6. Property and Casualty Insurance Activity | 3 Months Ended |
Mar. 31, 2014 |
Notes to Financial Statements | ' |
6. Property and Casualty Insurance Activity | ' |
Note 6 – Property and Casualty Insurance Activity |
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Premiums Earned |
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Premiums written, ceded and earned are as follows: |
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| | Direct | | | Assumed | | | Ceded | | | Net | |
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Three months ended March 31, 2014 | | | | | | | | | | |
Premiums written | | $ | 16,347,445 | | | $ | 7,647 | | | $ | (9,769,829 | ) | | $ | 6,585,263 | |
Change in unearned premiums | | | (1,133,528 | ) | | | 2,654 | | | | 471,922 | | | | (658,952 | ) |
Premiums earned | | $ | 15,213,917 | | | $ | 10,301 | | | $ | (9,297,907 | ) | | $ | 5,926,311 | |
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Three months ended March 31, 2013 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Premiums written | | $ | 12,844,836 | | | $ | 9,815 | | | $ | (7,883,665 | ) | | $ | 4,970,986 | |
Change in unearned premiums | | | (578,967 | ) | | | 27,441 | | | | 203,755 | | | | (347,771 | ) |
Premiums earned | | $ | 12,265,869 | | | $ | 37,256 | | | $ | (7,679,910 | ) | | $ | 4,623,215 | |
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Premium receipts in advance of the policy effective date are recorded as advance premiums. The balance of advance premiums as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 was approximately $1,166,000 and $776,000, respectively. |
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Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Reserves |
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The following table provides a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expense (“LAE”) reserves: |
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| | Three months ended | | | | | | | | | |
| | March 31, | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | 2014 | | | 2013 | | | | | | | | | |
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Balance at beginning of period | | $ | 34,503,229 | | | $ | 30,485,532 | | | | | | | | | |
Less reinsurance recoverables | | | (17,363,975 | ) | | | (18,419,694 | ) | | | | | | | | |
Net balance, beginning of period | | | 17,139,254 | | | | 12,065,838 | | | | | | | | | |
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Incurred related to: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Current year | | | 4,121,732 | | | | 2,469,783 | | | | | | | | | |
Prior years | | | 203,222 | | | | (142 | ) | | | | | | | | |
Total incurred | | | 4,324,954 | | | | 2,469,641 | | | | | | | | | |
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Paid related to: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Current year | | | 1,082,950 | | | | 588,655 | | | | | | | | | |
Prior years | | | 1,455,086 | | | | 1,365,361 | | | | | | | | | |
Total paid | | | 2,538,036 | | | | 1,954,016 | | | | | | | | | |
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Net balance at end of period | | | 18,926,172 | | | | 12,581,463 | | | | | | | | | |
Add reinsurance recoverables | | | 21,117,082 | | | | 15,728,423 | | | | | | | | | |
Balance at end of period | | $ | 40,043,254 | | | $ | 28,309,886 | | | | | | | | | |
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Incurred losses and LAE are net of reinsurance recoveries under reinsurance contracts of $6,718,463 and $5,055,495 for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. |
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Prior year incurred loss and LAE development is based upon estimates by line of business and accident year. The Company’s management continually monitors claims activity to assess the appropriateness of carried case and incurred but not reported (“IBNR”) reserves, giving consideration to Company and industry trends. |
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Loss and loss adjustment expense reserves |
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The reserving process for loss adjustment expense reserves provides for the Company’s best estimate at a particular point in time of the ultimate unpaid cost of all losses and loss adjustment expenses incurred, including settlement and administration of losses, and is based on facts and circumstances then known and including losses that have been incurred but not yet been reported. The process includes using actuarial methodologies to assist in establishing these estimates, judgments relative to estimates of future claims severity and frequency, the length of time before losses will develop to their ultimate level and the possible changes in the law and other external factors that are often beyond the Company’s control. Several actuarial reserving methodologies are used to estimate required loss reserves. The process produces carried reserves set by management based upon the actuaries’ best estimate and is the result of numerous best estimates made by line of business, accident year, and loss and loss adjustment expense. The amount of loss and loss adjustment expense reserves for reported claims (“case reserve”) is based primarily upon a case-by-case evaluation of coverage, liability, injury severity, and any other information considered pertinent to estimating the exposure presented by the claim. The amounts of loss and loss adjustment expense reserves for unreported claims and development on known claims (incurred but not reported reserves) are determined using historical information by line of insurance as adjusted to current conditions. Since this process produces loss reserves set by management based upon the actuaries’ best estimate, there is no explicit or implicit provision for uncertainty in the carried loss reserves. |
