(1) On January 1, 2002, we adopted FAS 142. As a result, we recognized a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $1,260,939.
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 which appear elsewhere in this report. It contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Please see “Forward-Looking Statements” for more information. Our actual results could 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 five segments: Assurant Solutions, Assurant Health, Assurant Employee Benefits, Assurant PreNeed and Corporate and Other. The Corporate and Other segment includes activities of the holding company, financing expenses, net realized gains (losses) on investments, interest income earned from short-term investments held, interest income from excess surplus of insurance subsidiaries not allocated to other segments and additional costs associated with excess of loss reinsurance and ceded to certain subsidiaries in the London market between 1995 and 1997. The Corporate and Other segment also includes the amortization of deferred gains associated with the portions of the sales of FFG and LTC. FFG and LTC were sold through reinsurance agreements as described below.
Our profitability depends in large part on accurately predicting policyholder benefits, claims and other costs, including medical and dental costs. It also depends on our ability to manage future policyholder benefit and other costs through product design, underwriting criteria, utilization review or claims management and, in health and dental insurance, negotiation of favorable provider contracts. Changes in the composition of the kinds of work available in the economy, market conditions and numerous other factors may also materially adversely affect our ability to manage claim costs. As a result of one or more of these factors or other factors, claims could substantially exceed our expectations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
non-SCI Corporate funeral home chains for a period of 10 years. The Company will receive payments from Forethought over the next ten years based on the amount of business the Company transitions to Forethought. This agreement does not impact Assurant PreNeed’s Independent-Canada or AMLIC’s relationship with SCI. The transaction will not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operation.
There are certain accounting policies that we consider to be critical due to the amount of judgment and uncertainty inherent in the application of those policies. In calculating financial statement estimates, the use of different assumptions could produce materially different estimates. In addition, if factors such as those described above or in “Item 1A.-Risk Factors” cause actual events to differ from the assumptions used in applying the accounting policies and calculating financial estimates, there could be a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.
Reserves are established according to GAAP using generally accepted actuarial methods and are based on a number of factors. These factors include experience derived from historical claim payments and actuarial assumptions to arrive at loss development factors. Such assumptions and other factors include trends, the incidence of incurred claims, the extent to which all claims have been reported and internal claims processing charges. The process used in computing reserves cannot be exact, particularly for liability coverages, since actual claim costs are dependent upon such complex factors as inflation, changes in doctrines of legal liability and damage awards. The methods of making such estimates and establishing the related liabilities are periodically reviewed and updated.
The following table provides reserve information by our major lines of business for the years ended December 31, 2005 and 2004:
Risks related to the reserves recorded for contracts from FFG and LTC disposed businesses have been 100% ceded via reinsurance. While the Company has not been released from the contractual obligation to the policyholders, changes in and deviations from economic and mortality assumptions used in the calculation of these reserves will not directly affect the Company unless there is a default by the assuming reinsurer. We have sold businesses through reinsurance.
liability needed. Any premium deficiency would first be addressed by removing the provision for adverse deviation. To the extent a premium deficiency still remains, it would be recognized immediately by a charge to the statement of operations and a corresponding reduction in DAC. Any additional deficiency would be recognized as a premium deficiency reserve.
Most of our credit insurance business is written on a retrospective commission basis, which permits Assurant Solutions to adjust commissions based on claims experience. Thus, any adjustment to prior years’ incurred claims in this line of business is largely offset by a change in contingent commissions which is included in the selling, underwriting and general expenses line in our results of operations.
One of our subsidiaries, ARIC, participated in certain excess of loss reinsurance programs in the London market and, as a result, reinsured certain personal accident, ransom and kidnap insurance risks from 1995 to 1997. ARIC and a foreign affiliate ceded a portion of these risks to retrocessionaires. ARIC ceased reinsuring such business in 1997. However, certain risks continued beyond 1997 due to the nature of the reinsurance contracts written. ARIC and some of the other reinsurers involved in the programs are seeking to avoid certain treaties on various grounds, including material misrepresentation and non-disclosure by the ceding companies and intermediaries involved in the programs. Similarly, some of the retrocessionaires are seeking avoidance of certain treaties with ARIC and the other reinsurers and some reinsureds are seeking collection of disputed balances under some of the treaties. The disputes generally involve multiple layers of reinsurance, and allegations that the reinsurance programs involved interrelated claims “spirals” devised to disproportionately pass claims losses to higher-level reinsurance layers. Many of the companies involved in these programs, including ARIC, are currently involved in negotiations, arbitrations and/or litigation between multiple layers of retrocessionaries, reinsurers, ceding companies and intermediaries, including brokers, in an effort to resolve these disputes.
Many of the disputes involving ARIC and an affiliate, Bankers Insurance Company Limited (“BICL”), relating to the 1995 and 1997 program years, have been resolved by settlement or arbitration. As a result of the settlements and an arbitration (in which ARIC did not prevail) additional information became available in 2005, and, based on management’s best estimate, we increased our reserves and recorded a total pre-tax charge of $61,943 for the year ended December 31, 2005, respectively. On February 28, 2006, many of the disputes relating to losses in the 1996 program were settled. Loss accruals previously established relating to the 1996 program were adequate. Negotiations, arbitrations and litigation are still ongoing or will be scheduled for the remaining disputes. We believe, based on information currently available, that the amounts accrued for currently outstanding disputes are adequate. However, the inherent uncertainty of arbitrations and lawsuits, including the
Acquisition costs relating to monthly pay credit insurance business consist mainly of direct marketing costs and are deferred and amortized over the estimated average terms and balances of the underlying contracts.
We regularly monitor our investment portfolio to ensure that investments that may be other-than-temporarily impaired are identified in a timely fashion and properly valued and that any impairments are charged against earnings in the proper period. Our methodology to identify potential impairments requires professional judgment.
Changes in individual security values are regularly monitored in order to identify potential problem credits. In addition, pursuant to our impairment process, each month the portfolio holdings are screened for securities whose market price is equal to 85% or less of their original purchase price. Management then makes their assessment as to which of these securities are other-than-temporarily impaired. Assessment factors include, but are not limited to, the financial condition and rating of the issuer, any collateral held and the length of time the market value of the security has been below cost. Each quarter, the watchlist is discussed at a meeting attended by members of our investment, accounting and finance departments. At this meeting, any security whose price decrease is deemed to have been other than temporarily impaired is written down to its then current market level, with the amount of the writedown reflected in our statement of operations for that quarter. Previously impaired issues are also monitored monthly, with additional writedowns taken quarterly if necessary.
We have used reinsurance to exit certain businesses, such as the dispositions of FFG and LTC. The reinsurance recoverables relating to these dispositions amounted to $2,440,480 and $2,389,622 at December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively.