(3)Includes reportable catastrophe losses, net of reinsurance and client profit sharing adjustments, and including reinstatement and other premiums. Reportable catastrophe losses include only individual catastrophe events that generated losses to us in excess of $5.0 million, pre-tax.
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes included elsewhere in this Report. It contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those discussed below and elsewhere in this Report, particularly under the headings “Item 1A - Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements.”
We report our results through four segments: Global Lifestyle, Global Housing, Global Preneed and Corporate and Other. In October 2020, we announced we are exploring strategic alternatives for the Global Preneed business, including the possible sale of the business, to focus on opportunities within the broader Global Lifestyle and Global Housing portfolio. We have since then made progress toward the possible sale of the business; however, there can be no assurance we will complete a sale. Corporate and Other includes activities of the holding company, financing and interest expenses, net realized gains (losses) on investments (which includes unrealized gains (losses) on equity securities and changes in fair value of direct investments in collateralized loan obligations), interest income earned from short-term investments held, income (expenses) primarily related to our frozen benefit plans, amounts related to businesses previously disposed of through reinsurance and the run-off of the Assurant Health business. Corporate and Other also includes goodwill impairments, the foreign currency gains (losses) from remeasurement of monetary assets and liabilities, changes in the fair value of derivative instruments and other expenses related to merger and acquisition activities, as well as other highly variable or unusual items other than reportable catastrophes (reportable catastrophe losses, net of reinsurance and client profit sharing adjustments, and including reinstatement and other premiums).
The following discussion covers the year ended December 31, 2020 (“Twelve Months 2020”) and year ended December 31, 2019 (“Twelve Months 2019”). Please see the discussion that follows, for each of these segments, for a more detailed comparative analysis. Our comparative analysis of Twelve Months 2019 and the year ended December 31, 2018 is included under the heading “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the SEC on February 19, 2020.
We ran multiple scenarios based on the potential duration and severity of this crisis to better understand how our business might perform and stress-tested our capital, cash flows and liquidity. Our business performed on the high-end of the scenarios, demonstrating its overall resilience given our installed customer base across Connected Living, Global Automotive, Multifamily Housing and Global Preneed.
For a discussion of the material risks relating to COVID-19 on our business, results of operations and financial condition, refer to “Item 1A - Risk Factors - Macroeconomic, Political and Global Market Risks - The COVID-19 pandemic and measures taken in response thereto may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.”
We have undertaken several acquisitions and dispositions, which are reflected in our results. On December 1, 2020, we acquired HYLA, a leading provider of smartphone software, trade-in and upgrade services, for total consideration of
$348.8 million, a portion of which was excess cash in the business that was distributed to the holding company shortly after closing. In May 2020, we completed our acquisition of AFAS, a provider of finance and insurance products and services including vehicle service contracts, guaranteed asset protection insurance and other ancillary products, for total consideration of $176.9 million, a portion of which was excess cash in the business that was distributed to the holding company shortly after closing.
Global Lifestyle segment net income increased $27.9 million, or 7%, to $437.2 million for Twelve Months 2020 from $409.3 million for Twelve Months 2019, primarily driven by Connected Living from growth in mobile subscribers in North America and Asia Pacific, as well as improved extended service contract loss experience. The increase was also due to a $6.7 million after-tax benefit for a client recoverable in Connected Living and $9.2 million of client benefits in Global Automotive. Results were partially offset by lower investment income across all lines of business, unfavorable foreign exchange and declines in Global Financial Services and Other.
Global Housing net earned premiums, fees and other income decreased $56.4 million, or 3%, to $1.98 billion for Twelve Months 2020 compared with $2.03 billion for Twelve Months 2019, primarily due to the expected run-off of our small commercial business and declines in Lender-placed Insurance policies-in-force from the previously disclosed financially insolvent client, as well as lower REO volumes. The decrease was partially offset by higher premium rates in Lender-placed Insurance and continued growth within Specialty and Other and Multifamily Housing.
Our results depend on, among other things, the appropriateness of our product pricing, underwriting, the accuracy of our reserving methodology for future policyholder benefits and claims, the frequency and severity of reportable and non-reportable catastrophes, returns on and values of invested assets, and our ability to manage our expenses and achieve expense savings. Our results will also depend on our ability to profitably grow all of our businesses, in particular our Connected Living, Multifamily Housing and Global Automotive businesses, and maintain our position in our Lender-placed Insurance business. Factors affecting these items, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and measures taken in response thereto, conditions in financial markets, the global economy and the markets in which we operate, fluctuations in exchange rates, interest rates and inflation, may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition. For more information on these and other factors that could affect our results, see “Item 1A - Risk Factors.”
For Twelve Months 2020, net cash provided by operating activities totaled $1.34 billion; net cash used in investing activities totaled $735.2 million; and net cash used in financing activities totaled $264.8 million. We had $2.23 billion in cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2020. Please see “ - Liquidity and Capital Resources” below for further details.
Our premium and fee income is supplemented by income earned from our investment portfolio. We recognize revenue from interest payments, dividends, change in market value of equity securities and sales of investments. Currently, our investment portfolio is primarily invested in fixed maturity securities. Both investment income and realized capital gains on these investments can be significantly affected by changes in interest rates.
