Revised Procedure for 'Best's National Scale Ratings' Announced by AM Best
AM Best Expands National Scale Ratings Coverage to Algeria, Brazil, and Thailand
In a significant move, AM Best, a global credit rating agency, news publisher, and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry, has announced the expansion of its Best's National Scale Ratings (NSR) coverage to include Algeria, Brazil, and Thailand, effective immediately from July 31, 2025 [1][3][5].
The NSR is a relative opinion of an insurance company's financial strength within its home country, constructed based on the financial characteristics of (re)insurers domiciled there. To differentiate it from global Issuer Credit Ratings (ICR), the NSR uses a country-specific scale denoted by a two-letter country code suffix (e.g., aaa.XX) [1][2].
The updated criteria procedure clarifies that changes to an insurer's NSR can occur due to changes in global ICR, updates in country- or industry-specific mappings, or committee reassessments when a global ICR maps to multiple NSRs [1][2]. Despite these procedural updates, no changes were made to existing published Best’s Credit Ratings, and no comments were received from market participants during the Call for Comment (CFC) period [1].
Before these additions, NSR coverage was available for six countries; with Algeria, Brazil, and Thailand added, the total number of countries covered is now nine [5].
The revised criteria procedure and related mapping scales are published on AM Best's website for reference [1][2]. This update represents AM Best’s effort to enhance market differentiation by providing a more tailored national rating scale for insurers domiciled in newly included countries.
For more information about AM Best, please visit www.ambest.com. If you have any queries regarding the revised criteria procedure or public relations, you can contact Al Slavin (Senior Public Relations Specialist) at 1 908 882 2318 or [email protected], Christopher Sharkey (Associate Director of Public Relations) at 1 908 882 2310 or [email protected], or Ann Modica (Director of Credit Rating Criteria) at 1 908 882 2127 or [email protected]. If you have any questions about the credit rating criteria, you can contact Robert Raber (Senior Director of Credit Rating Criteria) at 1 908 882 2261 or [email protected].
[1] AM Best Press Release: [Link to press release on Business Wire] [2] Updated Criteria Procedure: http://www.ambest.com/ratings/methodology.asp [3] Related Mapping Scales Document: https://www3.ambest.com/ratings/cr/crisk.aspx [5] AM Best Fact Sheet: [Link to fact sheet on AM Best's website]
Cloud-based financial news platform AM Best has announced the expansion of its Best's National Scale Ratings (NSR) coverage to include Algeria, Brazil, and Thailand, offering a more tailored national rating scale for insurers domiciled in these countries, differentiating them in the business sector. For detailed information about the revised criteria procedure, public relations, or credit rating criteria, interested parties can contact AM Best's representatives directly.
