Best’s News & Research Service - July 24, 2019 04:44 PM (EDT)
AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Members of AmFirst Holdings, Inc. Group; Assigns Ratings to New Providence Life Insurance Co.
- July 24, 2019 04:44 PM (EDT)
Oldwick //BestWire// - AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a-” of AmFirst Insurance Company (AmFirst) (Oklahoma City, OK) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Monitor Life Insurance Company of New York (Monitor Life) (Utica, NY) and AmFirst Life Insurance Company, I.I. (San Juan, Puerto Rico). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) remains stable. Concurrently, AM Best has assigned an FSR of A- (Excellent) and a Long-Term ICR of “a-” to New Providence Life Insurance Company (New Providence Life) (Nassau, Bahamas). The outlook assigned to these ratings is stable. New Providence Life is a newly added member of the AmFirst Holdings, Inc. group, which already includes AmFirst, Monitor Life and AmFirst Life Insurance Company, I.I.
The ratings of the AmFirst Holdings, Inc. group reflect the companies’ balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as very strong, as well as their adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).
The AmFirst Holdings, Inc. rating unit exhibits the strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), and maintains solid liquidity and leverage measures. However, these favorable attributes are offset by the limited financial flexibility of the group, given its limited access to capital markets. The AmFirst Holdings, Inc. rating unit’s operating performance is adequate. AM Best’s assessment includes the favorable premium development attributed to growth in the group’s Premium Saver gap and dental products. The dental business adds profitable complementary premium diversification. AM Best views the AmFirst Holdings, Inc. rating unit’s business profile as limited due to the concentration of the gap product premium and its market position among insurance companies operating in its key state markets. The appropriate ERM program is supported by its well-established governance structure, and culture and risk management controls.
Effective July 1, 2019, TPM Life Insurance Company (TPM Life) and AmFirst merged, with AmFirst being the surviving company. TPM Life re-domesticated to Oklahoma from Pennsylvania in June and then received approval from the Oklahoma Insurance Department to merge the two companies. TPM Life’s operations provided domestic geographic diversification strategy to enter new states and market the Premium Saver gap insurance product. In addition to product premium growth, TPM Life was necessary for licensing purposes and provided access to AmFirst’s target markets.
New Providence Life’s ratings reflect its strategic importance to the AmFirst Holdings, Inc. rating unit’s geographic diversification strategy, and its share of common management and operational capabilities. New Providence Life writes medical business, individual and group term life business, disability business, and assumed some supplemental medical business only in the Bahamas. In addition, the company provides reinsurance for disability, critical illness and medical products offered outside the United States to other carriers in the organization.
This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Understanding Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best’s Credit Ratings and AM Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Best’s Credit Ratings and AM Best Rating Action Press Releases.
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