XML 56 R24.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.3.1.900
Statutory Financial Information
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Statutory Financial Information [Abstract]  
Statutory Financial Information
Statutory Financial Information

a) Statutory capital and surplus and statutory net income (loss) for the Company's wholly-owned insurance subsidiaries as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 and for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively, is summarized below.

Statutory Capital and Surplus
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(dollars in thousands)
2015
 
2014
United States
$
2,569,928

 
$
2,619,001

United Kingdom
$
608,342

 
$
608,001

Bermuda
$
1,966,021

 
$
1,890,218

Other
$
17,305

 
$
177,824



As of December 31, 2015, the amount of statutory capital and surplus necessary to satisfy regulatory requirements is not significant in relation to actual statutory capital and surplus.

Statutory Net Income (Loss)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Years Ended December 31,
(dollars in thousands)
2015
 
2014
 
2013
United States
$
291,783

 
$
212,909

 
$
235,009

United Kingdom
$
63,583

 
$
73,697

 
$
109,983

Bermuda
$
189,800

 
$
110,401

 
$
249,772

Other
$
(3,181
)
 
$
1,367

 
$
(12,617
)


United States

The laws of the domicile states of the Company's U.S. insurance subsidiaries govern the amount of dividends that may be paid to the Company. Generally, statutes in the domicile states of the Company's U.S. insurance subsidiaries require prior approval for payment of extraordinary, as opposed to ordinary, dividends. At December 31, 2015, the Company's U.S. insurance subsidiaries could pay up to $354.0 million during the following 12 months under the ordinary dividend regulations.

In converting from U.S. statutory accounting principles to U.S. GAAP, typical adjustments include deferral of policy acquisition costs, differences in the calculation of deferred income taxes and the inclusion of net unrealized gains or losses relating to fixed maturities in shareholders' equity. The Company does not use any permitted statutory accounting practices that are different from prescribed statutory accounting practices which impact statutory capital and surplus.

United Kingdom

The Company's United Kingdom insurance subsidiary and its Lloyd's managing agent are authorized by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and regulated by both the PRA and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The PRA oversees compliance with established periodic auditing and reporting requirements, minimum solvency margins and individual capital assessment requirements under the Solvency II Directive and imposes dividend restrictions, while both the PRA and the FCA oversee compliance with risk assessment reviews and various other requirements. Markel International Insurance Company Limited (MIICL) is required to give advance notice to the PRA for any dividends from MIICL and any transaction or proposed transaction with a connected or related person. Markel Syndicate Management Limited, the managing agent of the Company's syndicate at Lloyd's, is required to satisfy the solvency requirements of Lloyd's. In addition, the Company's United Kingdom subsidiaries must comply with the United Kingdom Companies Act of 2006, which provides that dividends may only be paid out of profits available for that purpose. As of December 31, 2015, earnings of the Company's United Kingdom subsidiaries are considered reinvested indefinitely for U.S. income tax purposes and will not be made available for distributions to the holding company.

Bermuda

Markel Bermuda is subject to enhanced capital requirements in addition to minimum solvency and liquidity requirements. The enhanced capital requirement is determined by reference to a risk-based capital model that determines a control threshold for statutory capital and surplus by taking into account the risk characteristics of different aspects of the insurer's business. At December 31, 2015, Markel Bermuda satisfied both the enhanced capital requirements and the minimum solvency and liquidity requirements.

Under the Bermuda Insurance Act, Markel Bermuda is prohibited from paying or declaring dividends during a fiscal year if it is in breach of its enhanced capital requirement, solvency margin or minimum liquidity ratio or if the declaration or payment of the dividend would cause a breach. If an insurer fails to meet its solvency margin or minimum liquidity ratio on the last day of any financial year, it is prohibited from declaring or paying any dividends during the next financial year without the approval of the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA). Further, Markel Bermuda is prohibited from declaring or paying, in any financial year, dividends of more than 25% of its total statutory capital and surplus as set forth in its previous year's statutory balance sheet unless at least seven days before payment of those dividends it files with the BMA an affidavit stating that it will continue to meet its solvency margin and minimum liquidity ratio. Markel Bermuda must obtain the BMA's prior approval for a reduction by 15% or more of the total statutory capital as set forth in its previous year's financial statements. In addition, as a long-term insurer, Markel Bermuda may not declare or pay a dividend to any person other than a policyholder unless the value of the assets in its long-term business fund, as certified by Markel Bermuda's approved actuary, exceeds the liabilities of its long-term business by the amount of the dividend and at least the prescribed minimum solvency margin. As of December 31, 2015, Markel Bermuda could pay up to $491.5 million during the following 12 months without making any additional filings with the BMA.

Other Jurisdictions
The Company's other foreign subsidiaries are subject to capital and solvency requirements in their respective jurisdictions of domicile that govern their ability to declare and pay dividends. As of December 31, 2015, earnings of our foreign subsidiaries are considered reinvested indefinitely for U.S. income tax purposes and will not be made available for distributions to the holding company.

b)    Lloyd's sets the corporate members' required capital annually based on each syndicates' business plans, rating environment, reserving environment and input arising from Lloyd's discussions with, inter alia, regulatory and rating agencies. Such required capital is referred to as Funds at Lloyd's (FAL), and comprises cash and investments. The amount of cash and investments held as FAL as of December 31, 2015 was $827.9 million. The amount which the Company provides as FAL is not available for distribution to the holding company. The Company's corporate members may also be required to maintain funds under the control of Lloyd's in excess of their capital requirements and such funds also may not be available for distribution to the holding company.