Donegal Mutual Insurance Company (“Donegal Mutual”) organized us as an insurance holding company on August 26, 1986. See “Business - History and Organizational Structure” for more information. Our insurance subsidiaries, Atlantic States Insurance Company (“Atlantic States”), Southern Insurance Company of Virginia (“Southern”), Le Mars Insurance Company (“Le Mars”), The Peninsula Insurance Company and Peninsula Indemnity Company (collectively, “Peninsula”), Sheboygan Falls Insurance Company (“Sheboygan Falls”) and Michigan Insurance Company (“MICO”) write personal and commercial lines of property and casualty coverages exclusively through a network of independent insurance agents in certain Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, New England and Southern states. The personal lines products of our insurance subsidiaries consist primarily of homeowners and private passenger automobile policies. The commercial lines products of our insurance subsidiaries consist primarily of commercial automobile, commercial multi-peril and workers’ compensation policies. We also own 48.2% of the outstanding stock of Donegal Financial Services Corporation (“DFSC”), a grandfathered unitary savings and loan holding company. Donegal Mutual owns the remaining 51.8% of the outstanding stock of DFSC.
At December 31, 2013, Donegal Mutual held approximately 37% of our outstanding Class A common stock and approximately 76% of our outstanding Class B common stock. This ownership provides Donegal Mutual with approximately 65% of the aggregate voting power of our outstanding shares of Class A common stock and our outstanding shares of Class B common stock.
On July 18, 2013, our board of directors authorized a share repurchase program pursuant to which we have the authority to purchase up to 500,000 additional shares of our Class A common stock at prices prevailing from time to time in the open market subject to the provisions of the SEC Rule 10b-18 and in privately negotiated transactions. We did not purchase shares under this program during 2013.
Our insurance subsidiaries make estimates and assumptions that can have a significant effect on amounts and disclosures we report in our financial statements. The most significant estimates relate to the reserves of our insurance subsidiaries for property and casualty insurance unpaid losses and loss expenses, valuation of investments and determination of other-than-temporary investment impairments and the policy acquisition costs of our insurance subsidiaries. While we believe our estimates and the estimates of our insurance subsidiaries are appropriate, the ultimate amounts may differ from the estimates we provided. We regularly review our methods for making these estimates and we reflect any adjustment we consider necessary in our current results of operations.
insurance subsidiaries recognized an increase (decrease) in their liability for losses and loss expenses of prior years of $10.4 million, $7.6 million and ($168,460) in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Our insurance subsidiaries made no significant changes in their reserving philosophy, key reserving assumptions or claims management personnel, and have made no significant offsetting changes in estimates that increased or decreased their loss and loss expense reserves in these years. The 2013 development represented 4.1% of the December 31, 2012 net carried reserves and resulted primarily from higher-than-expected severity in the private passenger automobile liability, commercial multiple peril, commercial automobile and workers’ compensation lines of business in accident years prior to 2013.
Excluding the impact of weather events, our insurance subsidiaries have noted stable amounts in the number of claims incurred and a slight downward trend in the number of claims outstanding at period ends relative to their premium base in recent years across most of their lines of business. However, the amount of the average claim outstanding has increased gradually over the past several years as the United States property and casualty insurance industry has experienced increased litigation trends and economic conditions that have extended the estimated length of disabilities and contributed to increased medical loss costs. We have also experienced a general slowing of settlement rates in litigated claims. Our insurance subsidiaries could have to make further adjustments to their estimates in the future. However, on the basis of our insurance subsidiaries’ internal procedures, which analyze, among other things, their prior assumptions, their experience with similar cases and historical trends such as reserving patterns, loss payments, pending levels of unpaid claims and product mix, as well as court decisions, economic conditions and public attitudes, we believe that our insurance subsidiaries have made adequate provision for their liability for losses and loss expenses.
