Increased price competition in the non-standard auto lines of business in which the Company operates has depressed automobile premium revenue. Private passenger auto liability insurance declined 41.7% and auto physical damage insurance declined 52.7%. However, the private passenger auto line of business is only a small percentage of our total book of business composing only 3.7% and 7.2% of total premium revenue in 2007 and 2006 respectively. In addition to increase price competition, we temporarily halted our marketing efforts to produce new private passenger auto insurance premium pending the launch of a new web based auto insurance policy issuance and administration system. This new system was launched in the second quarter of 2007 and should lead to a turnaround in private passenger auto insurance production as agents are educated on the new system and an improved private passenger auto insurance product is launched. These efforts are expected to lead to a turnaround in private passenger auto business production beginning in 2008.
Reinsurance premium ceded increased 22.5% in the first nine months of 2007 compared to the same period last year due to an increase in new business production primarily associated with the homeowners line of business and a 9.5% increase in the rate of our catastrophe reinsurance premium.
Net investment income is up $72,000 for the quarter and $275,000 for the year to date in 2007 compared to the same period last year primarily due to modest increases in interest rates in the first half of 2007.
Realized investment gains totaled $529,000 in the first nine months of 2007, down significantly from the $1,870,000 realized in the first nine months of 2006. Realized gains are generated primarily from the sale of equity portfolio investments of the insurance subsidiaries. An investment committee composed of senior company management manages these investments. We will sell or decrease positions in certain investment holdings only as market conditions warrant which can lead to significant fluctuations in realized capital gains from quarter to quarter and year to year.
Other income decreased $117,000 in the first nine months compared to last year and $47,000 for the quarter. Other income is primarily composed of insurance related fees tied to the non-standard auto line of business. The decrease in fees is primarily attributable to the decline in non-standard auto premium production.
Policyholder benefits and settlement expenses (claims) are significantly improved compared to the three month and nine month periods ended September 30 of last year. For the three month period ended September 30, 2007, claims were $8,927,000, or 56.1% of premium revenue, a decline of 2.9 percentage points compared to third quarter of last year which totaled 59% of premium revenue. For the nine month period ended September 30, 2007, claims totaled $28,259,000 or 60.95% of premium revenue, compared to $29,272,000 last year which totaled 65.72% of premium revenue. The improvement in the loss ratio is primarily attributable to across the board improvements in dwelling fire and homeowners lines of business.
Also notable, for the second year in a row, the third quarter was free of any significant catastrophe related losses. For the year to date in 2007, catastrophe related losses were $650,000 down from the $1,025,000 in catastrophe related losses incurred in the first nine months of 2006. No hurricane related losses have been incurred in either of the last two years. Catastrophe related losses in both years were the result of March and April tornado related activity.
Policy acquisition costs for the third quarter of 2007 as a percent of earned premium was unchanged compared to last year at 19.4% of premium revenue. For the year to date, policy acquisition costs are moderately higher at 20.1% of premium revenue compared to 19.1% last year. An increase in the estimate for agents bonus commissions is the primary reason for the increase in policy acquisition cost for the year to date.
General insurance expenses:
General expenses for the third quarter of 2007 were slightly higher at 13.96% of premium revenue compared to 12.9% last year, an increase of $254,000. Increased corporate level expenses and compliance costs were the primary contributor to the increase in general expenses.
Taxes, licenses, and fees:
Insurance taxes licenses and fees were 5% of premium revenue for the third quarter of 2007 compared to 3.6% last year and 4.05% for the year to date in 2007 compared to 3.65% for the same period last year. A change in the estimate municipal license fees in the states of Georgia and South Carolina was the primary factor contributing to the increase in insurance taxes licenses and fees for the quarter and year to date. While the cost of these fees did not change and the overall impact on the financials was not material, the change in the method of estimation increased the accrual of expense for these fees and led to a one time spike in expenses for the quarter and year to date.
Interest expense:
Interest expense increased for the quarter and year to date by $27,000 and $17,000 respectively. We refinanced $2.3 million in short term debt in June of 2007 and borrowed an additional $700,000 though the issuance of a total of $3 million in trust preferred securities which moderately increased our interest cost for the quarter and year to date.
Income taxes:
The effective tax rate for the three month period ended September 30, 2007 was 26.6% compared to 29.6% for the same period last year and the effective tax rate for the nine month period ended September 30, 2007 was 25.4% compared to 27.9% for the same period last year. An increase in the allocation of tax free bonds during 2007 in the investment portfolio is the primary factor contributing to the decrease in the effective tax rate.
Discontinued operations:
As discussed earlier, in April of 2007 we disposed of the majority of our investment in Mobile Attic. The sale included all assets of Mobile Attic and the buyer assumed all Mobile Attic liabilities. Proceeds in excess of assets sold and liabilities assumed by the seller totaled $2,700,000. The net of tax gain on the sale of Mobile Attic was $1,460,000. After deducting a loss from discontinued operations for the first quarter of 2007, net income from discontinued operations for Mobile Attic for the nine months ended September 30, 2007 totaled $1,319,000.
The income statement for the quarter and year to date ended September 30, 2006 contain adjustments to reclassify the operations of Mobile Attic to the discontinued operations section.
Additional details of the transaction are disclosed on Form 8-K dated April 10, 2007.
Summary:
Premium revenue for the third quarter of 2007 totaled $15,913,000 an increase of 4% over the third quarter of 2006 which totaled $15,297,000. For the year to date, premium revenue totaled $46,362,000, also an increase of 4% compared to the year to date in 2006 of $44,543,000. Increased premium revenue in the homeowners line of business served to offset declines in premium revenue in the private passenger auto line of business to generate the net increase of 4% in premium revenue for the quarter and year to date.
Net investment income increased $72,000 in the third quarter of 2007 to $1,216,000 compared to last year and increased for the year to date in 2007 by $275,000 to $3,629,000 due to a moderate increase in invested assets and improvements in portfolio yields.
The Company has net income from continuing operations for the third quarter of 2007 of $1,505,000 compared to $1,913,000 for the third quarter of 2006. Income from insurance operations was comparable to last year with the most significant change being a reduction in realized capital gains. A loss from discontinued operations was incurred in the third quarter of 2006 from Mobile Attic of $77,000 compared to $0 in the third quarter of 2007 due to the completion of the sale of Mobile Attic in the second quarter of 2007.
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For the year to date in 2007, the Company has income from continuing operations of $3,169,000 compared to $2,858,000 in 2006. The $1,341,000 decrease in realized capital gains is offset by a reduction in loss and loss adjustment expenses from 65.72% of earned premium in the first nine months of 2006 to 60.95% of earned premium in the first nine months of 2007.
For the year to date in 2007, the Company has net income from discontinued operations of $1,319,000 primarily associated with a net of tax gain on disposal of Mobile Attic of $1,460,000. The Company sold its stake in Mobile Attic in the second quarter of 2007. Mobile Attic had a year to date loss from discontinued operations of $193,000 in 2006.
For the first nine months of 2007, the Company has net income of $4,488,000 compared to $2,665,000 for the first nine months of 2006. The most significant item contributing to the increase in net income was the gain on disposal from discontinued operations associated with the disposal of Mobile Attic. However, improved underwriting results in the property and casualty insurance subsidiary also contributed to a 10.8% increase in income from continuing operations.
Investments:
Invested assets at September 30, 2007 increased $3,363,000 compared to December 31, 2006. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase in market prices of available for sale securities coupled with an increase in net new investments of just over $1,000,000.
The Company considers any fixed income investment with a Standard & Poor’s rating of BB+ or lower to be below investment grade (Commonly referred to as “Junk Bonds”). At September 30, 2007 less than 1% of the Company’s investment portfolio was invested in fixed income investments rated below investment grade. The Company currently has no bonds in the investment portfolio in default. The Company monitors its level of investments in debt and equity securities held in issuers of below investment grade debt securities. Management believes the level of such investments is not material to the Company’s financial condition.
