XML 73 R32.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

The accompanying audited consolidated financial statements of Horace Mann Educators Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (HMEC; and together with its subsidiaries, the Company or Horace Mann) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (GAAP) and with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect (1) the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, (2) disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements, and (3) the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Effective for the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company decided to change the approach it uses for presentation in its Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows from the direct method to the indirect method as management considers presentation under the indirect method as more comparable to the method used by others in the insurance industry. Accordingly, the Company has recast all prior periods presented in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows to conform to the current year’s presentation.

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of HMEC and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. HMEC and its subsidiaries have common management, share office facilities and are parties to intercompany service agreements for management, administrative, utilization of personnel, financial, investment advisory, underwriting, claims adjusting, agency and data processing services. Under these agreements, costs have been allocated among the companies in conformity with GAAP. In addition, certain of the subsidiaries have entered into intercompany reinsurance agreements. HMEC and its subsidiaries (with exception of National Teachers Associates Life Insurance Company and NTA Life Insurance Company of New York) file a consolidated federal income tax return, and there are related tax sharing agreements. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The subsidiaries of HMEC market and underwrite personal lines of property and casualty insurance products (primarily personal lines automobile and property insurance), supplemental insurance products (primarily heart, cancer, accident and limited supplemental disability coverages), retirement products (primarily tax-qualified annuities) and life insurance, primarily to K-12 teachers, administrators and other employees of public schools and their families. HMEC's principal operating subsidiaries are Horace Mann Life Insurance Company, Horace Mann Insurance Company, Teachers Insurance Company, Horace Mann Property & Casualty Insurance Company, Horace Mann Lloyds, National Teachers Associates Life Insurance Company and NTA Life Insurance Company of New York.

As described more fully in Note 2, the Company acquired NTA Life Enterprises, LLC (NTA) on July 1, 2019. As a result, the Company’s reporting segments have changed effective in the third quarter of 2019. A new reporting segment titled "Supplemental" was added to report on the personal lines of supplemental insurance products (primarily heart, cancer, accident and limited short-term supplemental disability coverages) that are marketed and underwritten by NTA.

The Company has evaluated subsequent events through the date these consolidated financial statements were issued. There were no subsequent events requiring adjustment to the consolidated financial statements or disclosure

Investments

The Company invests predominantly in fixed maturity securities. This category includes primarily bonds and notes, but also includes redeemable preferred stocks. These securities are classified as available for sale and carried at fair value, of which a portion represent securities that are hard-to-value.

The fair value of a fixed maturity security is the estimated amount at which the security could be exchanged in an orderly transaction between knowledgeable, unrelated and willing parties. The Company utilizes its investment managers and its custodian bank to obtain fair value prices from independent third-party valuation service providers, broker-dealer quotes, and model prices. Each month, the Company obtains fair value prices from its investment managers and custodian bank, each of which use a variety of independent, nationally recognized pricing sources to determine market valuations for fixed maturity securities. Differences in prices between the sources that the Company considers significant are researched and the Company utilizes the price that it considers most representative of an exit price. Typical inputs used by these pricing sources include, but are not limited to, reported trades, bids, offers, benchmark yield curves, benchmarking of like securities, rating designations, sector groupings, issuer spreads, and/or estimated cash flows, prepayment and default speeds, among others. The Company's fixed maturity securities portfolio is primarily publicly traded, which allows for a high percentage of the portfolio to be priced through pricing services. Approximately 94.1% of the portfolio, based on fair value, was priced through pricing services or index priced using observable inputs as of December 31, 2019.

The valuation of hard-to-value fixed maturity securities (generally 100 -150 securities) is more subjective because the markets are less liquid and there is a lack of observable market-based inputs. This may increase the potential that the estimated fair value of an investment is not reflective of the price at which an actual transaction would occur. When the pricing sources cannot provide fair value determinations, the investment managers and custodian bank obtain non-binding price quotes from broker-dealers. For those securities where the investment manager cannot obtain broker-dealer quotes, they will model the security, generally using anticipated cash flows of the underlying collateral. Broker-dealers' valuation methodologies as well as investment managers’ modeling methodologies are sometimes matrix-based, using indicative evaluation measures and adjustments for specific security characteristics and market sentiment. The selection of the market inputs and assumptions used to estimate the fair value of hard-to-value fixed maturity securities require judgment and include: benchmark yield, liquidity premium, estimated cash flows, prepayment and default speeds, spreads, weighted average life, and credit rating. The extent of the use of each market input depends on the market sector and market conditions. Depending on the security, the priority of the use of inputs may change or some market inputs may not be relevant. For some securities, additional inputs may be necessary.

An adjustment for net unrealized investment gains (losses) on all securities available for sale and carried at fair value, is recognized as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) within shareholders' equity, net of applicable deferred taxes and the related impact on DAC associated with annuity contracts and life insurance products with account values that would have occurred if the securities had been sold at their aggregate fair value and the proceeds reinvested at current yields.

Beginning January 1, 2018, equity securities are carried at fair value with changes in fair value recognized as Net investment gains (losses). This category includes nonredeemable preferred stocks and common stocks.

