On July 16, 2007, the Commissioner issued two decisions that significantly changed how private passenger automobile insurance was regulated in Massachusetts. In the first decision, the Commissioner approved and set a time table for the implementation of new CAR rules pursuant to which the reinsurance program run by CAR was replaced with an assigned risk plan, the Massachusetts Automobile Insurance Plan ("MAIP"). Under these new rules, as of April 1, 2009 we are no longer assigned ERPs and instead, we were assigned individual policies by CAR. The MAIP began with business effective on or after April 1, 2008 for new business and those risks that had 10 or more Safe Driver Points. Beginning April 1, 2009, all business was eligible for MAIP except those risks that have no violations or accidents in the preceding three year period (so called "Clean in three" risks). The last policy effective date on which any risk could be ceded to CAR was March 31, 2009.
On May 27, 2010, the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General (the "AG") issued proposed regulations that, if adopted, would apply to the sale, marketing, claims processing, rating, and underwriting of private passenger automobile insurance offered or provided in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The proposed regulations describe various acts by insurers and insurance producers which would be considered to be unfair trade practices, under Massachusetts' unfair trade practices act, M.G.L. c. 93A. The AG held two public hearings on the proposed regulations in June 2010, and may issue final regulations later in 2011. We are not able at this time to determine what effect these proposed regulations will have on our business over the long term.
We are a participant in CAR and assume a portion of losses and LAE on business ceded by the industry participants to CAR. We estimate reserves for assumed losses and LAE that have not yet been reported to us by CAR. Our estimations are based upon the same factors we use for our own reserves, plus additional factors due to the nature of and the information we receive from CAR. The portion of reserves based upon CAR estimates for private passenger automobile line of business has declined substantially over time as a result of the institution of the MAIP and phase-out of the private passenger automobile CAR reinsurance pool on April 1, 2009, as described elsewhere in this report.
Net Realized Gains (Losses) on Investments. Net realized gains on investments were $863 for the year ended December 31, 2010 compared to net realized losses of $167 for the year ended December 31, 2009.
Our Level 1 securities consist of equity securities whose values are based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets. Our Level 2 securities are comprised of fixed maturity securities whose fair value was determined using observable market inputs. Fair values for securities for which quoted market prices were unavailable were estimated based upon reference to observable inputs such as benchmark interest rates, market comparables, and other relevant inputs. Investments valued using these inputs include U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. Government agencies, obligations of international government agencies, obligations of states and political subdivisions, corporate securities, commercial and residential mortgage-backed securities, and other asset-backed securities. Inputs into the fair value application that are utilized by asset class include but are not limited to:
credit support such as insurance, state or local economic and political base, prefunded and escrowed to maturity covenants.
(1)Residential mortgage-backed securities consists primarily of obligations of U.S. Government agencies including collateralized mortgage obligations and mortgage-backed securities guaranteed and/or insured by the following issuers: Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC), Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB). The total of these fixed maturity securities was $237,335 and $289,447 at amortized cost and $252,592 and $300,172 at fair value as of December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively.
In the normal course of business, the Company enters into transactions involving various types of financial instruments, including investments in fixed maturities and equity securities. Investment transactions have credit exposure to the extent that a counter party may default on an obligation to the Company. Credit risk is a consequence of carrying, trading and investing in securities. To manage credit risk, the Company focuses on higher quality fixed income securities, reviews the credit strength of all companies in which it invests, limits its exposure in any one investment and monitors the portfolio quality, taking into account credit ratings assigned by recognized statistical rating organizations.
On November 21, 2008, the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General (the "AG") delivered a civil investigative demand (the "CID") to Safety Insurance Company. The CID directed the Company to produce certain information related to its policies and practices in connection with underwriting insurance policies on motorcycles and adjusting total loss claims under such policies. Other insurance companies are also being investigated by the AG related to their policies and practices related to motorcycle insurance.
An unaudited summary of the Company's 2010 and 2009 quarterly performance, and audited annual performance, is as follows: