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Fair Value
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Fair Value [Abstract]  
Fair Value
6.
 
FAIR VALUE
 
 
GAAP guidance regarding fair value measurements address how
 
companies should measure fair value when they
are required
 
to use
 
fair value
 
measures for
 
recognition or
 
disclosure purposes
 
under GAAP
 
and provides
 
a
common definition of
 
fair value
 
to be
 
used throughout GAAP.
 
It defines fair
 
value as
 
the price that
 
would be
received to
 
sell an asset
 
or paid to
 
transfer a
 
liability in an
 
orderly fashion between
 
market participants
 
at the
measurement date.
 
In addition, it
 
establishes a
 
three-level valuation
 
hierarchy for
 
the disclosure
 
of fair
 
value
measurements.
 
The valuation hierarchy
 
is based on
 
the transparency
 
of inputs to
 
the valuation of
 
an asset or
liability.
 
The level in the hierarchy
 
within which a given fair value
 
measurement falls is determined based
 
on the
lowest level
 
input that
 
is significant
 
to the
 
measurement, with
 
Level 1
 
being the
 
highest priority
 
and Level
 
3
being the lowest priority.
 
 
The levels in the hierarchy are defined as follows:
 
Level 1: Inputs
 
to the valuation
 
methodology are observable
 
inputs that reflect
 
unadjusted quoted
 
prices for
identical assets or liabilities in an active market;
 
Level 2: Inputs
 
to the
 
valuation methodology
 
include quoted
 
prices for
 
similar assets
 
and liabilities
 
in active
markets, and
 
inputs that
 
are observable
 
for the
 
asset or
 
liability, either
 
directly or
 
indirectly, for
substantially the full term of the financial instrument;
 
Level 3: Inputs
 
to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.
 
The Company’s
 
fixed maturity
 
and equity
 
securities are
 
primarily managed
 
by third
 
party investment
 
asset
managers.
 
The investment
 
asset managers
 
managing publicly
 
traded securities
 
obtain prices
 
from nationally
recognized pricing
 
services.
 
These services
 
seek to
 
utilize market
 
data and
 
observations in
 
their evaluation
process.
 
They use pricing applications that vary
 
by asset class and incorporate
 
available market information
 
and
when fixed maturity securities do
 
not trade on a daily
 
basis the services will apply available
 
information through
processes such
 
as benchmark curves,
 
benchmarking of
 
like securities,
 
sector groupings
 
and matrix
 
pricing.
 
In
addition, they
 
use model
 
processes, such
 
as the
 
Option Adjusted
 
Spread model
 
to develop
 
prepayment and
interest rate scenarios for securities that have
 
prepayment features.
 
 
In limited instances
 
where prices are
 
not provided by
 
pricing services or in
 
rare instances when
 
a manager may
not agree
 
with the pricing
 
service, price quotes
 
on a non-binding
 
basis are obtained
 
from investment
 
brokers.
 
The investment
 
asset managers do
 
not make any
 
changes to prices
 
received from either
 
the pricing services or
the investment
 
brokers.
 
In addition,
 
the investment
 
asset managers
 
have procedures
 
in place
 
to review
 
the
reasonableness of the
 
prices from the
 
service providers and
 
may request verification
 
of the prices.
 
In addition,
the Company continually
 
performs analytical reviews
 
of price changes and
 
tests the prices on
 
a random basis to
an independent pricing
 
source.
 
No material variances
 
were noted during
 
these price validation
 
procedures.
 
In
limited situations,
 
where financial
 
markets are
 
inactive or
 
illiquid, the
 
Company may
 
use its
 
own assumptions
about future
 
cash flows
 
and risk-adjusted
 
discount rates
 
to determine
 
fair value.
 
At September
 
30, 2020,
$
1,134,535
 
thousand of fixed
 
maturities, market value
 
and $
3,748
 
thousand of fixed
 
maturities, fair value
 
were
fair valued
 
using unobservable inputs.
 
The majority of
 
the fixed maturities,
 
market value,
 
$
805,061
 
thousand,
were valued by
 
investment managers’ valuation
 
committees and many
 
of these fair values
 
and all of the
 
$
3,748
thousand of fixed
 
maturities, fair
 
value were
 
substantiated by
 
valuations from
 
independent third
 
parties.
 