In light of the meltdown in certain segments of the credit markets during August and September of 2007, we have undertaken a review of our entire fixed income investment portfolio. We do own considerable amounts of mortgage related debt securities in our investment portfolio; however we have no material exposure to the most heavily impacted segment of the credit market dealing primarily with private label sub-prime mortgage backed securities. The majority of our mortgage security related holdings (including CMO’s) were issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Association (FHLMC). We have not experienced changes in market values of these securities other than those caused by factors impacting interest rates markets overall. We did not write down any securities in the quarter due to other than temporary declines in market value and do not anticipate any material write downs due to the current situation related to sub-prime mortgage crisis.
We also do not own any collateralized debt obligations (CDO’s) related to credit card receivables or other segments of the consumer credit market that may face pressure in the event of an economic downturn. While we do own corporate bonds in our portfolio that could face pressure in an economic slowdown, corporate bonds currently compose less than 15% of our bond portfolio and is primarily comprised of investment grade issues with issuers having total debt to capital levels of less than 40%. The majority of our bond investment portfolio remains in government, agency and insured municipal bond investments that we believe positions us well should we enter an economic downturn.
Liquidity and capital resources:
At September 30, 2007, the Company had aggregate equity capital, unrealized investment gains (net of income taxes) and retained earnings of $48,378,000 up $2,999,000 compared to December 31, 2006. The increase reflects current net income of $4,488,000, an increase in accumulated other comprehensive income (primarily unrealized investment gains) of $176,000, and dividends paid of $1,665,000.
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The Company has $12.84 million in debt outstanding consisting primarily of $12.372 million in long term debt from the proceeds of two separate trust preferred securities issuances, the latest of which totaled $3.0 million and was completed in June of 2007. The Company currently does not anticipate any material new borrowings.
Short term debt of $466,000 is associated with a line of credit from a local bank secured by NSIC. The proceeds of the credit line are being used to fund construction cost of an expansion of the home office facilities. The total available under the credit line is $900,000 and the debt is expected to be retired in full no later than the first quarter of 2008.
The Company had $3,764,000 in cash and short term investments at September 30, 2007. Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $4,000,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2007 and was primarily generated by operations of the property and casualty insurance subsidiaries.
The liquidity requirements of the Company are primarily met by funds provided from operations of the life insurance and property/casualty subsidiaries. The Company receives funds from its subsidiaries consisting of dividends, payments for federal income taxes, and reimbursement of expenses incurred at the corporate level for the subsidiaries. These funds are used to pay stockholder dividends, corporate interest, corporate administrative expenses, federal income taxes, and for funding investments in subsidiaries.
The Company’s subsidiaries require cash in order to fund policy acquisition costs, claims, other policy benefits, interest expense, general expenses, and dividends to the Company. Premium and investment income, as well as maturities, calls, and sales of invested assets, provide the primary sources of cash for both subsidiaries. A significant portion of the Company’s investment portfolio consists of readily marketable securities, which can be sold for cash.
The Company’s business is concentrated primarily in the Southeastern United States. Accordingly, unusually severe storms or other disasters in the Southeastern United States might have a more significant effect on the Company than on a more geographically diversified insurance company. However, the Company maintains a catastrophe reinsurance program to limit the effect of such catastrophic events on the Company’s financial condition. The Company deductible under the terms of the reinsurance contract totals $3.5 million however; the Company maintains cash and short term investments in sufficient amounts to cover the deductible payment in the event of a catastrophic event.
