Investments | Note 4. Investments The gross unrecognized gains and losses on, amortized cost, allowance for credit losses, carrying amount, and fair value of, those investments classified as held-to-maturity at September 30, 2020 are summarized as follows: Amortized Cost Allowance for Credit Losses Carrying Amount Gross Unrecognized Gains Gross Unrecognized Losses Fair Value (in thousands) States and political subdivisions $ 471,913 $ (38 ) $ 471,875 $ 30,756 $ (8 ) $ 502,623 Corporate bonds 70,721 (242 ) 70,479 3,106 — 73,585 U.S. agency-based mortgage-backed securities 8,070 — 8,070 644 — 8,714 U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government agencies 21,914 — 21,914 326 — 22,240 Asset-backed securities 178 (8 ) 170 7 — 177 Totals $ 572,796 $ (288 ) $ 572,508 $ 34,839 $ (8 ) $ 607,339 The gross unrealized gains and losses on, and the amortized cost, allowance for credit losses, and fair value of, those investments classified as available-for-sale at September 30, 2020 are summarized as follows: Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value Allowance for Credit Losses (in thousands) States and political subdivisions $ 257,169 $ 18,235 $ (33 ) $ 275,371 $ — Corporate bonds 91,162 5,492 (25 ) 96,629 — U.S. agency-based mortgage-backed securities 23,850 460 — 24,310 — U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government agencies 28,882 1,045 — 29,927 — Totals $ 401,063 $ 25,232 $ (58 ) $ 426,237 $ — The gross unrealized gains and losses on, and the cost of equity securities at September 30, 2020 are summarized as follows: Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value (in thousands) Equity securities: Domestic common stock $ 34,725 $ 2,232 $ (1,135 ) $ 35,822 Total equity securities $ 34,725 $ 2,232 $ (1,135 ) $ 35,822 The gross unrealized gains and losses on, and the amortized cost and fair value of, those investments classified as held-to-maturity at December 31, 2019 are summarized as follows: Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value (in thousands) States and political subdivisions $ 466,270 $ 19,570 $ (193 ) $ 485,647 Corporate bonds 109,241 1,684 — 110,925 U.S. agency-based mortgage-backed securities 10,967 544 — 11,511 U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government agencies 12,723 330 (12 ) 13,041 Asset-backed securities 220 — (1 ) 219 Totals $ 599,421 $ 22,128 $ (206 ) $ 621,343 The gross unrealized gains and losses on, and the amortized cost and fair value of, those investments classified as available-for-sale at December 31, 2019 are summarized as follows: Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value (in thousands) States and political subdivisions $ 225,895 $ 11,906 $ (26 ) $ 237,775 Corporate bonds 130,453 3,326 (1 ) 133,778 U.S. agency-based mortgage-backed securities 29,499 64 (96 ) 29,467 U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government agencies 39,851 317 (42 ) 40,126 Totals $ 425,698 $ 15,613 $ (165 ) $ 441,146 The gross unrealized gains and losses on, and the cost of equity securities at December 31, 2019 are summarized as follows: Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value (in thousands) Equity securities: Domestic common stock $ 24,457 $ 3,446 $ — $ 27,903 Total equity securities $ 24,457 $ 3,446 $ — $ 27,903 A summary of the carrying amounts and fair value of investments in fixed maturity securities, classified as held-to-maturity, by contractual maturity, is as follows: September 30, 2020 December 31, 2019 Carrying Amount Fair Value Carrying Amount Fair Value (in thousands) Maturity: Within one year $ 63,982 $ 64,630 $ 49,967 $ 50,348 After one year through five years 182,355 190,897 198,025 202,109 After five years through ten years 94,035 99,644 110,460 113,877 After ten years 223,896 243,277 229,782 243,279 U.S. agency-based mortgage-backed securities 8,070 8,714 10,967 11,511 Asset-backed securities 170 177 220 219 Totals $ 572,508 $ 607,339 $ 599,421 $ 621,343 A summary of the amortized cost and fair value of investments in fixed maturity securities, classified as available-for-sale, by contractual maturity, is as follows: September 30, 2020 December 31, 2019 Amortized Cost Fair Value Amortized Cost Fair Value (in thousands) Maturity: Within one year $ 61,469 $ 62,203 $ 27,160 $ 27,194 After one year through five years 90,936 96,406 144,142 146,469 After five years through ten years 56,622 60,484 47,175 49,419 After ten years 168,186 182,834 177,722 188,597 U.S. agency-based mortgage-backed securities 23,850 24,310 29,499 29,467 Totals $ 401,063 $ 426,237 $ 425,698 $ 441,146 The following table summarizes the fair value and gross unrealized losses on securities classified as available-for-sale, aggregated by major investment category and length of time that the individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position as of September 30, 2020: Less Than 12 Months 12 Months or Greater Total Fair Value of Investments with Unrealized Losses Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value of Investments with Unrealized Losses Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value of Investments with Unrealized Losses Gross Unrealized Losses (in thousands) September 30, 2020 Available-for-Sale Fixed maturity securities: States and political subdivisions $ 4,329 $ 33 $ — $ — $ 4,329 $ 33 Corporate bonds 2,511 25 — — 2,511 25 Total available-for-sale securities $ 6,840 $ 58 $ — $ — $ 6,840 $ 58 At September 30, 2020, we held 8 individual fixed maturity securities classified as available-for-sale that were in an unrealized loss position, of which none were in a continuous unrealized loss position for longer than 12 months. The following table summarizes the fair value and gross unrealized losses on securities, aggregated by major investment category and length of time that the individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position as of December 31, 2019: Less Than 12 Months 12 Months or Greater Total Fair Value of Investments with Unrealized Losses Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value of Investments with Unrealized Losses Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value