YMCA Bermuda Domiciled Captive Reinsurer Concludes Successful Solvent Run Off Announces RunOff Re.Solve

BALA CYNWYD, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Final General Meeting of Y-Mutual Insurance Ltd. (“Y-Mutual”) was held in Bermuda on November 9, 2011 at which time the captive reinsurer, owned by member YMCA organizations throughout the United States, was liquidated on a solvent basis Y-Mutual was able to satisfy all of its reinsurance obligations in just four and a half years since it terminated active underwriting and entered "run off."

“This is the best result possible for all involved. Y-Mutual has satisfied all of its obligations to the front carriers it reinsured so that the individual YMCA’s and their claimants will continue to be protected.”

Andrew Rothseid designed the run off plan for Y-Mutual and, as Principal of RunOff Re.Solve LLC, was responsible for executing and concluding the run off.

According to Mr. Rothseid, “This is the best result possible for all involved. Y-Mutual has satisfied all of its obligations to the front carriers it reinsured so that the individual YMCA’s and their claimants will continue to be protected.”

Y-Mutual was incorporated in Bermuda in 1986 as a captive reinsurer "owned" by member YMCA's throughout the United States. At its height, over four hundred fifty (450) separate YMCA organizations were members of Y-Mutual.

From 1986 through 2007, Y-Mutual provided reinsurance protection to five "fronting companies" that insured the individual YMCA’s. The individual member YMCA’s and, by extension, the front carriers and Y-Mutual, were subject to numerous auto and property liability, general liability and workers compensation claims. Y-Mutual discontinued active underwriting and went into "run off" in February 2007, at which time there were over one thousand pending claims subject to its reinsurance protection.

Y-Mutual was a non-assessable mutual. It could not ask its members for further capital contributions and had to manage the run off with limited financial resources. Its challenge in run off was to maintain solvency as it honored its reinsurance obligations to the front carriers for the many potentially dangerous general liability claims. At the outset of the run off, it was anticipated that, if an orderly wind down of the company was possible on a solvent basis, it would take at least nine years to eliminate all of Y-Mutual’s reinsurance obligations.

Y-Mutual honored all claims to the front companies in less than half the anticipated time. After it had concluded all of its reinsurance obligations to each of the fronting companies, Y-Mutual was deregistered as a licensed Bermudian reinsurer and closed through a solvent members' liquidation process.

About RunOff Re.Solve LLC

RunOff Re.Solve LLC provides turnaround, restructuring and advisory services to the global insurance and reinsurance industries. Andrew Rothseid, Principal and owner of RunOff Re.Solve LLC, has over 25 years of professional experience within the insurance industry as a: private practice lawyer; general counsel and director of American and Bermudian property and casualty run off insurers and reinsurers; managing director of a London Market run off insurer and reinsurer; and industry consultant as a partner with a global professional services firm.

In October 2011, the Association of Insurance and Reinsurance Run Off Companies (“AIRROC”), a worldwide association focused on the legacy or “run off” insurance and reinsurance markets, awarded its 2011 Person of the Year to Mr. Rothseid of RunOff Re.Solve LLC and Gary Lee of Morrison & Foerster LLP for their work on the GTE REinsurance Company Ltd. closure. GTE REinsurance Company Ltd. is the first accelerated closure of a solvent US property and casualty insurer or reinsurer under the Rhode Island statute enacted in 2002 entitled “Voluntary Restructuring of Solvent Insurers.” Mr. Rothseid designed, drafted and implemented the GTE RE Commutation Plan and negotiated its terms with the Rhode Island Insurance Department and GTE RE’s cedents.