The
Company has procedures
 
in place to
 
evaluate these independent
 
third party valuations.
 
The remaining Level
 
3
fixed maturities of $
329,474
 
thousand were valued at
 
either par or amortized cost,
 
which the Company believes
approximates fair value.
 
At December 31, 2019, $
772,979
 
thousand of fixed maturities, market value and $
5,826
thousand of fixed
 
maturities, fair
 
value were
 
fair valued
 
using unobservable
 
inputs.
 
The majority of
 
the fixed
maturities, market value, $
610,873
 
thousand, were valued by investment
 
managers’ valuation committees and a
majority of these fair
 
values and all of
 
the $
5,826
 
thousand of fixed
 
maturities, fair value
 
were substantiated
 
by
valuations from independent
 
third parties.
 
The Company has
 
procedures in place
 
to review and
 
evaluate these
independent third party valuations.
 
The remaining Level 3 fixed maturities of $
162,106
 
thousand were valued at
either par or amortized cost, which the Company believes approximates fair value.
 
 
The Company
 
internally manages
 
a public
 
equity portfolio
 
which had
 
a fair
 
value at
 
September 30,
 
2020 and
December 31,
 
2019 of
 
$
591,681
 
thousand and
 
$
170,888
 
thousand, respectively,
 
and all
 
prices were
 
obtained
from publicly published sources.
 
 
Equity securities
 
denominated in
 
U.S. currency
 
with quoted
 
prices in
 
active markets
 
for identical
 
assets are
categorized as
 
Level 1
 
since the
 
quoted prices
 
are directly
 
observable.
 
Equity securities
 
traded on
 
foreign
exchanges are categorized
 
as Level 2 due to the
 
added input of a foreign exchange
 
conversion rate
 
to determine
fair or
 
market value.
 
The Company
 
uses foreign
 
currency exchange
 
rates published
 
by nationally
 
recognized
sources.
 
 
All categories of
 
fixed maturity securities
 
listed in the
 
tables below are
 
generally categorized
 
as Level 2,
 
since a
particular security may not have traded but the pricing services are able to use valuation
 
models with observable
market inputs such as
 
interest rate yield
 
curves and prices for similar
 
fixed maturity securities in
 
terms of issuer,
maturity and
 
seniority.
 
For foreign
 
government securities
 
and foreign
 
corporate securities,
 
the fair
 
values
provided by
 
the third
 
party pricing
 
services in
 
local currencies,
 
and where
 
applicable, are
 
converted to
 
U.S.
dollars using currency exchange rates from nationally
 
recognized sources.
 
 
The fixed maturities with fair values categorized
 
as Level 3 result when prices are not available
 
from the
nationally recognized pricing services.
 
 
The composition and valuation inputs for the presented fixed maturities categories are as follows:
 
• U.S.
 
Treasury securities
 
and obligations
 
of U.S.
 
government agencies
 
and corporations
 
are primarily
comprised of U.S.
 
Treasury bonds
 
and the fair
 
value is based
 
on observable market
 
inputs such as
 
quoted
prices, reported trades, quoted prices for similar issuances or benchmark yields;
 
• Obligations
 
of U.S. states and political subdivisions are comprised
 
of state and municipal bond issuances and
the fair
 
values are
 
based on
 
observable market
 
inputs such
 
as quoted
 
market prices,
 
quoted prices
 
for
similar securities, benchmark yields and credit spreads;
 
• Corporate
 
securities are primarily comprised of
 
U.S. corporate and
 
public utility bond issuances and
 
the fair
values are
 
based on
 
observable market
 
inputs such
 
as quoted
 
market prices,
 
quoted prices
 
for similar
securities, benchmark yields and credit spreads;
 
 
• Asset-backed
 
and mortgage
 
-backed securities
 
fair values
 
are based
 
on observable
 
inputs such
 
as quoted
prices, reported trades,
 
quoted prices for similar
 
issuances or benchmark yields and
 
cash flow models using
observable inputs such as prepayment speeds, collateral performance and default spreads;
 
