Claims Paying Ability Ratings for General Insurance Companies

Claims Paying Ability Ratings for General Insurance Companies ICRA's Claims Paying Ability Ratings (CPRs) for general insurance companies are opinions on their ability to honour policy-holder claims and obligations on time. In other words, a CPR is ICRA's opinion on the financial strength of the rated insurer, from a policy-holder's perspective. ICRA expects its CPRs to be an important input influencing the consumer's choice of general insurance companies and products. ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK ICRA s CPRs reflect its opinion on the long-term relative risk associated with the rated general insurers ability to honour their commitment to policy-holders on time. ICRA s CPRs are the culmination of an analytical process that examines the industry dynamics, the regulatory environment, and the business fundamentals of the general insurance company concerned, its competitive position within the industry, and its financial strength. A key element of ICRA s evaluation is the financial strength of the promoting entity and its ability to bring in capital to fund the general insurance company s growth and meet the regulatory solvency requirements, and support the latter s financial profile. The rating methodology is a combination of qualitative and quantitative analyses and includes an interactive process with management to understand and assess its strategy and key aspects of its business, which qualitatively drive its operating position and financial policy. The industry analysis part looks at the structure of competition within the insurance company s operating environment and its competitive position within that structure. The analysis of the company s business fundamentals, on the other hand, focuses primarily on franchise value, management,

organisational structure/ownership, and underwriting and reinsurance strategies. The analysis of the insurance company s financial risk involves an assessment of key indicators, including profitability, liquidity, operating and financial leverage, capital adequacy, and asset/liability management. ICRA s CPRs are essentially forward looking and attempt to assess the company s ability to withstand stress and meet policyholder liabilities. BUSINESS ANALYSIS Industry Analysis The competition structure within each segment of the insurance industry is a significant determinant of the operating strength of companies in those segments. As for the insurance industry as a whole, the key factors influencing its financial strength include degree of concentration within the industry and within sectors, impact of competition on pricing strategies of individual participants, barriers to entry, impact of economic conditions on the general insurance industry, underwriting performance of the industry in various segments and the impact of change in regulatory policies on the sector in general and the company in particular. ICRA evaluates the current regulatory environment, as well as the possible changes in regulations or taxation laws that could impact an insurer s competitive position or lead to a restructuring of the segments within the industry. Operating Strengths and Business Franchise The assessment of an insurer s franchise value focuses on its competitive position within its marketplace, and other characteristics that can help it create enduring value. Specifically, ICRA assesses the quality of the insurer s products and distribution systems, its image and reputation. Moreover, ICRA examines whether the insurer has sustainable advantages in its key lines of business, and assesses its ability to utilise such advantages in new areas. The method and mechanism using which an insurance company delivers its products, particularly for commodity lines of businesses, is another fundamental aspect of the company s business profile. For some insurers, distribution strategy may be a source of competitive advantage, while for others, the same may provide flexibility in pricing and management of business volumes. Whatever the strategy, ICRA views an insurer s control over its distribution system, as an important indicator of its competitive advantage within its line of business. ICRA uses various indicators to evaluate a general insurance company s operating position. These include: market position and share its distribution strength and cost underwriting and pricing experience product mix, and ability to design, launch and manage new products performance across various insurance product categories investment performance Operating efficiency and overall cost of operation. A well-diversified general insurance product portfolio across motor, fire & engineering, health and other miscellaneous segments make for a strong operating profile and impart stability to the quality of the company s revenue and income stream. Comparison of the above indicators with peer group is a key part of the operating performance evaluation. Also products need to be evaluated for risk mitigation and pricing adequacy, ICRA Rating Services Page 2

