XML 35 R9.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.0.8
Investments
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Investments [Abstract]  
Investments
 
Note B - Investments
               
                 
The following is a summary of available for sale securities at December 31:
       
                 
               
Net
 
      
Cost or
  
Gross
  
Gross
  
Unrealized
 
   
Fair
  
Amortized
  
Unrealized
  
Unrealized
  
Gains
 
   
Value
  
Cost
  
Gains
  
Losses
  
(Losses)
 
2013:
               
Fixed maturities:
               
   U.S. government obligations
 $113,389  $113,348  $81  $(40) $41 
   Residential mortgage-backed securities
  13,252   12,058   1,334   (140)  1,194 
   Commercial mortgage-backed securities
  28,565   28,406   308   (149)  159 
   State and municipal obligations
  115,250   115,278   407   (435)  (28)
   Corporate securities
  137,215   136,991   3,207   (2,983)  224 
   Foreign government obligations
  23,879   23,689   588   (398)  190 
      Total fixed maturities
  431,550   429,770   5,925   (4,145)  1,780 
Equity securities:
                    
   Financial institutions
  18,850   7,780   11,171   (101)  11,070 
   Industrial & miscellaneous
  126,978   64,307   63,009   (338)  62,671 
      Total equity securities
  145,828   72,087   74,180   (439)  73,741 
Total
 $577,378  $501,857  $80,105  $(4,584)  75,521 
                      
               
Applicable federal income taxes
   (26,432)
                      
               
Net unrealized gains - net of tax
  $49,089 
                      
2012:
                    
Fixed maturities:
                    
   U.S. government obligations
 $70,742  $70,720  $43  $(21) $22 
   Residential mortgage-backed securities
  25,040   23,954   1,218   (132)  1,086 
   Commercial mortgage-backed securities
  11,828   11,006   849   (27)  822 
   State and municipal obligations
  194,865   194,258   757   (150)  607 
   Corporate securities
  120,596   118,574   2,923   (901)  2,022 
   Foreign government obligations
  22,598   22,047   602   (51)  551 
      Total fixed maturities
  445,669   440,559   6,392   (1,282)  5,110 
Equity securities:
                    
   Financial institutions
  12,394   5,925   6,542   (73)  6,469 
   Industrial & miscellaneous
  95,188   52,202   44,568   (1,582)  42,986 
      Total equity securities
  107,582   58,127   51,110   (1,655)  49,455 
Total
 $553,251  $498,686  $57,502  $(2,937)  54,565 
                      
               
Applicable federal income taxes
   (19,098)
                      
               
Net unrealized gains - net of tax
  $35,467 

 
The following table summarizes, for fixed maturity and equity security investments in an unrealized loss position at December 31, the aggregate fair value and gross unrealized loss categorized by the duration those securities have been continuously in an unrealized loss position.


   
2013
  
2012
 
   
Number of Securities
  
Fair Value
  
Gross Unrealized Loss
  
Number of Securities
  
Fair Value
  
Gross Unrealized Loss
 
Fixed maturity securities:
                  
12 months or less
  451  $123,145  $(3,105)  170  $90,607  $(483)
Greater than 12 months
  53   18,249   (1,040)  58   19,283   (799)
Total fixed maturities
  504   141,394   (4,145)  228   109,890   (1,282)
Equity securities:
                        
12 months or less
  10   1,682   (204)  20   6,955   (842)
Greater than 12 months
  2   1,980   (235)  11   6,640   (813)
Total equity securities
  12   3,662   (439)  31   13,595   (1,655)
Total
  516  $145,056  $(4,584)  259  $123,485  $(2,937)


Unrealized losses in the Company’s fixed maturity portfolio are generally the result of interest rate fluctuations as well as the disruption of credit markets occasioned by financial market turmoil.  The average unrealized loss for all fixed maturity securities in a loss position at December 31, 2013 is approximately 3% of original or adjusted cost.  The Company does not intend to sell any fixed maturity securities and it is not more likely than not that the Company will have to sell any fixed maturity security before recovery of its amortized cost basis.  For equity securities, the Company has evaluated the near-term prospects of the investment in relation to the severity and duration of the impairment and based on that evaluation the Company has the ability and intent to hold these investments until a recovery of fair value.  Therefore, the Company does not believe the unrealized losses represent an other-than-temporary impairment as of December 31, 2013.

The fair value and the cost or amortized cost of fixed maturity investments at December 31, 2013, by contractual maturity, are shown below.  Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities because borrowers have, in some cases, the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties.  Pre-refunded municipal bonds are classified based on their pre-refunded call dates.

   
Fair Value
  
Cost or Amortized Cost
 
              
One year or less
 $99,367   23.0 % $98,926   23.0 %
Excess of one year to five years
  197,404   45.7   198,046   46.1 
Excess of five years to ten years
  54,287   12.6   53,719   12.5 
Excess of ten years
  6,258   1.5   5,838   1.4 
   Total maturities
  357,316   82.8   356,529   83.0 
Asset-backed securities
  74,234   17.2   73,241   17.0 
   $431,550   100.0 % $429,770   100.0 %
 
 
Major categories of investment income for the years ended December 31 are summarized as follows:
 
     
2013
  
2012
  
2011
 
Fixed maturities
   $9,023  $10,052  $11,016 
Equity securities
    2,166   2,121   1,738 
Money market funds, Short-term and other
  49   43   60 
      11,238   12,216   12,814 
Investment expenses
    (2,468)  (2,286)  (2,085)
 
