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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
 Basis of Presentation
 The consolidated financial statements include accounts, after elimination of intercompany accounts and transactions, of Conifer Holdings, Inc. (the “Company” or “Conifer”), its wholly owned subsidiaries, Conifer Insurance Company ("CIC"), White Pine Insurance Company ("WPIC"), Red Cedar Insurance Company ("RCIC"), and Sycamore Insurance Agency, Inc. ("SIA"). CIC, WPIC, and RCIC are collectively referred to as the "Insurance Company Subsidiaries." On a stand-alone basis, Conifer Holdings, Inc. is referred to as the "Parent Company."
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The Company has applied the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regarding interim financial reporting and therefore the consolidated financial statements do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for annual financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of items of a normal recurring nature, necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated interim financial statements, have been included. The results of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2019, are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the year ended December 31, 2019.
These consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the Company's audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, as filed with the SEC.
 Business
The Company is engaged in the sale of property and casualty insurance products and has organized its operations into three insurance businesses: commercial insurance lines, personal insurance lines, and agency business. The Company underwrites a variety of specialty insurance products, including property, general liability, liquor liability, automobile, homeowners and dwelling policies. The Company markets and sells its insurance products through a network of independent agents and managing general agents. Policies are written in all 50 states. The Company’s corporate headquarters is located in Birmingham, Michigan with additional office facilities in Florida, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
The Company also generates other revenues through investment income and other income which mainly consists of installment fees and policy issuance fees generally related to the policies we write. We also generate equity earnings from SIA's 50% owned agency (the "Affiliate"). The Affiliate places small commercial risks mainly for alarm and security guard markets.
Use of Estimates
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 and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. While management believes the amounts included in the consolidated financial statements reflect management's best estimates and assumptions, actual results may differ from these estimates.
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Short-term Investments
Cash consists of cash deposits in banks, generally in operating accounts. Cash equivalents consist of money-market funds that are specifically used as overnight investments tied to cash deposit accounts. Short-term investments, consisting of money-market funds, are classified as investments in the consolidated balance sheets as they relate to the Company’s investment activities.
Lease Accounting
Effective January 1, 2019, the Company adopted FASB Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which addresses the financial reporting of leasing transactions. This update required the recognition of a right-of-use asset and a corresponding lease liability, discounted to the present value, for all leases that extend beyond 12 months. For operating leases, the asset and liability will be expensed over the lease term on a straight-line basis, with all cash flows included in the operating section of the consolidated statement of cash flows. We do not have any financing leases. The Company elected to use the transition option of practical expedients permitted within the new standard, which allows for the adoption of the new standard at the effective date without adjusting the comparative prior periods presented. Our operating leases consist primarily of real estate utilized in the operation of our businesses with lease terms ranging from 5 to 10 years. Management has determined the appropriate discount rate to use in calculating the right-to-use asset and lease liability is 6.75%. The Company recorded a right-of-use asset of $3.9 million and lease liabilities of $3.9 million included in Other Assets and Other Liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheet on January 1, 2019.
 Recently Issued Accounting Guidance
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326), which amends the current methodology and timing for recognizing credit losses. This amendment will replace the current GAAP "incurred loss" methodology for credit losses with a methodology based on expected credit losses. The new guidance will also require expanded consideration of a broader range of reasonable and increased supportable information for the credit loss estimates. This ASU is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. Management is currently evaluating the impact of the guidance. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 840), which modifies the disclosure requirements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value. The requirements to disclose the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, the policy for timing of transfers between levels and the valuation processes for Level 3 fair value measurements have all been removed. However, the changes in unrealized gains and losses included in other comprehensive income for recurring Level 3 fair value measurements held at the end of the reporting period must be disclosed along with the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements (or other quantitative information if it is more reasonable). Finally, for investments measured at net asset value, the requirements have been modified so that the timing of liquidation and the date when restrictions from redemption might lapse are only disclosed if the investee has communicated the timing to the entity or announced the timing publicly. This ASU is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. Management is currently evaluating the impact of the guidance. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.