AM Best Assigns Credit Ratings to West Bend Select Insurance Company and West Bend Premier Insurance Company

Business Wire

OLDWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “a+” (Excellent) to West Bend Select Insurance Company (West Bend Select) and to West Bend Premier Insurance Company (West Bend Premier). The outlooks assigned to these Credit ratings (ratings) are stable. Concurrently, AM Best has affirmed the FSR of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICR of “a+” (Excellent) of West Bend Insurance Company. The outlook of these ratings is stable. West Bend Select and West Bend Premier are newly reinsured subsidiaries of lead company, West Bend Insurance Company. Collectively these companies are referred to as West Bend Insurance Group (West Bend) and are all domiciled in West Bend, WI.

The ratings reflect West Bend’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).

West Bend’s balance sheet strength assessment is reflective of its strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), in addition to its consistently favorable loss reserve development patterns and conservative investment risk profile. In response to elevated weather-related losses and rising loss costs in 2022 and 2023, the group implemented an array of actions including refined underwriting guidelines and rate increases, as well as claims and litigation management strategies. As a result, recent key operating performance metrics improved materially in 2024 with that trend continuing through the first half of 2025. The neutral business profile is supported by West Bend’s diverse mix of product offerings and market leadership position in its home state of Wisconsin. The group’s ERM program is appropriately aligned with the risk profile of a super-regional personal and commercial lines insurer.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.