| Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation | Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation Atlas Financial Holdings, Inc. (“Atlas” or “We” or the “Company”) commenced operations on December 31, 2010. The primary business of Atlas focuses on a managing general agency strategy, primarily through our wholly owned subsidiary, Anchor Group Management, Inc. (“AGMI”). AGMI focuses on a niche market orientation for the “light” commercial automobile sector. This sector includes taxi cabs, non-emergency para-transit, limousine, livery, including certain transportation network companies (“TNC”) drivers/operators, and business autos. Automobile insurance products provide insurance coverage in three major areas: liability, accident benefits and physical damage. Atlas’ business is carried out through its non-insurance company subsidiaries: AGMI, UBI Holdings Inc. (“UBI Holdings”) and UBI Holdings’ wholly-owned subsidiaries, optOn Digital IP Inc. (“OOIP”) and optOn Insurance Agency Inc. (“optOn” and together with OOIP and UBI Holdings, “UBI”). Prior to a strategic transition, our core business was the underwriting of commercial automobile insurance policies, focusing on the “light” commercial automobile sector, through American Country Insurance Company (“American Country”), American Service Insurance Company, Inc. (“American Service”) and Gateway Insurance Company (“Gateway” and together with American Country and American Service, the “ASI Pool Companies”) and Global Liberty Insurance Company of New York (“Global Liberty” and together with the ASI Pool Companies, our “Insurance Subsidiaries”), along with our wholly owned managing general agency, AGMI. The ASI Pool Companies were placed into rehabilitation under the statutory control of the Illinois Department of Insurance during the second half of 2019 and were subsequently placed into liquidation and have been deconsolidated from our consolidated financial statements as of October 1, 2019 as a result of these actions. Other regulatory actions were taken in certain states, including restriction, suspension, or revocation of certain state licenses and certificates of authority held by the ASI Pool Companies preceding and following the initiation of rehabilitation. During the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company began actively pursuing the potential sale of Global Liberty, and as a result, Global Liberty has been classified as a discontinued operation as of October 1, 2019. The Insurance Subsidiaries distribute their insurance products through AGMI, which has contracted a network of retail independent agents. Together, the Insurance Subsidiaries are licensed to write property and casualty (“P&C”) insurance in 49 states and the District of Columbia in the U.S. Atlas’ core products are actively distributed in 41 of those states plus the District of Columbia. The Insurance Subsidiaries and the Company’s other non-insurance subsidiaries share common management and operating infrastructure. During the third quarter of 2019, new business writings were restricted or stopped in connection with certain Insurance Subsidiaries. Atlas’ ordinary voting common shares are listed on the OTC Markets system under the symbol “AFHIF”. Basis of Presentation These statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Atlas and the entities it controls. Equity investments in entities that we do not consolidate, including corporate entities in which we have significant influence and partnership and partnership-like entities in which we have more than minor influence over operating and financial policies, are accounted for under the equity method unless we have elected the fair value option. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Seasonality The P&C insurance business is seasonal in nature. Our ability to generate commission income is also impacted by the timing of policy effective periods in the states in which we operate and products provided by our business partners. For example, January 1 st and March 1 st are common taxi cab renewal dates in Illinois and New York, respectively. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Principles of Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Atlas and the entities it controls. Subsidiaries are entities over which Atlas, directly or indirectly, has the power to govern the financial and operating policies in order to obtain the benefits from their activities, generally accompanying an equity shareholding of more than one half of the voting rights. Subsidiaries are fully consolidated from the date on which control is transferred to Atlas and would be deconsolidated from the date that control ceases. The operating results of subsidiaries acquired or disposed of during the year will be included in the consolidated statements of operations from the effective date of acquisition and up to the effective date of disposal, as appropriate. All significant intercompany transactions and balances are eliminated in consolidation. Accounting policies of subsidiaries have been changed where necessary to ensure consistency with the policies adopted by Atlas. The following are Atlas’ subsidiaries, all of which are 100% owned, either directly or indirectly, together with the jurisdiction of incorporation, that are included in consolidated financial statements: • American Insurance Acquisition Inc. (Delaware) • Anchor Group Management Inc. (New York) • Anchor Holdings Group, Inc. (New York) • Global Liberty Insurance Company of New York (New York), classified as a discontinued operation • UBI Holdings Inc. (Delaware) • optOn Digital IP Inc. (Delaware) • optOn Insurance Agency Inc. (Delaware) The following are Atlas’ subsidiaries, all of which are 100% owned, either directly or indirectly, together with the jurisdiction of incorporation, that are not included in consolidated financial statements effective October 2019, as management no longer has direct