Interest rate volatility can increase or reduce unrealized gains or losses in our investment portfolios. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors, including governmental monetary policies, domestic and international economic and political conditions and other factors beyond our control, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Fluctuations in interest rates affect our returns on, and the market value of, fixed maturity and short-term investments.
The fair market value of the fixed maturity securities in our investment portfolio and the investment income from these securities fluctuate depending on general economic and market conditions. The fair market value generally increases or decreases in an inverse relationship with fluctuations in interest rates, while net investment income realized by us from future investments in fixed maturity securities will generally increase or decrease with interest rates. We also have investments that are subject to pre-payment risk, such as mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. Interest rate fluctuations may cause actual net investment income and/or cash flows from such investments to differ from estimates made at the time of investment. In periods of declining interest rates, mortgage prepayments generally increase and mortgage-backed securities, commercial mortgage obligations and bonds are more likely to be prepaid or redeemed as borrowers seek to borrow at lower interest rates. Therefore, in these circumstances we may be required to reinvest those funds in lower interest-earning investments.
The following critical accounting policies require significant estimates. The actual amounts realized in these areas could ultimately be materially different from the amounts currently provided for in our Consolidated Financial Statements.
•the quality and applicability of historical data - whether internal or industry data;
•the extent of data segmentation - data should be homogeneous yet credible enough for loss development methods to apply;
•trends in loss frequencies and severities for various causes of loss;
•hindsight testing of prior loss estimates - the loss estimates on some product lines will vary from actual loss experience more than others.
If the actual level of loss frequency and severity are higher or lower than expected, the ultimate reserves required will be different than management’s estimate. The effect of higher and lower levels of loss frequency and severity on our ultimate costs for claims occurring in 2020 would be as follows:
(1)Represents the sum of the case reserves and incurred but not reported reserves as of December 31, 2020 for Global Lifestyle and Global Housing.
Global Preneed includes pre-funded funeral (“preneed”) life insurance and annuity contracts and legacy traditional life insurance (no longer offered). The reserve assumptions for future policy benefits and expenses are determined based upon pricing, which approximates actual experience.
Risks related to the reserves recorded for certain discontinued individual life, annuity and long-term care insurance policies have been fully ceded via reinsurance. While we have not been released from our contractual obligation to the policyholders, changes in and deviations from economic, mortality, morbidity, and withdrawal assumptions used in the calculation of these reserves will not directly affect our results of operations unless there is a default by the assuming reinsurer.
For preneed investment-type annuities, preneed life insurance policies with discretionary death benefit growth issued after January 1, 2009, universal life insurance policies and investment-type annuities no longer offered, DAC is amortized in proportion to the present value of estimated gross profits from investment, mortality, expense margins and surrender charges over the estimated life of the policy or contract. Estimated gross profits include the impact of unrealized gains or losses on investments as if these gains or losses had been realized, with corresponding credits or charges included in AOCI. The assumptions used for the estimates are consistent with those used in computing the policy or contract liabilities.
For available for sale fixed maturity securities in an unrealized loss position for which we do not intend to sell or for which it is more likely than not that we would not be required to sell before an anticipated recovery in value, we evaluate whether the decline in fair value has resulted from credit losses or other factors. In making this assessment, we consider the extent to which fair value is less than amortized cost basis, changes to the credit rating of the security by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization and any adverse conditions specifically related to the security, industry or geographic area, among other factors. If this assessment indicates a potential credit loss may exist, the present value of cash flows expected to be collected are compared to the security’s amortized cost basis. If the present value of cash flows expected to be collected is less than the amortized cost basis, a credit-related impairment exists, and a charge to income and an associated allowance for credit losses is recorded for the credit-related impairment. Any impairment not related to credit losses is recorded through other comprehensive income. The amount of the allowance for credit losses is limited to the amount by which fair value is less than the amortized cost basis. Upon recognizing a credit-related impairment, the cost basis of the security is not adjusted.
See also Notes 2, 5 and 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Report, “Item 1A - Risk Factors - Financial Risks - Our investment portfolio is subject to market risk, including changes in interest rates that may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition” and “ - Investments” contained in this Item 7.
Reinsurance recoverables were $9.84 billion and $9.59 billion as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, which include amounts we are owed by reinsurers for claims paid as well as those included in reserve estimates that are subject to the reinsurance. Reinsurance premiums paid are amortized as reductions to premium over the terms of the underlying reinsured policies. Amounts recoverable from reinsurers are estimated in a manner consistent with claim and claim adjustment expense reserves or future policy benefits reserves. We use a probability of default and loss given default methodology in estimating the allowance, whereby the credit ratings of reinsurers are used in determining the probability of default. The allowance is established for reinsurance recoverables on paid and unpaid future policy benefits and claims and benefits. Prior to applying default factors, the net exposure to credit risk is reduced for any collateral for which the right of offset exists, such as funds withheld, assets held in trust and letters of credit, which are part of the reinsurance arrangements, with adjustments to include consideration of credit exposure on the collateral. Our methodology incorporates historical default factors for each reinsurer based on their credit rating using comparably rated bonds as published by a major ratings service. The allowance is based upon our ongoing review of amounts outstanding, length of collection periods, changes in reinsurer credit standing and other relevant factors.