Net earned premiums decreased $0.7 million, or 1.4%, during 2016 as compared to 2015. The decrease in net earned premiums was primarily attributable to the decrease in automobile physical damage earned premiums due to an agency cancellation and decreased business writings from existing agencies discussed previously. Premiums are earned ratably over their respective policy terms, and therefore premiums earned in the current year are related to policies written during both the current year and immediately preceding year.
The primary cash needs of the Company are for the payment of claims and operating expenses, maintaining adequate statutory capital and surplus levels, and meeting debt service requirements. Current and expected patterns of claim frequency and severity may change from period to period but generally are expected to continue within historical ranges. The Company’s primary sources of cash are written premiums, investment income and proceeds from the sale and maturity of its invested assets. The Company believes that, within each operating company, total invested assets will be sufficient to satisfy all policy liabilities and that cash inflows from investment earnings, future premium receipts and reinsurance collections will be adequate to fund the payment of claims and expenses as needed.
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”). ASU 2016-13 requires entities to measure all expected credit losses for financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Under current GAAP, entities generally recognize credit losses when it is probable that the loss has been incurred. ASU 2016-13 will remove all recognition thresholds and will require entities to recognize an allowance for credit losses equal to the difference between the amortized cost basis of a financial instrument and the amount of amortized cost that the entity expects to collect over the instrument’s contractual life. ASU 2016-13 also amends the credit loss measurement guidance for available-for-sale (“AFS”) debt securities and beneficial interests in securitized financial assets. Credit losses on AFS debt securities carried at fair value will continue to be measured as other-than-temporary impairments (“OTTI”) when incurred; however, the losses will be recognized through an allowance and no longer as an adjustment to the cost basis. Recoveries of OTTI will be recognized as reversals of valuation allowances and no longer accreted as investment income through an adjustment to the investment yield. The allowance on AFS debt securities cannot cause the net carrying value to be below fair value and, therefore, it is possible that increases in fair value due to decreases in market interest rates could cause the reversal of a valuation allowance and increase net income. The new guidance will also require purchased financial assets with a more-than-insignificant amount of credit deterioration since original issuance to be recorded based on contractual amounts due and an initial allowance recorded at the date of purchase. For the Company, the amendments in ASU 2016-13 will be effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company has not yet determined the timing of adoption. Implementation matters yet to be addressed include determining the impact of valuation allowances on the effective interest method for recognizing interest income from AFS debt securities as well as updating our investment accounting system functionality to adjust valuation allowances based on changes in fair value. The estimated effect on the Company’s financial statements can only be estimated based on the current investment portfolio at any given point in time, and accordingly, has not currently been determined.
In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (“ASU 2016-09”). This guidance applies to all entities that issue share-based payment awards to their employees and is designed to simplify several areas of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including income tax consequences, forfeitures, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and related classification on the statement of cash flows. The updated guidance requires the excess tax benefit or deficiency on vesting or settlement of awards to be recognized in earnings as an income tax benefit or expense, respectively and is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company will adopt ASU 2016-09 as of January 1, 2017. The
As of December 31, 2016, there were seventy-seven securities in an unrealized loss position which primarily included certain of the Company’s investments in fixed maturities within the other diversified business, other diversified consumer and financial services sectors. Securities in an unrealized loss position reported in the other diversified business sector included gross unrealized losses of $1,194 related to investments in fixed maturities of seven different issuers, all related to the oil and gas industry. These oil and gas companies represent a diversified group of businesses which include, among others, refiners, pipeline owners and operators, deep water offshore rig owners and operators, all of which we believe are in continuing stages of rationalizing their current operations, investments, future capital expenditures and carefully managing their capital and liquidity positions. Based on publicly available information, the companies are continuing to assess and revise short-term, intermediate and long-term business plans in response to the current trends in oil and gas markets. While these companies have generally experienced credit downgrades or may be currently under credit rating review, the Company believes that many of the downgrades are in response to external market forces and not necessarily specific credit events of any obligor which would currently indicate that an other than temporary impairment need be recorded. All of the investees have continued to make regular interest payments on their debt when and as due and the Company continues to perform in-depth analysis of the publicly available financial disclosures of each of the investees on a regular basis. The Company does not currently intend to sell nor does it expect to be required to sell any of the securities in an unrealized loss position. Based upon the Company’s expected continuation of receipt of contractually required principal and interest payments and its intent and ability to retain the securities until price recovery, as well as the Company’s evaluation of other relevant factors, including those described above, the Company has deemed these securities to be temporarily impaired as of December 31, 2016.
The Company initiated an employees’ savings plan (the “Plan”) qualified under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code in May 1995. The Plan covers substantially all of the Company’s employees. Effective January 1, 2009, the Company modified the Plan such that the Plan would operate on a safe harbor basis. Under the Plan, employees may defer up to 50% of their compensation, not to exceed the annual deferral limit. The Company’s total matching contribution for 2016 and 2015 was $223 and $212, respectively, and consisted of a contribution equal to 35% of up to the first 6% of each participant’s contributions. In addition to the matching contribution, the Company also provided a 3% safe harbor non-elective contribution in 2016 and 2015 of $433 and $416, respectively. All contributions were made in cash.
The Company leases approximately 49,586 square feet of office and covered garage space from one such controlled entity. During the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company paid $882 and $875, respectively, under this lease.