Atlantic States’ participation in the pool with Donegal Mutual exposes it to adverse loss development on the business of Donegal Mutual that the pool includes. However, pooled business represents the predominant percentage of the net underwriting activity of both companies, and Donegal Mutual and Atlantic States proportionately share any adverse risk development of the pooled business. The business in the pool is homogeneous and each company has a pro-rata share of the entire pool. Since substantially all of the business of Atlantic States and Donegal Mutual is pooled and the results shared by each company according to its participation level under the terms of the pooling agreement, the intent of the underwriting pool is to produce a more uniform and stable underwriting result from year to year for each company than either would experience individually and to spread the risk of loss between the companies.
what could be the potential best or worst case or the most-likely scenario. The following table sets forth the effect on our insurance subsidiaries’ loss and loss expense reserves and our stockholders’ equity in the event of reasonably likely changes in the variables considered in establishing loss and loss expense reserves:
Our insurance subsidiaries base their reserves for unpaid losses and loss expenses on current trends in loss and loss expense development and reflect their best estimates for future amounts needed to pay losses and loss expenses with respect to incurred events currently known to them plus incurred but not reported (“IBNR”) claims. Our insurance subsidiaries develop their reserve estimates based on an assessment of known facts and circumstances, review of historical loss settlement patterns, estimates of trends in claims severity, frequency, legal and regulatory changes and other assumptions. Our insurance subsidiaries consistently apply actuarial loss reserving techniques and assumptions, which rely on historical information as adjusted to reflect current conditions, including consideration of recent case reserve activity. Our insurance subsidiaries use the most-likely number their actuaries determine. For the year ended December 31, 2013, the actuaries developed a range from a low of $238.8 million to a high of $295.5 million and with a most-likely number of $265.6 million. The actuaries’ range of estimates for commercial lines in 2013 was $142.5 million to $176.2 million, and the actuaries selected the most-likely number of $158.5 million. The actuaries’ range of estimates for personal lines in 2013 was $96.2 million to $119.3 million, and the actuaries selected the most-likely number of $107.1 million. For the year ended December 31, 2012, the actuaries developed a range from a low of $228.7 million to a high of $275.3 million and with a most-likely number of $250.9 million. The actuaries’ range of estimates for commercial lines in 2012 was $130.9 million to $157.4 million, and the actuaries selected the most-likely number of $143.5 million. The actuaries’ range of estimates for personal lines in 2012 was $97.8 million to $117.9 million, and the actuaries selected the most-likely number of $107.4 million.
We had no sales or transfers from the held to maturity portfolio in 2013, 2012 or 2011.
The property and casualty insurance industry is highly cyclical, and individual lines of business experience their own cycles within the overall property and casualty insurance industry cycle. Premium rate levels relate to the availability of insurance coverage, which varies according to the level of surplus in the insurance industry and other factors. The level of surplus in the industry varies with returns on capital and regulatory barriers to the withdrawal of surplus. Increases in surplus have generally been accompanied by increased price competition among property and casualty insurers. If our insurance subsidiaries were to find it necessary to reduce premiums or limit premium increases due to competitive pressures on pricing, our insurance subsidiaries could experience a reduction in profit margins and revenues, an increase in ratios of losses and expenses to premiums and, therefore, lower profitability. The cyclicality of the insurance market and its potential impact on our
Our insurance subsidiaries’ 2013 net premiums written increased 7.5% to $533.4 million, compared to $496.4 million for 2012. We primarily attribute the increase to a reduction in MICO’s quota-share reinsurance, the impact of premium rate increases and an increase in the writing of commercial lines of insurance. Effective January 1, 2013, MICO reduced its external quota-share reinsurance percentage from 40% to 30%. Commercial lines net premiums written increased $26.6 million, or 14.1%, for 2013 compared to 2012. The increase includes $5.6 million related to the reduction in the amount of premium MICO reinsured in 2013, with the remainder attributable to increased writings of new accounts in the commercial automobile, commercial multi-peril and workers’ compensation lines of business. Personal lines net premiums written increased $10.4 million, or 3.4%, for 2013 compared to 2012. The increase includes $4.2 million resulting from the reduction in the amount of premium MICO reinsured in 2013, with the remainder primarily attributable to premium rate increases our subsidiaries implemented throughout 2012 and 2013 and reduced reinsurance reinstatement premiums.
Our insurance subsidiaries’ net premiums earned increased to $515.3 million for 2013, an increase of $40.3 million, or 8.5%, over 2012, reflecting increases in net premiums written during 2012 and 2013. Our insurance subsidiaries earn premiums and recognize them as income over the terms of the policies they issue. Such terms are generally one year or less in duration. Therefore, increases or decreases in net premiums earned generally reflect increases or decreases in net premiums written in the preceding twelve-month period compared to the same period one year earlier.
Our insurance subsidiaries’ installment fees decreased primarily as a result of their customers’ increased usage of payment plans that have lower installment payment fees during 2013.
Our stockholders’ equity decreased by $3.2 million in 2013. We attribute the decrease to net after-tax unrealized losses within our available-for-sale fixed maturity investment portfolio during 2013. Book value per share decreased to $15.02 at December 31, 2013, compared to $15.63 a year earlier. Our return on average equity was 6.6% for 2013, compared to 5.9% for 2012.
Our insurance subsidiaries’ 2012 net premiums written increased 9.3% to $496.4 million, compared to $454.1 million for 2011. We primarily attribute the increase to a change in MICO’s quota-share reinsurance, the impact of premium rate increases and an increase in the writing of commercial lines of insurance. Effective January 1, 2012, MICO reduced its external quota-share reinsurance percentage from 50% to 40%. Commercial lines net premiums written increased $26.7 million, or 16.5%, for 2012 compared to 2011. The increase includes $5.3 million related to the reduction in the amount of premium MICO reinsured in 2012, with the remainder attributable to increased writings of new accounts in the commercial automobile, commercial multi-peril and workers’ compensation lines of business. Personal lines net premiums written increased $15.7 million, or 5.4%, for 2012 compared to 2011. The increase includes $4.6 million resulting from the reduction in the amount of premium MICO reinsured in 2012, with the remainder primarily attributable to premium rate increases our subsidiaries implemented throughout 2011 and 2012 and reduced reinsurance reinstatement premiums.
Our net realized investment gains in 2012 and 2011 were $6.9 million and $12.3 million, respectively. The net realized investment gains in 2012 resulted from normal turnover within our investment portfolio. The net realized investment gains for 2011 included $8.0 million in gains that resulted from the previously planned periodic sales of a portion of our holdings of an equity security that we obtained in an initial public offering and for which a selling restriction expired during 2011. We did not recognize any impairment losses during 2012 or 2011.
Our insurance subsidiaries’ loss ratio, which is the ratio of incurred losses and loss expenses to premiums earned, was 70.1% in 2012, compared to 78.9% in 2011. Our insurance subsidiaries’ commercial lines loss ratio decreased to 65.5% in 2012, compared to 71.8% in 2011. This decrease resulted primarily from the commercial automobile loss ratio decreasing to 63.8% in 2012, compared to 72.4% in 2011, and the commercial multi-peril ratio decreasing to 60.2% in 2012, compared to 74.8% in 2011, as a result of decreased claim severity. The personal lines loss ratio decreased to 72.8% in 2012, compared to 82.8% in 2011, primarily as a result of a decrease in the homeowners loss ratio to 66.1% in 2012, compared to 97.1% in 2011, as a result of a decrease in weather-related claims. Our insurance subsidiaries experienced unfavorable loss reserve development of approximately $7.6 million during 2012 in their reserves for prior accident years, compared to virtually no development for 2011. The change in loss reserve development patterns occurred primarily within our insurance subsidiaries’ workers’ compensation and personal automobile reserves.
Our insurance subsidiaries’ combined ratio was 101.6% and 110.6% in 2012 and 2011, respectively. The combined ratio represents the sum of the loss ratio, expense ratio and dividend ratio, which is the ratio of workers’ compensation policy dividends incurred to premiums earned.
Our net income in 2012 was $23.1 million, or $.91 per share of Class A common stock on a diluted basis and $.83 per share of Class B common stock, compared to $452,953, or $.02 per share of Class A common stock on a diluted basis and $.01 per share of Class B common stock, in 2011. We had 20.0 million Class A shares and 5.6 million Class B shares outstanding for both periods. There are no outstanding securities that dilute our shares of Class B common stock.
Our stockholders’ equity increased by $16.6 million in 2012. We attribute the increase to our net income of $23.1 million and an increase in our net after-tax unrealized gains within our available-for-sale fixed maturity and equity investment portfolio from $23.5 million at December 31, 2011 to $26.4 million at December 31, 2012. Book value per share increased by 4.1% to $15.63 at December 31, 2012, compared to $15.01 a year earlier. Our return on average equity was 5.9% for 2012, compared to 0.1% for 2011.
We have historically generated sufficient net positive cash flow from our operations to fund our commitments and build our investment portfolio, thereby increasing future investment returns. The pooling agreement with Donegal Mutual historically has been cash flow positive because of the profitability of the underwriting pool. Because we settle the pool monthly, cash flows are substantially similar to cash flows that would result from the underwriting of direct business. We maintain a high degree of liquidity in our investment portfolio in the form of marketable fixed maturities, equity securities and short-term investments. We structure our fixed-maturity investment portfolio following a “laddering” approach so that projected cash flows from investment income and principal maturities are evenly distributed from a timing perspective. This laddering provides an additional measure of liquidity to meet our obligations and the obligations of our insurance subsidiaries should an unexpected variation occur in the future. Net cash flows provided by operating activities in 2013, 2012 and 2011 were $46.0 million, $25.0 million and $21.1 million, respectively.
MICO has an agreement with the FHLB of Indianapolis. Through its membership, MICO has the ability to issue debt to the FHLB of Indianapolis in exchange for cash advances. There were no outstanding borrowings at December 31, 2013 or 2012.
The following table shows expected payments for our significant contractual obligations at December 31, 2013:
We estimated the timing of the amounts for the borrowings under our lines of credit based on their contractual maturities that we discuss in Note 9 - Borrowings. Our borrowings under our lines of credit carry interest rates that vary as discussed in Note 9 - Borrowings. Based upon the interest rates in effect at December 31, 2013, our annual interest cost associated with our borrowings under our lines of credit is approximately $1.1 million. For every 1% change in the interest rate associated with our borrowings under our lines of credit, the effect on our annual interest cost would be approximately $580,000.
In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued guidance that requires an entity to provide information about amounts it reclassifies out of accumulated other comprehensive income. If GAAP requires an entity to reclassify amounts out of accumulated other comprehensive income to net income in their entirety in the same reporting period, the guidance requires an entity to present significant amounts it reclassifies out of accumulated other comprehensive income by the respective line items of net income, either on the face of the statement where the entity presents net income or in the notes to the entity’s financial statements,. For other amounts that GAAP does not require an entity to reclassify to net income in their entirety, the guidance requires an entity to cross-reference such amounts to other disclosures GAAP requires that provide additional detail about those amounts. The guidance was effective for interim and annual reporting periods after December 15, 2012. We adopted this new guidance as of January 1, 2013. Our adoption of this new guidance did not impact our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Donegal Mutual Insurance Company (“Donegal Mutual”) organized us as an insurance holding company on August 26, 1986. Our insurance subsidiaries, Atlantic States Insurance Company (“Atlantic States”), Southern Insurance Company of Virginia (“Southern”), Le Mars Insurance Company (“Le Mars”), the Peninsula Insurance Group (“Peninsula”), which consists of Peninsula Indemnity Company and The Peninsula Insurance Company, Sheboygan Falls Insurance Company (“Sheboygan”) and Michigan Insurance Company (“MICO”), write personal and commercial lines of property and casualty coverages exclusively through a network of independent insurance agents in certain Mid-Atlantic, Midwestern, New England and Southern states. We also own 48.2% of the outstanding stock of Donegal Financial Services Corporation (“DFSC”), a grandfathered unitary savings and loan holding company that owns Union Community Bank (“UCB”), a state savings bank. UCB has 13 banking offices, all of which are located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Donegal Mutual owns the remaining 51.8% of the outstanding stock of DFSC.
We account for investments in affiliates using the equity method of accounting. Under the equity method, we record our investment at cost, with adjustments for our share of the affiliate’s earnings and losses as well as changes in the affiliate’s equity due to unrealized gains and losses.
Reserve estimates can change over time because of unexpected changes in assumptions related to our insurance subsidiaries’ external environment and, to a lesser extent, assumptions as to our insurance subsidiaries’ internal operations. For example, our insurance subsidiaries have experienced a decrease in claims frequency on workers’ compensation claims during the past several years while claims severity has gradually increased. These trend changes give rise to greater uncertainty as to the pattern of future loss settlements on workers’ compensation claims. Related uncertainties regarding future trends include the cost of medical technologies and procedures and changes in the utilization of medical procedures. Assumptions related to our insurance subsidiaries’ external environment include the absence of significant changes in tort law and the legal environment that increase liability exposure, consistency in judicial interpretations of insurance coverage and policy provisions and the rate of loss cost inflation. Internal assumptions include consistency in the recording of premium and loss statistics, consistency in the recording of claims, payment and case reserving methodology, accurate measurement of the impact of rate changes and changes in policy provisions, consistency in the quality and characteristics of business written within a given line of business and consistency in reinsurance coverage and collectibility of reinsured losses, among other items. To the extent our insurance subsidiaries determine that underlying factors impacting their assumptions have changed, our insurance subsidiaries attempt to make appropriate adjustments for such changes in their reserves. Accordingly, our insurance subsidiaries’ ultimate liability for unpaid losses and loss expenses will likely differ from the amount recorded.
