ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

The Company has available-for-sale securities and receives an allocation of the actuarial losses and net prior service credits associated with Employers Mutual’s pension and postretirement benefit plans, both of which generate accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) amounts.  The following table reconciles, by component, the beginning and ending balances of accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax.

	Accumulated other comprehensive income by component
($ in thousands)	Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for- sale securities			Unrecognized pension and postretirement benefit obligations			Total
Balance at December 31, 2015	$	60,369		$	(1,936	)	$	58,433
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	12,275			—			12,275
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	(539		)	(252		)	(791		)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	11,736			(252		)	11,484
Balance at March 31, 2016	$	72,105		$	(2,188	)	$	69,917

The following tables display amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income and into net income during the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

($ in thousands)	Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income
Accumulated other comprehensive income components	Three months ended   March 31, 2016			Affected line item in the consolidated statements of income
Unrealized gains on investments:
Reclassification adjustment for realized investment gains included in net income	$	829		Net realized investment gains
Deferred income tax expense	(290		)	Income tax expense, current
Net reclassification adjustment	539
Unrecognized pension and postretirement benefit obligations:
Reclassification adjustment for amounts amortized into net periodic pension and postretirement benefit income:
Net actuarial loss	(429		)	(1)
Prior service credit	817			(1)
Total before tax	388
Deferred income tax expense	(136		)	Income tax expense, current
Net reclassification adjustment	252
Total reclassification adjustment	$	791

(1) These reclassified components of accumulated other comprehensive income are included in the computation of net periodic pension and postretirement benefit income (see Note 5, Employee Retirement Plans, for additional details).

($ in thousands)	Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income
Accumulated other comprehensive income components	Three months ended March 31, 2015			Affected line item in the consolidated statements of income
Unrealized gains on investments:
Reclassification adjustment for realized investment gains included in net income	$	2,182		Net realized investment gains
Deferred income tax expense	(764		)	Income tax expense, current
Net reclassification adjustment	1,418
Unrecognized pension and postretirement benefit obligations:
Reclassification adjustment for amounts amortized into net periodic pension and postretirement benefit income:
Net actuarial loss	(284		)	(1)
Prior service credit	827			(1)
Total before tax	543
Deferred income tax expense	(190		)	Income tax expense, current
Net reclassification adjustment	353
Total reclassification adjustment	$	1,771

(1) These reclassified components of accumulated other comprehensive income are included in the computation of net periodic pension and postretirement benefit income (see Note 5, Employee Retirement Plans, for additional details).