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Due to the inherent uncertainty associated with the reserving process, the ultimate liability may differ, perhaps substantially, from the original estimate. Such estimates are regularly reviewed and updated and any resulting adjustments are included in the current year’s results. Reserves are closely monitored and are recomputed periodically using the most recent information on reported claims and a variety of statistical techniques. On at least a quarterly basis, the Company reviews by line of business existing reserves, new claims, changes to existing case reserves and paid losses with respect to the current and prior years. Several methods are used, varying by product line and accident year, in order to select the estimated year-end loss reserves. These methods include the following: |
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Paid Loss Development – historical patterns of paid loss development are used to project future paid loss emergence in order to estimate required reserves. |
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Incurred Loss Development – historical patterns of incurred loss development, reflecting both paid losses and changes in case reserves, are used to project future incurred loss emergence in order to estimate required reserves. |
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Paid Bornhuetter-Ferguson (“BF”) – an estimated loss ratio for a particular accident year is determined, and is weighted against the portion of the accident year claims that have been paid, based on historical paid loss development patterns. The estimate of required reserves assumes that the remaining unpaid portion of a particular accident year will pay out at a rate consistent with the estimated loss ratio for that year. This method can be useful for situations where an unusually high or low amount of paid losses exists at the early stages of the claims development process. |
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Incurred Bornhuetter-Ferguson (“BF”) - an estimated loss ratio for a particular accident year is determined, and is weighted against the portion of the accident year claims that have been reported, based on historical incurred loss development patterns. The estimate of required reserves assumes that the remaining unreported portion of a particular accident year will pay out at a rate consistent with the estimated loss ratio for that year. This method can be useful for situations where an unusually high or low amount of reported losses exists at the early stages of the claims development process. |
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Management’s best estimate of required reserves is generally based on an average of the methods above, with appropriate weighting of the various methods based on the line of business and accident year being projected. In some cases, additional methods or historical data from industry sources are employed to supplement the projections derived from the methods listed above. |
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Two key assumptions that materially affect the estimate of loss reserves are the loss ratio estimate for the current accident year used in the BF methods described above, and the loss development factor selections used in the loss development methods described above. The loss ratio estimates used in the BF methods are selected after reviewing historical accident year loss ratios adjusted for rate changes, trend, and mix of business. |
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The Company is not aware of any claims trends that have emerged or that would cause future adverse development that have not already been considered in existing case reserves and in its current loss development factors. |
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In New York State, lawsuits for negligence are subject to certain limitations and must be commenced within three years from the date of the accident or are otherwise barred. Accordingly, the Company’s exposure to ‘pure’ IBNR for accident years 2010 and prior is limited although there remains the possibility of adverse development on reported claims (‘case development’ IBNR). |
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The Company was previously a one-third participant in a pool arrangement. Effective November 1, 1997, the Company withdrew from its participation in the pool arrangement. Accordingly, the Company will only be participating in losses and allocated loss adjustment expenses that occurred prior to that date. |
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Reinsurance |
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The Company’s reinsurance treaties for both its Personal Lines business, which primarily consists of homeowners’ policies, and Commercial Lines business expired on June 30, 2013. Effective July 1, 2013, the Company entered into new treaties with different terms. The treaties are annual, except for personal lines described below, and provide for the following material terms as of July 1, 2013: |
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Personal Lines |
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The personal lines treaty was renewed with a two year term expiring on June 30, 2015. Personal lines business, which includes homeowners, dwelling fire and canine legal liability insurance, is reinsured under a 75% quota share treaty, which provides coverage with respect to losses of up to $1,200,000 per occurrence. An excess of loss contract provides 100% of coverage for the next $1,700,000 of losses for a total reinsurance coverage of $2,600,000 with respect to losses of up to $2,900,000 per occurrence. Effective as of July 1, 2014, the Company has the option to increase the quota share percentage to a maximum of 85% or decrease the quota share percentage to a minimum of 55% by giving no less than 30 days advance notice. On May 12, 2014, the Company notified the personal lines reinsurers of its election to reduce the ceding percentage in the personal lines quota share treaty from 75% to 55% effective July 1, 2014. See “Catastrophe Reinsurance” below for a discussion of the Company’s reinsurance coverage with respect to its Personal Lines business in the event of a catastrophe. |
