Services We Provide to Companies Employing Credit Insurance
Credit insurance will not get you off the hook in terms of managing your credit risks, as you will need to adopt and maintain sound credit policies, practices in order to comply with the insurance company’s requirements for approvals, monitoring, reporting, and claims. We help navigate and manage through this process, as shown in the following chart.
Credit Insurance as Part of a Risk Mitigation Strategy
We believe you should use all the tools available to you in order to protect your company’s accounts receivable. Depending on your circumstances you may also wish to consider trade credit insurance. If you want to increase international business or protect against domestic credit risks, Trade Credit Insurance can be a part of your growth and risk protection strategy. You will find that different insurers have differing “appetites” for risks in certain industries, or for certain debtors. In the meantime, here is some general information on this subject.
Benefits of Credit Insurance
Protection against unexpected bad debts and the insolvency of major customers or suppliers.
Sell more to domestic or foreign customers or offer higher credit limits or longer terms of sale.
Your banker may be able to increase your borrowing due to the extra layer of protection.
Trade Credit Insurance
A typical credit insurance program is “whole turnover”, requiring that you insure all of your receivables (you can not select only the questionable credits) and you will pay a percentage – often well less than 1% – of all of your trade revenues. The insurance company will still require that you maintain reasonable credit policy and controls and work within their limits. Because of the slim margins in the credit insurance business, credit lines on problem buyers will be restricted.
Factoring
Factoring is another way to insure your sales, with similar benefits as credit insurance. Factoring also offers invoice collection services and can be very useful in certain industries.
Single or Distressed Customer Credit Protection: Accounts Receivable “Puts”
A/R Puts can provide credit protection to cover your large credit risks with public companies, or large private companies if they have publicly traded debt, often even if they are already perceived as having financial problems. This protection can cover amounts from $500,000 (practical minimum) up to $100 Million, for up to five years. The Receivable Put is an established alternative to credit insurance and factoring.It provides the ability to “put” an unsecured trade claims to an institutional buyer, generally a large Wall Street investment bank, in the event of a customer bankruptcy or liquidation. In addition, the Receivable Put can be customized to meet a client’s unique needs, including the length of the term.
Political Risks Insurance
Political Risks Insurance covers emerging market exposures and can protect from losses due to arbitrary governmental actions or sovereign (country) defaults. Coverage can include currency inconvertibility, expropriation, political violence, and more. Whether you are manufacturer, trader, lender or equity investor, your coverage can be tailored to meet your specific needs.
Insurance Brokers
Specialized, licensed credit insurance brokers can guide you through the process, comparing the market, reviewing, and advising on the agreement, and even help you administer the credit insurance policy. We can put you in touch with specialists who can help you with this.
