What Is a Comdex Ranking?

A Comdex ranking is a composite score averaging the ratings of the major insurance rating organizations, including AM Best, Fitch, Moody’s, and S&P. The Comdex is not actually a rating, but a ranking, based on the average of all the ratings given to an insurance company.

Key Takeaways

• A Comdex ranking is a composite score averaging the ratings of the major insurance rating organizations.
• The range for Comdex rankings is from 1 to 100. Higher scores are better.
• Financial strength ratings, such as the Comdex ranking, are like your insurance company’s report card. They help you measure a company’s overall financial performance and more.
• The Comdex ranking is one of many factors you should look at when shopping for insurance.

Definition and Example of a Comdex Ranking

Comdex rankings are important to insurance customers and companies because they measure an insurance company's financial strength.

Comdex Ranking Defined

By averaging the ratings of financial strength rating agencies, a composite score on a number scale of 1 to 100 is produced. The higher the number, the better the ranking.

The number is a percentile ranking of all the major insurance rating organizations combined. An insurance company must have ratings from at least two rating organizations to have a Comdex ranking.

• Alternate name: Comdex rating

Example of a Comdex Ranking

Suppose the ABC company earned a rating in the 90th percentile from AM Best, the 95th percentile from Moody's, and the 85th percentile from S&P. To find the composite Comdex ranking, we add up the three scores and then divide by three. As a result, ABC's Comdex ranking would be 90.

How Do Comdex Rankings Work?

By looking at the number from 1 to 100, you can easily find out the financial strength of an insurer. If a company’s Comdex ranking is 80, it scores higher than 80% of all other companies with two or more ratings.

Comdex rankings are compiled by a firm called EbixLife, using VitalSigns software to calculate them. The rankings are updated every few weeks; it could be even more often for some large insurers. This is an easy way to get a quick glance at financial performance. You can think of it as a snapshot in time of financial strength. With that in mind, you can find out which companies are ranked above and below your own insurer.

The Importance of Financial Strength Ratings

Would you want a banker who can't manage their own money? Probably not. Prudent insurance shoppers are looking for a company they can rely on for security and peace of mind.

Financial strength ratings, such as the Comdex ranking, are like an insurer's report card. They help you measure a company's overall financial performance, including factors such as creditworthiness, asset management, return on investment, profitability, and future growth forecasts.

An insurance company with a solid history of financial strength is one that you can likely trust to be there when you need it.

Note

Comdex rankings are not always available to the public. You may have to pay to access them, but you may be able to find a listing of Comdex rankings online or through an insurance agent or advisor.

Why Comdex Rankings Are Useful

It's a good idea to check out your insurer's financial strength ratings, but the process can be confusing. Many rating organizations use specific measures to judge financial strength.

An A rating might mean one thing for one organization. It might mean something different for another. If you are going to judge a company based on a rating given by a rating organization, be sure to know what the different ratings mean.

The Comdex ranking is a composite score that takes each rating into account to provide one number. You might find it easier to understand, and more helpful than looking at each individual rating.

Important

Financial strength isn't the only area you should consider while judging an insurance company, but it is an important one.

You may be looking for the complete picture of a company’s financial strength. In that case, you might want to check out each rating organization's score in addition to the Comdex ranking.

The Comdex ranking is just one of many tools to help you in the process of finding the best insurance company for you.

The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. Insurance Information Institute. "How to Assess the Financial Strength of an Insurance Company."

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