Loss run report: how to get your claims history in Singapore
What a loss run report shows
A loss run, or claims experience letter, is produced by the insurer from its claims system. The format differs by insurer, but each line carries the same fields.
| Field | What it records |
|---|---|
| Policy number and period | Which policy year the claim falls in |
| Date of loss and date notified | The gap between them shows reporting discipline |
| Cause or description | Fire, theft, fall from height, third-party injury |
| Paid | Amounts the insurer has paid to date, including defence costs |
| Reserved | The insurer's estimate of what is still to be paid |
| Incurred | Paid plus reserved |
| Status | Open or closed |
| Recoveries | Amounts recovered from a third party or salvage |
Two numbers matter most to an underwriter. Total incurred over the period, set against premium paid, gives the loss ratio. The count of claims gives frequency. A claim reserved at S$120,000 counts in full as incurred even if nothing has been paid, so an open reserve carries the same weight in the loss ratio as a cheque already written.
The letter should also state that no other claims were notified. A letter listing 2 claims without that sentence leaves the next underwriter asking what else exists.
How to request it from each insurer
A corporate policyholder requests its claims record under the policy, from each insurer that has held the cover during the period. There is no central register in Singapore for commercial claims, so a programme with 5 policies across 3 insurers needs 3 requests.
The request is simple and should be made in writing:
- Quote the policy numbers and periods, including policies that have since lapsed.
- Ask for a claims experience letter for the last 5 years, listing paid, reserved, incurred and status per claim, and confirming nil claims where that is the case.
- Ask for the letter to be dated within the last 30 days, because underwriters will not rely on an old one.
- Ask for the reserve on each open claim to be reviewed before the letter is issued.
The broker makes these requests as part of the renewal timeline, 60 to 90 days before expiry, so the letters are in hand before the market is approached. For work injury compensation, every policy since 1 January 2021 has been written by an MOM-designated insurer on compulsory terms. The WICA record sits with the designated insurer and with MOM, and the broker requests both.
A business that has moved insurer can still request the letter from the old insurer. The record belongs to the policy, and the former insurer's duty to provide it does not end at expiry.
How underwriters read it
Underwriters read a loss run for 4 things. Frequency: how many claims per year, set against the size of the account. Severity: the largest incurred claim and whether it is typical of the trade. Trend: whether frequency and severity are rising or falling over the 5 years. Development: whether reserves on old claims are still open and still large.
Singapore's domestic general insurance market paid S$1.8 billion in claims in 2025, up 8.7% on 2024, with motor claims up 11% and property claims up 60.5%. In that environment an underwriter asked to quote a fleet or a fire risk reads the loss run first and the proposal form second.
Some patterns and how they are read:
- Three S$4,000 motor claims a year on a 10-vehicle fleet: a driver-management problem, priced up.
- One S$300,000 fire claim 4 years ago, closed, with a sprinkler system fitted since: a one-off, explained in the submission.
- Two open work injury claims reserved at S$90,000 each from 3 years ago: either serious injuries or stale reserves, and the underwriter will ask which.
- A nil-claims record over 5 years on a liability policy: the broker asks for that to be reflected in the premium or the deductible.
The narrative around the loss run matters as much as the numbers. A broker's renewal submission explains each large claim, the cause and what changed afterwards.
Correcting errors before remarketing
Loss runs carry errors. Claims closed years ago show as open. Reserves set at first notification are never revised. Precautionary notifications with nothing paid sit as incurred figures. Each inflates the loss ratio the next insurer sees.
Before remarketing, the record is cleaned:
- Match the insurer's list against the company's own incident log and query any claim missing from either.
- For each open claim, ask the insurer's claims handler for the current estimate and the reason it remains open.
- Ask for closed claims to be marked closed and for reserves to be revised where the handler agrees.
- Ask for precautionary notifications with nil payment to be shown as closed at nil.
- Obtain a fresh letter after the corrections.
Example only. A logistics company's loss run shows 4 open work injury claims reserved at S$280,000 against annual premium of S$95,000. On review, 2 claims settled 18 months earlier for S$53,000 in total and were never closed. A third, reserved at S$90,000, is revised to S$35,000 because the worker has returned to work. Incurred falls to S$88,000 plus one genuine open claim, and the account becomes quotable.
Where a reserve cannot be agreed, the broker notes the dispute in the submission rather than letting the figure stand unexplained. A disputed claim decision has its own route, covered in the existing article on rejected insurance claims. FIDReC's S$150,000 adjudication limit applies to consumer disputes; a company's dispute goes through the broker, the insurer's complaints process or the courts.
Timeline to renewal
The loss run sits inside the renewal timeline. Working back from a 1 January inception:
| Days before expiry | Step |
|---|---|
| 90 | Broker requests claims experience letters from every insurer on the programme |
| 75 | Letters received; broker reconciles against the company's incident log |
| 60 | Corrections requested; fresh letters issued |
| 55 | Renewal submission drafted with claims narrative |
| 45 | Holding insurer's renewal terms received |
| 40 | Market approached if remarketing, with the corrected loss runs attached |
| 20 | Quotes compared on terms; insurer selected |
| 0 | Policies incept |
A loss run requested 20 days before expiry cannot be corrected in time. The company then renews on the uncorrected record or accepts a short extension, and both cost money. The TRS claims history page sets out what a broker maintains between renewals so that the record is current when it is needed.
Frequently asked questions
How many years of claims history do insurers want?
Three years is the minimum most Singapore insurers accept and 5 is the standard request for property, liability and work injury. Longer-tail covers, such as professional indemnity and directors' and officers' liability, may be asked for 5 to 7 years because claims emerge late. The letter should be dated within 30 days of submission.
What is an open reserve and why does it raise my premium?
A reserve is the insurer's estimate of what an open claim will still cost. It counts in full as incurred in the loss ratio even though nothing has been paid. A reserve set at notification and never reviewed can sit for years at a figure far above the eventual settlement, and every renewal is priced on it until it is corrected.
Can I ask my old insurer for a loss run after I have moved?
Yes. The record belongs to the policy and the insurer that wrote it holds it. Quote the policy numbers and periods, ask for paid, reserved and status per claim, and ask for confirmation of nil claims where that applies. Former insurers may take longer, so the request goes out at the 90-day point.
Does a no-claims declaration replace a loss run?
No. A no-claims declaration is the policyholder's own statement and the insurer can rely on it only against the policyholder. Underwriters want the insurer's record. A declaration is used only where an insurer has ceased business or where a policy was held for less than a year and the insurer confirms nil claims by letter.
Sources
General information only, not advice on any particular policy. Cover depends on the policy wording and the insurer's terms.