TT Club Reports a Stable Performance Despite Challenging Conditions

Leading Insurance provider to the international freight transport industry, TT Club has published a mid-year trading update for the eight-month period 1 January - 31 August 2015.

Highlights:

US$116 million gross earned premiums
Total assets of US$492.8 million
Total surplus and reserves US$177.9 million
AM Best rating affirmed as A- (Excellent) with a Stable outlook
Return to normal levels of large claims
Forecast 2015 combined ratio of 93.8%

Charles Fenton, Chief Executive of the TT Club, said: "the Club has had a good, stable first eight months of the year in spite of the on-going challenging insurance market conditions and a return to more normal levels of large claims than experienced in 2013 and 2014."

The general environment in world trade during the last year as reported through Members' turnovers has been slightly above the average seen in recent years, which, together with good new business acquisition, bolsters premium levels. The Club continues to benefit from excellent business retention. These positive effects are, however, counter-balanced by factors depressing premium rates, particularly resulting from low claims levels flowing from good Member records. As a result, gross earned premium for the period under review was US$116 million, a small reduction of 4.4% compared to the same period last year.

"The performance of attritional claims has been largely as expected," continued Fenton, "Not surprisingly given our successful implementation of a strategy to rebalance the Club's underwriting book." However large claims have increased in number, Fenton reporting, "There are now seven incidents above US$1 million in the year, including claims arising from the explosion in Tianjin in August." It is anticipated that this experience of increasing claims will result in a combined operating ratio marginally higher than in 2014, but still healthy.

AM Best carried out its annual assessment in May and, for the ninth successive year, the rating was affirmed as A- (Excellent) with a Stable outlook. In his review statement Fenton commented, "Best continue to recognise the support the industry demonstrates for the Club and noted the results of the customer satisfaction survey in 2014 which were the highest ever achieved."

TT Club's continuing investment in loss prevention includes detailed claims analysis from which derives risk management advice for Members and the industry at large. Safety issues remain of primary concern and major resource is currently focused on the question of verified gross mass (VGM) of packed containers, which becomes mandatory worldwide on 1 July 2016. The Club is proactively 'teasing out' the implications for each party in the global supply chain.

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Notes to Editors

TT Club

The TT Club is the international transport and logistics industry's leading provider of insurance and related risk management services. As a mutual insurer, the TT Club exists to provide its policyholders with benefits, which include specialist underwriting expertise, a world-wide office network providing claims management services, and first class risk management and loss prevention advice.

Customers include some of the world's largest shipping lines, busiest ports, biggest freight forwarders and cargo handling terminals, to companies operating on a smaller scale but whose operations face similar risks. TT Club specialises in the insurance of Intermodal Operators, NVOCs, Freight Forwarders, Logistics Operators, Marine Terminals, Stevedores, Port Authorities and Ship Operators.

The TT Club is managed by Thomas Miller.

www.ttclub.com

Thomas Miller is an independent and international provider of insurance, professional and investment services. Founded in 1885, Thomas Miller's origins are in the provision of management services to mutual organisations, particularly in the international transport and professional indemnity sectors; where today they manage a large percentage of the foremost insurance mutuals. Thomas Miller also manages insurance facilities for all the self-employed barristers in England & Wales, as well as trustees of pension schemes, patent agents and housing associations.

Principal activities include: