Rating actions.
This edition reflects all financial strength rating changes--assignments, changes or placed under review--that occurred for life, health and property/casualty insurers domiciled in North America, as well as non-U.S. insurance companies, since this section last appeared in the August 2008 edition of Best's Review. See page 31 for...

Insure.com Named as a 'Best List' Web Site By Kiplinger's Personal Finance for Third Year in a Row.
DARIEN, Ill., Nov. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Insure.com, Inc. has been recognized by Kiplinger's Personal Finance as one of the best sites for life insurance for the third year in a row. "The Best List" appears in Kiplinger's December 2008 issue. Insure.com was noted for revealing to consumers...

A.M. Best Affirms Regence's Solid Financial Position.
Regence companies all receive a rating of 'excellent' PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Rating agency A.M. Best has affirmed the excellent financial ratings of all Regence companies. A.M. Best evaluates Regence plans annually and issues a rating based on its assessment of each company's financial strength....

Fitch Affirms & Withdraws the Ratings of Mutual of Omaha Companies.
HEALTH AND BEAUTY CLOSE-UP-30 July 2008-Fitch Affirms & Withdraws the Ratings of Mutual of Omaha Companies(C)2008 - CloseUpMedia - newsdesk@closeupmedia.com Fitch Ratings has affirmed and withdrawn the ratings of Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company (Mutual) and its subsidiary, United of Omaha Life Insurance Company (United). ...

Protective to Acquire Subsidiaries of Irish Life & Permanent.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., June 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Protective Life Corporation (NYSE: PL) of Birmingham, Alabama announced today that its subsidiary, Protective Life Insurance Company, has agreed to acquire the stock of Inter- State Assurance Company and First Variable Life Insurance Company from Ilona Financial Group, Inc., a subsidiary...

Chapter 1: Financial health.
Credit Ratings' Context An insurance policy is only as secure as the company issuing it, so it is important to periodically monitor the financial condition of each company with whom the policyholder has an investment at risk. A Best's Financial Strength Rating reflects A.M. Best's...

S&P Assigns Initial Ratings to Prudential Financial Inc.
NEW YORK, July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Standard & Poor's today assigned its initial ratings (see list) to Prudential Financial Inc. (PFI), the new holding company to be formed after Prudential's demutualization. At the same time, Standard & Poor's affirmed its various ratings on Prudential Insurance Co. of...

Malayan-Tokio Marine merger okayed.
Based on documents filed with the Commission's Company Registration and Monitoring Department (CRMD), Malayan Insurance, which owns 50 percent of TMMIC, will absorb the existing business of the latter, becoming the surviving entity. "The parties believe that the combination of resources, capabilities, clientele, and operations of Malayan...

Chapter 2: Best's credit ratings.
A.M. Best Co. has been reporting on the financial condition of insurance companies since 1899. Historically, A.M. Best has specialized on the insurance marketplace, including: * Property/casualty insurers (nonlife outside of the United States); * Life insurers; * Annuity writers; *...

Western-Southern Enterprise Annual Report Lists Record Year-End Earnings of $225 Million.
CINCINNATI, May 24 /PRNewswire/ -- "Breakthrough Performance" is the theme of the 2000 annual report recently published by the Western-Southern Enterprise, a diversified financial services group based in Cincinnati. In the report, the company announced record statutory earnings of $225 million for the year 2000, a 13-percent...