Description: In this article, the author discusses the report on Insurance Holding Companies recently published by the New York Insurance Departmentconcerning surplus levels. The author questions whether a complicated mathematical approach using risk theory will produce a better result than traditional rules of thumb and experience.

Description: This article is a response to an article on the same subject in the March 1968 issue of The Actuary. The author notes that the recommendations in the report in question regarding surplus levels are more appropriate for non-life companies.