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Personal umbrella policies are reinsured under a 90% quota share treaty limiting the Company to a maximum of $100,000 per occurrence for the first $1,000,000 of coverage. The second $1,000,000 of coverage is 100% reinsured. |
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Commercial Lines |
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General liability commercial policies written by the Company, except for commercial auto policies, are reinsured under a 25% quota share treaty, which provides coverage with respect to losses of up to $400,000 per occurrence. Excess of loss contracts provide 100% of coverage for the next $2,500,000 of losses for a total reinsurance coverage of $2,600,000 with respect to losses of up to $2,900,000 per occurrence. |
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Commercial Auto |
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Commercial auto policies are covered by an excess of loss reinsurance contract, which provides $1,700,000 of coverage in excess of $300,000. |
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Catastrophe Reinsurance |
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The Company has catastrophe reinsurance coverage with regard to losses of up to $90,000,000. The initial $4,000,000 of losses in a catastrophe are subject to a 75% quota share treaty, such that the Company retains $1,000,000 per catastrophe occurrence. With respect to any additional catastrophe losses of up to $86,000,000 per catastrophe, the Company is 100% reinsured under its catastrophe reinsurance program. Catastrophe coverage is limited on an annual basis to two times the per occurrence amounts. |
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The single maximum risks to which the Company is subject under these treaties per occurrence are as follows: |
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Treaty | | Extent of Loss | | Risk Retained | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Personal Lines | | Initial $1,200,000 | | $300,000 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | $1,200,000 - $2,900,000 | | None(1) | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Over $2,900,000 | | 100% | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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Personal Umbrella | | Initial $1,000,000 | | $100,000 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | $1,000,000 - $2,000,000 | | None(1) | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Over $2,000,000 | | 100% | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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Commercial Lines | | Initial $400,000 | | $300,000 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | $400,000 - $2,900,000 | | None(1) | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Over $2,900,000 | | 100% | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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Commercial Auto | | Initial $300,000 | | $300,000 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | $300,000 - $2,000,000 | | None(1) | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Over $2,000,000 | | 100% | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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Catastrophe (2) | | Initial $4,000,000 | | $1,000,000 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | $4,000,000 - $90,000,000 | | None | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Over $90,000,000 | | 100% | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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(1) | Covered by excess of loss treaties. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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(2) | Catastrophe coverage is limited on an annual basis to two times the per occurrence amounts. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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The previous reinsurance treaties, which expired on June 30, 2013, provided for the following material terms: |
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Personal Lines |
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Personal Lines business, which includes homeowners, dwelling fire and canine legal liability insurance, was reinsured under a 75% quota share treaty which provided coverage with respect to losses of up to $1,000,000 per occurrence. An excess of loss contract provided 100% of coverage for the next $1,900,000 of losses for a total reinsurance coverage of $2,650,000 with respect to losses of up to $2,900,000 per occurrence. See “Catastrophe Reinsurance” below for a discussion of the Company’s reinsurance coverage with respect to its Personal Lines business in the event of a catastrophe. |
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Personal umbrella policies were reinsured under a 90% quota share treaty limiting the Company to a maximum of $100,000 per occurrence for the first $1,000,000 of coverage. The second $1,000,000 of coverage was 100% reinsured. |
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Commercial Lines |
