Erie Insurance Group Property/Casualty Affiliates Retain A.M. Best's A+ (Superior) Financial Strength Rating; Erie Family Life Insurance Company also affirmed as A (Excellent)

ERIE, Pa., June 10, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- ERIE | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- A.M. Best Co. has affirmed that the property/casualty affiliates of Erie Insurance Group have a Best's Rating of A+ (Superior). A.M. Best Co. is the leading authority on insurance companies. The affirmed rating keeps Erie Insurance Group in the highest category (Superior) for financial strength. Only 9.8 percent of approximately 2,000 property/casualty insurers have earned this high rating. Erie Family Life Insurance Company also had its Best's rating of A (Excellent) affirmed. The rating outlooks are stable for all companies.

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"We are pleased that our continued outstanding financial condition has once again been acknowledged by A.M. Best," said John J. Brinling, Jr., Erie Insurance Group president and chief executive. "This rating reflects a combination of our solid financial condition and our commitment to superior service. It is a tribute to the commitment of ERIE Employees and Agents who day after day work diligently to exceed the expectations of our Policyholders. We are particularly pleased with this performance considering the increasingly competitive nature of the insurance marketplace. Our positive performance positions us well for future success."

A.M. Best cited many positive reasons for ERIE's affirmed ratings, including the Company's superior risk-adjusted capitalization, solid operating performance and well-established regional market presence. A.M. Best also acknowledged that ERIE's commitment to service contributed to its financial strength rating, stating: "ERIE maintains a competitive advantage through its excellent level of service combined with its agency partnering approach, which helps to strengthen agency loyalty." A.M. Best noted that despite the soft pricing environment, ERIE has experienced robust surplus growth in recent years due to the Company's disciplined underwriting, increased pricing sophistication and technology advancements. A.M. Best also cited ERIE's solid investment income and low operating cost structure in affirming the Company's ratings.

Erie Indemnity Company provides management services to the member companies of the Erie Insurance Group, which includes Erie Insurance Exchange, Flagship City Insurance Company, Erie Insurance Company, Erie Insurance Property and Casualty Company, Erie Insurance Company of New York and Erie Family Life Insurance Company.

According to A.M. Best Company, Erie Insurance Group, based in Erie, Pennsylvania, is the 16th largest automobile insurer in the United States based on direct premiums written and the 21st largest property/casualty insurer in the United States based on total lines net premium written. The Group, rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best Company, has over 3.9 million policies in force and operates in 11 states and the District of Columbia. Erie Insurance Group ranked 488 on the FORTUNE 500 and Erie Indemnity Company is included in Forbes Magazine's PLATINUM 400 list of the best-managed companies in America.

News releases and more information about Erie Insurance Group are available at http://www.erieinsurance.com

SOURCE Erie Insurance Group

http://www.erieinsurance.com

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