A.M. Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Popular Life Re

A.M. Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb” of Popular Life Re (PLRE) (Puerto Rico). PLRE is a life insurance subsidiary of its ultimate parent, Popular Inc. [NASDAQ: BPOP], a publicly traded bank holding company based in Puerto Rico. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect PLRE’s balance sheet strength, which A.M. Best categorizes as strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. The ratings also reflect PLRE’s positive earnings trends, its stable liability profile, strong return metrics and invested assets, which are of good credit quality and highly liquid.

PLRE remains strategically important to Popular Inc., as the company reinsures a portion of credit insurance policies on consumer loans originated at Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, as well as personal accident and health policies underwritten by unaffiliated insurers.

Partially mitigating rating factors include modest premium growth, geographic and product concentration risk, as credit life and accident and health business mostly is transacted in Puerto Rico, and challenges associated with difficulties structurally and economically following the natural disasters. Lastly, the ratings of its parent company, Popular Inc., have had a negative impact on the ratings of PLRE.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on A.M. Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see A.M. Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Understanding Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best’s Credit Ratings and A.M. Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Best’s Credit Ratings and A.M. Best Rating Action Press Releases.

A.M. Best is the world’s oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

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