Discussion of dividend policy:
We have historically maintained a pattern of increasing dividends to shareholders on an annual basis with the increase customarily occurring in November of each year. Since 2002, this increase in per share dividends has amounted to a $0.02 per share annual increase in dividends paid per share. In 2007, the Board of Directors of the Company, upon the recommendation of management, voted to forego the customary ½ cent increase in the quarterly dividend. Instead, the board voted to keep the dividend the same as had been paid in the previous quarters of 2007 at .225 per share. Several factors entered into this decision; however the most significant factor was our current high payout ratio and lack of significant capital growth to support future premium revenue growth initiatives. We have set a target dividend payout ratio of 30 to 35% of earnings, a level that we have exceeded for many years. It is important that we increase earnings to the point of supporting the dividend at the current level to allow us to provide our stockholders with current income but also allow for the growth of our capital in order to support our future growth initiatives important for the long term health of the Company. We believe our current earnings are sufficient to support our dividend at the current level but we elected to pass on this year’s per share dividend increase to allow more time for our earnings base to “catch-up” with the current dividend payout. We are also aware that we have a streak of annual dividend increases that dates back over 20 years. While we did forego our customary November dividend increase, we will still payout over $2,219,000 in dividends this year, or .90 per share, a modest increase over last years total dividend payouts for the year of $2,183,000 or .885 per share. We intend to revaluate our dividend payout no later than the fourth quarter of next year and based on our current evaluation of the future operations, we do not foresee a reduction in quarterly dividend payments from the current level and it is our current intent to resume a modest level of dividend growth. It should be noted that, while no material increase or decrease in the quarterly dividend is currently anticipated, dividends are declared and paid on a quarterly basis and is subject to review quarterly by the Company Board of Directors.
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Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
The Company’s primary objectives in managing its investment portfolio are to maximize investment income and total investment returns while minimizing overall credit risk. Investment strategies are developed based on many factors including changes in interest rates, overall market conditions, underwriting results, regulatory requirements, and tax position. Investment decisions are made by management and reviewed by the Board of Directors. Market risk represents the potential for loss due to adverse changes in fair value of securities. The three potential risks related to the Company’s fixed maturity portfolio are interest rate risk, prepayment risk, and default risk. The primary risk related to the Company’s equity portfolio is equity price risk. There have been no material changes to the Company’s market risk for the nine months ended September 30, 2007. For further information reference is made to the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
Company management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-14. Based on that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures are effective in ensuring that all material information required to be filed in this quarterly report has been made known to them in a timely fashion. There have been no significant changes in internal controls, or in factors that could significantly affect internal controls, subsequent to the date the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer completed their evaluation.
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Part II. OTHER INFORMATION |
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Item 1. Legal Proceedings |
Please refer to Note 7 to the financial statements. |
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Item 1A.Risk Factors |
There has been no material change in risk factors previously disclosed under Item 1A. of the |
Company’s annual report for 2006 on Form 10-K. |
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Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds |
None |
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Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities |
None |
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Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders |
None |
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Item 5. Other Information |
None |
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Item 6. Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K |
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a. Exhibits |
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11. Computation of Earnings Per Share Filed Herewith, See Note 3 to Consolidated Financial |
Statements. |
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31.1 Certification Pursuant to 18 U. S. C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the |
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, filed herewith. |
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31.2 Certification Pursuant to 18 U. S. C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the |
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, filed herewith. |
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32.1 Certification Pursuant to 18 U. S. C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the |
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, filed herewith. |
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32.2 Certification Pursuant to 18 U. S. C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the |
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, filed herewith. |
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b. Reports on Form 8-K during the quarter ended September 30, 2007 |
Date of Report | | Date Filed | | Description |
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July 23, 2007 | | July 23, 2007 | | Press release, dated July 23, 2007 issued by The National Security Group, Inc. |
August 13, 2007 | | August 13, 2007 | | Press release, dated August 13, 2007, issued by The National Security Group, Inc. |
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed by the undersigned duly authorized officer, on its behalf and in the capacity indicated.
The National Security Group, Inc.
/s/ William L. Brunson, Jr. | | /s/ Brian R. McLeod |
William L. Brunson, Jr. | | Brian R. McLeod |
President and Chief Executive Officer | | Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer |
Dated: November 13, 2007
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