In 2013 and 2012, we realized $531,159 and $52,422, respectively in tax benefits upon the exercise of stock options. We did not realize any tax benefits upon the exercise of stock options in 2011.
In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued guidance that requires an entity to provide information about amounts it reclassifies out of accumulated other comprehensive income. If GAAP requires an entity to reclassify amounts out of accumulated other comprehensive income to net income in their entirety in the same reporting period, the guidance requires an entity to present significant amounts it reclassifies out of accumulated other comprehensive income by
The following amounts represent reinsurance Atlantic States ceded to the pool during 2013, 2012 and 2011:
The following amounts represent reinsurance ceded to Donegal Mutual pursuant to these quota-share reinsurance agreements during 2013, 2012 and 2011:
Atlantic States, Southern and Le Mars each have a catastrophe reinsurance agreement with Donegal Mutual that provides coverage under any one catastrophic occurrence above a set retention ($2,500,000, $2,000,000 and $500,000 for Atlantic States, Southern and Le Mars, respectively), with a combined retention of $5,000,000 for a catastrophe involving a combination of these subsidiaries, up to the amount Donegal Mutual and our insurance subsidiaries retain under catastrophe reinsurance agreements with unaffiliated reinsurers . Donegal Mutual and Southern have an excess of loss reinsurance agreement in which Donegal Mutual assumes up to $500,000 ($350,000 in 2011) of losses in excess of $500,000 ($400,000 in 2011).
The following amounts represent the effect of affiliated reinsurance transactions on net losses and loss expenses our insurance subsidiaries incurred during 2013, 2012 and 2011:
Donegal Mutual provides facilities, management and other services to us and our insurance subsidiaries. Donegal Mutual allocates certain related expenses to Atlantic States in relation to the relative participation of Atlantic States and Donegal Mutual in the pooling agreement. Our insurance subsidiaries other than Atlantic States reimburse Donegal Mutual for their personnel costs and bear their proportionate share of information services costs based on their percentage of the total written premiums of the Donegal Insurance Group. Charges for these services totalled $94,021,056, $78,778,333 and $64,711,860 for 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
Donald H. Nikolaus, our Chairman of the Board and President and one of our directors, is a partner in the law firm of Nikolaus & Hohenadel. Such firm has served as our general counsel since 1986, principally in connection with the defense of claims litigation arising in Lancaster, Dauphin and York counties of Pennsylvania. We pay such firm its customary fees for such services.
At December 31, 2013 and 2012, we had $24,001,726 and $18,806,576, respectively, in checking accounts with UCB, a wholly owned subsidiary of DFSC. We earned $1,954, $1,591 and $1,019 in interest on these accounts during 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
The amortized cost and estimated fair values of fixed maturities and equity securities at December 31, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:
At December 31, 2012, our holdings of obligations of states and political subdivisions included general obligation bonds with an aggregate fair value of $358.5 million and an amortized cost of $332.4 million. Our holdings also included special revenue bonds with an aggregate fair value of $101.0 million and an amortized cost of $93.9 million. With respect to both categories, we held no securities of any issuer that comprised more than 10% of the category at December 31, 2012. Education bonds and water and sewer utility bonds represented 54% and 19%, respectively, of our total investments in special revenue bonds based on their carrying values at December 31, 2012. Many of the issuers of the special revenue bonds we held at December 31, 2012 have the authority to impose ad valorem taxes. In that respect, many of the special revenue bonds we held are similar to general obligation bonds.
We made reclassifications from available for sale to held to maturity of fixed maturities at fair value on November 30, 2013. We present the impact of the transfers in the following table, summarized by type of securities, at November 30, 2013:
We have segregated within accumulated other comprehensive loss the net unrealized losses of $15.1 million arising prior to the November 30, 2013 reclassification date for fixed maturities reclassified from available for sale to held to maturity. We will amortize this balance over the remaining life of the related securities as an adjustment of yield in a manner consistent with the accretion of discount on the same fixed maturities.
