EQECAT Announces US Hurricane Model Challenge

Oakland, CA
April 25, 2005

EQECAT, Inc. proposes to model the 2004 hurricane events for Florida exposure for comparison against the estimates generated by other models, according to Richard Clinton, president of EQECAT, the leading authority on extreme-risk modeling.

We are so confident in the ability of the EQECAT model to predict 2004 hurricane losses more accurately than other models, that if we fail to do so in the comparison test, the analysis is free. We think that insurers deserve better model performance than they experienced in 2004 and we'll put our money where our mouth is to prove that EQECAT is a better model," Mr. Clinton said. He added, "the 2005 hurricane season is almost here, so it is a perfect time for insurers to know their exposure."

Some Insurers Reportedly "Caught Off Guard"

"The aftermath of the 2004 hurricane season continues to impact the industry," Mr. Clinton said."Some primary insurers were disappointed with their catastrophe model loss estimates for the four hurricanes affecting Florida in 2004", he said.

"Some Insurers sustained larger than expected losses due to failure of their models to accurately predict loss levels for the four storms, particularly for commercial exposures," he said. "Insurers also have been reported to say that they were caught off guard by the impact of having four retentions. This highlights the need for models to help users to manage annual aggregate exposures, as well as individual event "per occurrence" exposure. Both issues raise the possibility of deficiencies in some of the catastrophe models insurers have become so dependent upon," Mr. Clinton said.

"We believe that EQECAT provided significantly better loss estimates than other hurricane models, and better capability to understand the potential impact of multiple events. These are advantages that we can demonstrate and that have significant importance to insurers."

The 2004 Hurricane Challenge offer is for any direct property writer having commercial and/or residential property premiums of $30 million or more in Florida.

EQECAT, Inc. provides state-of-the-art products and services to the global property and casualty insurance, reinsurance and financial markets. EQECAT is the technical leader and innovator of catastrophe risk management models that quantify exposure to a range of natural and man-made catastrophic risks.

Through its modeling software platform, WORLDCATenterprise™, EQECAT enables clients to quantify and manage the potential financial impact of natural hazards. WORLDCATenterprise includes 181 natural hazard software models for 95 countries spanning six continents. These models are based upon innovative applications of the latest science, engineering expertise, claims and exposure data and advanced mathematics.

EQECAT, a subsidiary of ABSG Consulting Inc., was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Oakland, California.

For more information, contact:

pr@eqecat.com

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