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SEC Comment Letter for SCOR (CIK 0001023027) — Jul 25, 2005

SCOR (CIK 0001023027)
Date: July 25, 2005 · CIK: 0001023027 · Accession: 0000000000-05-037915

AI Filing Summary & Sentiment

File numbers found in text: 001-14925

Date
July 25, 2005
Author
??
Form
UPLOAD
Company
SCOR (CIK 0001023027)

Letter

Via Facsimile and U.S. Mail Mail Stop 6010 July 25, 2005 Mr. Marcel Kahn Chief Financial Officer SCOR 1, Avenue du General de Gaulle 92800 Puteaux, France

Re: SCOR Form 20-F for Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2004 Filed April 29, 2005 File No. 001-14925

Dear Mr. Kahn:

We have limited our review of your filing to those issues we have addressed in our comments. Where indicated, we think you should revise your document in response to these comments. If you disagree, we will consider your explanation as to why our comments are inapplicable or a revision is unnecessary. Please be as detailed as necessary in your explanation. In some of our comments, we may ask you to provide us with information so we may better understand your disclosure. After reviewing this information, we may or may not raise additional comments.

Please understand that the purpose of our review process is to assist you in your compliance with the applicable disclosure requirements and to enhance the overall disclosure in your filing. We look forward to working with you in these respects. We welcome any questions you may have about our comments or on any other aspect of our review. Feel free to call us at the telephone numbers listed at the end of this letter.

Form 20-F for Year Ended December 31, 2004

Item 4. Information on the Company

A. Business Overview

Reserves

Changes in Historical Reserves, page 41 1. We note from your filing that you have several commutations, which appear to have materially reduced your loss reserves. Pursuant to the requirements of Industry Guide 6, Disclosures Concerning Unpaid Claims and Claim Adjustment Expense of Property-Casualty Insurance Underwriters, please disclose all your significant commutation and/or portfolio transfers and the effect each commutation and/or portfolio transfer had on your financial condition and results of operations.

Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects

A. Operating Results

Consolidated Results of Operations

Expenses, page 62

2. It appears that you have significantly revised your estimate of loss reserves recorded in prior years. Please revise Management`s Discussion and Analysis to explain the reason for your change in estimate. For each line of business, include the following disclosures:

a. Identify the years to which the change in estimate relates and disclose the amount of the related loss reserve as of the beginning of the year that was re-estimated. Discuss and quantify offsetting changes in estimates that increase and decrease the loss reserve.

b. Identify the changes in the key assumptions you made to estimate the reserve since the last reporting date.

c. Identify the nature and timing of the change in estimate, explicitly identifying and describing in reasonable specificity the new events that occurred or additional information acquired since the last reporting date that led to the change in estimate.

d. Ensure your disclosure clearly explains why recognition occurred in the periods that it did and why recognition was not required in earlier periods.

e. Disclose any trends such as, the number of claims incurred, average settlement amounts, number of claims outstanding at period ends along with average per claim outstanding, and any other trends, necessary to understand the change in estimate. Please explain the rationale for a change in estimate that does not correlate with trends.

B. Liquidity and Capital Resources

Liquidity and Capital Resources, page 67

3. Please include in MD&A a more robust discussion of the reasonably likely impact the payment of claims will have on known trends and uncertainties, in particular cash outflows from operations. In the disclosure please include a discussion of your asset/liability management process and whether there are any significant variations between the maturity of your investments and the expected payment of your loss reserves. Include a discussion of the impact of selling securities before anticipated or the use of credit facilities to pay for policy liabilities will have on your future liquidity and results of operations.

D. Contractual Obligations, page 72

4. We note that you have not included property-casualty and life reserves to be paid in the contractual obligation table, and it would appear that these liabilities represent future legal obligations of the Company. Due to the significant nature of these liabilities to your business we believe the inclusion of reserves in the contractual obligation table will provide investors increased disclosure of your liquidity. The purpose of Financial Reporting Release 67 is to obtain enhanced disclosure concerning a registrant`s contractual payment obligations and the exclusion of ordinary course items would be inconsistent with the objective of the Item 303(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. Based on the above factors, please revise your contractual obligation table to include the expected settlement of your loss reserves. In addition, please include interest payments on long term debt.

