Insurance Industry Prospects 2013

Fitch Ratings global ranking institutions assess the prospects for both the life insurance and losses in 2013 will stabilize at a sustainable premium income and strengthening regulations that support the industry.

As quoted by the Asia Insurance Review, Fitch has provided an assessment of a stable outlook for the insurance industry in 2013. It is driven by the increasing prosperity in the world, which is very less market penetration, and increasing awareness of the risk of catastrophe.

The impact of the minimum capital policy, the number of players because the insurance industry will shrink smaller and weaker will join with other companies to meet the new capital requirements or forced out of the market. Over the long term, this will help insurance companies develop a greater awareness of the risks and enhance their ability to manage capital resources.

Fitch also considered foreign ownership in the world market could rise because of the growth of the insurance market in the United States, Japan and South Korea are fast.

However, Fitch noted it is still negative as the insurance industry's growth prospects in the world that is plagued with limited institutional transparency, minimal public disclosure, and risk management needs to be strengthened. Fitch, however, believe that stakeholders in the insurance industry will improve by strengthening regulatory requirements and increasing interest of foreign investors.

In addition, Fitch also notes the industry emphasizes stable outlook may come under pressure from potential catastrophe losses due to risk reduction. 

Farmers Insurance Group

Farmers Insurance Group (informally Farmers) is an American insurance and financial services company headquartered in Los Angeles, California and a wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Insurance Group. It provides home, auto, commercial and life insurance and other financial services throughout the United States.

Farmers is the third-largest provider of both private passenger auto and homeowners insurance in the U.S., servicing over 10 million households with more than 20 million individual policies. It has around 24,000 employees and 50,000 exclusive and independent agents.

Operations   

• The Farmers Exchanges, headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, are three reciprocal insurers or inter-insurance exchanges (Farmers Insurance Exchange, Fire Insurance Exchange and Truck Insurance Exchange) owned by their policyholders. The Farmers Exchanges, directly or through their subsidiaries and affiliates, offer homeowners insurance, auto insurance, commercial insurance, and financial services throughout the United States. Farmers Group, Inc. (dba Farmers Underwriters Association) and its subsidiaries, Truck Underwriters Association and Fire Underwriters Association, provide certain non-claims administrative services for the Farmers Exchanges as their attorneys-in-fact. The Farmers Exchanges do not hold an ownership interest in Farmers Group, Inc., and neither Farmers Group, Inc. nor its ultimate parent, Zurich Financial Services Ltd., a Swiss company, holds an ownership interest in any of the Farmers Exchanges.
• The Foremost Insurance Group, headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a group of companies that primarily insure specialty products such as mobile homes, motor homes, travel trailers and specialty dwellings, motorcycles, off-road vehicles, boats and personal watercraft. It was founded in 1952 and was acquired by the Farmers Exchanges in March 2000. The Foremost companies are subsidiaries of the Farmers Exchanges.
• The Bristol West Insurance Group became a part of Farmers in July 2007. In 1973, it began providing private passenger auto insurance to residents in Florida and now provides liability and physical damage insurance - focusing exclusively on private passenger vehicles - across the United States. The Bristol West companies are subsidiaries of the Farmers Exchanges.
• 21st Century Insurance, headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, became a part of Farmers in July 2009. Using the internet and direct response marketing channels, 21st Century markets personal auto insurance to consumers throughout the United States. The 21st Century Insurance companies are subsidiaries of the Farmers Exchanges.
• Farmers New World Life Insurance Company started as Catholic Life Insurance Company in Spokane, Washington in 1910. Later that year it was renamed New World Life Insurance Company. In 1953, it was acquired by Farmers Group, Inc. In 1954, its name was changed to the current Farmers New World Life Insurance Company. Farmers New World Life Insurance Company is now based in the Seattle suburb of Mercer Island, Washington. It offers flexible universal life insurance, traditional term life insurance, whole life insurance and annuities. Farmers New World Life Insurance Company is a subsidiary of Farmers Group, Inc.
• Farmers Financial Solutions, LLC. was created by the Farmers Exchanges in 2000 to provide financial products to customers.

Farmers' products and services include:

• auto insurance;
• home insurance, including homeowners, condominium and renters insurance, mobile and manufactured home insurance, specialty home insurance, including landlord and rental properties, seasonal homes, and vacation homes, and flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program;
• motorcycle insurance;
• life insurance, including term, whole and universal life insurance;
• recreational insurance, such as insurance for boats, ATVs, RVs, and travel trailers;
• business insurance for small and medium sized businesses, such as liability and property insurance, commercial auto and workers compensation insurance for apartment and commercial property owners, artisan contractors, condominium homeowner associations, offices, religious organizations, educational and non-profit organizations, and other businesses in the light manufacturing, service, restaurant, retail, wholesale, and auto service & repair industries; and
• financial services and products, such as mutual funds and variable annuities.