Recognizing that assessment of risk and capital adequacy is becoming more complex, insurance company rating agencies moved forward this year with development of updated models, standards and approaches--at times drawing fire from carrier executives for going too far. Indeed, there was so much abuse heaped on rating agencies at last months Annual Executive Conference for the Property-Casualty Industry in New York that one beleaguered representative from Fitch jokingly identified himself as "one of the official punching bags of the meeting.
The rating agencies are looking to make their systems more comprehensive, dynamic, flexible and reliably predictive in assessing a given carriers ability to withstand multiple stress factors in both their underwriting and investment portfolios.
Some industry leaders have bristled at the agencies for flexing their rating muscles, charging that carriers are being pushed in certain directions, such as diversification, only to satisfy the systems demands.
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