financial control over the estates of these entities: • American Country Insurance Company (Illinois) • American Service Insurance Company, Inc. (Illinois) • Gateway Insurance Company (Illinois) Estimates and Assumptions The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates, and changes in estimates are recorded in the accounting period in which they are determined. Significant estimates in the accompanying financial statements include revenue recognition, fair value of financial instruments, evaluation of assets for impairment, deferred policy acquisition cost recoverability and deferred tax asset valuation. Financial Instruments Financial instruments are recognized and unrecognized using trade date accounting, since that is the date Atlas contractually commits to the purchase or sale with the counter-party. Investment Income and Realized Gains (Losses) For securities other than mortgage-backed and asset-backed, Atlas utilizes the effective interest method to calculate the amortized cost of the financial asset and to amortize the premium or accrete the discount over the remaining life. The effective interest rate is the rate that discounts the estimated future cash flows through the expected life of the financial instrument. Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities are valued using the retrospective adjustment method, which uses the effective interest method and includes anticipated prepayments. Interest income is reported net of amortization of premium and accretion of discount. Realized gains and losses on disposition of available-for-sale securities are based on the net proceeds and the adjusted cost of the securities sold using the specific identification method. Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash and cash equivalents include cash and highly liquid securities with original maturities of 90 days or less. Short-Term Investments Short-term investments consist of investments with original maturities between three months and one year and are reported at cost, which approximates fair value. Restricted Cash In its capacity as a managing general agent, AGMI collects premiums from agents and insureds and after deducting its commissions and/or fees, remits the premiums to the respective insurance underwriters. These unremitted amounts are reported as restricted cash in the accompanying consolidated statements of financial position with the related liability reported as premiums payable. Investments Investments in fixed income are classified as available-for-sale. Securities are classified as available-for-sale when Atlas may decide to sell those securities due to changes in market interest rates, liquidity needs, changes in yields or alternative investments, and for other reasons. Available-for-sale securities are carried at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses, net of income taxes, included as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income in shareholders’ equity. In the normal course of investing activities, the Company enters into relationships with variable interest entities (“VIE”), as an investor in limited partnerships or limited liability companies. The Company is not the primary beneficiary of these VIE’s and therefore does not consolidate them. The Company determines whether it is the primary beneficiary of a VIE based on a qualitative assessment of the relative power and benefits of the Company and the other participants in the VIE. The Company’s maximum exposure to loss with respect to these investments is limited to the investment carrying values and any unfunded commitments. Fair Values of Financial Instruments Atlas has used the following methods and assumptions in estimating its fair value disclosures: Fair values for investments are based on quoted market prices, when available. If quoted market prices are not available, fair values are based on quoted market prices of comparable instruments or values obtained from independent pricing services. Atlas’ fixed income portfolio is managed by a Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) registered investment adviser specializing in the management of insurance company portfolios. Management works directly with them to ensure that Atlas benefits from their expertise and also evaluates investments as well as specific positions independently using internal resources. Atlas’ investment adviser has a team of credit analysts for all investment grade fixed income sectors. The investment process begins with an independent analyst review of each security’s credit worthiness using both quantitative tools and qualitative review. At the issuer level, this includes reviews of past financial data, trends in financial stability, projections for the future, reliability of the management team in place and market data (credit spread, equity prices, trends in this data for the issuer and the issuer’s industry). Reviews also consider industry trends and the macro-economic environment. This analysis is continuous, integrating new information as it becomes available. As of December 31, 2020, this process did not generate any significant difference in the rating assessment between Atlas’ review and the rating agencies. Atlas employs specific control processes to determine the reasonableness of the fair value of its financial assets. These processes are designed to supplement those performed by Atlas’ investment adviser to ensure that the values received from them are accurately recorded and that the data inputs and the valuation techniques utilized are appropriate, consistently applied, and that the assumptions are reasonable and consistent with the objective of determining fair value. For example, on a continuing basis, Atlas assesses the reasonableness of individual security values that have stale prices or whose changes exceed certain thresholds as compared to previous values received from Atlas’ investment adviser or to expected prices. The