ICRA also notes that a favourable business franchise and operating position, especially for the new private sector entities, are more likely to sustain the strategic interest of the promoting companies, and ensure ownership continuity and steady capital infusion. Underwriting The prices charged to customers are estimates of amounts necessary to cover costs, most of which will be incurred and paid in future. Consequently, an insurer s premium rate monitoring process, as well as its underwriting process, must be reviewed and evaluated. ICRA evaluates the different business segments within which the insurance company operates, first, by reviewing past underwriting results, and second, by reviewing current underwriting procedures that will determine future profitability levels. A key objective here is to analyse the risks inherent in the insurance company s business mix. Pricing sufficiency of the insurer would also be evaluated in terms of ability to design correct pricing on the basis of expected losses in the portfolio, which are a key determinant of underwriting and claim settlement risk. Reinsurance Strategy Reinsurance plays an important role in reducing exposure to catastrophic risks and in enhancing an insurer s operating leverage. ICRA evaluates an insurer s use of reinsurance to determine the degree to which the company relies on it for leverage. Quality of reinsurance is a key factor in this analysis. ICRA tries to assess the structure of the insurer s key reinsurance programmes in relation to the probable maximum loss estimates and past catastrophe experience. Assessing the quality of reinsurance recoverables is also an important part of ICRA s analysis of asset quality. This typically involves identifying both reinsurers from which the company has the largest overdues and those to which it has significant exposures. A review of the credit-worthiness of these reinsurers is made by reference to their international Financial Strength Ratings and by considering prior payment experience. FINANCIAL ANALYSIS The main parameters that ICRA uses in evaluating a general insurance company s financial position are its capitalisation, underwriting profitability and investment performance, and asset liability management and liquidity. In its financial analysis of general insurance companies, ICRA uses various quantitative indicators and ratios. However, ICRA s financial and ratio analysis is not an exercise in isolation. A strong and a sustained financial profile is eventually an outcome of sustained operating and competitive strengths. Thus ICRA s financial analysis aims to evaluate how the financial position reflects or supports the business risk profile of the general insurance company. Capitalisation Central to ICRA s assessment of insurance financial strength is its assessment of both the financial and operating leverage of the insurer. The purpose of this analysis is to form an opinion on the insurer s use of financial and operating leverage, and to determine how such practices affect its overall financial flexibility. ICRA assesses the operating leverage in terms of the business volume generated relative to the insurer s net worth, and evaluates the financial leverage in terms of financial obligations relative to net worth. The operating leverage would capture risks from adverse reserve development, pricing inadequacy and reinsurance credit exposure. A higher leverage may boost shareholder returns, but at the cost of policy-holder security. An adequate capitalisation protects an insurer s ability to withstand catastrophes, adverse changes in underwriting results and volatility in investment ICRA Rating Services Page 3

returns and the quantum of capital required is usually a function of an insurer s business mix, business volumes and quality of asset portfolio. Profitability One of the most important factors in ICRA s CPR process is the profitability of the insurer. This, in turn, is a function of a number of factors, including: (1) market focus of the insurer; (2) competitive dynamics in each market segment; (3) operating costs; (4) underwriting record and outlook; and (5) investment strategy. ICRA s assesses each of these factors to reach a conclusion on the insurer s expected long-run profitability, and on the risk of the actual results deviating from expectations. Besides, ICRA makes an evaluation of the product-wise underwriting profitability, which provides a good indication of the returns generated by the insurer s principal lines of business. Overall profitability of a general insurance company is a combination of its underwriting result and its investment income. ICRA evaluates both the underwriting result and the investment income and also looks at core profitability before capital gains. Capital gains can often be volatile and may depend on temporary developments and not really reflect the company s ability to generate returns on its investments. Historical profitability trends also provide the background for subsequent discussions with the insurer s management on the outlook for profitability in the principal business segments. An important objective of this profitability analysis is to develop a view on the quality and sustainability of earnings, since these issues are key to the insurer s long-term solvency. Liquidity and Asset Liability Management Asset Liability management are procedures and systems adopted by the company to ensure that its assets and cash flows meet the maturing liabilities. Managing asset liability mismatch is even more important for a general insurance as generally the liabilities are short-term in nature and assets could be maturing over a longer time horizon. ICRA s analysis of liquidity considers the sustainability of operating cash flows, the marketability and liquidity of the investment portfolio, and the availability of other sources of liquidity, such as lines of credit. Liquidity is evaluated in relation to potential demands on the insurer s available funds, including the payout pattern of loss reserves, and the extent to which the insurer is exposed to catastrophe risks. ICRA s analysis of the asset liability management practices of a general insurer primarily involves understanding the exposure profile (anticipated claims payment patterns) and assessing the degree to which the investment cash flows can service policyholder demands. Investment Performance and Risks An insurance company deploys policyholder surpluses into investments, and investment returns are also factored in the pricing of insurance. Within the investment guidelines framed by the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA), individual companies construct their insurance portfolio to complement the insurance portfolio and liabilities, and reflecting its own risk appetite and its shareholder expectations. A key challenge in investment management is to invest in better yielding long-term assets without compromising on the asset quality and the liquidity of the portfolio. ICRA evaluates the broad investment strategy of the company in relation to the nature of the insurance liabilities that it has, with an emphasis on asset quality, portfolio diversification and the liquidity of the investment portfolio. ICRA also takes into consideration the historical performance of the investment division in order to get insights into how the division has been able to meet the investment objectives of the company. ICRA Rating Services Page 4

