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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Note A - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Description of Business:  Protective Insurance Corporation (formerly Baldwin & Lyons, Inc.) (the "Company"), based in Carmel, Indiana, is a property-casualty insurer specializing in marketing and underwriting property, liability and workers' compensation coverage for trucking and public transportation fleets, as well as coverage for trucking industry independent contractors.  In addition, the Company offers workers' compensation coverage for a variety of operations outside the transportation industry.  The Company operates as one reportable property and casualty insurance segment, offering a range of products and services, the most significant being commercial automobile and workers' compensation insurance products.

The term “Insurance Subsidiaries,” as used throughout these notes, refers to Protective Insurance Company, Protective Specialty Insurance Company, Sagamore Insurance Company and B&L Insurance, Ltd.

Effective August 1, 2018, the Company changed its name to Protective Insurance Corporation to better align its holding company's and Insurance Subsidiaries' identities and to reflect its position within the insurance industry.

Effective January 1, 2017, the Company determined that its business constituted one reportable property and casualty insurance segment.  During 2016 and prior years, the Company had two reportable segments – property and casualty insurance and reinsurance.  The Company moved to a single reportable segment based on how its operating results are regularly reviewed by the Company's chief operating decision maker when making decisions about how resources are allocated and assessing performance.

Basis of Presentation:  The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries.  Inter-company transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates:  Preparation of the consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes.  Actual results will differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents:  The Company considers investments in money market funds to be cash equivalents.  Carrying amounts for these instruments approximate their fair values.

Investments: Carrying amounts for fixed income securities represent fair value and are based on quoted market prices, where available, or broker/dealer quotes for specific securities where quoted market prices are not available.  Equity securities are carried at quoted market prices (fair value).  Commercial mortgage loans are carried primarily at amortized cost along with a valuation allowance for losses when necessary. These investments represent interests in commercial mortgage loans originated and serviced by a third party of which the Company shares, on a pro-rata basis, in all related cash flows of the underlying mortgage loans. There was no valuation allowance on the Company's commercial mortgage loans as of December 31, 2018.  

The Company accounts for investments in limited partnerships using the equity method of accounting, which requires an investor in a limited partnership to record its proportionate share of the limited partnership's net income.  To the extent the limited partnerships include both realized and unrealized investment gains or losses in the determination of net income or loss, then the Company would also recognize, through its consolidated statements of operations, its proportionate share of the investee's unrealized, as well as realized, investment gains or losses within net unrealized gains (losses) on equity securities and limited partnership investments.

Short-term and other investments are carried at cost, which approximates their fair values.

Fixed income securities are considered to be available-for-sale. The related unrealized net gains or losses (net of applicable tax effects) on fixed income securities are reflected directly in shareholders' equity. Included within available-for-sale fixed income securities are convertible debt securities.  A portion of the changes in the fair values of convertible debt securities is reflected as a component of net realized gains (losses) on investments, excluding impairment losses within the consolidated statements of operations.  Realized gains and losses on disposals of fixed income securities are recorded on the trade date.  Realized gains and losses on fixed income securities are determined by the specific identification of the cost of investments sold and are included in net realized gains (losses) on investments, excluding impairment losses.

Effective January 1, 2018, equity securities are recorded at fair value, with unrealized net gains or losses reflected as a component of net unrealized gains (losses) on equity securities and limited partnership investments within the consolidated statements of operations.  Realized gains and losses on disposals of equity securities are recorded on the trade date and included in net realized gains (losses) on investments, excluding impairment losses.  Prior to adoption of the new accounting guidance, unrealized gains and losses related to equity securities were reflected directly in shareholders’ equity unless a decline in value was determined to be other-than-temporary, in which case the loss was charged to income.

In accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board's ("FASB") other-than-temporary impairment guidance, if a fixed income security is in an unrealized loss position and the Company has the intent to sell the fixed income security, or it is more likely than not that the Company will have to sell the fixed income security before recovery of its amortized cost basis, the decline in value is deemed to be other-than-temporary and is recorded to other-than-temporary impairment losses on investments in the consolidated statements of operations.   For impaired fixed income securities that the Company does not intend to sell or in cases where it is more likely than not that the Company will not have to sell such securities, but the Company expects that it will not fully recover the amortized cost basis, the credit component of the other-than-temporary impairment is recognized in other-than-temporary impairment losses on investments in the consolidated statements of operations and the non-credit component of the other-than-temporary impairment is recognized directly in shareholders' equity.

The credit component of an other-than-temporary impairment is determined by comparing the net present value of projected future cash flows with the amortized cost basis of the fixed income security.  The net present value is calculated by discounting the Company's best estimate of projected future cash flows at the appropriate effective interest rate.

Property and Equipment: Property and equipment are carried at cost, less accumulated depreciation.  Depreciation is computed principally by the straight-line method.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets: Goodwill is not amortized.  Rather, it is tested for impairment in accordance with FASB guidance, at the reporting-unit level.  Goodwill is tested annually (during the fourth quarter) or more often if events or circumstances, such as adverse changes in the business climate, indicate there may be impairment.  As a result of the impairment analysis conducted by the Company in the fourth quarter of 2018, the Company concluded the entire goodwill balance was impaired, resulting in an impairment loss of $3,152.  See Note M for further discussion.  This impairment charge is included within other operating expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.  Intangible assets determined to have finite lives, such as customer relationships and employment agreements, are amortized over their estimated useful lives in a manner that best reflects the economic benefits of the intangible asset.  In addition, impairment testing is performed on these amortizing intangible assets if impairment indicators are noted.

Reserves for Losses and Loss Expenses:  The reserves for losses and loss expenses are determined using case basis evaluations and statistical analyses and represent estimates of the ultimate cost of all reported and unreported losses which are unpaid at year-end.  These reserves include estimates of future trends in claim severity and frequency and other factors which could vary as the losses are ultimately settled.  While actual results will differ from such estimates, management believes that the reserves for losses and loss expenses are adequate.  The estimates are continually reviewed, and as adjustments to these reserves become necessary, such adjustments are reflected in current operations.

Recognition of Revenue and Costs:  Premiums are earned over the period for which insurance protection is provided.  A reserve for unearned premiums, computed by the daily pro-rata method, is established to reflect amounts applicable to subsequent accounting periods.  Commissions to unaffiliated companies and premium taxes applicable to unearned premiums are deferred and expensed as the related premiums are earned.  The Company does not defer acquisition costs that are not directly variable with the production of premium.  If it is determined that expected losses and deferred expenses will likely exceed the related unearned premiums, the asset representing deferred policy acquisition costs is reduced and an expense is charged against current operations to reflect any such premium deficiency.  In the event that the expected premium deficiency exceeds deferred policy acquisition costs, an additional liability would be recorded with a corresponding expense to current operations for the amount of the excess premium deficiency.  Anticipated investment income is considered in determining recoverability of deferred acquisition costs.  The Company had no material contract assets, contract liabilities, or deferred contract costs recorded on its consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2018.

Reinsurance:  Reinsurance premiums, commissions, expense reimbursements and reserves related to the Company's reinsured business are accounted for on bases consistent with those used in accounting for the original policies issued and the terms of the reinsurance contracts.  Premiums ceded to other insurers have been reported as a reduction of premium earned.  Amounts applicable to reinsurance ceded for unearned premium and claim loss reserves have been reported as reinsurance recoverable assets.  Certain reinsurance contracts provide for additional or return premiums and commissions based upon profits or losses to the reinsurer over prescribed periods.  Estimates of additional or return premiums and commissions are adjusted quarterly to recognize actual loss experience to date, as well as projected loss experience applicable to the various contract periods.  Estimates of reinstatement premiums on reinsurance contracts covering catastrophic events are, to the extent reasonably determinable, recorded concurrently with the related loss.

Should impairment in the ability of a reinsurer to satisfy its obligations to the Company be determined to exist, current year operations would be charged in amounts sufficient to provide for the Company's additional liability.  Such charges, when incurred, are included in other operating expenses, rather than losses and loss expenses incurred, because the inability of the Company to collect from reinsurers is a credit risk rather than a deficiency associated with the loss reserving process.