We include our share of DFSC’s net income in our results of operations. We have compiled the following summary financial information for DFSC at December 31, 2013 and 2012 from the financial statements of DFSC.
Other comprehensive (loss) income in our statements of comprehensive income includes net unrealized (losses) gains of ($2.2 million), $138,771 and $479,401 for 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively, representing our share of DFSC’s unrealized investment gains or losses.
At December 31, 2012, our investments in affiliates included our investments in statutory trusts that held our subordinated debentures that we discuss in Note 9 - Borrowings.
We did not recognize any impairment losses in 2013, 2012 or 2011. We had no sales or transfers from the held to maturity portfolio in 2013, 2012 or 2011. We have no derivative instruments or hedging activities.
We evaluate our assets and liabilities on a regular basis to determine the appropriate level at which to classify them for each reporting period. Based on our review of the methodology and summary of inputs the pricing services use, we have concluded that our Level 1 and Level 2 investments were classified properly at December 31, 2013 and 2012.
Our insurance subsidiaries recognized an increase (decrease) in their liability for losses and loss expenses of prior years of $10.4 million, $7.6 million and ($168,460) in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Our insurance subsidiaries made no significant changes in their reserving philosophy, key reserving assumptions or claims management personnel, and they have made no significant offsetting changes in estimates that increased or decreased their loss and loss expense reserves in these years. The 2013 development represented 4.1% of the December 31, 2012 net carried reserves and resulted primarily from higher-than-expected severity in the private passenger automobile liability, commercial multiple peril, commercial automobile and workers’ compensation lines of business in accident years prior to 2013. The majority of the 2013 development related to increases in the liability for losses and loss expenses of prior years for Atlantic States and Southern. The 2012 development represented 3.1% of the December 31, 2011 net carried reserves and resulted primarily from higher-than-expected severity in the private passenger automobile liability and workers’ compensation lines of business in accident years prior to 2012. The majority of the 2012 development related to increases in the liability for losses and loss expenses of prior years for Atlantic States and Southern. The 2011 development represented an immaterial percentage of the December 31, 2010 net carried reserves.
In June 2013, we renewed our existing credit agreement with Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company (“M&T”) relating to a $60.0 million unsecured, revolving line of credit. The line of credit now expires in July 2016. We have the right to request a one-year extension of the credit agreement as of each anniversary date of the agreement. At December 31, 2013, we had $43.0 million in outstanding borrowings and had the ability to borrow an additional $17.0 million at interest rates equal to M&T’s current prime rate or the then current LIBOR rate plus 2.25%. The interest rate on our outstanding borrowings is adjustable quarterly. At December 31, 2013, the interest rate on our outstanding borrowings was 2.42%. We pay a fee of 0.2% per annum on the loan commitment amount regardless of usage. The credit agreement requires our compliance with certain covenants. These covenants include minimum levels of our net worth, leverage ratio, statutory surplus and the A.M. Best ratings of our insurance subsidiaries. We complied with all requirements of the credit agreement during 2013.
In January 2002, West Bend purchased a surplus note from MICO for $5.0 million to increase MICO’s statutory surplus. On December 1, 2010, Donegal Mutual purchased the surplus note from West Bend at face value. The surplus note carries an interest rate of 5.00%, and any repayment of principal or interest requires prior insurance regulatory approval. Upon receipt of regulatory approval, MICO paid $250,000 in interest to Donegal Mutual during each of 2013 and 2012.
