LIABILITY FOR LOSSES AND SETTLEMENT EXPENSES (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2018

Liability for Future Policy Benefits and Unpaid Claims and Claims Adjustment Expense [Abstract]

Schedule of reconciliation of beginning and ending reserves for losses and settlement expenses

The following table sets forth a reconciliation of beginning and ending reserves for losses and settlement expenses of the Company.  Amounts presented are on a net basis, with a reconciliation of beginning and ending reserves to the gross amounts presented in the consolidated financial statements.

	Three months ended March 31,
($ in thousands)	2018			2017
Gross reserves at beginning of year	$	732,612		$	690,532
Re-valuation due to foreign currency exchange rates	525			(1,913		)
Less ceded reserves at beginning of year	30,923			20,664
Net reserves at beginning of year	701,164			671,781
Incurred losses and settlement expenses related to:
Current year	116,204			111,189
Prior years	(5,576		)	(14,904		)
Total incurred losses and settlement expenses	110,628			96,285
Paid losses and settlement expenses related to:
Current year	24,262			22,923
Prior years	81,877			69,826
Total paid losses and settlement expenses	106,139			92,749
Net reserves at end of period	705,653			675,317
Plus ceded reserves at end of period	30,549			20,788
Re-valuation due to foreign currency exchange rates	853			(976		)
Gross reserves at end of period	$	737,055		$	695,129