GCR’S PUBLICATIONS DO NOT CONSTITUTE OR PROVIDE INVESTMENT OR FINANCIAL ADVICE, AND CREDIT RATINGS AND GCR’S PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT AND DO NOT PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO PURCHASE, SELL OR HOLD PARTICULAR SECURITIES. NEITHER GCR’S CREDIT RATINGS, NOR ITS PUBLICATIONS, COMMENT ON THE SUITABILITY OF AN INVESTMENT FOR ANY PARTICULAR INVESTOR. GCR ISSUES ITS CREDIT RATINGS AND PUBLISHES GCR’S PUBLICATIONS WITH THE EXPECTATION AND UNDERSTANDING THAT EACH INVESTOR WILL MAKE ITS OWN STUDY AND EVALUATION OF EACH SECURITY THAT IS UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR PURCHASE, HOLDING OR SALE.
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