Limited partnership interests include investments in commercial mortgage loans, infrastructure, corporate credit, private equity, real estate and other funds. All investments in limited partnership interests are accounted for in accordance with the equity method of accounting.

Short-term and other investments are comprised of short-term fixed maturity securities, generally carried at cost which approximates fair value; derivatives, carried at fair value; policy loans, carried at unpaid principal balances; mortgage loans, carried at unpaid principal balances; and restricted Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) membership and activity stocks, carried at redemption value which approximates fair value.

The Company invests in fixed maturity securities and alternative investment funds that could qualify as interests in variable interest entities (VIEs), including corporate securities, mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed securities. Such interests in VIEs have been reviewed and the Company determined that those VIEs are not subject to consolidation as the Company is not the primary beneficiary because it does not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact those VIEs' economic performance.

Investment income is recognized as earned. Investment income reflects amortization of premiums and accrual of discounts on an effective-yield basis.

Realized gains and losses arising from the disposal (recorded on a trade date basis) or impairment of securities are determined based upon specific identification of securities. The Company evaluates all investments in its portfolio for other-than-temporary declines in fair value as described in the following section.

Other-than-Temporary Impairment

Other-than-temporary Impairment

The Company's methodology of assessing other-than-temporary impairments (OTTI) for fixed maturity securities is based on security-specific facts and circumstances as of the reporting date. Based on these facts, if (1) the Company has the intent to sell the security, (2) it is more likely than not the Company will be required to sell the security before the anticipated recovery of the amortized cost basis, or (3) management does not expect to recover the entire amortized cost basis of the security, OTTI is considered to have occurred. Additionally, if events become known that call into question whether the security issuer has the ability to honor its contractual commitments, such security holding will be evaluated to determine whether or not such security has suffered an other-than-temporary decline in fair value.

The Company has a policy and process to evaluate fixed maturity securities (at the cusip/issuer level) on a quarterly basis to assess whether there has been OTTI. These reviews, in conjunction with the Company's investment managers' monthly credit reports and relevant factors such as (1) the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer, (2) the length of time and extent to which the fair value has been less than the amortized cost basis (3) the Company's intent to sell a security or whether it is more likely than not the Company will be required to sell the security before the anticipated recovery of the amortized cost basis, (4) the market leadership position of the issuer, (5) the debt ratings of the issuer, and (6) the cash flows and liquidity of the issuer or the underlying cash flows for asset-backed securities, are all considered in the impairment assessment. When OTTI is deemed to have occurred, the investment is written-down to fair value at the trade lot level and the credit-related loss portion is recognized as a net investment loss during the period. The amount of total OTTI related to non-credit factors for fixed maturity securities is recognized in other comprehensive income (OCI), net of applicable taxes, in which the Company has the intent to sell the security or if it is more likely than not the Company will be required to sell the security before the anticipated recovery of the amortized cost basis.

With respect to fixed maturity securities involving securitized financial assets — primarily asset-backed and commercial mortgage-backed securities in the Company's portfolio — the underlying collateral cash flows are stress tested to determine if there has been any adverse change in the expected future cash flows.

A decline in fair value below the amortized cost basis is not assumed to be other-than-temporary for fixed maturity securities with unrealized losses due to spread widening, market illiquidity or changes in interest rates where there exists a reasonable expectation based on the Company's consideration of all objective information available that the Company will recover the entire amortized cost basis of the security and the Company does not have the intent to sell the security before maturity or a market recovery is realized and it is more likely than not the Company will not be required to sell the security. OTTI will be recognized based upon all relevant facts and circumstances for each investment, as appropriate.

Additional considerations for certain types of securities include the following:

Corporate Fixed Maturity Securities

Judgments regarding whether a corporate fixed maturity security is other-than-temporarily impaired include analyzing the issuer's financial condition and whether there has been a decline in the issuer's ability to service the specific security. The analysis of the security issuer is based on asset coverage, cash flow multiples or other industry standards. Several factors assessed include, but are not limited to, credit quality ratings, cash flow sustainability, liquidity, financial strength, industry and market position. Sources of information include, but are not limited to, management projections, independent consultants, external analysts' research, peer analysis and the Company's internal analysis.

If the Company has concerns regarding the viability of the issuer or its ability to service the specific security after this assessment, a cash flow analysis is prepared to determine if the present value of future cash flows has declined below the amortized cost basis of the fixed maturity security. This analysis to determine an estimate of ultimate recovery value is combined with the estimated timing to recovery and any other applicable cash flows that are expected to be collected. If a cash flow analysis estimate is not feasible, then the market's view of cash

flows implied by the period end fair value, market discount rates and effective yield are the primary factors used to estimate an ultimate recovery value.

Mortgage-Backed Securities Not Issued By the U.S. Government or Federally Sponsored Agencies

The Company uses an estimate of future cash flows expected to be collected to evaluate its mortgage-backed securities for OTTI. The determination of cash flow estimates is inherently subjective and methodologies may vary depending on facts and circumstances specific to the security. All reasonably available information relevant to the collectability of the security, including past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable assumptions and forecasts, are considered when developing the estimate of future cash flows expected to be collected. Information includes, but is not limited to, debt-servicing, missed refinancing opportunities and geography.

