LIABILITY FOR LOSSES AND SETTLEMENT EXPENSES (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 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.

	Nine months ended September 30,
($ 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	352,992			340,706
Prior years	(11,996		)	(17,617		)
Total incurred losses and settlement expenses	340,996			323,089
Paid losses and settlement expenses related to:
Current year	119,399			120,053
Prior years	193,673			173,986
Total paid losses and settlement expenses	313,072			294,039
Net reserves at end of period	729,088			700,831
Plus ceded reserves at end of period	32,661			25,348
Re-valuation due to foreign currency exchange rates	(168		)	282
Gross reserves at end of period	$	761,581		$	726,461