portfolio is reviewed routinely for transaction volumes, new issuances, any changes in spreads, as well as the overall movement of interest rates along the yield curve to determine if sufficient activity and liquidity exists to provide a credible source for market valuations. When fair value determinations are expected to be more variable, they are validated through reviews by members of management or the Board of Directors who have relevant expertise and who are independent of those charged with executing investment transactions. Atlas employs a fair value hierarchy to categorize the inputs it uses in valuation techniques to measure the fair value. The hierarchy is comprised of quoted prices in active markets (Level 1), third party pricing models using available trade, bid and market information (Level 2), and internal models without observable market information (Level 3). The Company recognizes transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy at the end of the period in which events occur impacting the availability of inputs to the fair value methodology. Premiums Receivable Premiums receivable include premium balances due and uncollected and installment premiums not yet due from agents and insureds. Atlas evaluates the collectability of accounts receivable based on a combination of factors. When aware of a specific customer’s inability to meet its financial obligations, such as in the case of bankruptcy or deterioration in the customer’s operating results or financial position, Atlas records a specific reserve for bad debt to reduce the related receivable to the amount Atlas reasonably believes is collectible. Atlas also records reserves for bad debt for all other customers based on a variety of factors, including the length of time the receivables are past due and historical collection experience. Accounts are reviewed for potential write-off on a case-by-case basis. Accounts deemed uncollectible are written off, net of expected recoveries. If circumstances related to specific customers change, estimates of the recoverability of receivables could be further adjusted. Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Atlas incurs costs to fulfill a contract (or anticipated contract) with a client. Those costs are incurred prior to the effective date of the contract and relate to fulfilling our primary placement obligations to our clients. Our costs to fulfill prior to the effective date are capitalized and amortized on the effective date. These fulfillment activities include collecting underwriting information and negotiating their placement with an insurance carrier. The majority of costs that we incur relate to compensation and benefits of our underwriting staff. Costs incurred during preplacement activities are expected to be recovered in the future. If the capitalized costs are no longer deemed to be recoverable, then they would be expensed. Income Taxes Income tax expense includes all taxes based on taxable income or loss of Atlas and its subsidiaries, and is recognized in the statements of operations except to the extent that they relate to items recognized directly in other comprehensive income, in which case the income tax effect is also recognized in other comprehensive income or loss. Deferred taxes are recognized based on the differences in the tax basis of assets, liabilities and items recognized directly in equity and the financial reporting basis of such items. Deferred tax assets are recognized only to the extent that it is probable that future taxable income will be available against which they can be utilized. Deferred tax assets and liabilities (“DTAs” and “DTLs”) are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on future tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period of enactment. When considering the extent of the valuation allowance on Atlas’ DTAs, weight is given by management to both positive and negative evidence. U.S. GAAP states that a cumulative loss in recent years is a significant piece of negative evidence that is difficult to overcome in determining that a valuation allowance is not needed against DTAs. However, the strength and trend of earnings, as well as other relevant factors are considered. Atlas accounts for uncertain tax positions in accordance with the income taxes accounting guidance. Atlas analyzes filing positions in the federal and state jurisdiction where it is required to file tax returns, as well as the open tax years in these jurisdictions. Atlas would recognize interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of the provision for federal income taxes. Intangible Assets Atlas recognized intangible assets as part of the acquisitions of Gateway and Anchor Holdings Group, Inc. The intangible assets are classified as either indefinite-lived or definite-lived depending on whether the useful lives can be identified. Atlas indefinite-lived intangible assets consisted of state insurance licenses, and these intangible assets are reviewed for impairment at least annually. Definite-lived intangible assets are amortized over their useful lives on a straight-line basis except for customer related intangibles, which are on an accelerated basis. Atlas definite-lived intangible assets consist of trade names and trademarks with useful lives of 15 years and customer relationships with useful lives of 10 years. The intangible assets are reviewed for impairment at least annually. Property and Equipment Buildings, office equipment and internal use software are stated at historical cost less depreciation and amortization. Subsequent costs are included in the asset’s carrying amount or capitalized as a separate asset only when it is probable that future economic benefits will be realized. Land is stated at historical cost. Internal use software includes costs associated with the Company’s policy and claims system including costs to develop those systems. Costs incurred during the preliminary project