ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2018

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 (loss), net of tax.

	Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) by component
	Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for- sale securities			Unrecognized pension and postretirement benefit obligations
($ in thousands)				Net actuarial loss			Prior service credit			Total			Total
Balance at December 31, 2017	$	83,497		$	(13,074	)	$	12,961		$	(113	)	$	83,384
Cumulative adjustment for adoption of financial instruments recognition and measurement changes	(66,234		)	—			—			—			(66,234		)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	(18,969		)	—			—			—			(18,969		)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	193			81			(622		)	(541		)	(348		)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(18,776		)	81			(622		)	(541		)	(19,317		)
Balance at March 31, 2018	$	(1,513	)	$	(12,993	)	$	12,339		$	(654	)	$	(2,167	)

	Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) by component
	Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for- sale securities			Unrecognized pension and postretirement benefit obligations
($ in thousands)				Net actuarial loss			Prior service credit			Total			Total
Balance at December 31, 2016	$	49,748		$	(16,299	)	$	12,632		$	(3,667	)	$	46,081
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	9,705			—			—			—			9,705
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(1,079		)	239			(511		)	(272		)	(1,351		)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	8,626			239			(511		)	(272		)	8,354
Balance at March 31, 2017	$	58,374		$	(16,060	)	$	12,121		$	(3,939	)	$	54,435

The following tables display amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income and into net income during the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

($ in thousands)	Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) components	Three months ended   March 31, 2018			Affected line item in the consolidated statements of income
Unrealized gains (losses) on investments:
Reclassification adjustment for net realized investment gains (losses) included in net income	$	(244	)	Net realized investment gains (losses) and, beginning in 2018, change in unrealized investment gains on equity investments
Deferred income tax (expense) benefit	51			Total income tax expense (benefit)
Net reclassification adjustment	(193		)	Net income (loss)
Unrecognized pension and postretirement benefit obligations:
Reclassification adjustment for amounts amortized into net periodic pension and postretirement benefit income:
Net actuarial loss	(103		)	(1)
Prior service credit	788			(1)
Total before tax	685
Deferred income tax (expense) benefit	(144		)
Net reclassification adjustment	541
Total reclassification adjustment	$	348

(1) These reclassified components of accumulated other comprehensive income are included in the computation of net periodic pension and postretirement benefit income (see note 7, Employee Retirement Plans, for additional details).

($ in thousands)	Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) components	Three months ended March 31, 2017			Affected line item in the consolidated statements of income
Unrealized gains (losses) on investments:
Reclassification adjustment for net realized investment gains (losses) included in net income	$	1,660		Net realized investment gains (losses) and, beginning in 2018, change in unrealized investment gains on equity investments
Deferred income tax (expense) benefit	(581		)	Total income tax expense (benefit)
Net reclassification adjustment	1,079			Net income (loss)
Unrecognized pension and postretirement benefit obligations:
Reclassification adjustment for amounts amortized into net periodic pension and postretirement benefit income:
Net actuarial loss	(368		)	(1)
Prior service credit	787			(1)
Total before tax	419
Deferred income tax (expense) benefit	(147		)
Net reclassification adjustment	272
Total reclassification adjustment	$	1,351

(1) These reclassified components of accumulated other comprehensive income are included in the computation of net periodic pension and postretirement benefit income (see note 7, Employee Retirement Plans, for additional details).