Note 1 - Description of Business - Level 1 (Notes)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Business Description and Basis of Presentation [Text Block]

Description of Business

We are a diversified mortgage and real estate business, providing both credit-related mortgage insurance coverage and a broad array of other mortgage, risk, title, valuation, asset management and other real estate services. We have two reportable business segments—Mortgage and Real Estate.

Mortgage

Our Mortgage segment provides credit-related insurance coverage, principally through private mortgage insurance on residential first-lien mortgage loans, as well as other credit risk management and contract underwriting solutions, to mortgage lending institutions and mortgage credit investors. We provide our mortgage insurance products and services mainly through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Radian Guaranty. Private mortgage insurance plays an important role in the U.S. housing finance system because it promotes affordable home ownership and helps protect mortgage lenders and investors, as well as other beneficiaries by mitigating default-related losses on residential mortgage loans. Generally, these loans are made to homebuyers who make down payments of less than 20% of the purchase price for their home or, in the case of refinancings, have less than 20% equity in their home. Private mortgage insurance also facilitates the sale of these low down payment loans in the secondary mortgage market, most of which are currently sold to the GSEs. Our total direct primary mortgage IIF and RIF were $246.1 billion and $60.7 billion, respectively, as of December 31, 2020, compared to $240.6 billion and $60.9 billion, respectively, as of December 31, 2019. In addition to providing private mortgage insurance, we participate in credit risk transfer programs developed by the GSEs as part of their initiative to distribute mortgage credit risk and increase the role of private capital in the mortgage market. Our additional RIF under credit risk transfer transactions, resulting from our participation in these programs with the GSEs, totaled $392.0 million as of December 31, 2020 compared to $275.2 million as of December 31, 2019.

The GSEs and state insurance regulators impose various capital and financial requirements on our mortgage insurance subsidiaries. These include Risk-to-capital, other risk-based capital measures and surplus requirements, as well as the PMIERs financial requirements. Failure to comply with these capital and financial requirements may limit the amount of insurance that our mortgage insurance subsidiaries write or may prohibit them from writing insurance altogether. The GSEs and state insurance regulators possess significant discretion with respect to our mortgage insurance subsidiaries and all aspects of their business. See Note 16 for additional information on PMIERs and other regulatory information, and “—Recent Developments” below for a discussion of the elevated risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to an increase in mortgage defaults in our insured portfolio and a resulting increase in our Minimum Required Assets during 2020.

Real Estate

Our Real Estate segment is primarily a fee-for-service business that offers a broad array of products and services to market participants across the real estate value chain. Our real estate services include title, valuation, asset management and other real estate services offered primarily to mortgage lenders, mortgage and real estate investors, GSEs, real estate brokers and agents. These services help lenders, investors, consumers and real estate agents evaluate, manage, monitor, acquire and sell properties. These services include software as a service solutions and platforms, as well as managed services, such as REO asset management, single family rental services and real estate valuation services. In addition, we provide title insurance and non-insurance title, closing and settlement services to mortgage lenders, GSEs and mortgage investors, as well as directly to consumers for residential mortgage loans.

See Note 4 for additional information about our reportable segments and All Other business activities, including the sale of Clayton and the impact of organizational changes in the first quarter of 2020, as well as other changes impacting our reportable segments in 2020.

Recent Developments

As a seller of mortgage credit protection, our results are subject to macroeconomic conditions and specific events that impact the housing finance and real estate markets, including events that impact mortgage originations and the credit performance of our RIF. Many of these conditions are beyond our control, including housing prices, unemployment, interest rate changes, the availability of credit and other factors that may be derived from national and regional economic conditions. In general, a deterioration in economic conditions increases the likelihood that borrowers will be unable to satisfy their mortgage obligations. A deteriorating economy can adversely affect housing values, which in turn can influence the willingness of borrowers to continue to make mortgage payments regardless of whether they have the financial resources to do so. Mortgage defaults can also occur due to a variety of specific events affecting borrowers, including death or illness, divorce or other family problems, unemployment, or other events. In addition, factors impacting regional economic conditions, acts of terrorism, war or other severe conflicts, event-specific economic depressions or other catastrophic events such as natural disasters and

pandemics could result in increased defaults due to the impact of such events on the ability of borrowers to satisfy their mortgage obligations and on the value of affected homes.

Beginning in March 2020, the unprecedented and continually evolving social and economic impacts associated with the COVID-19 pandemic on the U.S. and global economies generally, and in particular on the U.S. housing, real estate and housing finance markets, had a negative effect on our business and our financial results for the second quarter of 2020, and to a lesser extent the second half of 2020, and are expected to adversely impact our business and results of operations in future periods. Specifically, and primarily as a result of an increase in the number of new defaults for the year ended December 31, 2020, our financial results include: (i) an increase in provision for losses and (ii) an increase in our Minimum Required Assets required under the PMIERs. The number of new defaults increased significantly during the second quarter of 2020, but have trended down during the second half of the year, while remaining elevated compared to levels before the pandemic. See Note 11 for additional information on our reserve for losses.

In response to the uncertainties associated with COVID-19, during the second quarter of 2020 we strengthened our capital and liquidity positions by extending our existing credit facility and issuing $525 million aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes due 2025. See Note 12 for additional information on our borrowings and financing activities. The long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our businesses will depend on, among other things: the extent and duration of the pandemic, the severity of and number of people infected with the virus and the widespread availability of effective anti-viral treatments and vaccines, especially as new strains of COVID-19 have been discovered; the wider economic effects of the pandemic and the scope and duration of governmental and other third-party measures restricting day-to-day life and business operations; the impact of economic stimulus efforts to support the economy through the pandemic; and governmental and GSE programs implemented to assist borrowers experiencing a COVID-19-related hardship, including forbearance programs and suspensions of foreclosures and evictions. Although we are uncertain of the potential magnitude or duration of the business and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, these and other factors could continue to have a material negative effect on the Company’s business, liquidity, results of operations and financial condition.