The key risks that the company s investments are exposed to are credit risk, market risk and the liquidity risk. Corporate debt has significant credit risks driven by general economic conditions, regulatory policies and changing competitive pressures across industries. Equities too are exposed to significant market risks driven by the above factors besides volatile capital flows and a host of other issues. Given these risks, ICRA looks positively at a portfolio with a superior asset quality, and a portfolio diversified across various industries and asset 5 classes/instruments (such as equities, government securities, corporate debt, cash etc.) MANAGEMENT QUALITY AND OWNERSHIP Management Quality Evaluation of management quality is a critical factor in ICRA s rating process. Among the various features that ICRA factors in evaluating management quality are management vision and strategy, the experience and performance of its key management team, management s appetite for risk, and its risk management and control systems and processes. Typically, ICRA s analysis entails extensive interactions with an insurer s management, and throughout the rating process, ICRA attempts to form an opinion on the management s quality and growth aspirations. This assessment is critical and necessarily subjective and helps in assessing the ability of the management to respond to challenges. ICRA believes that sound operational procedures and controls are important in the general insurance business and would be key to efficient customer service. ICRA also evaluates the organisational framework and the cost structure. An area of significant focus would be the accounting and reserving practices of the company. ICRA would look positively at a prudent and conservative approach in the making of actuarial assumptions and the robustness of the company s capital to likely changes in these assumptions. The past operating performance of the company would also be a parameter in the evaluation of management capabilities. The areas of strategy reviewed during a CPR exercise include the insurer s long-term vision, risk-return appetite, attitude towards financial and operating leverage, strategies for raising capital, and view of shareholder value creation. Discussions with the insurer s management also serve to highlight its views on products and markets on which the company intends to focus, its expectations of success therein, and its expectations on the growth and profitability trends in the company s principal lines of business. Ownership and Financial Strength of Parent The financial strength of an insurance company s parent is an important source of financial flexibility for an insurer, particularly in the start-up phase. A review of the insurer s parentage and all the subsidiaries and affiliates (if any) of the parent may be a simple or even a complex exercise. In either case, ICRA s CPR exercise also involves assessing the importance of the insurance company within the parent s group structure, the group s free cash flows, and the availability of these cash flows for meeting policy-holder claims, particularly during periods of stress. An evaluation of the parent is also important given that it may leverage itself to down-stream funds as capital to the insurance subsidiary, thus enhancing the subsidiary s capital adequacy. ICRA s CPRs have a strong linkage with the long-term debt rating of the parents concerned. Summing up The rating process involves both quantitative and qualitative assessment of issues. We obtain and analyse company provided data as well as information available from public ICRA Rating Services Page 5

sources. The process is highly interactive involving significant discussion with management to get insights into its strategy and risk appetite. Consistent with our general approach to ratings, there exist no formulaic approach to arrive at the rating and the emphasis is on the qualitative assessment of issues over a mere quantitative approach. ICRA Rating Services Page 6

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