stage are expensed as incurred; costs incurred for activities during the application development stage are capitalized; and costs incurred during the post-implementation/operation stage are expensed as incurred. Upon reaching the post-implementation/operation stage of the development of internal use software, the capitalized costs are amortized over the estimated useful life of the asset. Depreciation on buildings and building improvements are provided on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of 33 years for buildings and 10 years for building improvements. Depreciation and amortization on equipment and internal use software is provided on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives which range from 5 years for vehicles, 5 years for furniture, 5 years for enterprise software and 3 years for all other software and computer equipment and the term of the lease for leased equipment. Repairs and maintenance are recognized as an expense during the period incurred. Insurance Contracts Contracts under which Atlas’ Insurance Subsidiaries accept risk at the inception of the contract from another party (the insured holder of the policy) by agreeing to compensate the policyholder or other insured beneficiary if a specified future event (the insured event) adversely affects the holder of the policy are classified as insurance contracts. All policies are short-duration contracts. Revenue Recognition Revenues from contracts with customers include both commission and fee income. The recognition and measurement of revenue is based on the assessments of individual contract terms. As an MGA, AGMI has contracts with various insurance carriers which determines AGMI’s commission income revenue. Each contract specifies what our performance obligations are as an MGA and what determines our commission income revenue, generally gross written premiums, net of cancellations and refunds. Under these contracts there are a number of performance obligations; however, it is the bundle of these services and not a single obligation that results in the performance of the MGA under the contracts. The Company considers these performance obligations as a non-bifurcated bundle of services where the performance obligations are satisfied simultaneous to the point in time where AGMI issues a policy, or cancels a policy to an insured. The commission rate stated in the individual contract is the standalone selling price of these non-bifurcated services which is allocated to the service bundle and not to any individual obligation under the various contracts. Premium income is recognized on a pro rata basis over the terms of the respective insurance contracts. Claims Liabilities The provision for unpaid claims represents the estimated liabilities for reported claims reported prior to the close of the accounting period, estimates for unreported claims based on industry data and actuarial estimates, plus related estimated claim adjustment expenses based on the experience of the Company. Unpaid claim adjustment expenses are determined using case-basis evaluations and statistical analyses, including insurance industry claims data, and represent estimates of the ultimate cost of all claims incurred. The amount of uncertainty in the estimates is significantly affected by such factors as the amount of claims experience relative to the development period, knowledge of the actual facts and circumstances and the amount of insurance risk retained. The actuarial methods for making estimates for unpaid claims and for establishing the ultimate liability are periodically reviewed, and any adjustments are reflected in current operations. Reinsurance As part of Atlas’ insurance risk management policies, portions of its insurance risk is ceded to reinsurers. Reinsurance premiums and claims expenses are accounted for on a basis consistent with those used in accounting for the original policies issued and the terms of the reinsurance contracts. Premiums and claims ceded to other companies have been reported as a reduction of premium revenue and claims incurred. Commissions paid to Atlas by reinsurers on business ceded have been accounted for as a reduction of the related policy acquisition costs. Reinsurance recoverables are recorded for that portion of paid and unpaid claims and claims adjustment expenses that are ceded to other companies. Prepaid reinsurance premiums are recorded for unearned premiums that have been ceded to other companies. Share-Based Compensation Atlas has a share-based compensation plan that is described in Note 12, ‘Share-Based Compensation,’ to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Atlas uses the fair-value method of accounting to determine and account for equity settled transactions and to determine stock-based compensation for awards granted to employees and non-employees. Compensation expense is estimated based on the fair value of the award at the grant date and is recognized in net income over the requisite service period with a corresponding increase to additional paid in capital. The share-based compensation expense associated with awards that have graded vesting features and vest based on service conditions is calculated on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award. Compensation expense recognized in connection with performance awards is based on the achievement of the specified performance and service conditions. During the recognition period compensation expense is accrued based on the performance condition that is probable of achievement. The final measure of compensation expense recognized over the requisite service period reflects the final performance outcome. Operating Segments Atlas operates in one business segment, the Managing General Agency segment. Reclassifications Certain accounts in the prior years’ consolidated financial statement have been reclassified for comparative purposes to conform to the current year’s presentation. |
