Reinsurance is, in essence, insurance for insurance companies. We purchase more than the minimum recommended amount to ensure that we’re able to pay claims, continue to run and grow our business, and fulfill our promise to the policyholders who trust us to help them protect their greatest assets - their homes and families.
Our reinsurers are highly rated and creditworthy, having no less than an "A- (Excellent)" rating by A.M. Best Company to help pay for losses caused by a major disaster.
What does this mean to you? American Integrity Insurance has enough reinsurance to prepare for storms of the magnitude of 1992’s Hurricane Andrew, or a multiple storm hurricane season like the unprecedented four-hurricane season Florida experienced in 2004 (details shown in the chart below).
Here are a few questions you should ask when trying to decide if your insurance company has adequate reinsurance:
Have they partnered with a variety of reinsurance companies?
Reinsurance protection is large. The policies are so large that it takes many reinsurers to create a single reinsurance policy. If the insurance company has not signed on multiple reinsurers, they may have too much of their risk with a limited amount of partners. If one of those reinsurance companies decides not to participate come renewal time, the insurance company will be left scrambling to find a new partner for a large portion.
How many storms (events) have they purchased reinsurance for?
In 2004, Florida was hit by four hurricanes in one season. Make sure your insurance company has enough coverage to handle multiple events. They might have fantastic coverage for the first hurricane, but if another one hits and they didn’t purchase an adequate amount for a second or third event, this could be a problem.
Are the reinsurance companies highly rated?
Reinsurance companies will have an A.M. Best Rating to indicate their ability to pay claims. Make sure your insurance company has partnered with highly rated companies with ratings like A-, A or A+.
Does your insurance company have a proper deductible (retention) for their reinsurance?
Your agent should be able to inform you if an insurance company could lose a sizable portion of its surplus should multiple storms occur, such as in 2004. A Demotech Rated A company should be able to withstand a single 2004 year, and a few companies, such as American Integrity, would be able to pay multiple years of hurricane claims, living up to its policyholder promise.