of Investments with Unrealized Losses Gross Unrealized Losses (in thousands) December 31, 2019 Held-to-Maturity Fixed maturity securities: States and political subdivisions $ 21,074 $ 193 $ — $ — $ 21,074 $ 193 U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government agencies — — 3,243 12 3,243 12 Asset-backed securities — — 68 1 68 1 Total held-to-maturity securities 21,074 193 3,311 13 24,385 206 Available-for-Sale Fixed maturity securities: States and political subdivisions $ 4,140 $ 26 $ — $ — $ 4,140 $ 26 Corporate bonds 6,426 1 — — 6,426 1 U.S. agency-based mortgage-backed securities 13,007 95 1,152 1 14,159 96 U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government agencies — — 17,068 42 17,068 42 Total available-for-sale securities 23,573 122 18,220 43 41,793 165 Total $ 44,647 $ 315 $ 21,531 $ 56 $ 66,178 $ 371 The following table illustrates the changes in the allowance for credit losses by major security type of the investments classified as held-to-maturity for the quarter ended September 30, 2020. States and Political Subdivisions Corporate Bonds U.S. Agency-Based Mortgage-Backed Securities U.S. Treasury Securities and Obligations of U.S. Government Agencies Asset-Backed Securities Totals (in thousands) Balance at June 30, 2020 $ 49 $ 299 $ — $ — $ 9 $ 357 Provision for credit loss benefit (11 ) (57 ) — — (1 ) (69 ) Allowance for securities purchased with credit deterioration — — — — — — Securities charged off — — — — — — Recoveries — — — — — — Balance at September 30, 2020 $ 38 $ 242 $ — $ — $ 8 $ 288 The following table illustrates the changes in the allowance for credit losses by major security type of the investments classified as held-to-maturity for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. States and Political Subdivisions Corporate Bonds U.S. Agency-Based Mortgage-Backed Securities U.S. Treasury Securities and Obligations of U.S. Government Agencies Asset-Backed Securities Totals (in thousands) Balance at January 1, 2020 $ 45 $ 245 $ — $ — $ 11 $ 301 Provision for credit loss benefit (7 ) (3 ) — — (3 ) (13 ) Allowance for securities purchased with credit deterioration — — — — — — Securities charged off — — — — — — Recoveries — — — — — — Balance at September 30, 2020 $ 38 $ 242 $ — $ — $ 8 $ 288 The Company has established an allowance for credit losses on 400 held-to-maturity securities totaling $0.3 million. The majority of those securities were states and political subdivisions and corporate bonds at 369 and 28, respectively. The Company has no allowance for credit losses on investments classified as available-for-sale for the period ended September 30, 2020. The credit rating used for held-to-maturity fixed income securities is the rating for each security as published by Moody’s, S&P, and Fitch to determine the probability of default. If there are two ratings, the lower rating is used. If there are three ratings, the median rating is used. If there is one rating, that rating is used. For corporate fixed income securities the probability of default (given a rating) comes from Moody’s annual study of corporate bond defaults published each February. The maximum maturity using the default rate is 20 years (any maturity greater than 20 years will use the 20-year rate). For municipal fixed income securities the probability of default (given a rating) comes from Moody’s annual study of municipal bond defaults published each July/August. The calculation of the credit loss allowance takes the amortized cost of the fixed income security and assumes default and recovery based on the average recovery rates from the Moody’s default studies. The amortized cost of the security, minus the amount recovered, is the estimated full amount the Company could lose in a default scenario. Then this amount is multiplied by the probability of default to determine the allowance for credit loss. The lower the security is rated, the higher likelihood of default, and therefore a higher allowance for credit loss. The longer to the maturity date of a security, the higher the default risk. The table below presents the amortized cost of held-to-maturity securities aggregated by credit quality indicator as of September 30, 2020. States and Political Subdivisions Corporate Bonds U.S. Agency-Based Mortgage-Backed Securities U.S. Treasury Securities and Obligations of U.S. Government Agencies Asset-Backed Securities Totals Amortized cost (in thousands) AAA/AA/A ratings $ 469,485 $ 30,085 $ 8,070 $ 21,914 $ 124 $ 529,678 Baa/BBB ratings 2,428 40,636 — — 18 43,082 B ratings — — — — 36 36 Total $ 471,913 $ 70,721 $ 8,070 $ 21,914 $ 178 $ 572,796 Net realized gains in the quarter ended September 30, 2020 were $0.3 million resulting from the call of fixed maturity securities. Net realized losses in the quarter ended September 30, 2019 were immaterial. Net realized gains in the nine months ended September 30, 2020 were $1.5 million resulting primarily from the sale of fixed maturity securities classified as available-for-sale and from called fixed maturity securities. Net realized losses in the nine months ended September 30, 2019 were immaterial. During the third quarter of 2020, we recognized through income $0.8 million of net unrealized gains on equity securities held as of September 30, 2020. During the third quarter of 2019, we recognized through income $0.4 million of net unrealized gains on equity securities held as of September 30, 2019. During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, we recognized through income $2.3 million of net unrealized losses on equity securities held as of September 30, 2020. During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, we recognized through income $3.2 million of net unrealized gains on equity securities held as of September 30, 2019. Investment income is recognized as it is earned. The discount or premium on fixed maturity securities is amortized using the “constant yield” method. Anticipated prepayments, where applicable, are considered when determining the amortization of premiums or discounts. Realized investment gains and losses are determined using the specific identification method. |