G. Critical Accounting Policies

Technical Reserves, page 73

5. We believe your disclosure in Management`s Discussion and Analysis regarding the reserve for loss and loss adjustment expenses could be improved to better explain the judgments and uncertainties surrounding this estimate and the potential impact on your financial statements. We believe that disclosures explaining the likelihood that materially different amounts would be reported under different conditions or using different assumptions is consistent with the objective of Management`s Discussion and Analysis. Accordingly, please revise MD&A to include the following information for each of your lines of business.

a. Please disclose the range of loss reserve estimates as determined by your actuaries. Discuss the key assumptions used to arrive at management`s best estimate of loss reserves within that range and what specific factors led management to believe this amount rather than any other amount within the range represented the best estimate of incurred losses. In addition include quantified and narrative disclosure of the impact that reasonably likely changes in one or more of the variables (i.e. actuarially method and/or assumptions used) would have on reported results, financial position and liquidity. b. If you do not calculate a range around your loss reserve, but instead use point estimates please include the following disclosures: * Disclose the various methods considered and the method that was selected to calculate the reserves. If multiple point estimates are generated, include the range of these point estimates. Include a discussion of why the method selected was more appropriate over the other methods. * Discuss how management determined the most appropriate point estimate and why the other point estimates were not chosen. Also clarify whether the company actually records to the point estimate or if not, how that estimate is used. * Include quantified and narrative disclosure of the impact that reasonably likely changes in one or more of the variables (i.e. actuarially method and/or assumptions used) would have on reported results, financial position and liquidity. c. Because IBNR reserve estimates are more imprecise, please disclose the amount of IBNR separately from case reserves for all lines of business. d. For each line of your longer tail business with claims for asbestos-related illnesses, environmental remediation, product liability and other highly uncertain exposures, please provide more precise insight into the existence and effects on future operations and financial condition of known trends, events and uncertainties. Disclosure you should consider, but not be limited to, includes the following information: * the number of claims pending at each balance sheet date; * the number of claims reported for each period presented; * the number of claims dismissed, settled, or otherwise resolved for each period; * the nature of the claims including relevant characteristics of the claimant population (e.g., involves a large number of relatively small individual claims of a similar type); * the total settlement amount for each period; * the cost of administering the claims; * emerging trends that may result in future reserve adjustments; and * if management is unable to estimate the possible loss or range of loss, a statement to that effect.

6. We note from your disclosures on page 25 under the section titled, World Trade Center Litigation, that a jury determined that the attacks on the World Trade Center were two distinct occurrences. We also note that as a result of this verdict you increase your reserves on a net basis only USD 41 million. Please disclose and tell us why you did not record an additional reserve that equaled the limit already established for a single occurrence loss.

7. We note that you set your claim reserves for assumed reinsurance operations based upon information received from the cedant. If this poses a potential for a higher degree of uncertainty in establishing the estimate of assumed loss reserves as compared to direct loss reserves, please expand the disclosure in the critical accounting estimates section of MD&A related to this uncertainty. Include in this disclosure the risks associated with making this estimate, and the effects and expected effects this uncertainty has or will have on management`s judgments and assumptions in establishing the assumed loss reserve. Also please consider the following items which could help describe the uncertainty:

a. The nature and extent of the information received from the cedants related to policies, claims, unearned premiums and loss reserves; b. The time lag from when claims are reported to the cedant to when the cedant reports them to the company and whether, how, and to what extent this time lag effects the loss reserve estimate; c. How management uses the information received from the cedants in its determination of its assumed loss reserves, whether reinsurance intermediaries are used to transact and service reinsurance policies, and how that impacts the loss reserving methodology; d. How management corrects for errors and omissions in establishing the loss reserves; e. The amount of any backlog related to the processing of assumed reinsurance information, whether the backlog has been reserved for in the financial statements and, if applicable, when the backlog will be resolved; f. What process management performs to determine the accuracy and completeness of the information received from the cedants; g. How management resolves disputes with cedants, how often disputes occur, and the magnitude of any current, material disputes; and h. Whether management uses historical loss information to validate its existing reserves and/or as a means of noticing unusual trends in the information received from the cedants.

Premiums, page 73

8. We believe your disclosure in Management`s Discussion and Analysis regarding the estimate of assumed premium on your reinsurance business could be improved to better explain the judgments and uncertainties surrounding this estimate and the potential impact on your financial statements. Accordingly, please revise MD&A to include the following information.

a. Please disclose the assumed premium estimate for each line of business, including the amount of any estimate for commissions and related expenses and the amount included in premium receivable related to the estimate. b. Discuss the key assumptions used to arrive at management`s best estimate of the assumed premium estimate and what specific factors led management to believe this amount reflects management`s best estimate of assume premiums. In addition include quantified and narrative disclosure of the impact that reasonably likely changes in one or more of the variables (i.e. actuarially method and/or assumptions used) would have on reported results, financial position and liquidity. c. Disclose if any provision for doubtful accounts is recorded related to the assumed premium estimate, and if not, why management believes all amounts recorded will be collectible.

