TheStreet.com Reaffirms Hastings Mutual Insurance's Rating: "A+"or "Excellent" for Financial Strength


HASTINGS, MI--(Marketwire - November 10, 2009) - Hastings Mutual Insurance Company has received a financial strength rating of A+ (Excellent Financial Strength). This top financial strength rating is only one of 5 given to all property and casualty insurance companies in the United States. The rating is based on an October 2009 review by TheStreet.com Ratings, a leading independent provider of ratings and analyses of financial services companies, mutual funds, and stocks.

Per Melissa Gannon, VP, Insurance and Bank Ratings, "The A+ rating means that, in our opinion, Hastings Mutual offers excellent financial security. It has maintained a conservative stance in its investment strategies, business operations, and underwriting commitments. While the financial position of any company is subject to change, we believe Hastings Mutual has the resources necessary to deal with severe economic conditions. The A+ rating is the highest grade possible from TheStreet.com Ratings and places Hastings Mutual on TheStreet.com Recommended List of companies, an elite group of 5 property and casualty insurance companies representing the top .2% of the industry."

About Hastings Mutual Insurance Company

Hastings Mutual is a regional Property Casualty insurance company serving customers in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and most recently in Iowa. The company, based in Hastings, Michigan, has been writing commercial, farm, and personal lines business through independent agents and providing customers with financial strength and stability since 1885. For more information about Hastings Mutual, access the company web site: www.hastingsmutual.com.

About TheStreet.com Ratings

TheStreet.com Ratings is a wholly owned subsidiary of TheStreet.com, Inc., (NASDAQ: TSCM) that provides financial strength ratings for more than 8,500 financial institutions nationwide. Ratings are also available on more than 3,800 insurance companies including auto, homeowners, life, health, long-term care, Medicare supplement, and business insurers. Financial Strength Ratings are based on an analysis of a company's risk-based capital, profitability, asset quality, liquidity, and operational stability.

TheStreet.com Ratings receives no direct or indirect compensation from the companies it rates for issuing its ratings. To access TheStreet.com Ratings data and reports, please visit: http://www.thestreet.com/tscratings/.

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