Loan level characteristics such as issuer, FICO score, payment terms, level of documentation, property or residency type, and economic outlook are also utilized in financial models, along with historical performance, to estimate or measure the loan's propensity to default. Additionally, financial models take into account loan age, lease rollovers, rent volatilities, vacancy rates and exposure to refinancing as additional drivers of default. For transactions where loan level data is not available, financial models use a proxy that is based on the collateral characteristics. Loss severity is a function of multiple factors including, but not limited to, the unpaid balance, interest rate, mortgage insurance ratios, assessed property value at origination, change in property valuation and loan-to-value ratio at origination. Prepayment speeds, both actual and estimated, cost of capital rates and debt service ratios are also considered. The cash flows generated by the collateral securing these securities are then estimated with these default, loss severity and prepayment assumptions. These collateral cash flows are then utilized, along with consideration for the Company's position in the overall structure, to estimate the future cash flows associated with the residential or commercial mortgage-backed security held by the Company.

Municipal Bonds

The Company's municipal bond portfolio consists primarily of revenue bonds, which present unique considerations in evaluating OTTI, but also includes general obligation bonds. The Company evaluates revenue bonds for OTTI based on guarantees associated with the repayment from revenues generated by the specified revenue-generating activity associated with the purpose of the bonds. Judgments regarding whether a municipal bond is other-than-temporarily impaired include analyzing the issuer's financial condition and whether there has been a decline in the overall financial condition of the issuer or its ability to service the specific security. Security credit ratings are reviewed with emphasis on the economy, finances, debt and management of the municipal issuer. Certain securities may be guaranteed by the mono - line credit insurers or other forms of guarantee.

While not relied upon in the initial security purchase decision, insurance benefits are considered in the assessments for OTTI, including the credit-worthiness of the guarantor. Municipalities possess unique powers, along with a special legal standing and protections, that enable them to act quickly to restore budgetary balance and fiscal integrity. These powers include the sovereign power to tax, access to one-time revenue sources, capacity to issue or restructure debt, and ability to shift spending to other authorities. State governments often provide secondary support to local governments in times of financial stress and the federal government has provided assistance to state governments during recessions.

If the Company has concerns regarding the viability of the municipal issuer or its ability to service the specific security after this analysis, a cash flow analysis is prepared to determine a present value and whether it has declined below the amortized cost basis of the security. If a cash flow analysis is not feasible, then the market's view of the period end fair value, market discount rates and effective yield are the primary factors used to estimate the present value.

Credit Losses

The Company estimates the amount of the credit loss component of a fixed maturity security impairment as the difference between amortized cost basis and the present value of the expected future cash flows of the security. The present value is determined using the best estimate of cash flows discounted at the effective interest rate implicit to the security at the date of purchase or the current yield to accrete an asset-backed or floating rate security. The methodology and assumptions for establishing the best estimate of cash flows vary depending on the type of security. Corporate fixed maturity security and municipal bond cash flow estimates are derived from scenario-based outcomes of expected restructurings or the disposition of assets using specific facts and other circumstances, including timing, security interests and loss severity and when not reasonably estimable, such securities are impaired to fair value as management's best estimate of the present value of future cash flows.

The cash flow estimates for mortgage-backed and other structured securities are based on security specific facts and circumstances that may include collateral characteristics, expectations of delinquency and default rates, loss severity and prepayment speeds, and structural support, including subordination and guarantees.

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

The Company's deferred policy acquisition costs (DAC) by reporting segment was as follows:



($ in thousands)	December 31,
	2019		2018
Property and Casualty	$	28,616	$	30,033
Supplemental	1,967		N/A
Retirement (annuity)	185,294		209,231
Life	60,791		59,478
Total	$	276,668	$	298,742

DAC consists of commissions, policy issuance and other costs which are incremental and directly related to the successful acquisition of new or renewal business, which are deferred and amortized on a basis consistent with the type of insurance coverage. For property and casualty policies, DAC is amortized over the terms of the insurance policies (6 or 12 months). For supplemental policies, DAC is amortized in proportion to anticipated premiums over the terms of the insurance policies (approximately 6 years, based on an estimated average duration across all supplemental products). For all investment (annuity) contracts, DAC is amortized over 20 years in proportion to estimated gross profits. DAC is amortized in proportion to estimated gross profits over 20 years for certain life insurance products with account values and over 30 years for indexed universal life (IUL) products. For other individual life contracts, DAC is amortized in proportion to anticipated premiums over the terms of the insurance policies (10, 15, 20, 30 years).