Deferred Taxes:  Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are recognized for temporary differences between the financial statement and tax return bases of assets and liabilities based on enacted tax rates and laws.  The deferred tax benefits of the deferred tax assets are recognized to the extent realization of such benefits is more likely than not.  Deferred income tax expense or benefit generally represents the net change in deferred income tax assets and liabilities during the year.  Current income tax expense represents the tax liability associated with revenues and expenses currently taxable or deductible on various income tax returns for the year reported.

Restricted Stock:  Shares of restricted stock vest over the vesting period from the date of grant and certain shares of restricted stock are accelerated for retirement-eligible recipients in accordance with the non-substantive, post-grant date vesting clause of Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 715, Compensation—Retirement Benefits.  Restricted stock is valued based on the closing price of the Company's Class B Common Stock on the day the award is granted.  Non-vested shares of restricted stock will be forfeited should an executive's employment terminate for any reason other than death, disability, or retirement as defined by the Compensation Committee (the "Compensation Committee") of the Board of Directors (the "Board") of the Company.

Earnings (Loss) Per Share:  Diluted earnings (loss) per share of common stock are based on the average number of shares of Class A and Class B Common Stock outstanding during the year, adjusted for the dilutive effect, if any, of restricted stock awards outstanding.  Basic earnings (loss) per share are presented exclusive of the effect of share-based awards outstanding.

Comprehensive Income (Loss): The Company records accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) from unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities and from foreign exchange adjustments as a separate component of shareholders' equity.  A reclassification adjustment to other comprehensive income (loss) is made for gains or losses during the period included in net income (loss).

Fair Value Measurements: The Company provides disclosures related to recurring and non-recurring fair value measurements with separate disclosures for the amounts of significant transfers in and out of Level 1 and Level 2 fair value measurements, along with an explanation for the transfers. Additionally, separate disclosures are provided for purchases, sales, issuances and settlements on a gross basis for Level 3 fair value measurements as well as additional clarification for both the level of disaggregation reported for each class of assets or liabilities and disclosures of inputs and valuation techniques used to measure fair value for both recurring and non-recurring fair value measurements for assets and liabilities categorized as Level 2 or Level 3.

