The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated governmental responses continued to have a widespread impact on the U.S. economy. A majority of Old Republic's approximately 9,000 associates are working remotely. The pandemic's impact on employment levels, businesses, and other economic activities contributed to a slight reduction in earned premiums in the General Insurance segment. The Title Insurance segment experienced strong growth in premium and fee revenues. The RFIG Run-off business produced a small underwriting loss due to elevated delinquencies and the continuing decline in net earned premiums.
Demand for each of these coverages is related to overall economic conditions and this macroeconomic effect can be compounded (or mitigated) by exposure to sectors that are more (or less) affected by the particular economic environment. For example, premiums associated with workers' compensation coverage typically fall with reductions in payroll. However, the Company’s exposure to many of the most significantly affected sectors, such as small business, hospitality, restaurants and travel, is limited, which reduces to a degree Old Republic’s COVID-19 exposure. During 2020, the impact of COVID-19 on demand for General Insurance products continued to be relatively modest. However, the full impact of the pandemic will not be known until all policy premiums are audited in connection with the annual policy term expiration. The magnitude of the effect of COVID-19 on demand in future periods will continue to depend on the duration and severity of the pandemic.
Regulation. Old Republic’s insurance company subsidiaries are subject to on-going regulation by state insurance departments. In response to COVID-19, insurance departments have been active in publishing additional guidance and other regulatory actions that impact the business. This regulatory guidance primarily relates to the collection of
Possible future declines in fair values for Old Republic's available for sale fixed maturity portfolio would negatively affect the common shareholders' equity account at any point in time, but would not necessarily result in the recognition of realized investment losses. The status and fair value changes of each of the fixed maturity investments are reviewed at least once per quarter during the year, and estimates of other-than-temporary impairments in the portfolio's value are evaluated and established at each quarterly balance sheet date. In reviewing investments for other-than-temporary impairment, the Company, in addition to a security's market price history, considers the totality of such factors as the issuer's operating results, financial condition and liquidity, its ability to access capital markets, credit rating trends, most current audited financial statements, industry and securities markets conditions, and analyst expectations to reach its conclusions. Sudden fair value declines caused by such adverse developments as newly emerged or imminent bankruptcy filings, issuer default on significant obligations, or reports of financial accounting developments that bring into question the validity of the issuer's previously reported earnings or financial condition, are recognized as realized losses as soon as credible publicly available information emerges to confirm such developments. In the event the Company's estimate of other-than-temporary impairments is insufficient at any point in time, future periods' net income (loss) would be affected adversely by the recognition of additional impairment losses, but its financial condition would not necessarily be affected adversely inasmuch as such losses, or a portion of them, could have been recognized previously as unrealized losses in shareholders' equity.
The major sources of Old Republic's consolidated earned premiums and fees for the periods shown were as follows:
The Company has the legal right to rescind mortgage insurance coverage unilaterally as expressly stated in its policy. Moreover, two federal courts that have considered that policy wording have each affirmed that right (See First Tennessee Bank N.A. v. Republic Mortg. Ins. Co., Case No. 2:10-cv-02513-JPM-cgc (W.D. Tenn., Feb. 25, 2011) and JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. v. Republic Mortg. Ins. Co., Civil Action No. 10-06141 (SRC) (D. NJ, May 4, 2011), each decision citing supporting state law legal precedent). RMIC's mortgage insurance policy provides that the insured represents that all statements made and information provided to it in an application for coverage for a loan, without regard to who made the statements or provided the information, have been made and presented for and on behalf of the insured; and that such statements and information are neither false nor misleading in any material respect, nor omit any fact necessary to make such statements and information not false or misleading in any material respect. According to the policy, if any of those representations are materially false or misleading with respect to a loan, the Company has the right to cancel or rescind coverage for that loan retroactively to commencement of the coverage. Whenever the Company determines that an application contains a material misrepresentation, it either advises the insured in writing of its findings prior to rescinding coverage or exercises its unilateral right to rescind coverage for that loan, stating the reasons for that action in writing and returning the applicable premium. The rescission of coverage in instances of materially faulty representations or warranties provided in applications for insurance is a necessary and
The consolidated claim ratio reflects the changing effects of period-to-period contributions of each segment to consolidated results, and this ratio's variances within each segment. For the three most recent calendar years, the above table indicates that the one-year development of consolidated reserves at the beginning of each year produced favorable developments in 2020, 2019, and 2018 which on average decreased the consolidated claim ratio by 1.0%.
Unfavorable asbestosis and environmental ("A&E") claim developments, although not material in any of the periods presented, are typically attributable to periodic re-evaluations of such reserves as well as subsequent reclassifications of other coverages' reserves, most often workers' compensation, deemed assignable to A&E category of losses. Except for a small portion that emanates from ongoing primary insurance operations, a large majority of the A&E claim reserves posted by Old Republic stem mainly from its participations in assumed reinsurance treaties and insurance pools which were discontinued during the 1980's and have since been in run-off status. With respect to the primary portion of gross A&E reserves, Old Republic administers the related claims through its claims personnel as well as outside attorneys, and posted reserves reflect its best estimates of ultimate claim costs. Claims administration for the assumed portion of the Company's A&E exposures is handled by the claims departments of unrelated primary or ceding reinsurance companies. While the Company performs periodic reviews of certain claim files managed by third parties, the overall A&E reserves it establishes respond to the paid claim and case reserve activity reported to the Company as well as available industry statistical data such as so-called survival ratios. Such ratios represent the number of years' average paid losses for the three or five most recent calendar years that are encompassed by an insurer's A&E reserve level at any point in time. According to this simplistic appraisal of an insurer's A&E loss reserve level, Old Republic's average five year paid loss survival ratios stood at 6.3 years (gross) and 7.1 years (net of reinsurance) as of December 31, 2020 and 6.3 years (gross) and 7.2 years (net of reinsurance) as of December 31, 2019. Fluctuations in this ratio between years can be caused by the inconsistent pay out patterns associated with these types of claims. Incurred net losses for A&E claims have averaged .3% of general insurance group net incurred losses for the five years ended December 31, 2020.