Consolidated Financial Statements

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Note 2. Restatement, page F-10 9. We note that your 2002 restatement resulted in a $68 million (or 12%) decrease in net loss, but caused a 217% increase in net loss per share. Please disclose the changes to the calculation of the restated weighted average number of shares.

* * * *

As appropriate, please amend your filing and respond to these comments within 10 business days or tell us when you will provide us with a response. You may wish to provide us with marked copies of the amendment to expedite our review. Please furnish a cover letter with your amendment that keys your responses to our comments and provides any requested information. Detailed cover letters greatly facilitate our review. Please file your letter on EDGAR under the form type label CORRSEP. Please understand that we may have additional comments after reviewing your amendment and responses to our comments.

We urge all persons who are responsible for the accuracy and adequacy of the disclosure in the filing to be certain that the filing includes all information required under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and that they have provided all information investors require for an informed investment decision. Since the company and its management are in possession of all facts relating to a company`s disclosure, they are responsible for the accuracy and adequacy of the disclosures they have made.

In connection with responding to our comments, please provide, in your letter, a statement from the company acknowledging that:

* the company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the filing; * staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing; and * the company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States.

In addition, please be advised that the Division of Enforcement has access to all information you provide to the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance in our review of your filing or in response to our comments on your filing.

You may contact Joseph Roesler, Staff Accountant, at (202) 551- 3628 or Joel Parker, Accounting Branch Chief, at (202) 551-3651 if you have questions regarding the comments. In this regard, do not hesitate to contact me, at (202) 551-3679.

Sincerely,
Jim B. Rosenberg
Senior Assistant Chief
Accountant
??

Show Raw Text
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>LETTER
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>filename1.txt
<TEXT>

Via Facsimile and U.S. Mail
Mail Stop 6010

July 25, 2005

Mr. Marcel Kahn
Chief Financial Officer
SCOR
1, Avenue du General de Gaulle
92800 Puteaux, France

Re:	SCOR
	Form 20-F for Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2004
	Filed April 29, 2005
	File No.  001-14925

Dear Mr. Kahn:

      We have limited our review of your filing to those issues we
have addressed in our comments.  Where indicated, we think you
should
revise your document in response to these comments.  If you
disagree,
we will consider your explanation as to why our comments are
inapplicable or a revision is unnecessary.  Please be as detailed
as
necessary in your explanation.  In some of our comments, we may
ask
you to provide us with information so we may better understand
your
disclosure.  After reviewing this information, we may or may not
raise additional comments.

	Please understand that the purpose of our review process is
to
assist you in your compliance with the applicable disclosure
requirements and to enhance the overall disclosure in your filing.
We look forward to working with you in these respects.  We welcome
any questions you may have about our comments or on any other
aspect
of our review.  Feel free to call us at the telephone numbers
listed
at the end of this letter.

Form 20-F for Year Ended December 31, 2004

Item 4. Information on the Company

A. Business Overview

Reserves

Changes in Historical Reserves, page 41
1. We note from your filing that you have several commutations,
which
appear to have materially reduced your loss reserves.  Pursuant to
the requirements of Industry Guide 6, Disclosures Concerning
Unpaid
Claims and Claim Adjustment Expense of Property-Casualty Insurance
Underwriters, please disclose all your significant commutation
and/or
portfolio transfers and the effect each commutation and/or
portfolio
transfer had on your financial condition and results of
operations.

Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects

A. Operating Results

Consolidated Results of Operations

Expenses, page 62

2. It appears that you have significantly revised your estimate of
loss reserves recorded in prior years.  Please revise Management`s
Discussion and Analysis to explain the reason for your change in
estimate.  For each line of business, include the following
disclosures:

a. Identify the years to which the change in estimate relates and
disclose the amount of the related loss reserve as of the
beginning
of the year that was re-estimated.  Discuss and quantify
offsetting
changes in estimates that increase and decrease the loss reserve.

b. Identify the changes in the key assumptions you made to
estimate
the reserve since the last reporting date.

c. Identify the nature and timing of the change in estimate,
explicitly identifying and describing in reasonable specificity
the
new events that occurred or additional information acquired since
the
last reporting date that led to the change in estimate.

d. Ensure your disclosure clearly explains why recognition
occurred
in the periods that it did and why recognition was not required in
earlier periods.

e. Disclose any trends such as, the number of claims incurred,
average settlement amounts, number of claims outstanding at period
ends along with average per claim outstanding, and any other
trends,
necessary to understand the change in estimate. Please explain the
rationale for a change in estimate that does not correlate with
trends.

