CREDIT INSURANCE SERVICES
CREDIT INSURANCE SERVICES
Industry News & Views
Featured Service Providers
EULER HERMES
Euler Hermes to serves over 55,000 clients worldwide with over 6,000 employees and monitors over 40 million companies in its worldwide risk database. In 2015, it handled more than 260,000 debt collections in 152 countries. Their services enable companies to choose the right customers and markets, protecting the companies’ financial health and cash flow from bad debt losses. Their services include Credit Insurance against commercial and political risks (video), international and domestic Debt Collection both amicable and legal, Surety Bonds and guarantees to ensure contractual obligations are met, and Fraud Insurance both internal and external including cyber fraud. Their online services include EOLIS is a real-time online policy management system, with secure access 24/7 and for larger companies, their electronic interface which integrates their global risk database with company accounting systems to optimize credit management.
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ATRADIUS
Atradius N.V. is a private company with 160 offices worldwide and 3700 international staff and access to information on 240 million companies. They specialize in trade credit insurance, surety and debt collection worldwide. Their bonding is tailored to the needs of different markets and jurisdictions and include Bid, Advance Payment, Performance, Maintenance, Customs, EU and Legal bonds. Their Trade Credit Insurance cover failure of a customer to pay through insolvency, or refusal or inability to pay under the terms of a contract. Serv@Net, their secure, web-based policy management service, a single, fully integrated platform, allows control of credit management. They also provide special products to cover trade, trade financings and political risks. They serve mid to large size companies.
AIG
With more than 35 years of experience in trade credit insurance, AIG offers a diverse range of services including, non-cancelable limits coverage, credit management tools, and debt collection services to allow clients to serve customers in more than 160 countries. Their credit insurance coverage products include, Trade credit, accounts receivable, single buyer, medium term for capital goods, domestic and export. In particular their Global accounts receivable Insurance covers any loss from buyer non-payment due to buyer insolvency, protracted default, or failure of the exchange authority in the buyer’s country to transfer foreign currency. For smaller companies in the $10 to $100 million range, their A/R SecureSM package provides non-cancelable credit limits and simplified claims. It also connects easily to existing accounting packages. Their Industry Practice Groups offer comprehensive solutions for the multifaceted needs of particular industries.
More Trade Credit Insurance Services
A different credit insurance source is ICBA, worldwide team of independently owned, global specialist trade credit insurance brokerages. ICBA currently has 70 offices, based in 40 countries, through which they offer “glocal” solutions, i.e., advice and guidance that is globally-integrated but locally delivered and supported. Serving over 8,000 clients, including 300 multinationals, ICBA brokers provide trade credit and political risk insurance solutions to companies conducting business on 5 continents. The group provides debt collection services and trade finance. Website
Some Country Option Worth Noting
Nexus CIFS
Nexus CIFS Ltd is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of Trade Credit Insurance and related credit management services. Our policies provide companies with comprehensive protection from the risk of bad debts – default – and customers’ business failure. Underwritten in the Lloyd’s market, Nexus CIFS Ltd’s credit insurance is supported by market-leading debt collection and credit information services. Their credit insurance offerings include (i) Whole Turnover coverage for non-payment for domestic and export sales due to insolvency or default. This product is available for commercial risk only covering the UK, Europe and other OECD markets, or commercial and political risk in other foreign markets. It also protects against catastrophe risk. (ii) Single Situation coverage for financial institutions, commodity traders, importers, exporters, manufacturers and service providers seeking balance sheet protection for large exposures. This product provides cover for non payment of goods and services as well as investment cover for clients that have assets abroad which are exposed to changes in both the political and security landscape. Their client base for this product is spread across a wide range of industry sectors such as energy, industrials, materials, consumer staples, telecommunications and information technology. Website
NCI was established in 1985 as a specialist trade credit insurance broker. They have grown steadily to become one of the leading trade credit insurance broker throughout Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Their services include trade credit insurance and commercial collections. They cover commercial risks for insolvency and payment default and also Export and Political credit insurance as a safe option when an overseas buyer does not want to establish a Letter of Credit, and wishes to trade on an open account or Documentary Collection basis. They specialize in offering clients security against Contract frustration due to war or riots, Inconvertibility of currency, Cancellation of import/export licences, Default by Government-owned buyer and Contract cancellation by buyer’s Government. Their Clients range from domestic suppliers to export sales, and operate in a wide range of industries. Website
Guarantee
Guarantee Trade Credit Solutions offers underwriting both Credit Insurance policies and Political Risk Insurance policies. Working exclusively with insurance brokers across Canada, Guarantee Trade Credit Solutions supports accounts receivable protection for their clients. They have a policy management system which provides clients with easy access to policy documents and buyer coverage. Their Trade Credit Insurance, provides a complete range of protection against the direct financial loss from insolvency or non-payment from a customer/buyer for commercial trading terms up to 360 days. Many policies combine coverage for credit, political risks, and repudiation or buyer non-acceptance of the goods.
Their Political Risk Insurance covers (i) Expropriation, nationalization or discriminatory regulatory practices amounting to nationalization; (ii) Inability to access an asset due to war, revolution or civil strife; (iii) Cancellation or non-renewal of import or export licenses; (iv) Embargo or other import/export restrictions not in place prior to investment or contract; (v) Confiscation, seizure or inability to re-export equipment or inventory; (vi) Non-payment by a Sovereign buyer; (vii) Failure to honor a Sovereign guarantee; and (viii) Frustration of payment under Documentary Credits or resulting in the rightful call of a bond or guarantee due to political events.
Gurantee is also a trusted leader in the surety industry has been issuing surety bonds in Canada for over 145 years, They have the capital, expertise and resources to underwrite large, complex obligations. Website
Malakut
Malakut was established in 1999 is stated to be the first and the only private Russian broking company specializing in trade credit and political risks insurance. It has been succesfully operating on the international market with offices in 8 countries on 3 continents providing both insurance and reinsurance services. It has more than 170 employees overall and is a member of the largest independent international brokers' network. They mainly seem to specialize in the aviation and military sectors. Website
Tata AIG
Tata AIG provides customized Trade Credit Insurance products to suit the needs of the clients.
The two main categories of products offered are.
Turnover Insurance: covers the entire turnover with individual limits for top buyers and a discretionary limit for the smaller buyers.
Top buyers Insurance: This policy provides coverage to the top large buyers of clients.
Trade Credit Insurance protects open accounts sales-export and domestic – against non-payment from the buyer resulting due to Insolvency of the buyer: buyer legally declared insolvent or bankrupt; Protected default: Buyer fails to pay but is not declared insolvent; Political risk: Currency inconvertibility.
Although Trade Credit insurance can help companies who sell their goods on open account basis, their protection is typically sought by manufacturers and wholesalers selling products on credit terms to domestic and/or foreign customers. Website
HDFC ERGO
HDFC ERGO, India’s third-largest non-life insurance company and a joint venture between bank HDFC and insurance conglomerate ERGO, has introduced a new insurance product for B2B suppliers. The policy has been designed to cover insured against the commercial risks of buyer’s default . The policy covers the portfolio of buyers and pays an agreed percentage of an invoice or receivable that remains unpaid as a result of covered causes of loss. The causes of loss covered under this policy are: Insolvency, Protracted Default, Political Risks - in case of exports cover, with an option to cover Moratorium, Transfer Restriction/Inconvertibility, War, Import/ Export Restriction, Natural Disaster, License Cancellation etc.. Website
