Reinsurance (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Reinsurance Disclosures [Abstract]

ScheduleOfReinsuranceRecoverable [Table Text Block]

The Company’s reinsurance balances recoverable at December 31, 2016 and 2015 were as follows:

	December 31, 2016		December 31, 2015
Loss reserves recoverable on unpaid:
Case reserves	$	165,328	$	135,723
IBNR	265,093		214,863
Total loss reserves recoverable	430,421		350,586
Paid losses recoverable	35,247		23,071
Total reinsurance recoverable	$	465,668	$	373,657

Effects of reinsurance on premiums written and earned

The effects of reinsurance on premiums written and earned for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 were as follows:

	Year Ended December 31, 2016
	Validus Re						Talbot						Western World						AlphaCat						Eliminations						Total
	Written			Earned			Written			Earned			Written			Earned			Written			Earned			Written			Earned			Written			Earned
Treaty reinsurance	$	1,111,054		$	1,060,117		$	146,296		$	115,828		$	—		$	—		$	270,402		$	256,085		$	(26,673	)	$	(23,035	)	$	1,501,079		$	1,408,995
Facultative reinsurance	—			—			293,741			307,351			—			—			—			—			—			—			293,741			307,351
Direct	—			—			530,665			529,265			323,220			294,376			—			—			—			—			853,885			823,641
Ceded	(111,564		)	(116,172		)	(175,729		)	(170,528		)	(22,634		)	(21,144		)	(6,451		)	(6,013		)	26,673			23,035			(289,705		)	(290,822		)
Total	$	999,490		$	943,945		$	794,973		$	781,916		$	300,586		$	273,232		$	263,951		$	250,072		$	—		$	—		$	2,359,000		$	2,249,165

	Year Ended December 31, 2015
	Validus Re						Talbot						Western World						AlphaCat						Eliminations						Total
	Written			Earned			Written			Earned			Written			Earned			Written			Earned			Written			Earned			Written			Earned
Treaty reinsurance	$	1,126,759		$	1,141,184		$	133,273		$	136,796		$	—		$	—		$	176,126		$	164,544		$	(42,718	)	$	(45,115	)	$	1,393,440		$	1,397,409
Facultative reinsurance	—			—			325,311			330,472			—			—			—			—			—			—			325,311			330,472
Direct	—			—			560,251			570,669			278,504			281,587			—			—			—			—			838,755			852,256
Ceded	(149,088		)	(150,971		)	(198,896		)	(199,846		)	(18,877		)	(22,937		)	(4,538		)	(4,609		)	42,718			45,115			(328,681		)	(333,248		)
Total	$	977,671		$	990,213		$	819,939		$	838,091		$	259,627		$	258,650		$	171,588		$	159,935		$	—		$	—		$	2,228,825		$	2,246,889

	Year Ended December 31, 2014
	Validus Re						Talbot						Western World						AlphaCat						Eliminations						Total
	Written			Earned			Written			Earned			Written			Earned			Written			Earned			Written			Earned			Written			Earned
Treaty reinsurance	$	1,118,532		$	1,109,659		$	149,079		$	163,382		$	—		$	—		$	126,785		$	126,534		$	(53,457	)	$	(60,912	)	$	1,340,939		$	1,338,663
Facultative reinsurance	—			—			334,898			345,252			—			—			—			—			—			—			334,898			345,252
Direct	—			—			617,793			576,136			65,235			80,838			—			—			—			—			683,028			656,974
Ceded	(163,678		)	(192,375		)	(192,211		)	(204,996		)	(6,428		)	(7,842		)	(4,348		)	(3,533		)	53,457			60,912			(313,208		)	(347,834		)
Total	$	954,854		$	917,284		$	909,559		$	879,774		$	58,807		$	72,996		$	122,437		$	123,001		$	—		$	—		$	2,045,657		$	1,993,055

Reinsurance recoverables by reinsurer

Reinsurance recoverables by reinsurer as at December 31, 2016 and 2015 were as follows:

	December 31, 2016				December 31, 2015
	Reinsurance Recoverable		% of Total		Reinsurance Recoverable		% of Total
Top 10 reinsurers	$	395,308	84.9	%	$	303,108	81.1	%
Other reinsurers’ balances > $1 million	66,944		14.4	%	61,222		16.4	%
Other reinsurers’ balances < $1 million	3,416		0.7	%	9,327		2.5	%
Total	$	465,668	100.0	%	$	373,657	100.0	%

	December 31, 2016
Top 10 Reinsurers	Rating	Reinsurance Recoverable		% of Total
Lloyd's Syndicates	A+	$	84,419	18.2	%
Swiss Re	AA-	84,044		18.1	%
Fully collateralized reinsurers	NR	83,088		17.8	%
Hannover Re	AA-	50,603		10.9	%
Everest Re	A+	36,912		7.9	%
Munich Re	AA-	18,214		3.9	%
Transatlantic Re	A+	10,593		2.3	%
Hamilton Re	A-	10,343		2.2	%
Toa Re	A+	9,510		2.0	%
National Indemnity Company	AA+	7,582		1.6	%
Total		$	395,308	84.9	%

NR: Not rated

	December 31, 2015
Top 10 Reinsurers	Rating	Reinsurance Recoverable		% of Total
Swiss Re	AA-	$	83,048	22.2	%
Lloyd's Syndicates	A+	66,356		17.8	%
Hannover Re	AA-	43,765		11.7	%
Everest Re	A+	43,060		11.5	%
Munich Re	AA-	18,707		5.0	%
Transatlantic Re	A+	11,923		3.2	%
Hamilton Re	A-	10,898		2.9	%
National Indemnity Company	AA+	10,293		2.8	%
XL Re	A+	8,728		2.3	%
Toa Re	A+	6,330		1.7	%
Total		$	303,108	81.1	%