B. Liquidity and Capital Resources

Liquidity and Capital Resources, page 67

3. Please include in MD&A a more robust discussion of the
reasonably
likely impact the payment of claims will have on known trends and
uncertainties, in particular cash outflows from operations.  In
the
disclosure please include a discussion of your asset/liability
management process and whether there are any significant
variations
between the maturity of your investments and the expected payment
of
your loss reserves.  Include a discussion of the impact of selling
securities before anticipated or the use of credit facilities to
pay
for policy liabilities will have on your future liquidity and
results
of operations.

D. Contractual Obligations, page 72

4. We note that you have not included property-casualty and life
reserves to be paid in the contractual obligation table, and it
would
appear that these liabilities represent future legal obligations
of
the Company.  Due to the significant nature of these liabilities
to
your business we believe the inclusion of reserves in the
contractual
obligation table will provide investors increased disclosure of
your
liquidity.  The purpose of Financial Reporting Release 67 is to
obtain enhanced disclosure concerning a registrant`s contractual
payment obligations and the exclusion of ordinary course items
would
be inconsistent with the objective of the Item 303(a)(5) of
Regulation S-K.  Based on the above factors, please revise your
contractual obligation table to include the expected settlement of
your loss reserves.  In addition, please include interest payments
on
long term debt.

G. Critical Accounting Policies

Technical Reserves, page 73

5. We believe your disclosure in Management`s Discussion and
Analysis
regarding the reserve for loss and loss adjustment expenses could
be
improved to better explain the judgments and uncertainties
surrounding this estimate and the potential impact on your
financial
statements.  We believe that disclosures explaining the likelihood
that materially different amounts would be reported under
different
conditions or using different assumptions is consistent with the
objective of Management`s Discussion and Analysis.  Accordingly,
please revise MD&A to include the following information for each
of
your lines of business.

a. Please disclose the range of loss reserve estimates as
determined
by your actuaries.  Discuss the key assumptions used to arrive at
management`s best estimate of loss reserves within that range and
what specific factors led management to believe this amount rather
than any other amount within the range represented the best
estimate
of incurred losses.  In addition include quantified and narrative
disclosure of the impact that reasonably likely changes in one or
more of the variables (i.e. actuarially method and/or assumptions
used) would have on reported results, financial position and
liquidity.
b. If you do not calculate a range around your loss reserve, but
instead use point estimates please include the following
disclosures:
* Disclose the various methods considered and the method that was
selected to calculate the reserves.  If multiple point estimates
are
generated, include the range of these point estimates.  Include a
discussion of why the method selected was more appropriate over
the
other methods.
* Discuss how management determined the most appropriate point
estimate and why the other point estimates were not chosen.  Also
clarify whether the company actually records to the point estimate
or
if not, how that estimate is used.
* Include quantified and narrative disclosure of the impact that
reasonably likely changes in one or more of the variables (i.e.
actuarially method and/or assumptions used) would have on reported
results, financial position and liquidity.
c. Because IBNR reserve estimates are more imprecise, please
disclose
the amount of IBNR separately from case reserves for all lines of
business.
d. For each line of your longer tail business with claims for
asbestos-related illnesses, environmental remediation, product
liability and other highly uncertain exposures, please provide
more
precise insight into the existence and effects on future
operations
and financial condition of known trends, events and uncertainties.
Disclosure you should consider, but not be limited to, includes
the
following information:
* the number of claims pending at each balance sheet date;
* the number of claims reported for each period presented;
* the number of claims dismissed, settled, or otherwise resolved
for
each period;
* the nature of the claims including relevant characteristics of
the
claimant population (e.g., involves a large number of relatively
small individual claims of a similar type);
* the total settlement amount for each period;
* the cost of administering the claims;
* emerging trends that may result in future reserve adjustments;
and
* if management is unable to estimate the possible loss or range
of
loss, a statement to that effect.

6. We note from your disclosures on page 25 under the section
titled,
World Trade Center Litigation, that a jury determined that the
attacks on the World Trade Center were two distinct occurrences.
We
also note that as a result of this verdict you increase your
reserves
on a net basis only USD 41 million.  Please disclose and tell us
why
you did not record an additional reserve that equaled the limit
already established for a single occurrence loss.