The Company periodically reviews the assumptions and estimates used in DAC and also periodically reviews its estimations of gross profits, a process sometimes referred to as "unlocking". The most significant assumptions that are involved in the estimation of annuity gross profits include interest rate spreads, future financial market performance, business surrender/lapse rates, expenses and the impact of net investment gains (losses) on fixed maturity and equity securities. For the variable deposit portion of Retirement, the Company amortizes DAC utilizing a future financial market performance assumption of an 8% reversion to the mean approach with a 200 basis point corridor around the mean during the reversion period, representing a cap and a floor on the Company's long-term assumption. The Company's practice with regard to future financial market performance assumes that long-term appreciation in the financial markets is not changed by short-term market fluctuations, but is only changed when sustained deviations are experienced. The Company monitors these fluctuations and only changes the assumption when long-term expectations change.

The most significant assumptions that are involved in the estimation of life insurance gross profits include interest rates expected to be received on investments, business persistency, and mortality. Conversions from term to permanent insurance cause an immediate write down of the associated DAC. The impact on amortization due to assumption changes has an immaterial impact on the results of operations.

The most significant assumptions that are involved in the estimation of supplemental gross profits include morbidity, persistency, expenses and interest rates expected to be received on investments. When a supplemental policy lapses, there is an immediate write down of the associated DAC. The impact on amortization due to assumption changes has an immaterial impact on the results of operations.

Annually, the Company performs a gross premium valuation on life insurance and supplemental policies to assess whether a loss recognition event has occurred. This involves discounting expected future benefits and expenses less expected future premiums. To the extent that this amount is greater than the liability for future benefits less the DAC asset, in aggregate for the life insurance or the supplemental block, a loss would be recognized by first writing off the DAC and then increasing the liability.

In the event actual experience differs significantly from assumptions or assumptions are significantly revised, the Company may be required to recognize a material charge or credit to current period amortization expense for the period in which the adjustment is made. The Company recognized the following adjustments to amortization expense as a result of evaluating actual experience and prospective assumptions, the impact of unlocking:



($ in thousands)	Year Ended December 31,
	2019			2018		2017
Increase (decrease) to DAC amortization expense:
Retirement	$	3,480		$	3,948	$	1,081
Life	(267		)	283		(200		)
Total	$	3,213		$	4,231	$	881

DAC for investment contracts and life insurance products with account values are adjusted for the impact on estimated future gross profits as if net unrealized investment gains (losses) on securities had been realized at the reporting date. This adjustment reduced DAC by $41.2 million and $17.9 million at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The after tax impact of this adjustment is included in AOCI (net unrealized investment gains (losses) on securities) within shareholders' equity.

DAC is reviewed for recoverability from future income, including net investment income, and costs that are deemed unrecoverable are expensed in the period in which the determination is made. No such costs were deemed unrecoverable during the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017.

Goodwill

When the Company was acquired from CIGNA Corporation by HME Holdings, Inc. in 1989, intangible assets were recognized as goodwill in the application of purchase accounting. In addition, goodwill was recognized in 1994 related to the acquisition of Horace Mann Property & Casualty Insurance Company and in 2019 related to the acquisitions of BCG and NTA.

Goodwill represents the excess of the amounts paid to acquire a business over the fair value of its net assets at the date of acquisition. Goodwill is not amortized, but is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level at least annually or more frequently if events occur or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount. A reporting unit is defined as an operating segment or a business unit one level below an operating segment, if separate financial information is prepared and regularly reviewed by management at that level. The Company's reporting units, for which goodwill has been allocated, are equivalent to the Company's operating segments. Refer to Note 7 for the allocation of goodwill by reporting unit as of December 31, 2019.

The goodwill impairment test, as defined in GAAP, allows an entity the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If an entity determines it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, then the entity performs a quantitative goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying value for purposes of confirming and measuring an impairment. In the second quarter of 2019, the Company adopted guidance to eliminate Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test. Goodwill impairment is now the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying value exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill. Any amount of goodwill determined to be impaired will be recognized as an expense in the period in which the impairment determination is made.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are carried at cost less accumulated depreciation, which is calculated using the straight-line method based on the estimated useful lives of the assets. The estimated life for real estate is identified by specific property and ranges from 20 to 45 years. The estimated useful lives of leasehold improvements and other property and equipment, including capitalized software, generally range from 3 to 10 years. The following amounts are included in Other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets:



($ in thousands)	December 31,
	2019		2018
Property and equipment	$	166,583	$	142,243
Less: accumulated depreciation	106,458		101,267
Total	$	60,125	$	40,976

Separate Account (Variable Annuity) Assets and Liabilities

Separate Account assets represent variable annuity contractholder funds invested in various mutual funds. The Separate Account assets comprise actively traded mutual funds that have daily quoted net asset values that are readily determinable for identical assets that the Company can access. Net asset values for the actively traded mutual funds in which the Separate Account assets are invested are obtained daily from the fund managers. Separate Account liabilities are equal to the estimated fair value of Separate Account assets. The investment income, gains and losses of these accounts accrue directly to the contractholders and are not included in the operations of the Company. The activity of the Separate Accounts is not reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Operations except for (1) contract charges earned, (2) the activity related to contract guarantees, which are benefits on existing variable annuity contracts, and (3) the impact of financial market performance on the amortization of DAC. The Company's contract charges earned include fees charged to the Separate Accounts, including mortality charges, risk charges, policy administration fees, investment management fees and surrender charge

Investment Contract and Life Policy Reserves

Investment Contract and Policy Reserves

This table summarizes the Company's investment contract and policy reserves.