• Foreign
 
government securities
 
are comprised
 
of global
 
non-U.S. sovereign
 
bond issuances
 
and the
 
fair
values are
 
based on
 
observable market
 
inputs such
 
as quoted
 
market prices,
 
quoted prices
 
for similar
securities and models with
 
observable inputs such as
 
benchmark yields and credit
 
spreads and then, where
applicable, converted to U.S. dollars using an exchange
 
rate from a nationally recognized source;
 
• Foreign
 
corporate securities are
 
comprised of global
 
non-U.S. corporate
 
bond issuances and
 
the fair values
are based
 
on observable
 
market inputs
 
such as
 
quoted market
 
prices, quoted
 
prices for
 
similar securities
and models with observable inputs such as benchmark yields and credit spreads and then, where applicable,
converted to U.S. dollars using an exchange
 
rate from a nationally recognized source.
 
The Company’s liability
 
for equity index
 
put options is
 
categorized as
 
Level 3 since
 
there is no
 
active market for
these equity
 
put options.
 
The fair
 
values for
 
these options
 
are calculated
 
by the
 
Company using
 
an industry
accepted pricing
 
model, Black-Scholes.
 
The model inputs
 
and assumptions are:
 
risk free
 
interest rates,
 
equity
market indexes values,
 
volatilities and dividend yields and duration.
 
The model results are then adjusted
 
for the
Company’s credit default swap rate.
 
All of these inputs and assumptions are updated quarterly.
 
 
The following table
 
presents the fair
 
value measurement levels
 
for all assets
 
and liabilities, which
 
the Company
has recorded at fair value (fair and market
 
value) as of the periods indicated:
Fair Value Measurement Using:
Quoted Prices
in Active
Significant
Markets for
Other
Significant
Identical
Observable
Unobservable
Assets
Inputs
Inputs
(Dollars in thousands)
September 30, 2020
(Level 1)
(Level 2)
(Level 3)
Assets:
Fixed maturities, market value
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations
 
of
U.S. government agencies and corporations
$
1,452,003
$
-
$
1,452,003
$
-
Obligations of U.S. States and political
 
subdivisions
543,283
-
543,283
-
Corporate securities
6,805,349
-
6,081,305
724,044
Asset-backed securities
1,338,202
-
933,413
404,789
Mortgage-backed securities
Commercial
969,320
-
969,320
-
Agency residential
2,118,653
-
2,118,653
-
Non-agency residential
2,520
-
2,520
-
Foreign government securities
1,535,075
-
1,535,075
-
Foreign corporate securities
3,091,972
-
3,086,270
5,702
Total fixed
 
maturities, market value
17,856,377
-
16,721,842
1,134,535
Fixed maturities, fair value
3,748
-
-
3,748
Equity securities, fair value
1,173,162
1,084,448
88,714
-
Liabilities:
Equity index put option contracts
$
6,632
$
-
$
-
$
6,632
There were
no
 
transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 for
 
the nine months ended September 30, 2020.
 
 
The following table
 
presents the fair
 
value measurement levels
 
for all assets
 
and liabilities, which
 
the Company
has recorded at fair value (fair and market
 
value) as of the periods indicated:
Fair Value Measurement Using:
Quoted Prices
in Active
Significant
Markets for
Other
Significant
Identical
Observable
Unobservable
Assets
Inputs
Inputs
(Dollars in thousands)
December 31, 2019
(Level 1)
(Level 2)
(Level 3)
Assets:
Fixed maturities, market value
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations
 
of
U.S. government agencies and corporations
$
1,515,803
$
-
$
1,515,803
$
-
Obligations of U.S. States and political
 
subdivisions
536,915
-
536,915
-
Corporate securities
6,374,946
-
5,757,358
617,588
Asset-backed securities
897,333
-
743,692
153,641
Mortgage-backed securities
Commercial
844,557
-
844,557
-
Agency residential
2,198,581
-
2,198,581
-
Non-agency residential
5,703
-
5,703
-
Foreign government securities
1,505,950
-
1,505,950
-
Foreign corporate securities
2,945,156
-
2,943,406
1,750
Total fixed
 
maturities, market value
16,824,944
-
16,051,965
772,979
Fixed maturities, fair value
5,826
-
-
5,826
Equity securities, fair value
931,457
864,584
66,873
-
Liabilities:
Equity index put option contracts
$
5,584
$
-
$
-
$
5,584
In addition,
 
$
218,821
 
thousand and
 
$
209,578
 
thousand of
 
investments within
 
other invested
 
assets on
 
the
consolidated balance
 
sheets as of
 
September 30,
 
2020 and December
 
31, 2019, respectively,
 
are not included
within the fair
 
value hierarchy
 
tables as the
 
assets are measured
 
at NAV
 
as a practical
 
expedient to
 
determine
fair value.
 