Our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual purchase certain third-party reinsurance on a combined basis. Le Mars, MICO, Peninsula and Sheboygan also have separate third-party reinsurance programs that provide certain coverage that is commensurate with their relative size and exposures. Our insurance subsidiaries use several different reinsurers, all of which, consistent with the requirements of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual, have an A.M. Best rating of A- (Excellent) or better, or, with respect to foreign reinsurers, have a financial condition that, in the opinion of our management, is equivalent to a company with at least an A- rating from A.M. Best. The external reinsurance our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual purchase includes “excess of loss reinsurance,” under which their losses are automatically reinsured, through a series of contracts, over a set retention (generally $1.0 million for 2013 and 2012 and $750,000 prior to 2012), and “catastrophic reinsurance,” under which they recover, through a series of contracts, 100% of an accumulation of many losses resulting from a single event, including natural disasters, over a set retention (generally $5.0 million) and after exceeding an annual aggregate deductible ($5.0 million in 2013 and $0 in 2012 and 2011) up to aggregate losses of $145.0 million per occurrence. For property insurance, our insurance subsidiaries had excess of loss treaties that provided for coverage up to $5.0 million per loss. For liability insurance, our insurance subsidiaries had excess of loss treaties that provided for coverage up to $40.0 million per occurrence. For workers’ compensation insurance, our insurance subsidiaries had excess of loss treaties that provided for coverage up to $10.0 million on any one life. Our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual had property catastrophe coverage through a series of layered treaties up to aggregate losses of $150.0 million for any single event. As many as 25
MICO maintains a quota-share reinsurance agreement with third-party reinsurers to reduce its net exposures. Effective from December 1, 2010 to December 31, 2011, the quota-share reinsurance percentage was 50%. Effective January 1, 2012, MICO reduced the quota-share reinsurance percentage from 50% to 40%. Effective January 1, 2013, MICO reduced the quota-share reinsurance percentage from 40% to 30%. Effective January 1, 2014, MICO reduced the quota-share reinsurance percentage from 30% to 20%.
The following amounts represent ceded reinsurance transactions with unaffiliated reinsurers during 2013, 2012 and 2011:
The following amounts represent our total ceded reinsurance transactions with both affiliated and unaffiliated reinsurers during 2013, 2012 and 2011:
The following amounts represent the effect of reinsurance on premiums earned for 2013, 2012 and 2011:
Tax years 2010 through 2013 remained open for examination at December 31, 2013. The net operating loss carryforward of $4.8 million from Le Mars will begin to expire in 2020 if not utilized and is subject to an annual limitation of approximately $376,000. We also had an alternative minimum tax credit carryforward of $10.0 million with an indefinite life.
During 1996, we adopted an Equity Incentive Plan for Employees. During 2001, we adopted a nearly identical plan that made a total of 2,666,667 shares of Class A common stock available for issuance to employees of our subsidiaries and affiliates. During 2005, we amended the plan to make a total of 4,000,000 shares of Class A common stock available for issuance. During 2007, we adopted a nearly identical plan that made a total of 3,500,000 shares of Class A common stock available for issuance to employees of our subsidiaries and affiliates. During 2011, we adopted a nearly identical plan that made a total of 3,500,000 shares of Class A common stock available for issuance to employees of our subsidiaries and affiliates. During 2013, we adopted a nearly identical plan that made a total of 4,500,000 shares of Class A common stock available for issuance to employees of our subsidiaries and affiliates. Each plan provides for the granting of awards by our board of directors in the form of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock or any combination of the above. The plans provide that stock options may become exercisable up to ten years from date of grant, with an option price not less than fair market value on date of grant. We have not granted any stock appreciation rights.
The weighted-average grant date fair value of options granted during 2013 was $2.20. We calculated this fair value based upon a risk-free interest rate of 1.63%, expected life of five years, expected volatility of 23% and expected dividend yield of 3%.
During 1996, we adopted an Agency Stock Purchase Plan. During 2001, we adopted a nearly identical plan that made 533,333 shares of Class A common stock available for issuance. During 2011, we adopted another nearly identical plan that made 300,000 shares of Class A common stock available for issuance. The plan provides for agents of our insurance subsidiaries and Donegal Mutual to invest up to $12,000 per subscription period (April 1 to September 30 and October 1 to March 31 of each year) under various methods. We issue stock at the end of each subscription period at a price equal to 90% of the average market price during the last ten trading days of each subscription period. During 2013, 2012 and 2011, we issued 79,532, 70,366 and 66,260 shares, respectively, under this plan. Expense recognized under the plan was not material.
14 - Statutory Net Income, Capital and Surplus and Dividend Restrictions
The following table reflects net income taxes and interest paid during 2013, 2012 and 2011:
During 2013, 2012 and 2011, we did not include certain options to purchase shares of our Class A common stock in the computation of diluted earnings per share because the exercise price of the options was greater than the average market price of our Class A common stock. The following table reflects such options that remained outstanding at December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011:
Our insurance subsidiaries’ liabilities for guaranty fund and other insurance-related assessments were $1,511,186 and $1,403,829 at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. These liabilities included $527,241 and $433,994 related to surcharges collected by our insurance subsidiaries on behalf of regulatory authorities for 2013 and 2012, respectively.
To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of Donegal Group Inc.