($ in thousands)	December 31,
	2019		2018
Investment contract reserves	$	4,675,774	$	4,555,856
Policy reserves	1,558,678		1,155,337
Total	$	6,234,452	$	5,711,193

Liabilities for future benefits on supplemental, life and annuity policies are established in amounts adequate to meet the estimated future obligations on policies in force.

Liabilities for future policy benefits on certain supplemental and life insurance policies are computed using the net level premium method including assumptions as to investment yields, mortality, morbidity, persistency, expenses and other assumptions based on the Company's experience, including a provision for adverse deviation. These assumptions are established at the time the policy is issued and are intended to estimate the experience for the period the policy benefits are payable. If experience is less favorable than the assumptions, additional liabilities may be established, resulting in recognition of a loss for that period.

Liabilities for future benefits on annuity contracts and certain long-duration life insurance contracts are carried at accumulated policyholder values without reduction for potential surrender or withdrawal charges. The liability also includes provisions for the unearned portion of certain policy charges.

A guaranteed minimum death benefit (GMDB) generally provides an additional benefit if the contractholder dies and the variable annuity contract value is less than a contractually defined amount. The Company has estimated and recorded a GMDB reserve on variable annuity contracts in accordance with GAAP. Contractually defined amounts vary from contract to contract based on the date the contract was entered into as well as the GMDB feature elected by the contractholder. The Company regularly monitors the GMDB reserve considering fluctuations in financial markets. The Company has a relatively low exposure to GMDB risk as shown below.



($ in thousands)	December 31,
	2019			2018
GMDB reserve	$	126		$	258
Aggregate in-the-money death benefits under the GMDB provision	29,367			48,083
Variable annuity contract value distribution based on GMDB feature:
No guarantee	28		%	30		%
Return of premium guarantee	67		%	65		%
Guarantee of premium roll-up at an annual rate of 3% or 5%	5		%	5		%
Total	100		%	100		%

Reserves for Fixed Indexed Annuities and Indexed Universal Life Policies

The Company offers fixed indexed annuity (FIA) products with interest crediting strategies linked to the Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). The Company purchases call options on the applicable indices as an investment to provide the income needed to fund the annual index credits on the indexed products. These products are deferred fixed annuities with a guaranteed minimum interest rate plus a contingent return based on equity market performance and are considered hybrid financial instruments under GAAP.

The Company elected to not use hedge accounting for derivative transactions related to the FIA products. As a result, the Company accounts for the purchased call options and the embedded derivative related to the provision of a contingent return at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized as Net investment gains (losses) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The embedded derivative is bifurcated from the host contract and included in Other policyholder funds in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The host contract is accounted for as a debt instrument in accordance with GAAP and is included in Investment contract and life policy reserves in the Consolidated Balance Sheets with any discount to the minimum account value being accreted using the effective yield method. In the Consolidated Statements of Operations, accreted interest for FIA products and benefit claims on these products incurred during the reporting period are included in Benefits, claims and settlement expenses.

The Company offers indexed universal life (IUL) products as part of its product portfolio with interest crediting strategies linked to the S&P 500 Index and the DJIA as well as a fixed option. The Company purchases call options monthly to economically hedge the potential liabilities arising in IUL accounts. The Company elected to not use hedge accounting for derivative transactions related to the IUL products. As a result, the Company records the purchased call options and the embedded derivative related to the provision of a contingent return at fair value, with changes in fair value reported in Net investment gains (losses) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. IUL policies with a balance in one or more indexed accounts are considered to have an embedded derivative. The benefit reserve for the host contract is measured using the retrospective deposit method, which for Horace Mann's IUL product is equal to the account balance. The embedded derivative is bifurcated from the host contract, carried at fair value, and included in Investment contract and life policy reserves in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

See Note 4 for more information regarding the determination of fair value for the FIA and IUL embedded derivatives and purchased call options.

Unpaid Claims and Claim Expenses

Liabilities for Property and Casualty unpaid claims and claim expenses include provisions for payments to be made on reported claims, claims incurred but not yet reported (IBNR) and associated settlement expenses. All of the Company's reserves for Property and Casualty unpaid claims and claim expenses are carried at the full value of estimated liabilities and are not discounted for interest expected to be earned on reserves. Estimated amounts

of salvage and subrogation on unpaid Property and Casualty claims are deducted from the liability for unpaid claims. Due to the nature of the Company's personal lines business, the Company has no exposure to losses related to claims for toxic waste cleanup, other environmental remediation or asbestos-related illnesses other than claims under property insurance policies for environmentally related items such as mold.

Other Policyholder Funds

Other policyholder funds includes payout annuity contracts without life contingencies and dividend accumulations, as well as balances outstanding under funding agreements with FHLB and embedded derivatives related to FIA products. Except for embedded derivatives, each of these components is carried at cost. Embedded derivatives are carried at fair value. Amounts received and repaid under FHLB funding agreements are classified as financing activities in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows combined with annuity contract deposits and disbursements, respectively.