7. We note that you set your claim reserves for assumed
reinsurance
operations based upon information received from the cedant.  If
this
poses a potential for a higher degree of uncertainty in
establishing
the estimate of assumed loss reserves as compared to direct loss
reserves, please expand the disclosure in the critical accounting
estimates section of MD&A related to this uncertainty. Include in
this disclosure the risks associated with making this estimate,
and
the effects and expected effects this uncertainty has or will have
on
management`s judgments and assumptions in establishing the assumed
loss reserve.   Also please consider the following items which
could
help describe the uncertainty:

a. The nature and extent of the information received from the
cedants
related to policies, claims, unearned premiums and loss reserves;
b. The time lag from when claims are reported to the cedant to
when
the cedant reports them to the company and whether, how, and to
what
extent this time lag effects the loss reserve estimate;
c. How management uses the information received from the cedants
in
its determination of its assumed loss reserves, whether
reinsurance
intermediaries are used to transact and service reinsurance
policies,
and how that impacts the loss reserving methodology;
d. How management corrects for errors and omissions in
establishing
the loss reserves;
e. The amount of any backlog related to the processing of assumed
reinsurance information, whether the backlog has been reserved for
in
the financial statements and, if applicable, when the backlog will
be
resolved;
f. What process management performs to determine the accuracy and
completeness of the information received from the cedants;
g. How management resolves disputes with cedants, how often
disputes
occur, and the magnitude of any current, material disputes; and
h. Whether management uses historical loss information to validate
its existing reserves and/or as a means of noticing unusual trends
in
the information received from the cedants.

Premiums, page 73

8. We believe your disclosure in Management`s Discussion and
Analysis
regarding the estimate of assumed premium on your reinsurance
business could be improved to better explain the judgments and
uncertainties surrounding this estimate and the potential impact
on
your financial statements.  Accordingly, please revise MD&A to
include the following information.

a. Please disclose the assumed premium estimate for each line of
business, including the amount of any estimate for commissions and
related expenses and the amount included in premium receivable
related to the estimate.
b. Discuss the key assumptions used to arrive at management`s best
estimate of the assumed premium estimate and what specific factors
led management to believe this amount reflects management`s best
estimate of assume premiums.  In addition include quantified and
narrative disclosure of the impact that reasonably likely changes
in
one or more of the variables (i.e. actuarially method and/or
assumptions used) would have on reported results, financial
position
and liquidity.
c. Disclose if any provision for doubtful accounts is recorded
related to the assumed premium estimate, and if not, why
management
believes all amounts recorded will be collectible.

Consolidated Financial Statements

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Note 2. Restatement, page F-10
9. We note that your 2002 restatement resulted in a $68 million
(or
12%) decrease in net loss, but caused a 217% increase in net loss
per
share.  Please disclose the changes to the calculation of the
restated weighted average number of shares.

*    *    *    *

      As appropriate, please amend your filing and respond to
these
comments within 10 business days or tell us when you will provide
us
with a response.  You may wish to provide us with marked copies of
the amendment to expedite our review.  Please furnish a cover
letter
with your amendment that keys your responses to our comments and
provides any requested information.  Detailed cover letters
greatly
facilitate our review.  Please file your letter on EDGAR under the
form type label CORRSEP.  Please understand that we may have
additional comments after reviewing your amendment and responses
to
our comments.

	We urge all persons who are responsible for the accuracy and
adequacy of the disclosure in the filing to be certain that the
filing includes all information required under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 and that they have provided all information
investors require for an informed investment decision.  Since the
company and its management are in possession of all facts relating
to
a company`s disclosure, they are responsible for the accuracy and
adequacy of the disclosures they have made.

	In connection with responding to our comments, please
provide,
in your letter, a statement from the company acknowledging that:

* the company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the
disclosure in the filing;
* staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff
comments do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action
with
respect to the filing; and
* the company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any
proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the
federal securities laws of the United States.

   In addition, please be advised that the Division of Enforcement
has access to all information you provide to the staff of the
Division of Corporation Finance in our review of your filing or in
response to our comments on your filing.

      You may contact Joseph Roesler, Staff Accountant, at (202)
551-
3628 or Joel Parker, Accounting Branch Chief, at (202) 551-3651 if
you have questions regarding the comments. In this regard, do not
hesitate to contact me, at (202) 551-3679.

								Sincerely,

								Jim B. Rosenberg
								Senior Assistant Chief
Accountant
??

??

??

??

Mr. Marcel Kahn
SCOR
Page 1

</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>