 
The following tables
 
present the activity
 
under Level 3,
 
fair value measurements
 
using significant unobservable
inputs for fixed maturities, for the periods indicated:
Total Fixed Maturities, Market
 
Value
Three Months Ended September 30, 2020
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020
Corporate
Asset-Backed
Foreign
Corporate
Asset-Backed
Foreign
(Dollars in thousands)
Securities
Securities
Corporate
Total
Securities
Securities
Corporate
Total
Beginning balance fixed maturities at market value
$
721,834
$
295,730
$
6,274
$
1,023,838
$
617,588
$
153,641
$
1,750
$
772,979
Total gains or (losses) (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings
362
457
26
845
(100)
582
(71)
411
Included in other comprehensive income (loss)
(992)
5,028
126
4,162
(4,898)
7,238
86
2,426
Purchases, issuances and settlements
(1,349)
103,574
139
102,364
112,060
243,328
3,823
359,211
Transfers in and/or (out) of Level
 
3
4,189
-
(863)
3,326
(606)
-
114
(492)
Ending balance
$
724,044
$
404,789
$
5,702
$
1,134,535
$
724,044
$
404,789
$
5,702
$
1,134,535
The amount of total gains or losses for the period
included in earnings (or changes in net assets)
attributable to the change in unrealized gains
 
or losses relating to assets still held
 
at the reporting date
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
(539)
$
-
$
$
-
$
(539)
(Some amounts may not reconcile due to rounding.)
Total Fixed Maturities, Market
 
Value
Three Months Ended September 30, 2019
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019
Corporate
Asset-Backed
Foreign
Corporate
Asset-Backed
Foreign
(Dollars in thousands)
Securities
Securities
Corporate
Total
Securities
Securities
Corporate
Total
Beginning balance fixed maturities at market value
$
542,878
$
-
$
2,093
$
544,971
$
428,215
$
-
$
7,744
$
435,959
Total gains or (losses) (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings
1,018
-
-
1,018
3,348
-
(119)
3,229
Included in other comprehensive income (loss)
(1,314)
644
-
(670)
1,130
644
-
1,774
Purchases, issuances and settlements
42,289
40,000
-
82,289
150,659
40,000
(5,532)
185,127
Transfers in and/or (out) of Level
 
3
3,176
-
-
3,176
4,695
-
-
4,695
Ending balance
$
588,047
$
40,644
$
2,093
$
630,784
$
588,047
$
40,644
$
2,093
$
630,784
The amount of total gains or losses for the period
included in earnings (or changes in net assets)
attributable to the change in unrealized gains
 
or losses relating to assets still held
 
at the reporting date
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
(Some amounts may not reconcile due to rounding.)
Total Fixed Maturities, Fair Value
Three Months Ended September 30, 2020
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020
Foreign
Foreign
(Dollars in thousands)
Corporate
Total
Corporate
Total
Beginning balance fixed maturities at market value
$
4,431
$
4,431
$
5,826
$
5,826
Total gains or (losses) (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings
1,371
1,371
(24)
(24)
Included in other comprehensive income (loss)
-
-
-
-
Purchases, issuances and settlements
(2,054)
(2,054)
(2,054)
(2,054)
Transfers in and/or (out) of Level 3
-
-
-
-
Ending balance
$
3,748
$
3,748
$
3,748
$
3,748
The amount of total gains or losses for the period
included in earnings (or changes in net assets)
attributable to the change in unrealized gains
 