FHLB Funding Agreements

In 2013, Horace Mann Life Insurance Company (HMLIC), and in 2019, NTA became members of FHLB, which provides both subsidiaries with access to collateralized borrowings and other FHLB products. Any borrowing from FHLB requires the purchase of FHLB activity-based common stock in an amount equal to 4.5% of the borrowing, or a lower percentage — such as 2.0% based on the Reduced Capitalization Advance Program. In 2019, HMEC's Board of Directors (Board) authorized a maximum amount equal to 15% of net aggregate admitted assets less separate account assets of the insurance subsidiaries for FHLB advances and funding agreements combined. In 2019, HMLIC received an additional $175.0 million from FHLB under funding agreements as well as repaid FHLB $305.0 million of principal. Outstanding advances under funding agreements are reported as Other policyholder funds in the Consolidated Balance Sheets and totaled $495.0 million as of December 31, 2019 of which $125.0 million matures on September 11, 2020, $20.0 million matures on November 15, 2023, $100.0 million matures on December 15, 2023, $50.0 million matures on January 12, 2024 and the remaining $200.0 million matures on January 16, 2026. Interest on the funding agreements accrues at an annual weighted average rate of 1.87% as of December 31, 2019.

Insurance Premiums and Contract Charges Earned

Property and Casualty insurance premiums are recognized as revenue ratably over the related contract periods in proportion to the risks insured. The unexpired portions of these Property and Casualty premiums are recorded as unearned premiums, using the monthly pro rata method.

Premiums and contract charges for life insurance contracts with account values and investment (annuity) contracts consist of charges for the cost of insurance, policy administration and withdrawals. Premiums for long-term traditional life and supplemental policies are recognized as revenues when due over the premium-paying

period. Contract deposits to investment contracts and life insurance contracts with account values represent funds deposited by policyholders and are not included in the Company's premiums or contract charges earned.

Share-Based Compensation

The Company grants stock options and both service-based and performance-based restricted common stock units (RSUs) to executive officers, other employees and Directors in an effort to attract and retain individuals while also aligning compensation with the interests of the Company's shareholders. Additional information regarding the Company's share-based compensation plans is contained in Note 13.

Stock options are accounted for under the fair value method of accounting using a Black-Scholes valuation model to measure stock option expense at the date of grant. The fair value of RSUs is measured at the market price of the Company's common stock on the date of grant, with the exception of market-based performance awards, for which the Company uses a Monte Carlo simulation model to determine fair value for purposes of measuring RSU expense. For the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, the Company recognized $1.2 million, $1.2 million, and $1.3 million, respectively, of stock option expense as a result of the vesting of stock options during the respective periods. For the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, the Company recognized $5.2 million, $6.6 million and $6.5 million, respectively, in RSU expense as a result of the performance and/or vesting of RSUs during the respective periods.

In 2019, 2018 and 2017, the Company granted stock options as quantified in the table below, which also provides the weighted average grant date fair value for stock options granted in each year. The fair value of stock options granted was estimated on the respective dates of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the weighted average assumptions shown in the following table.



	Year Ended December 31,
	2019			2018			2017
Number of stock options granted	282,040			223,208			222,828
Weighted average grant date fair value of stock options granted	$	6.26		$	7.16		$	6.57
Weighted average assumptions:
Risk-free interest rate	2.5		%	2.6		%	2.0		%
Expected dividend yield	2.9		%	2.6		%	2.5		%
Expected life, in years	5.0			4.8			4.9
Expected volatility (based on historical volatility)	21.9		%	21.5		%	21.4		%

The weighted average fair value of nonvested stock options outstanding on December 31, 2019 was $6.42. Total unrecognized compensation expense relating to the nonvested stock options outstanding as of December 31, 2019 was approximately $2.4 million. This amount will be recognized as expense over the remainder of the vesting period, which is scheduled to be 2020 through 2023. Expense is reflected on a straight-line basis over the vesting period for the entire award. Forfeitures of unvested amounts due to terminations and/or early retirements are recognized as a reduction to the related expenses.

Total unrecognized compensation expense relating to RSUs outstanding as of December 31, 2019 was approximately $6.6 million. This amount will be recognized as expense over the remainder of the performance and/or vesting period, which is scheduled to be 2020 through 2022. Expense is reflected on a straight-line basis from the date of grant through the end of the performance and/or vesting period for the entire award. Forfeitures of unvested amounts due to terminations are recognized as a reduction to the related expenses.

Income Taxes

The Company uses the asset and liability method for calculating deferred federal income taxes. Income tax provisions are generally based on income reported for financial statement purposes. The provisions for federal income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 included amounts currently payable and deferred income taxes resulting from the cumulative differences in the Company's assets and liabilities, determined on a tax return versus financial statement basis.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities include provisions for net unrealized investment gains (losses) on securities as well as the net funded status of benefit plans with the changes for each period included in the respective components of AOCI within shareholders' equity.

Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share is computed based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus the weighted average number of fully vested RSUs and common stock units (CSUs) payable as shares of HMEC common stock. Diluted earnings per share is computed based on the weighted average number of common shares and common stock equivalents outstanding, to the extent dilutive. The Company's common stock equivalents relate to outstanding common stock options, deferred compensation CSUs and incentive compensation RSUs, which are described in Note 13.

The computations of net income per share on both basic and diluted bases, including reconciliations of the numerators and denominators, were as follows:



($ in thousands)	Year Ended December 31,
	2019		2018		2017
Basic:
Net income for the period	$	184,443	$	18,343	$	169,459
Weighted average number of common shares during the period (in thousands)	41,738		41,570		41,365
Net income per share - basic	$	4.42	$	0.44	$	4.10

Diluted:
Net income for the period	$	184,443	$	18,343	$	169,459
Weighted average number of common shares during the period (in thousands)	41,738		41,570		41,365
Weighted average number of common equivalent shares to reflect the dilutive effect of common stock equivalent securities (in thousands):
Stock options	79		100		112
CSUs related to deferred compensation for employees	—		25		25
RSUs related to incentive compensation	132		199		63
Total common and common equivalent shares adjusted to calculate diluted earnings per share (in thousands)	41,949		41,894		41,565
Net income per share - diluted	$	4.40	$	0.44	$	4.08

Options to purchase 622,500 shares of common stock at $38.05 to $44.75 per share were granted in 2017, 2018 and 2019 but were not included in the computation of 2019 diluted earnings per share because of their anti-dilutive effect. These options, which expire in 2027, 2028 and 2029, were still outstanding at December 31, 2019.

Comprehensive Income (Loss) and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Comprehensive income (loss) represents the change in shareholders' equity during a reporting period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-shareholder sources. For the Company, comprehensive income (loss) is equal to net income plus or minus the after tax change in net unrealized investment gains (losses) on securities and the after tax change in net funded status of benefit plans for the periods as shown in the Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity. AOCI represents the accumulated change in shareholders' equity from these transactions and other events and circumstances from non-shareholder sources as shown in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

In the Consolidated Balance Sheets, the Company recognizes the net funded status of benefit plans as a component of AOCI, net of tax.

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The components of comprehensive income (loss) were as follows:



($ in thousands)	Year Ended December 31,
	2019		2018			2017
Net income	$	184,443	$	18,343		$	169,459
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Change in net unrealized investment gains (losses) on securities:
Net unrealized investment gains (losses) on securities arising during the period	327,363		(275,094		)	105,475
Less: reclassification adjustment for net investment gains (losses) included in income before income tax	157,423		(16,363		)	(4,863		)
Total, before tax	169,940		(258,731		)	110,338
Income tax expense (benefit)	36,433		(55,495		)	35,933
Total, net of tax	133,507		(203,236		)	74,405
Change in net funded status of benefit plans:
Before tax	1,805		1,294			1,461
Income tax expense	387		262			727
Total, net of tax	1,418		1,032			734
Total comprehensive income (loss)	$	319,368	$	(183,861	)	$	244,598

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The following table reconciles the components of AOCI for the periods indicated.



($ in thousands)	Net Unrealized Investment Gains (Losses) on Securities ⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾			Net Funded Status of Benefit Plans ⁽¹⁾			Total⁽¹⁾⁽³⁾
Beginning balance, January 1, 2019	$	96,941		$	(12,185	)	$	84,756
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	257,871			1,418			259,289
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	(124,364		)	—			(124,364		)
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)	133,507			1,418			134,925
Ending balance, December 31, 2019	$	230,448		$	(10,767	)	$	219,681

Beginning balance, January 1, 2018	$	300,177		$	(13,217	)	$	286,960
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	(201,122		)	1,032			(200,090		)
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	12,927			—			12,927
Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle ⁽⁴⁾	(15,041		)	—			(15,041		)
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)	(203,236		)	1,032			(202,204		)
Ending balance, December 31, 2018	$	96,941		$	(12,185	)	$	84,756

Beginning balance, January 1, 2017	$	175,738		$	(11,817	)	$	163,921
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	71,244			734			71,978
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	3,161			—			3,161
Reclassification of deferred taxes ⁽³⁾	50,034			(2,134		)	47,900
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)	124,439			(1,400		)	123,039
Ending balance, December 31, 2017	$	300,177		$	(13,217	)	$	286,960

⁽¹⁾ All amounts are net of tax.