Insurance Company-Owned Life Insurance:   Included within other assets on the consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2018 is $10,000 of insurance company-owned life insurance. The carrying value of the company-owned life insurance policies represents the cash surrender value as reported by the respective insurer, which approximates fair value.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), or ASU 2014-09, as amended by subsequently issued ASUs, to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue. While insurance contracts are not within the scope of this updated guidance, the Company's commission and fee income, other than that directly associated with insurance contracts, is subject to this updated guidance. The updated guidance requires an entity to recognize revenue as performance obligations are met in order to reflect the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the entity is entitled to receive for those goods or services. The following steps are applied in the updated guidance: (1) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (5) recognize revenue when, or as, the entity satisfies a performance obligation. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date, which deferred the effective date of ASU 2014-09 to the first quarter of 2018. The Company adopted the new guidance as of January 1, 2018. The adoption of the new guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.  The Company had no material contract assets, contract liabilities, or deferred contract costs recorded on its consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2018.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities, or ASU 2016-01. The amendments in ASU 2016-01 changed the accounting for non-consolidated equity investments that are not accounted for under the equity method of accounting by requiring changes in fair value to be recognized in income.  Previously, the Company's equity securities were classified as available-for-sale and changes in fair value were recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) as a component of shareholders' equity.  The Company adopted ASU 2016-01 as of January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective approach and recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment to reclassify unrealized gains on equity securities of $71,012 ($46,157, net of tax) from other comprehensive income (loss) to retained earnings within the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2018.  Going forward, unrealized gains or losses on equity securities will be recognized in the consolidated statements of operations within net unrealized gains (losses) on equity securities and limited partnership investments.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, or ASU 2016-15. This update addresses the presentation and classification on the statement of cash flows for eight specific items, with the objective of reducing existing diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified. The Company adopted ASU 2016-15 as of January 1, 2018. The adoption of the new guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash. This update amends ASC Topic 230 to add and clarify guidance on the classification and presentation of restricted cash in the statement of cash flows. The guidance requires entities to show the changes in the total of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. The guidance was applied retrospectively.  The Company adopted the new guidance as of January 1, 2018 and made an adjustment within net cash provided by operating activities on the consolidated statement of cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2017 to reflect $4,000 of restricted cash, which was classified within restricted cash and short-term investments on the December 31, 2017 consolidated balance sheet. The Company also changed the presentation of restricted cash and cash equivalents on its consolidated balance sheets to reflect this amount on a separate line. The adoption of the new guidance did not have an impact on the Company's consolidated statements of operations.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220). This ASU allows for the option to reclassify, from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to retained earnings, stranded tax effects resulting from the newly enacted federal corporate income tax rate in the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the "U.S. Tax Act"), which was enacted on December 22, 2017. The legislation included a reduction to the corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent effective January 1, 2018. The amount of the reclassification was the difference between the historical corporate income tax rate and the newly enacted 21 percent corporate income tax rate. The Company adopted the new guidance in the first quarter of 2018 and recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment to reclassify the tax effects on fixed income investments of $117 from other comprehensive income (loss) to retained earnings within the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2018.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, or ASU 2017-04.  This amendment removes Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test under current guidance.  The new guidance requires an impairment charge to be recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit's fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill.  ASU 2017-04 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted the new guidance in the fourth quarter of 2018 and recognized an impairment charge of $3,152 related to the impairment of goodwill.  See Note M for further discussion.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), or ASU 2016-02. ASU 2016-02 superseded the current lease guidance in ASC Topic 840, Leases.  Under the new guidance, lessees are required to recognize for all leases, with the exception of short-term leases, a lease liability, which is a lessee's obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted basis.  Concurrently, lessees are required to recognize a right-of-use asset, which is an asset that represents the lessee's right to use, or control the use of, a specified asset for the lease term.  The guidance provides for a modified retrospective transition approach for leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative periods presented in the financial statements.  In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements, which provided adopters an additional transition method by allowing entities to initially apply ASU 2016-02, and subsequent related standards, at the adoption date and recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption.   The Company adopted the new guidance on January 1, 2019 utilizing the transition method allowed per ASU 2018-11, and accordingly, comparative period financial information will not be adjusted for the effects of the new guidance. No cumulative-effect adjustment was required to the opening balance of retained earnings on the adoption date. The Company has substantially completed an assessment of the new standard’s impact and determined the new standard will not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated statements of operations or cash flows; however, the estimated impact of adopting the new guidance will result in a right-of-use asset and lease liability being recorded on the consolidated balance sheets subsequent to December 31, 2018 of approximately $400 based on the lease portfolio existing as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. 

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, or ASU 2016-13. This update introduces a current expected credit loss model for measuring expected credit losses for certain types of financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable supportable forecasts. ASU 2016-13 replaces the current incurred loss model for measuring expected credit losses, requires expected losses on available-for-sale debt securities to be recognized through an allowance for credit losses rather than as reductions in the amortized cost of the securities, and provides for additional disclosure requirements. ASU 2016-13 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the effects the adoption of ASU 2016-13 will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-09, Codification Improvements. This update provides clarification, corrects errors in and makes minor improvements to various ASC topics. Many of the amendments in this update have transition guidance with effective dates for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and some amendments in this update do not require transition guidance and were effective upon issuance of this update. The Company will adopt amendments as they become applicable. The Company has determined that the impact of these improvements will not be material to its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, or ASU 2018-13. This update removes the disclosure requirements for the amounts of and the reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 and disclosure of the policy for timing of transfers between levels. This update also removes disclosure requirements for the valuation processes for Level 3 fair value measurements. Additionally, this update adds disclosure requirements for the changes in unrealized gains and losses for recurring Level 3 fair value measurements and quantitative information for certain unobservable inputs in Level 3 fair value measurements. ASU 2018-13 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the effects the adoption of ASU 2018-13 will have on its consolidated financial statements.