or losses relating to assets still held
 
at the reporting date
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
(Some amounts may not reconcile due to rounding.)
Total Fixed Maturities, Fair Value
Three Months Ended September 30, 2019
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019
Foreign
Foreign
(Dollars in thousands)
Corporate
Total
Corporate
Total
Beginning balance fixed maturities at market value
$
-
$
-
$
2,337
$
2,337
Total gains or (losses) (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings
-
-
369
369
Included in other comprehensive income (loss)
-
-
-
-
Purchases, issuances and settlements
-
-
(2,706)
(2,706)
Transfers in and/or (out) of Level 3
-
-
-
-
Ending balance
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
The amount of total gains or losses for the period
included in earnings (or changes in net assets)
attributable to the change in unrealized gains
 
or losses relating to assets still held
 
at the reporting date
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
(Some amounts may not reconcile due to rounding.)
The following table
 
presents the activity
 
under Level 3,
 
fair value measurements
 
using significant unobservable
inputs for equity securities, for the periods indicated:
Three Months Ended
 
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
(Dollars in thousands)
2020
2019
2020
2019
Common Stock
Balance, beginning of period
$
9,877
$
-
$
-
$
-
Total (gains) or losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings
-
-
-
-
Included in other comprehensive income (loss)
-
-
-
-
Purchases, issuances and settlements
-
-
9,877
-
Transfers in and/or (out) of Level 3
(9,877)
-
(9,877)
-
Balance, end of period
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
The amount of total gains or losses for the period included in earnings
(or changes in net assets) attributable to the change in unrealized
gains or losses relating to liabilities still held at the reporting date
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
(Some amounts may not reconcile due to rounding.)
The net
 
transfers to/(from)
 
Level 3,
 
fair value
 
measurements using
 
significant unobservable
 
inputs for
 
fixed
maturities, market
 
value were
 
$
3,326
 
thousand and
 
($
492
) thousand
 
for the
 
three and
 
nine months
 
ended
September 30,
 
2020, respectively,
 
and were
 
$
3,176
 
thousand and
 
$
4,695
 
thousand for
 
the three
 
and nine
months ended
 
September 30,
 
2019, respectively.
 
The transfers
 
of $
3,326
 
thousand during
 
the three
 
months
ended September 30, 2020 were
 
previously priced by a recognized
 
pricing service and were subsequently priced
using investment managers as
 
of September 30, 2020.
 
The transfers of ($
492
) thousand during the nine months
ended September
 
30, 2020
 
were related
 
to securities
 
that were
 
previously priced
 
using investment
 
managers
and were subsequently priced by a
 
recognized pricing service as of September
 
30, 2020.
 
The transfers of $
3,176
thousand and $
4,695
 
thousand during 2019
 
were related
 
to securities that
 
were previously priced
 
by a
recognized pricing service and were subsequently priced using investment managers as of September 30, 2019.
 
 
The net
 
transfers to/(from)
 
Level 3,
 
fair value
 
measurements using
 
significant unobservable
 
inputs for
 
equity
securities, fair
 
value were
 
($
9,877
) thousand for
 
both the three
 
and nine
 
months ended
 
September 30,
 
2020.
 
The transfers
 
of ($
9,877
) thousand
 
during both
 
the three
 
and nine
 
months ended
 
September 30,
 
2020, were
related to
 
preferred stock
 
in a private
 
entity purchased during
 
the second quarter
 
of 2020 which
 
was priced at
cost as of June 30, 2020 and was subsequently priced based upon the
 
book value of the underlying private entity
 
as of September 30, 2020.
 
The following table
 
presents the activity
 
under Level 3,
 
fair value measurements
 
using significant unobservable
inputs for equity index put option contracts, for the periods indicated:
Three Months Ended
 
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
September 30,
(Dollars in thousands)
2020
2019
2020
2019
Liabilities:
Balance, beginning of period
$
9,088
$
8,374
$
5,584
$
11,958
Total (gains) or losses (realized/unrealized)
Included in earnings
(2,456)
189
1,048
(3,395)
Included in other comprehensive income (loss)
-
-
-
-
Purchases, issuances and settlements
-
-
-
-
Transfers in and/or (out) of Level 3
-
-
-
-
Balance, end of period
$
6,632
$
8,563
$
6,632
$
8,563
The amount of total gains or losses for the period included in earnings
(or changes in net assets) attributable to the change in unrealized
gains or losses relating to liabilities still held at the reporting date
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
-
(Some amounts may not reconcile due to rounding.)