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Note 1. Significant Accounting Policies and Practices: Investment Securities (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Policies  
Investment Securities

Investment Securities

 

(i) Investments in fixed income securities, redeemable preferred stock equity securities and derivatives (options and options on future contracts) are accounted for as follows:

                        (a) Securities which are held for trading purposes are carried at estimated fair value ("fair value").  Changes in fair value are credited or charged, as appropriate, to net realized investment gains in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

                        (b) Securities not held for trading purposes which may or may not be held to maturity ("available-for-sale securities") are carried at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses deemed temporary are credited or charged, as appropriate, directly to accumulated other comprehensive income (a component of stockholders' equity).  Premiums and discounts on debt securities purchased at other than par value are amortized and accreted, respectively, to interest income in the Consolidated Statements of Income, using the constant yield method over the period to maturity.  Realized gains and losses on sales of available-for-sale securities are credited or charged, as appropriate, to net realized investment gains in the Consolidated Statements of Income. 

(ii) Financial instruments sold, but not yet purchased, represent obligations to replace borrowed securities that have been sold.  Such transactions occur in anticipation of declines in the fair value of the securities. The Company's risk is an increase in the fair value of the securities sold in excess of the consideration received, but that risk is mitigated as a result of relationships to certain securities owned.  Unrealized gains or losses on open transactions are credited or charged, as appropriate, to net realized investment gains in the Consolidated Statements of Income.  While the transaction is open, the Company will also incur an expense for any accrued dividends or interest payable to the lender of the securities.  When the transaction is closed, the Company realizes a gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the price at which the securities were sold and the cost of replacing the borrowed securities.  There were no such transactions outstanding at December 31, 2013 and 2012.

(iii) Gains or losses on sales of securities are determined on the basis of specific identification and are recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Income on the trade date.

(iv) Fair value is determined using quoted market prices when available. In some cases, we use quoted market prices for similar instruments in active markets and/or model-derived valuations where inputs are observable in active markets. When there are limited or inactive trading markets, we use industry-standard pricing methodologies, including discounted cash flow models, whose inputs are based on management assumptions and available current market information. Further, we retain independent pricing vendors to assist in valuing certain instruments, primarily all the securities in our portfolio classified in Level 2 or Level 3 in the Fair Value Hierarchy.

The Company periodically reviews and assesses the vendor’s qualifications and the design and appropriateness of its pricing methodologies.  Management will on occasion challenge pricing information on certain individual securities and, through communications with the vendor, obtain information about the assumptions, inputs and methodologies used in pricing those securities, and corroborate it against documented pricing methodologies. Validation procedures are in place to determine completeness and accuracy of pricing information, including, but not limited to: (i) review of exception reports that (a) identify any zero or un-priced securities; (b) identify securities with no price change; and (c) identify securities with significant price changes; (ii) performance of trend analyses; (iii) periodic comparison of pricing to alternative pricing sources; and (iv) comparison of pricing changes to expectations based on rating changes, benchmarks or control groups.  In certain circumstances, pricing is unavailable from the vendor and broker pricing information is used to determine fair value. In these instances, management will assess the quality of the data sources, the underlying assumptions and the reasonableness of the broker quotes based on the current market information available. To determine if an exception represents an error, management will often have to exercise judgment. Procedures to resolve an exception vary depending on the significance of the security and its related class, the frequency of the exception, the risk of material misstatement, and the availability of information for the security. These procedures include, but are not limited to; (i) a price challenge process with the vendor; (ii) pricing from a different vendor; (iii) a reasonableness review; (iv) a change in price based on better information, such as an actual market trade, among other things.  Management considers all facts and relevant information obtained during the above procedures to determine the proper classification of each security in the Fair Value Hierarchy.

(v) The Company reviews its investment securities regularly and determines whether other-than-temporary impairments have occurred.  The factors considered by management in its regular review include, but are not limited to:  the length of time and extent to which the fair value has been less than cost; the Company's intent to sell, or be required to sell, the debt security before the anticipated recovery of its remaining amortized cost basis; the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer; adverse changes in ratings announced by one or more rating agencies; subordinated credit support; whether the issuer of a debt security has remained current on principal and interest payments; current expected cash flows; whether the decline in fair value appears to be issuer specific or, alternatively, a reflection of general market or industry conditions including the effect of changes in market interest rates.  If the Company intends to sell a debt security, or it is more likely than not that it would be required to sell a debt security before the recovery of its amortized cost basis, the entire difference between the security's amortized cost basis and its fair value at the balance sheet date would be recognized by a charge to total other-than-temporary impairment losses in the Consolidated Statements of Income.  If a decline in fair value of a debt security is judged by management to be other-than-temporary and; (i) the Company does not intend to sell the security; and (ii) it is not more likely than not that it will be required to sell the security prior to recovery of the security’s amortized cost, the Company assesses whether the present value of the cash flows to be collected from the security is less than its amortized cost basis. To the extent that the present value of the cash flows generated by a debt security is less than the amortized cost basis, a credit loss exists.  For any such security, the impairment is bifurcated into (a) the amount of the total impairment related to the credit loss, and (b) the amount of the total impairment related to all other factors. The amount of the other-than-temporary impairment related to the credit loss is recognized by a charge to total other-than-temporary impairment losses in the Consolidated Statements of Income, establishing a new cost basis for the security. The amount of the other-than-temporary impairment related to all other factors is recognized in other comprehensive income in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.  It is reasonably possible that further declines in estimated fair values of such investments, or changes in assumptions or estimates of anticipated recoveries and/or cash flows, may cause further other-than-temporary impairments in the near term, which could be significant.

In assessing corporate debt securities for other-than-temporary impairment, the Company evaluates the ability of the issuer to meet its debt obligations and the value of the company or specific collateral securing the debt position. For mortgage-backed securities where loan level data is not available, the Company uses a cash flow model based on the collateral characteristics. Assumptions about loss severity and defaults used in the model are primarily based on actual losses experienced and defaults in the collateral pool. Prepayment speeds, both actual and estimated, are also considered. The cash flows generated by the collateral securing these securities are then determined with these default, loss severity and prepayment assumptions. These collateral cash flows are then utilized, along with consideration for the issue’s position in the overall structure, to determine the cash flows associated with the mortgage-backed security held by the Company. In addition, the Company evaluates other asset-backed securities for other-than-temporary impairment by examining similar characteristics referenced above for mortgage-backed securities.  The Company evaluates U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government corporations, U.S. Government agencies, and obligations of states and political subdivisions for other-than-temporary impairment by examining the terms and collateral of the security.

Equity securities may experience other-than-temporary impairment in the future based on the prospects for full recovery in value in a reasonable period of time and the Company’s ability and intent to hold the security to recovery.  If a decline in fair value is judged by management to be other-than-temporary or management does not have the intent or ability to hold a security, a loss is recognized by a charge to total other-than-temporary impairment losses in the Consolidated Statements of Income for the difference between the carrying value and the fair value of the securities.  For the purpose of other-than-temporary impairment evaluations, redeemable preferred stocks are evaluated in a manner similar to debt securities.  Declines in the creditworthiness of the issuer of debt securities with both debt and equity-like features are evaluated using the equity model in consideration of other-than-temporary impairment.

Subsequent increases and decreases, if not an other-than-temporary impairment, in the fair value of available-for-sale securities that were previously impaired, are included in other comprehensive income in the Consolidated Balance Sheet.