Shareholders' Equity

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Equity [Abstract]

Stockholders' Equity

NOTE 9. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Kemper is authorized to issue 20 million shares of $0.10 par value preferred stock and 100 million shares of $0.10 par value common stock. No preferred shares were issued or outstanding at December 31, 2015 and 2014. There were 51,326,751 shares and 52,418,246 shares of common stock outstanding at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Common stock outstanding included 80,848 shares and 163,720 shares at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, that have been issued, subject to certain vesting and other requirements, in connection with the Company’s long-term equity compensation plans. See Note 10,

NOTE 9. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY (Continued)

“Long-Term Equity-based Compensation,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of the restrictions and vesting provisions.

Kemper repurchased and retired 1.2 million shares of its common stock in open market transactions at an aggregate cost of $43.5 million in 2015. Kemper repurchased and retired 3.2 million shares of its common stock in open market transactions at an aggregate cost of $115.5 million in 2014. Kemper repurchased and retired 3.0 million shares of its common stock in open market transactions at an aggregate cost of $100.4 million in 2013.

Various state insurance laws restrict the amount that an insurance subsidiary may pay in the form of dividends, loans or advances without the prior approval of regulatory authorities. Also, that portion of an insurance subsidiary’s net equity which results from differences between statutory insurance accounting practices and GAAP would not be available for cash dividends, loans or advances. Kemper’s insurance subsidiaries paid dividends of $285.0 million to Kemper in 2015. In 2016, Kemper’s insurance subsidiaries would be able to pay $168 million in dividends to Kemper without prior regulatory approval. Kemper’s insurance subsidiaries had net assets of $2.4 billion, determined in accordance with GAAP, that were restricted from payment to Kemper without prior regulatory approval at December 31, 2015.

Kemper’s insurance subsidiaries are required to file financial statements prepared on the basis of statutory insurance accounting practices, a comprehensive basis of accounting other than GAAP. Statutory capital and surplus for the Company’s life and health insurance subsidiaries was $394.6 million and $437.3 million at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Statutory net income for the Company’s life and health insurance subsidiaries was $62.8 million, $100.7 million and $81.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Statutory capital and surplus for the Company’s property and casualty insurance subsidiaries was $957.7 million and $947.5 million at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Statutory net income for the Company’s property and casualty insurance subsidiaries was $58.9 million, $85.7 million and $138.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Statutory capital and surplus and statutory net income exclude parent company operations.

Kemper’s insurance subsidiaries are also required to hold minimum levels of statutory capital and surplus to satisfy regulatory requirements. The minimum statutory capital and surplus, or company action level RBC, necessary to satisfy regulatory requirements for the Company’s life and health insurance subsidiaries collectively was $134.4 million at December 31, 2015. The minimum statutory capital and surplus necessary to satisfy regulatory requirements for the Company’s property and casualty insurance subsidiaries collectively was $335.9 million at December 31, 2015. Company action level RBC is the level at which a company is required to file a corrective action plan with its regulators and is equal to 200% of the authorized control level RBC.

In 2015, Kemper paid dividends of $49.7 million to its shareholders. Except for certain financial covenants under the 2016 Credit Agreement or during any period in which Kemper elects to defer interest payments, there are no restrictions on Kemper’s ability to pay dividends to its shareholders. Certain financial covenants, namely minimum net worth and a maximum debt to total capitalization ratio, under the 2016 Credit Agreement could limit the amount of dividends that Kemper may pay to shareholders at December 31, 2015. Kemper had the ability to pay without restrictions $287 million in dividends to its shareholders and still be in compliance with all financial covenants under the 2016 Credit Agreement at December 31, 2015.