Unitrin Specialty® gets another “A”!

Strong Financials, Operating Performance gets thumbs up from Standard & Poor

DALLAS, TEXAS – Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services affirmed its “A” financial strength ratings on Unitrin’s P&C units – which include Unitrin Specialty. Unitrin, Inc.’s life and health units also earned A+ counterparty credit and financial strength ratings.

Standard & Poor’s is the world’s foremost provider of independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation, investment research, data, and valuations.

S&P said that its ratings of Unitrin reflect the company’s strong and improving competitive position, driven mostly by its P&C segment, strong, healthy and improving operating performance, strong financial flexibility and liquidity, conservative debt leverage and interest coverage, and very strong capitalization of the operating insurance companies.

“I was not surprised and very pleased with the S&P rating of Unitrin Inc. our parent,” said John Mullen, Unitrin Specialty President. “As an organization, we work hard at exceeding expectations and it is rewarding when our results are recognized by the rating services.

“While the rating by S&P is probably not recognized or followed as closely by our agents and brokers, who tend to be more familiar with the A. M. Best Company ratings, it provides our customers with an independent and objective opinion of our operational and financial performance,” Mr. Mullen said. “In our business where customers buy a promise, the financial strength and performance of the company making and backing those promises should be an important factor when selecting a business partner or insurer.”

Mr. Mullen said there was no single factor that earned the S&P rating. “Obviously, S&P and other rating services look at company performance over a period of years, so one good year usually is not enough to have a significant impact on your rating,” he sad. “They like to see performance consistency and stability. The impressive part of the P&C evaluation is that all four of our business units contributed to our record earnings year.”

Unitrin Specialty has for many years held a prestigious “A- Excellent” rating for financial stability by the A.M. Best Company, one of the leading insurance rating companies in the country.

Unitrin Specialty is part of the Unitrin, Inc., family, a $3 billion Chicago-based financial services company. Unitrin Specialty insures nearly one million households through more than 8,000 Independent Insurance agencies in the U.S. and is one of the top 10 specialty auto insurance organizations nationwide. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Unitrin Specialty has offices also in Woodland Hills, Calif. and Salem Ore., and employs nearly 800 people. Independent Agents can review Unitrin products and services at www.unitrinspecialty.com.

For more information regarding this news release, please contact:
James Dickey
Vice President, Marketing
972-690-5500, ext. 1502