Tag: country risk

Database of the Month: Best's Library Center

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Best’s Library Center provides in-depth reports and analysis for United States, Canadian and international insurers, reinsurers, and groups.

Searching and Viewing Reports

From the Bentley Library Databases A-Z page, use the Best’s Library Center link to access the database. The database offers multiple ways to search, including clicking the report buttons (shown above), or by hovering on the page’s blue Navigation bar to choose a search. Some of the navigation bar searches are highlighted below:

  • Access Best’s Credit Reports and Financial Reports quickly by using the Insurance Reports page. The global organization structures presented on this page include ultimate parents, rating units and their rated operating entities. Best’s Credit Reports feature five years of financial analysis and detailed commentary on a company’s operating methods and management philosophy.
  • Use the Company Browse feature to search for companies based on geographic location, industry or segment.
  • Search Company Overview (Basic Search) and view features such as a dashboard for each company, key financial information at a glance, ratings, and related news headlines.
  • Use the Corporate Changes Search to find changes that impact existing companies and locate insurers associated with companies no longer in business.
  • Use the Officers and Directors Search to locate companies based on management information.
  • Access the Mergers & Acquisitions Search to retrieve details of transactions involving insurance companies.

Alternately, users can type a company name in the search box located in the upper left corner of the home page to get a dashboard view of all available information on that company.

Sample dashboard view for State Farm Group, with tabs containing available information

Country Risk Reports

The database also includes Country Risk Reports detailing country-specific factors that could adversely affect an insurer’s ability to meet its financial obligations. Countries are placed into one of five tiers, ranging from Country Risk Tier 1 (CRT-1), denoting a stable environment with the least amount of risk, to Country Risk Tier 5 (CRT-5) for countries that pose the most risk and, therefore, the greatest challenge to an insurer’s financial stability, strength and performance. Users can view all countries or groups of countries by tier.

Get Help/Support

Click the Quick Tips PDF links located on each search page for context-specific help, or the Help link in the upper right corner of the home page for an overview of database features and search functionality. If you prefer, Bentley librarians can assist you. See our Bentley Library Research Help page for details.

Connect to the Database

Please visit our Databases A-Z page and click Best’s Library Center to begin your search (after agreeing to the User Terms and Conditions). This database can also be viewed in the Analyst Opinion, Company Profiles, Country Research, and International Business subject lists on the A-Z page. For best results, use Internet Explorer or Google Chrome. Browser cookies must be enabled for searches to function.

Database of the Month provides a very brief introduction to useful library databases, highlighting key features you should know about. If you would like more information about this resource (or any of the library’s databases), please contact us for research assistance. If you would like a demonstration of these resources for a class, please schedule a research instruction class using the instruction request form.

Database of the Month: IHS Connect

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IHS Connect provides continuously updated analysis of general business conditions, economic information and general risk assessment for countries, continents and regions. Reports include political, economic, regulatory/legal, tax, operational and security considerations. Interactive maps, statistical data, charts, and graphs analyze and present data on specific geographies.

Users researching Global Studies, Economics, and business-related country and company topics will find this database useful. For example, information on the following common reference questions in those disciplines (and more) is included:

  • Risks associated with doing business in specific countries
  • World, regional and local economic forecasts
  • Current country and sovereign risk ratings from IHS Connect, Moody’s, S&P and other rating services
  • Headline Analysis, Risk Profile, Intelligence, and other analyst-authored reports naming specific countries and companies

Get Started with IHS Connect

To get started, click the gear icon in the upper right corner of the page and choose Show Subscribed Content to limit search results to Bentley’s subscription content. A basic search box for keyword searching is provided to the left of the gear icon; start typing a search term and a list of suggested topics appears below the search box. Results will be provided in one or more of the following subject areas: Global Economics, Risk, or Geographies.

Choose a Country

To see an interactive dashboard with comprehensive information about a specific country, click the Geography link of the navigation bar and enter a country name into the search box.

Partial view of Country Risk reports and data for Venezuela, showing Overview, Reports and Risk Ratings

Browse Interactive Risk and Economics Datasets

The IHS Data Browser organizes and displays Risk Rating and Global Economy data. Build reports by choosing from a detailed list of strategic or sovereign risk factors, or view economic indicators over time. The data can be exported to Excel by clicking the Export button.

Strategic risk ratings for South American countries

Get Database Help

View IHS Connect’s online help center by clicking the question mark icon on the main navigation bar.  Download the PDF user guide or view it online. User guides for a variety of in-depth tutorial information are also available. In-person assistance is available from Bentley librarians; our contact information and Reference Desk hours are available on the Bentley Library Research Help page.

Connect to the Database

Please visit our Databases A-Z page and click IHS Connect to begin your search. This database can also be viewed in the following Subject lists on the A-Z page: Country Research; Economics; International Business; Politics and Government.

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Database of the Month provides a very brief introduction to useful library databases, highlighting key features you should know about. If you would like more information about this resource (or any of the library’s databases), please contact us for research assistance. If you would like a demonstration of these resources for a class, please schedule a research instruction class using the instruction request form.