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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteCompare insurer financial strength ratings by checking that each agency rated the same policy-issuing legal entity, assessed the same kind of financial-strength obligation, and used a comparable scale. Then read each symbol according to that agency’s own definitions, alongside its date, outlook, review status, modifiers, and rationale. Do not average grades or assume symbols from different agencies convert one-to-one.
Start with the insurer that issues the policy
Find the legal name of the insurer responsible for the policy, usually in the policy documents or the insurer’s official disclosure. A familiar brand, corporate parent, and policy-issuing subsidiary can be different entities, and a rating for one should not automatically be applied to another.
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For every agency entry, record the exact rated entity. If the agency’s disclosure names a parent or group rather than the issuing insurer, flag that difference and check whether the disclosure explains how the opinion applies to the policy-issuing company.
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Confirm that the ratings cover the same kind of opinion
Look for an insurer financial strength rating (often abbreviated IFSR or FSR), not simply a rating associated with the company. S&P Global describes an Insurer Financial Strength Rating as a “forward-looking opinion about an insurance organization’s ability to pay its policies and contracts.” (S&P Global Ratings) AM Best defines its FSR as an independent opinion of an insurer’s financial strength and ability to meet ongoing insurance policy and contract obligations. (AM Best rating guide)
#1 Best Overall
- The 2024 ERG guide helps satisfy 49 CFR 172.602 DOT requirement. This requirement states that hazmat shipments be accompanied by emergency response info.
- Pocketbook aids in emergency preparedness, planning, and training with ERGs numerically indexed and color-coded to help emergency responders find vital information fast.
- 2024 Updates: The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) released a comprehensive summary of updates. Most significantly a QR code on the back cover that provides access to critical incident reporting information.
- Other changes for 2024 have been made to continue to provide the most accurate emergency response information to help all front-line persons and all first responders stay safe during transportation emergencies.
- Specifications: 4" x 5 1/2" Pocketbook Size, English, Spiralbound. Copyright 2024.
A holding-company issuer rating, a bond rating, or another credit opinion may assess a different entity or obligation. Keep it out of a direct comparison unless you label the difference and explain why it is relevant.
Build a comparison table
Use one row per agency, and fill it from that agency’s current public disclosure. This keeps differences in identity, scope, scale, and timing visible instead of burying them behind the symbols.
| What to record | What to check |
|---|---|
| Legal entity | The exact insurer named in the rating disclosure; note whether it is the policy issuer, a parent, or another group company. |
| Agency and rating type | The agency and whether the opinion is specifically an insurer financial strength rating. |
| Scale | Global or national; for a national scale, record the country. |
| Symbol and category | The published grade and the category or definition the agency assigns to it. |
| Status and modifiers | Outlook, watch or review notation, modifiers, and any special designation. |
| Date | The publication or rating-action date shown by the agency. |
| Disclosure and rationale | A direct link to the agency’s explanation and the key reasons it gives for the opinion. |
When a field is unavailable, record that it is not stated in the disclosure you consulted rather than inferring it. Rating opinions and statuses can change, so use dated agency disclosures for the comparison.
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Read each symbol on its own scale
Rating symbols are agency-defined opinions, not universal grades. Read the relevant agency’s definitions and category descriptions before deciding what a symbol means. For example, AM Best’s FSR guide describes seven categories—Superior, Excellent, Good, Fair, Marginal, Weak, and Poor—and notches within six categories. It also lists non-rating designations, including NR and symbols for special regulatory statuses; these should not be mistaken for ordinary category grades. (AM Best rating guide)
Fitch’s September 19, 2025 Rating Definitions document has a dedicated Insurer Financial Strength section. On its published long-term international scale, Fitch describes BBB− and higher as secure and BB+ and lower as vulnerable. Those labels describe Fitch’s scale; they do not establish a conversion to another agency’s symbols. (Fitch Ratings Definitions)
Agencies can also reach different opinions because their methodologies and analytical inputs differ. S&P’s insurer methodology, for example, sets out business-risk and financial-risk assessment steps. Use each agency’s own rationale to understand where opinions align or diverge; do not mechanically average grades or invent a cross-agency conversion. (S&P insurer methodology)
Rank #4
- New 2024 Version, the Emergency Response Guidebook is updated every 4 years.
- Spiral bound, pocket size 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook (6"x4")
- Stay up to date with the latest Dangerous Goods lists from the United Nations Recommendations, as well as from other international and national regulations
- This guide helps your company comply with the DOT 49 CFR 172.602 requirement that hazmat shipments be accompanied with emergency response information
- The ERG is the ideal guide to help when responding to transportation emergencies involving hazardous materials
Keep global and national scales separate
A global-scale rating and a national-scale rating are not automatically comparable. A national-scale opinion is relative to other entities in a particular country; it is not simply a global grade with a different label. AM Best’s national-scale methodology describes country-specific mappings from its global scale. Because the methodology document is labeled a draft, check AM Best’s current disclosure before applying the distinction to a named insurer. (AM Best national-scale methodology)
If the agencies’ scales differ, record the distinction in the table and compare the stated meaning and rationale, not the apparent height or position of the symbols.
Best Value
- Developed jointly by the US Department of Transportation, Transport Canada, and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico (SCT)
- Used by firefighters, police, and other emergency services personnel, and other first responders.
- It is primarily a guide to aid first responders
- Allows quickly identifying the specific or generic classification of the material(s) involved in the incident.
- Protects yourself and the general public during the initial response phase of an incident.
Compare status, date, and rationale—not just the headline grade
Read the rating action and its accompanying disclosure. Record whether the opinion is current, the action date, and any outlook, watch or review notation, modifier, or special designation. Those details add context to the published symbol and can make two otherwise similar-looking entries materially different.
Then compare what each agency says is driving its view. Note whether the opinions point in a similar direction and whether they emphasize the same or different considerations. If entity, rating type, scale, or date does not match, label the comparison as limited rather than presenting the grades as equivalent.
Use ratings as one part of due diligence
A strength rating can inform an assessment of an insurer’s financial capacity, but it is not a promise that a claim will be paid. AM Best says its FSR is not assigned to a specific policy or contract and is not a recommendation to buy, hold, or terminate insurance. It also does not assess claims-payment procedures, disputes involving misrepresentation or fraud, or whether a particular policy suits the buyer. (AM Best rating guide)
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesAssess the policy wording, exclusions, issuing insurer, applicable regulation, and your own coverage needs separately. A rating comparison helps you understand published financial-strength opinions; it cannot answer those policy-specific questions for you.
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