Revised Rating Procedure Announced for 'Best's National Scale Ratings' by AM Best
AM Best Expands National Scale Ratings Coverage to Three New Countries
In a significant move, global credit rating agency AM Best has announced an update to its National Scale Ratings (NSR) criteria procedure. Effective immediately as of July 31, 2025, the revised criteria now cover three additional countries: Algeria, Brazil, and Thailand.
This expansion aims to provide better differentiation among insurance participants within these countries' markets. The update follows a Call for Comment (CFC) period from March 24 to April 23, 2025, during which AM Best did not receive any comments requiring changes to the proposed revisions.
The NSR, a relative opinion of an insurance company's financial strength within a single country, is constructed based on the financial characteristics of (re)insurers that are domiciled in the country. The latest revisions will not result in a change to any currently published Best's Credit Ratings.
AM Best is a leading provider of credit ratings, news, and data analytics in the insurance industry. With regional offices in the United States, London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Mexico City, the agency does business in over 100 countries.
For inquiries related to the revised criteria procedure for "Best's National Scale Ratings" (NSR), you can contact:
- Ann Modica, Director of Credit Rating Criteria in Research and Analytics at AM Best, at 1 908 882 2127 or [email protected].
- Robert Raber, Senior Director of Credit Rating Criteria in Research and Analytics at AM Best, at 1 908 882 2261 or [email protected].
- Christopher Sharkey, Associate Director of Public Relations at AM Best, at 1 908 882 2310 or [email protected].
- Al Slavin, Senior Public Relations Specialist at AM Best, at 1 908 882 2318 or [email protected].
The updated criteria procedure is available at http://www.ambest.com/ratings/methodology.asp, and the related mapping scales document can be found at https://www3.ambest.com/ratings/cr/crisk.aspx.
[1] Source: AM Best press release, Business Wire [2] Source: AM Best NSR criteria procedure, http://www.ambest.com/ratings/methodology.asp [3] Source: AM Best related mapping scales document, https://www3.ambest.com/ratings/cr/crisk.aspx [4] Source: AM Best NSR explanation, http://www.ambest.com/ratings/nsr.asp
The expansion of AM Best's National Scale Ratings (NSR) coverage to Algeria, Brazil, and Thailand signifies a strategic move in the cloud of global finance and business, encompassing more insurance participants within these markets. AM Best's update in the financial sector came without altering any currently published Best's Credit Ratings, reinforcing the agency's position as a comprehensive provider of credit ratings, news, and data analytics in the insurance industry.