Net investment income
 $8,770  $9,930  $10,729 

 
Gains and losses on investments, including equity method earnings from limited partnerships, for the years ended December 31 are summarized below:
 

   
2013
  
2012
  
2011
 
Fixed maturities:
         
   Gross gains
 $7,235  $3,860  $6,443 
   Gross losses
  (4,371)  (3,961)  (6,805)
      Net gains (losses)
  2,864   (101)  (362)
              
Equity securities:
            
   Gross gains
  15,374   3,191   7,409 
   Gross losses
  (2,718)  (1,131)  (2,960)
      Net gains
  12,656   2,060   4,449 
              
Limited partnerships - net gain (loss)
  7,995   7,052   (21,890)
              
              
      Total net gains (losses)
 $23,515  $9,011  $(17,803)


Shareholders' equity includes approximately $24,461, net of deferred federal income taxes, of undistributed earnings from limited partnerships as of December 31, 2013.
 
Gain and loss activity for fixed maturity and equity security investments, as shown in the previous table, include adjustments for other-than-temporary impairment for the years ended December 31 summarized as follows:
 

   
2013
  
2012
  
2011
 
           
Cumulative charges to income at beginning of year
 $7,773  $8,178  $7,604 
              
Writedowns based on objective and subjective criteria
  742   888   1,906 
Recovery of prior writedowns upon sale or disposal
  (1,745)  (1,293)  (1,332)
Net pre-tax realized gain (loss)
  1,003   405   (574)
              
Cumulative charges to income at end of year
 $6,770  $7,773  $8,178 
              
Addition (reduction) to earnings per share from net
            
after-tax realized gain (loss)
 $.04  $.02  $(.03)
              
Unrealized gain on investments previously written down at end of the year - see note below
 $13,129  $8,158   $6,782  


Note:  Recovery in market value of an investment which has previously been adjusted for other-than-temporary impairment is treated as an unrealized gain until the investment matures or is sold.
 
There is no primary or secondary market for the Company’s investments in limited partnerships and, in most cases, the Company is prohibited from disposing of its limited partnership interests for some period of time and generally must seek approval from the general partner for any such disposal.  Distributions of earnings from these partnerships are largely at the sole discretion of the general partners and distributions are generally not received by the Company for many years after the earnings have been reported.  The Company has commitments to contribute an additional $6,315 to various limited partnerships as of December 31, 2013.
 
The Company has invested a total of $23,000 in three limited partnerships, with an aggregate estimated value of $39,899 at December 31, 2013, that are managed by organizations in which three directors of the Company are executive officers, directors or owners.  The Company’s ownership interest in these limited partnerships ranges from 4% to 14%.  These limited partnerships added $1,154, $2,485 and ($18,673), net of fees, to investment gains (losses) in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.  During 2013, 2012 and 2011, the Company has recorded management fees of $640, $650 and $793, respectively, and performance-based fees of $18, $0 and $0, respectively, to these organizations for management of these limited partnerships.  The Company has been informed that the fee rates applied to its investments in these limited partnerships are the same as, or lower than, the fee rates charged to unaffiliated customers for similar investments.
 
The Company utilized the services of a broker-dealer firm of which two directors of the Company are employees or partial owners.  This broker-dealer serves as agent for purchases and sales of securities and manages an equity securities portfolio and fixed maturity portfolio with market values of approximately $2,760 and $19,427, respectively, at December 31, 2013.  The Company has been informed that commission and management rates charged by this broker-dealer to the Company are commensurate with rates charged to non-affiliated customers for similar investments.  Total commissions and net fees earned by the broker-dealer and affiliates on these transactions and for advice and consulting were approximately $239, $186 and $174 during 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
 
The Company’s limited partnerships include one significant investment which invests in public and private equity markets in India.  This limited partnership investment’s value as of December 31, 2013 and 2012 was $22,692 and $25,868, respectively.  At December 31, 2013, the Company’s estimated ownership interest in this limited partnership investment was approximately 4%.  The Company's share of earnings (losses) from this limited partnership investment was ($3,176), $2,404 and ($9,732) in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.  The summarized financial information of the significant limited partnership investment as of and for the years ended December 31 is as follows:
 
   
2013
  
2012
  
2011
 
Total assets
 $493,028  $641,071  $633,165 
Total partners' capital
  444,337   559,745   579,568 
Net increase (decrease) in partners' capital resulting from operations
  (64,550)  60,734   (266,314)

 
The fair value of regulatory deposits with various insurance departments in the United States and Canada totaled $63,447 and $47,791 at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
 
Short-term investments at December 31, 2013 include $4,891 in time certificates of deposit by a Bermuda bank.
 
The Company’s fixed maturities are over 89% invested in investment grade fixed maturity investments.  The Company has a total of $20,324, representing 11 different investments, of fixed maturity investments which were originally issued with guarantees by three different third party insurance companies, with the largest exposure to a single investment being $4,035.  The average S&P credit rating of such investments, with consideration of the guarantee, is AA.  The average S&P underlying credit rating of such investments, without consideration of the guarantee, would remain AA.  The Company does not have any direct exposure to any guarantor.

Approximately $44,800 of fixed maturity investments (6.4% of total invested assets) consists of bonds rated as less than investment grade at year end.  These investments include a diversified portfolio of over 40 investments including catastrophe bonds and have a $662 net unrealized gain position at December 31, 2013.  As of December 31, 2013, the Company had committed funds totaling $12,000 related to two bridge loan agreements.  The Company retains possession of these funds which will only be loaned in the unlikely event that long-term financing is unavailable to the counter party in the market.