NY -- Standard&Poor's CreditWire 5/1/98 -- In the next few weeks, Standard&Poor's will resolve the CreditWatch status of the triple-'A' claims-paying ability rating of members of the St. Paul Fire&Marine Insurance Co. Intercompany Pool (SPFM) as well as the double-'A' senior debt and counterparty credit ratings and the `A-1'-plus commercial paper rating of the St. Paul Cos. Inc. The ratings were placed on CreditWatch with negative implications on Jan. 20, 1998. Standard&Poor's believes that the triple-'A' claims-paying ability rating of SPFM is likely to fall one or two notches. The triple-'B' senior debt and triple-'B'-minus subordinated debt and preferred stock ratings of USF&G Corp., and the single-'A' claims-paying ability rating of United