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General liability commercial policies written by the Company, except for commercial auto policies, were reinsured under a 40% quota share treaty, which provided coverage with respect to losses of up to $500,000 per occurrence. Excess of loss contracts provided 100% of coverage for the next $2,400,000 of losses for a total reinsurance coverage of $2,600,000 with respect to losses of up to $2,900,000 per occurrence. |
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Commercial Auto |
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Commercial auto policies were covered by an excess of loss reinsurance contract, which provided $1,750,000 of coverage in excess of $250,000. |
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Catastrophe Reinsurance |
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The Company had catastrophe reinsurance coverage with regard to losses of up to $73,000,000. The initial $3,000,000 of losses in a catastrophe were subject to a 75% quota share treaty, such that the Company retained $750,000 per catastrophe occurrence With respect to any additional catastrophe losses of up to $70,000,000, the Company was 100% reinsured under its catastrophe reinsurance program. |
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The Company’s reinsurance program is structured to enable the Company to significantly grow its premium volume while maintaining regulatory capital and other financial ratios generally within or below the expected ranges used for regulatory oversight purposes. The reinsurance program also provides income as a result of ceding commissions earned pursuant to the quota share reinsurance contracts. The Company’s participation in reinsurance arrangements does not relieve the Company from its obligations to policyholders. |
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Ceding Commission Revenue |
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The Company earns ceding commission revenue under its quota share reinsurance agreements based on: (i) a fixed provisional commission rate at which provisional ceding commissions are earned, and (ii) a sliding scale of commission rates and ultimate treaty year loss ratios on the policies reinsured under each of these agreements based upon which contingent ceding commissions are earned. The sliding scale includes minimum and maximum commission rates in relation to specified ultimate loss ratios. The commission rate and contingent ceding commissions earned increases when the estimated ultimate loss ratio decreases and, conversely, the commission rate and contingent ceding commissions earned decreases when the estimated ultimate loss ratio increases. |
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As of March 31, 2014, the Company’s estimated ultimate loss ratios are attributable to contracts for the July 1, 2013/June 30, 2014 treaty year (“2013/2014 Treaties”). As of March 31, 2013, the Company’s estimated ultimate loss ratios are attributable to contracts for the July 1, 2012/June 30, 2013 treaty year (“2012/2013 Treaties”). |
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Treaties in effect as of March 31, 2014 |
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The Company’s estimated ultimate loss ratios (“Loss Ratios”) for the period July 1, 2013 through March 31, 2014, which are attributable to contracts for the 2013/2014 Treaties remain lower than the contractual Loss Ratios at which the provisional ceding commissions are earned. As a result of severe winter weather during the three months ended March 31, 2014, the Loss Ratios attributable to these treaties as of March 31, 2014 were greater than the Loss Ratios as of December 31, 2013. Accordingly, for the three months ended March 31, 2014, the Company’s contingent ceding commission earned was reduced as a result of the increase in estimated Loss Ratios for the 2013/2014 Treaties. |
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Treaties in effect as of March 31, 2013 |
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The Company’s estimated Loss Ratios attributable to the 2012/2013 Treaties were greater than the contractual Loss Ratios at which the provisional ceding commissions are earned. Accordingly, for the three months ended March 31, 2013, the Company recorded negative contingent ceding commissions earned with respect to the 2012/2013 Treaties. |
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In addition to the treaties that were in effect as of March 31, 2014 and 2013, the estimated ultimate loss ratios from prior years’ treaties are subject to change as loss reserves from those periods increase or decrease, resulting in an increase or decrease in the commission rate and contingent ceding commissions earned. |
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Ceding commissions earned consists of the following: |
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| | Three months ended | | | | | | | | | |
| | March 31, | | | | | | | | | |
| | 2014 | | | 2013 | | | | | | | | | |
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Provisional ceding commissions earned | | $ | 3,376,876 | | | $ | 2,392,864 | | | | | | | | | |
Contingent ceding commissions earned | | | 4,407 | | | | (99,153 | ) | | | | | | | | |
| | $ | 3,381,283 | | | $ | 2,293,711 | | | | | | | | | |
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Provisional ceding commissions are settled monthly. Balances due from reinsurers for contingent ceding commissions on quota share treaties are settled annually based on the loss ratio of each treaty year that ends on June 30. As discussed above, for the three months ended March 31, 2013, the Company has recorded negative contingent ceding commissions earned with respect to the 2012/2013 Treaties, which results in ceding commissions payable to reinsurers. There was no net contingent ceding commissions payable to reinsurers as of March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013. |