General insurance net claim reserves can be affected by lower than expected frequencies of claims incurred but not reported, the effect of reserve discounts applicable to workers' compensation claims, higher than expected severity of litigated claims in particular, governmental or judicially imposed retroactive conditions in the settlement of claims such as noted elsewhere in this document in regard to black lung disease claims, greater than anticipated inflation rates applicable to repairs and the medical benefits portion of claims, and higher than expected IBNR due to
(c) Statement Presentation - Amounts shown in the consolidated financial statements and applicable notes are stated (except as otherwise indicated and as to share data) in millions, which amounts may not add to totals shown due to truncation.
Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted a new accounting standard which requires the recognition of changes in fair value of equity securities in net income. The effect is shown in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. The cumulative-effect adjustment resulting from the adoption of the new standard was to reclassify $502.1 from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings; total shareholders' equity remained unchanged. During 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company recognized pretax unrealized investment gains (losses) of $(156.2), $599.5 and $(293.8), respectively, emanating from changes in the fair value of equity securities in the consolidated statements of income. Changes in the fair value of equity securities still held at December 31, 2020,
There were no transfers between Levels 1, 2 or 3 during 2020 or 2019.
The table below is supplementary information and presents the historical average annual percentage payout of incurred claims by age, net of reinsurance.
At December 31, 2020, the Company had available net operating loss ("NOL") carryforwards of $56.0 which will expire in years 2023 through 2029, and a $9.0 alternative minimum tax ("AMT") credit carryforward. The NOL carryforward is subject to the limitations set by Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code and is available to reduce future years' taxable income by a maximum of $9.8 each year until expiration.
Net periodic pension expense (income) recognized during 2020, 2019 and 2018 was $(11.0), $(3.0), and $(6.6), respectively.
The benefits expected to be paid as of December 31, 2020 for the next 10 years are as follows: 2021: $31.1; 2022: $31.8; 2023: $32.7; 2024 $33.3; 2025: $33.6 and for the five years after 2025: $170.1.
A majority of the Company's employees participate in the ESSOP. Company contributions are provided in the form of Old Republic common stock. Dividends on shares are allocated to participants as earnings, and likewise invested in Company stock; dividends on unallocated shares are used to pay debt service costs. The Company's annual contributions are based on a formula that takes the growth in net operating income per share over consecutive five year periods into account. During 2015, the ESSOP purchased 2,200,000 shares of Old Republic common stock for $34.0. The purchases were financed by a loan from the Company. During 2018, the ESSOP purchased 2,383,625 shares of Old Republic common stock for $50.0 and during 2020, the ESSOP purchased 3,337,000 shares of Old Republic common stock for $50.0. These purchases were financed by loans to the ESSOP from participating subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2020, there were 18,084,861 Old Republic common shares owned by the ESSOP, of which 11,342,050 were allocated to employees' account balances. There are no repurchase obligations in existence. See Note 3(b).
A summary of stock options outstanding and exercisable at December 31, 2020 follows:
(t) Credit Losses - Effective January 1, 2020, the Company adopted CECL which requires the immediate recognition of estimated credit losses expected to occur over the remaining life of certain financial assets measured at amortized cost, including the Company’s reinsurance recoverables, held to maturity securities and its accounts and notes receivable. CECL replaced the incurred loss impairment model that recognizes losses when a probability threshold is met with a requirement to recognize lifetime expected credit losses immediately when a financial asset is originated or purchased and at subsequent measurement dates. The expected credit losses, and subsequent adjustment to such losses, are recorded through an allowance account that is deducted from the amortized cost basis of the financial asset, with the net carrying value of the asset presented on the consolidated balance sheet.
(c) Cash Dividend Restrictions - The payment of cash dividends by the Company is principally dependent upon the amount of its insurance subsidiaries' statutory policyholders' surplus available for dividend distribution. The insurance subsidiaries' ability to pay cash dividends to the Company is in turn generally restricted by law or subject to approval of the insurance regulatory authorities. These authorities recognize only statutory accounting practices for determining financial position, results of operations, and the ability of an insurer to pay dividends to its shareholders. Based on year-end 2020 data, the maximum amount of dividends payable to the Company by its insurance and a small number of non-insurance company subsidiaries during 2021 without the prior approval of appropriate regulatory authorities is approximately $699.3. Cash dividends declared during 2020, 2019 and 2018 to the Company by its subsidiaries amounted to $472.4, $399.5 and $412.3, respectively.
(b) Segment pretax operating income (loss) is reported net of interest charges on intercompany financing arrangements with Old Republic's holding company parent for the following segments: General - $63.0, $71.5 and $68.0 for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively; Title - $2.8, $5.5 and $6.1 for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively.