Investments | INVESTMENTS (A) Investment Gains and Losses The table below presents realized investment gains and losses, excluding impairment losses, for the periods indicated. Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 (In thousands) Available for sale debt securities: Realized gains on disposal $ 1,635 5 2,608 682 Realized losses on disposal — — — (6 ) Held to maturity debt securities: Realized gains on disposal 1,982 997 3,539 1,486 Realized losses on disposal (35 ) — (69 ) (106 ) Equity securities realized gains (losses) 8 169 97 206 Real estate gains (losses) 2,657 1,611 2,657 2,901 Totals $ 6,247 2,782 8,832 5,163 Disposals in the held to maturity category during the periods shown primarily represent calls initiated by the credit issuer of the debt security. It is the Company's policy to initiate disposals of debt securities in the held to maturity category only in instances in which the credit status of the issuer comes into question and the realization of all or a significant portion of the investment principal of the holding is deemed to be in jeopardy. The Company uses the specific identification method in computing realized gains and losses. For the three months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 the percentage of gains on bonds due to the call of securities was 99.0% and 99.5% , respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 the percentage of gains on bonds due to the call of securities was 84.0% and 67.1% , respectively. This includes calls out of the Company's available for sale portfolio of debt securities. The table below presents net impairment losses recognized in earnings for the periods indicated. Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 (In thousands) Total other-than-temporary impairment gains (losses) on debt securities $ 23 27 43 53 Portion of loss (gain) recognized in comprehensive income (23 ) (27 ) (43 ) (53 ) Net impairment losses on debt securities recognized in earnings — — — — Equity securities impairments — — — Totals $ — — — — The table below presents a roll forward of credit losses on securities for which the Company also recorded non-credit other-than-temporary impairments in other comprehensive loss. Three Months Ended June 30, 2017 Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 Year Ended (In thousands) Beginning balance, cumulative credit losses related to other-than-temporary impairments $ 1,440 1,440 2,278 Reductions for securities sold during current period — — (838 ) Additions for credit losses not previously recognized in other-than-temporary impairments — — — Ending balance, cumulative credit losses related to other-than-temporary impairments $ 1,440 1,440 1,440 (B) Debt and Equity Securities The table below presents amortized costs and fair values of securities held to maturity at June 30, 2017 . Securities Held to Maturity Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value (In thousands) Debt securities: U.S. Treasury $ 1,335 218 — 1,553 States and political subdivisions 449,964 23,622 (790 ) 472,796 Public utilities 1,114,289 37,840 (716 ) 1,151,413 Corporate 4,327,597 145,011 (9,862 ) 4,462,746 Residential mortgage-backed 1,327,836 42,565 (3,415 ) 1,366,986 Home equity 7,881 1,376 — 9,257 Manufactured housing 1,285 104 — 1,389 Totals $ 7,230,187 250,736 (14,783 ) 7,466,140 The table below presents amortized costs and fair values of securities available for sale at June 30, 2017 . Securities Available for Sale Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value (In thousands) Debt securities: States and political subdivisions $ 578 13 — 591 Foreign governments 9,960 427 — 10,387 Public utilities 103,919 4,877 — 108,796 Corporate 2,782,502 97,657 (10,748 ) 2,869,411 Residential mortgage-backed 23,278 1,911 (73 ) 25,116 Home equity 8,581 258 — 8,839 Manufactured housing — — — — 2,928,818 105,143 (10,821 ) 3,023,140 Equity securities 14,508 5,286 (176 ) 19,618 Totals $ 2,943,326 110,429 (10,997 ) 3,042,758 The table below presents amortized costs and fair values of securities held to maturity at December 31, 2016 . Securities Held to Maturity Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value (In thousands) Debt securities: U.S. Treasury $ 1,333 235 — 1,568 States and political subdivisions 456,069 22,697 (2,841 ) 475,925 Public utilities 1,087,176 36,904 (3,133 ) 1,120,947 Corporate 4,237,029 116,720 (29,701 ) 4,324,048 Residential mortgage-backed 1,367,270 42,345 (6,468 ) 1,403,147 Home equity 8,826 1,462 — 10,288 Manufactured housing 1,556 132 — 1,688 Totals $ 7,159,259 220,495 (42,143 ) 7,337,611 The table below presents amortized costs and fair values of securities available for sale at December 31, 2016 . Securities Available for Sale Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value (In thousands) Debt securities: States and political subdivisions $ 580 — (6 ) 574 Foreign governments 9,956 380 — 10,336 Public utilities 127,181 4,745 (232 ) 131,694 Corporate 2,802,852 80,414 (22,603 ) 2,860,663 Residential mortgage-backed 27,110 2,137 (91 ) 29,156 Home equity 9,341 286 — 9,627 Manufactured housing — — — — 2,977,020 87,962 (22,932 ) 3,042,050 Equity securities 14,022 4,657 (366 ) 18,313 Totals $ 2,991,042 92,619 (23,298 ) 3,060,363 The Company does not consider securities to be other-than-temporarily impaired when the market decline is attributable to factors such as interest rate movements, market volatility, liquidity, spread widening and credit quality and when recovery of all amounts due under the contractual terms of the security is anticipated. Based on the review and the Company's ability and intent not to sell these securities until maturity, the Company does not consider these investments to be other-than-temporarily impaired at June 30, 2017 . The Company will monitor the investment portfolio for future changes in issuer facts and circumstances that could result in future impairments beyond those currently identified. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 , the Company recorded no other-than-temporary impairment on debt and equity securities. Unrealized losses for securities held to maturity and securities available for sale decreased during the first six months of 2017 primarily due to the downward movement in market interest rates during this period (which increases the market price of debt securities). The following table shows the gross unrealized losses and fair values of the Company's held to maturity investments by investment category and length of time the individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position at June 30, 2017 . Securities Held to Maturity Less than 12 Months 12 Months or Greater Total Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses (In thousands) Debt securities: States and political subdivisions $ 31,453 (790 ) — — 31,453 (790 ) Public utilities 71,504 (716 ) — — 71,504 (716 ) Corporate 481,789 (7,580 ) 146,064 (2,282 ) 627,853 (9,862 ) Residential mortgage-backed 190,466 (3,061 ) 9,053 (354 ) 199,519 (3,415 ) Total temporarily impaired securities $ 775,212 (12,147 ) 155,117 (2,636 ) 930,329 (14,783 ) The following table shows the gross unrealized losses and fair values of the Company's available for sale investments by investment category and length of time the individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position at June 30, 2017 . Securities Available for Sale Less than 12 Months 12 Months or Greater Total Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses (In thousands) Debt securities: States and political subdivisions $ — — — — — — Public utilities — — — — — — Corporate 344,846 (6,825 ) 89,807 (3,923 ) 434,653 (10,748 ) Residential mortgage-backed — — 1,151 (73 ) 1,151 (73 ) 344,846 (6,825 ) 90,958 (3,996 ) 435,804 (10,821 ) Equity securities 582 (94 ) 414 (82 ) 996 (176 ) Total temporarily impaired securities $ 345,428 (6,919 ) 91,372 (4,078 ) 436,800 (10,997 ) The following table shows the gross unrealized losses and fair values of the Company's held to maturity investments by investment category and length of time the individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position at December 31, 2016 . Securities Held to Maturity Less than 12 Months 12 Months or Greater Total Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses (In thousands) Debt securities: States and political subdivisions $ 80,507 (2,841 ) — — 80,507 (2,841 ) Public utilities 162,587 (3,133 ) — — 162,587 (3,133 ) Corporate 1,063,194 (22,867 ) 179,113 (6,834 ) 1,242,307 (29,701 ) Residential mortgage-backed 274,045 (5,989 ) 8,943 (479 ) 282,988 (6,468 ) Total temporarily impaired securities $ 1,580,333 (34,830 ) 188,056 (7,313 ) 1,768,389 (42,143 ) The following table shows the gross unrealized losses and fair values of the Company's available for sale investments by investment category and length of time that the individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position at December 31, 2016 . Securities Available for Sale Less than 12 Months 12 Months or Greater Total Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses Fair Value Unrealized Losses (In thousands) Debt securities: States and political subdivisions $ 574 (6 ) — — 574 (6 ) Public utilities 10,765 (232 ) — — 10,765 (232 ) Corporate 680,988 (16,427 ) 106,969 (6,176 ) 787,957 (22,603 ) Residential mortgage-backed 1,292 (91 ) — — 1,292 (91 ) 693,619 (16,756 ) 106,969 (6,176 ) 800,588 (22,932 ) Equity securities 4,154 (305 ) 422 (61 ) 4,576 (366 ) Total temporarily impaired securities $ 697,773 (17,061 ) 107,391 (6,237 ) 805,164 (23,298 ) Debt securities. The gross unrealized losses for debt securities are made up of 175 individual issues, or 13.2% of the total debt securities held by the Company at June 30, 2017 . The market value of these bonds as a percent of amortized cost averages 98.2% . Of the 175 securities, 37 , or 21.1% , fall in the 12 months or greater aging category; and 168 were rated investment grade at June 30, 2017 . Equity securities. The gross unrealized losses for equity securities are made up of 26 individual issues at June 30, 2017 . These holdings are reviewed quarterly for impairment. The amortized cost and fair value of investments in debt securities at June 30, 2017 , by contractual maturity, are shown below. Expected maturities may differ from contractual maturities because borrowers may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties. Debt Securities Available for Sale Debt Securities Held to Maturity Amortized Cost Fair Value Amortized Cost Fair Value (In thousands) Due in 1 year or less $ 169,917 174,185 309,089 316,721 Due after 1 year through 5 years 1,059,942 1,116,477 1,929,678 2,035,764 Due after 5 years through 10 years 1,623,956 1,654,760 3,285,962 3,352,813 Due after 10 years 43,144 43,763 368,456 383,210 2,896,959 2,989,185 5,893,185 6,088,508 Mortgage and asset-backed securities 31,859 33,955 1,337,002 1,377,632 Total $ 2,928,818 3,023,140 7,230,187 7,466,140 (C) Transfer of Securities During the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 the Company made no transfers from the held to maturity category to securities available for sale. (D) Mortgage Loans and Real Estate A financing receivable is a contractual right to receive money on demand or on fixed or determinable dates that is recognized as an asset in a company's statement of financial position. Mortgage, equity, participation and mezzanine loans on real estate are considered financing receivables reported by the Company. Credit and default risk is minimized through strict underwriting guidelines and diversification of underlying property types and geographic locations. In addition to being secured by the property, mortgage loans with leases on the underlying property are often guaranteed by the lease payments and also by the borrower. This approach has proved to result in quality mortgage loans with few defaults. Mortgage loan interest income is recognized on an accrual basis with any premium or discount amortized over the life of the loan. Prepayment and late fees are recorded on the date of collection. Loans in foreclosure, loans considered impaired or loans past due 90 days or more are placed on a non-accrual status. If a mortgage loan is determined to be on non-accrual status, the mortgage loan does not accrue any revenue into the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings. The loan is independently monitored and evaluated as to potential impairment or foreclosure. If delinquent payments are made and the loan is brought current, then the Company returns the loan to active status and accrues income accordingly. The Company had no mortgage loans past due 90 days or more at June 30, 2017 or 2016 and as a result all interest income was recognized at June 30, 2017 and 2016 . The following table represents the mortgage loan portfolio by loan-to-value ratio. June 30, 2017 December 31, 2016 Amount % Amount % (In thousands) (In thousands) Mortgage Loans by Loan-to-Value Ratio (1): Less than 50% $ 78,042 42.4 $ 54,783 31.3 50% to 60% 23,958 13.0 12,946 7.4 60% to 70% 63,211 34.3 76,959 43.9 70% to 80% 6,511 3.5 6,192 3.5 80% to 90% 7,066 3.8 18,688 10.7 Greater than 90% 5,560 3.0 5,616 3.2 Gross balance 184,348 100.0 175,184 100.0 Allowance for possible losses (650 ) (0.4 ) (650 ) (0.4 ) Totals $ 183,698 99.6 $ 174,534 99.6 (1) Loan-to-Value Ratio is determined using the most recent appraised value. Appraisals are required at the time of funding and may be updated if a material change occurs from the original loan agreement. All mortgage loans are analyzed quarterly in order to monitor the financial quality of these assets. Based on ongoing monitoring, mortgage loans with a likelihood of becoming delinquent are identified and placed on an internal “watch list”. Among the criteria that may indicate a potential problem include: major tenant vacancies or bankruptcies, late payments, and loan relief/restructuring requests. The mortgage loan portfolio is analyzed for the need for a valuation allowance on any loan that is on the internal watch list, in the process of foreclosure or that currently has a valuation allowance. Mortgage loans are considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement. When it is determined that a loan is impaired, a loss is recognized for the difference between the carrying amount of the mortgage loan and the estimated value reduced by the cost to sell. Estimated value is typically based on the loan's observable market price or the fair value of the collateral less cost to sell. Impairments and changes in the valuation allowance are reported in net realized investment gains (losses) in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings. The following table represents the mortgage loan allowance. June 30, 2017 December 31, 2016 (In thousands) Balance, beginning of period $ 650 650 Provision — — Releases — — Balance, end of period $ 650 650 The Company's direct investments in real estate are not a significant portion of its total investment portfolio and totaled approximately $31.5 million and $31.8 million at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 , respectively. The Company recognized operating income on real estate properties of approximately $1.4 million and $1.3 million for the first six months of 2017 and 2016 , respectively. |