⁽²⁾	The pretax amounts reclassified from AOCI, $157.4 million, $(16.4) million and $(4.9) million, are included in net investment gains (losses) and the related tax expenses, $33.1 million, $(3.4) million and $(1.7) million, are included in income tax expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

⁽³⁾

Forthe period ended December 31, 2017, deferred taxes attributable to net unrealized investment gains (losses) on fixed maturity and equity securities and Defined benefit plans were re-measured as a result of the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA). ASC 740, Income Taxes, requires that the income tax effect from the deferred tax re-measurement be reflected in the Company’s income tax expense, even if the deferred taxes being re-measured were originally established through AOCI. The mismatch between deferred taxes established in AOCI at 35% and re-measuring these same deferred taxes at 21% through income tax expense results in stranded deferred taxes in AOCI. On February 14, 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued accounting guidance that permits recognition of a reclassification adjustment between AOCI and Retained earnings for stranded deferred tax amounts related to the reduced corporate tax rate enacted under the TCJA. As permitted under its provisions, the Company early adopted the accounting guidance effective for the quarterly period that ended December 31, 2017 and has elected to reclassify the stranded deferred tax amounts. The impact from early adoption resulted in an increase to AOCI and a reduction to Retained earnings of approximately $47.9 million; representing the stranded deferred tax liabilities of $50.0 million and $(2.1) million for net unrealized investment gains (losses) on fixed maturity and equity securities and Defined benefit plans, respectively.


⁽⁴⁾	The Company adopted guidance on January 1, 2018 that resulted in reclassifying $15.0 million of after tax net unrealized gains on equity securities from AOCI to Retained earnings.

Comparative information for elements that are not required to be reclassified in their entirety to net income in the same reporting period is located in Note 3.

Statements of Cash Flows

For purposes of the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, cash constitutes cash on deposit at banks as well as restricted cash.

Adopted and Pending Accounting Standards

Adopted Accounting Standards

Accounting for Leases

Effective for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, the Company adopted guidance for leases and elected to utilize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings. Accordingly, the Company’s reporting for the comparative periods prior to adoption continues to be presented in the financial statements in accordance with previous lease accounting guidance. The Company elected to apply all practical expedients in the guidance for transition for leases in effect at adoption, including using hindsight to determine the lease term of existing leases, the option to not reassess whether an existing contract is a lease or contains a lease and whether the lease is an operating or finance lease. The adoption of the guidance resulted in the Company recognizing a $14.5 million lease liability equal to the present value of lease payments and a $13.9 million right-of-use (ROU) asset, which is the corresponding lease liability adjusted for qualifying accrued lease payments. The lease liability and ROU asset are reported in Other liabilities and Other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The impact of these changes at adoption had no impact on net income or shareholders' equity.

Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment

Effective for the quarter ended June 30, 2019, the Company adopted guidance to simplify the accounting for goodwill impairment. Adoption of this guidance removed Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test, which required a hypothetical purchase price allocation. Goodwill impairment is now the amount by which a reporting unit's carrying value exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill.

Pending Accounting Standards

Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments

In June 2016 , the FASB issued guidance which revises the credit loss recognition criteria for certain financial assets measured at amortized cost, including reinsurance recoverables. The new guidance replaces the existing incurred loss recognition model with an expected loss recognition model. The objective of the expected credit loss model is for a reporting entity to recognize its estimate of expected credit losses for affected financial assets in a valuation allowance that when deducted from the amortized cost basis of the related financial assets results in a net carrying value at the amount expected to be collected. A reporting entity must consider all relevant information available when estimating expected credit losses, including details about past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts over the life of an asset. Financial assets may be evaluated individually or on a pooled basis when they share similar risk characteristics. The measurement of credit losses for available-for-sale debt securities measured at fair value is not affected except that credit losses recognized are limited to the amount by which fair value is below amortized cost and the carrying value adjustment is recognized through a valuation allowance which may change over time but once recorded cannot subsequently be reduced to an amount below zero. The guidance is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and for most affected instruments must be adopted using a modified retrospective approach, with a cumulative effect adjustment recorded to beginning retained earnings.

The Company’s implementation activities are substantially complete and the impacts relate primarily to the Company’s commercial mortgage portfolio, property and casualty reinsurance recoverables and off-balance-sheet credit exposures for unfunded commercial mortgage loan commitments. The Company adopted the new guidance on January 1, 2020 and recognized a cumulative effect adjustment that decreased retained earnings by an insignificant amount.

Accounting for Long-Duration Insurance Contracts

In August 2018, the FASB issued accounting and disclosure guidance that contains targeted improvements to the accounting for long-duration insurance contracts. Under the new guidance, the cash flow assumptions used to measure the liability for future policy benefits for traditional insurance contracts will be required to be updated at least annually with changes recognized as a benefit expense (i.e., assumptions will no longer be locked-in). Insurance entities will be required to use a standard discount rate to measure the liabilities that will be equivalent to the yield from a high-quality bond. The new guidance also changes the amortization of DAC to be on a constant-level basis over the expected term of the related contracts with no interest accruing on the DAC balance. The new guidance also introduces a new category of contract features associated with deposit type contracts referred to as market risk benefits (MRBs). Contract features meeting the definition of a MRB will be measured at fair value. New disclosures will be required for long-duration insurance contracts in order to provide better transparency into the exposure of insurance entities and the drivers of their results. For public business

entities, the guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2021, including interim periods within those years. With regards to the liability for future policy benefits and DAC, the guidance applies to contracts in force as of the beginning of the earliest period presented and may be applied retrospectively. With regards to MRBs, the guidance is to be applied retrospectively at the beginning of the earliest period presented. Early adoption is permitted. Management is evaluating the impact this guidance will have on the results of operations and financial position of the Company.