Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

NOTE 1. Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of presentation

These interim consolidated financial statements include the accounts of OneBeacon Insurance Group, Ltd. (the “Company” or the “Registrant”) and its subsidiaries (collectively, “OneBeacon”) and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The Company is an exempted Bermuda limited liability company. The OneBeacon operating companies are U.S.-based property and casualty insurance writers, most of which historically have operated in a multi-company pool or have participated in 100% quota share reinsurance agreements. OneBeacon offers a wide range of specialty insurance products and services through independent agencies, regional and national brokers, wholesalers and managing general agencies.

OneBeacon was acquired by White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. (“White Mountains”) from Aviva plc (“Aviva”) in 2001 (the “OneBeacon Acquisition”). White Mountains is a holding company whose businesses provide property and casualty insurance, reinsurance and certain other products. As of September 30, 2012, White Mountains owned 75.2% of the Company’s common shares. Within this report, the term “OneBeacon” is used to refer to one or more entities within the consolidated organization, as the context requires. The Company’s headquarters are located at 14 Wesley Street, 5th Floor, Hamilton HM 11, Bermuda. The Company’s U.S. corporate headquarters are located at 601 Carlson Parkway, Minnetonka, Minnesota 55305 and its registered office is located at Clarendon House, 2 Church Street, Hamilton HM 11, Bermuda.

OneBeacon’s reportable segments are Specialty Insurance Operations, Other Insurance Operations and Investing, Financing and Corporate Operations. The Specialty Insurance Operations segment is comprised of a number of underwriting units that are aggregated into three major underwriting units for financial reporting: Managing General Agency (“MGA”) Business, Specialty Industries and Specialty Products. OneBeacon’s Other Insurance Operations segment, as further described below, has historically included the results of the non-specialty commercial lines business, to which OneBeacon sold the renewal rights, other run-off business, which includes asbestos and environmental reserves, and certain purchase accounting adjustments relating to the OneBeacon Acquisition. The Other Insurance Operations segment also includes the results of a reciprocal insurance exchange that is not actively writing any business.  Investing, Financing and Corporate Operations includes the investing and financing activities for OneBeacon on a consolidated basis, and certain other activities conducted through the Company and its intermediate subsidiaries which include OneBeacon U.S. Financial Services, Inc. and OneBeacon U.S. Holdings, Inc. (“OBH”), both U.S.-domiciled companies, as well as various intermediate holding companies domiciled in the United States, Gibraltar, Luxembourg and Bermuda.

On October 17, 2012, one of the Company’s indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries, OneBeacon Insurance Group LLC, entered into a definitive agreement (the “Stock Purchase Agreement”) with Trebuchet US Holdings, Inc. (“Trebuchet”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Armour Group Holdings Limited (together with Trebuchet, “Armour”), to sell its runoff business. See Note 2, Note 14 and Note 15. OneBeacon’s runoff business includes the results of OneBeacon’s remaining non-specialty commercial lines business and certain other run-off business, including asbestos and environmental reserves, as well as certain purchase accounting adjustments related to the OneBeacon Acquisition (the “Runoff Business”, the sale of which is referred to as the “Runoff Transaction”).  The Runoff Business had been included within the Other Insurance Operations segment; however, based on management’s intent as of September 30, 2012 to execute the Stock Purchase Agreement, the Runoff Business has been presented as held for sale in the consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2012. The prior year balance sheet has not been reclassified to conform to the current period’s presentation. The Runoff Business has been presented as discontinued operations in the consolidated statements of operations and cash flows, with the prior periods reclassified to conform to the current period’s presentation. The Runoff Business disposal group excludes investing and financing activities from amounts classified as discontinued operations. OneBeacon’s investing and financing operations are conducted on an overall consolidated level and, accordingly, there are no separately identifiable investing or financing cash flows associated with the Runoff Business. Pursuant to the terms of the Stock Purchase Agreement, the legal entities included in the sale and expected to be transferred to Armour will hold an agreed upon level of invested assets and capital at closing. The assets and liabilities associated with the Runoff Business as of September 30, 2012 have been presented in the balance sheet as held for sale assuming the investing and financing steps required to effect the sale were completed as of the current balance sheet date. The prior year balance sheet has not been reclassified.

On February 22, 2012, OneBeacon completed the sale of its AutoOne Insurance business (“AutoOne”) to Interboro Holdings, Inc. (“Interboro”) (the “AutoOne Transaction”). See Note 2. AutoOne had offered products and services to assigned risk markets primarily in New York and New Jersey. AutoOne had been included within the Other Insurance Operations segment; however, as a result of the sale, AutoOne has been presented as discontinued operations in the statements of operations and cash flows with the prior periods reclassified to conform to the current presentation. The AutoOne disposal group excludes investing and financing activities from amounts classified as discontinued operations. OneBeacon’s investing and financing operations are conducted on an overall consolidated level and, accordingly, there are no separately identifiable investing or financing cash flows associated with AutoOne. Pursuant to the terms of the AutoOne Transaction, at closing, the legal entities included in the sale held an agreed upon level of invested assets and capital. The assets and liabilities associated with the AutoOne business as of December 31, 2011 have been presented in the balance sheet as held for sale assuming the investing and financing steps required to effect the sale were completed as of December 31, 2011.

All significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. These interim financial statements include all adjustments, consisting of a normal recurring nature, considered necessary by management to fairly state the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of OneBeacon. These interim financial statements may not be indicative of financial results for the full year and should be read in conjunction with the Company’s 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Refer to the Company’s 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K for a complete discussion regarding OneBeacon’s significant accounting policies. As described above, certain amounts in the prior period financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current presentation.

Recently Adopted Changes in Accounting Principles

Policy Acquisition Costs

On January 1, 2012, OneBeacon adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2010-26, Accounting for Costs Associated with Acquiring or Renewing Insurance Contracts, codified within Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 944. ASU 2010-26 changes the types of policy acquisition costs that are eligible for deferral. Specifically, ASU 2010-26 limits deferrable costs to those that are incremental direct costs of contract acquisition and certain costs related to acquisition activities performed by the insurer, such as underwriting, policy issuance and processing, medical and inspection costs and sales force contract selling. ASU 2010-26 defines incremental direct costs as those costs that result directly from and were essential to the contract acquisition and would not have been incurred absent the acquisition. Accordingly, under ASC 2010-26, deferrable acquisition costs are limited to costs related to successful contract acquisitions. Acquisition costs that are not eligible for deferral are to be charged to expense in the period incurred.

OneBeacon adopted ASU 2010-26 prospectively. As a result of adopting ASU 2010-26, $5.6 million of unamortized deferred acquisition costs as of January 1, 2012, primarily relating to a portion of profit sharing commission that had been deferred under prior guidance, have been determined to no longer be deferrable and will be recognized in expense over the original amortization period. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, $0.9 million and $5.3 million, respectively, of the $5.6 million of unamortized acquisitions costs as of January 1, 2012 were recognized in expense. If OneBeacon had followed ASU 2010-26 in 2011, $1.4 million and $5.7 million, respectively, of acquisition costs that had been deferred would have been recognized in expense during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011.

Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures

On January 1, 2012, OneBeacon adopted ASU 2011-04, Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in US GAAP and IFRS (ASC 820). ASU 2011-04 clarifies existing guidance with respect to the concepts of highest and best use and valuation premise and measuring instruments classified within a reporting entity’s shareholders’ equity. ASU 2011-04 also clarifies disclosure requirements, requiring disclosure of quantitative information about unobservable inputs used in Level 3 fair value measurements. ASU 2011-04 also amends existing guidance. In circumstances where a reporting entity manages a portfolio of financial assets and liabilities based on the net market and counterparty credit risk exposures, ASU 2011-04 permits determination of the fair value of those instruments to be based on the net risk exposure. In addition, ASU 2011-04 permits the application of premiums or discounts to be applied in a fair value measurement to the extent that market participants would consider them in valuing the financial instruments. ASU 2011-04 also expands the required disclosures for Level 3 measurements, requiring that reporting entities provide a narrative description of the sensitivity of Level 3 fair value measurements to changes in unobservable inputs and the interrelationships between those inputs, if any. As a result of adopting ASU 2011-04, OneBeacon expanded its fair value disclosures. See Note 5.

Comprehensive Income

On January 1, 2012, OneBeacon adopted ASU 2011-05, Comprehensive Income (ASC 220). ASU 2011-05 requires all components of comprehensive income to be reported in a continuous financial statement or in two consecutive statements displaying the components of net income and the components of other comprehensive income. Since OneBeacon already presents comprehensive income in a continuous financial statement, adoption of ASU 2011-05 had no effect on OneBeacon’s financial statement presentation.

Goodwill Impairment

On January 1, 2012, OneBeacon adopted ASU 2011-08, Testing Goodwill for Impairment (ASC 350). ASU 2011-08 amends the guidance that requires an entity to test goodwill for impairment on at least an annual basis using a two-step quantitative test. The new guidance permits an entity to first assess facts and circumstances to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If the entity determines on the basis of this assessment that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then performance of the two-step quantitative test is not required. Upon adoption, ASU 2011-08 had no effect on OneBeacon’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

Offsetting Assets and Liabilities

On December 16, 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-11, Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities (ASC 210). The new standard expands the required disclosures in circumstance where either balances have been offset or the right of offset exists. The required disclosures are intended to provide information to enable financial statement users to evaluate the effect or potential effect of netting arrangements on a reporting entity’s financial position. Disclosures required under the new standard include the gross amount of assets and liabilities recognized; the amounts that have been offset to arrive at the amounts presented in the statement of financial position; and any amounts subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement, whether or not such amounts have been offset. In addition, a description of the rights of offset should be disclosed. ASU 2011-11 is effective for periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013. OneBeacon is currently evaluating the effect adoption will have on its disclosures, but does not expect adoption to have a material effect on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.