Effect of New Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017
Accounting Changes and Error Corrections [Abstract]
Business Combinations	Business Combinations In January 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (which we refer to as the FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (which we refer to as ASU) No. 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805) Clarifying the Definition of a Business. The new guidance clarifies the definition of a business with the objective of adding information to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. The definition of a business affects many areas of accounting including acquisitions, disposals, goodwill and consolidation. The new guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those periods. Management does not anticipate that this new guidance will have a material impact upon adoption.
Intangibles - Goodwill and Other	Intangibles – Goodwill and Other In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. The new guidance eliminates Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test, which required us to determine the implied fair value of goodwill by allocating the reporting unit’s fair value to each of its assets and liabilities as if the reporting unit was acquired in a business acquisition. Instead, the updated guidance requires an entity to perform its annual or interim goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit to its carrying value, and recognizing a non-cash impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value with the loss not exceeding the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. The new guidance is effective beginning January 1, 2020, with early adoption permitted, and will be applied on a prospective basis. The new guidance currently has no impact on our consolidated financial statements; however, we will evaluate the impact of this updated guidance on future annual or interim goodwill impairment tests performed.
Leases	Leases In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). Under this new accounting guidance, an entity is required to recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on its balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. This new guidance offers specific accounting guidance for a lessee, a lessor and sale and leaseback transactions. Lessees and lessors are required to disclose qualitative and quantitative information about leasing arrangements to enable a user of the financial statements to assess the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. This new guidance is effective for first quarter 2019, and requires a modified retrospective adoption, with early adoption permitted. We anticipate this guidance will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. While we are continuing to assess all potential impacts of the new guidance, we currently believe the most significant impact relates to our real estate operating leases and the related recognition of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities in both noncurrent assets and noncurrent liabilities in our consolidated balance sheet.
Stock Compensation	Stock Compensation In May 2017 the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting (ASU 2017-09). This new accounting guidance provides information about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in Topic 718. ASU 2017-09 is effective for financial statements issued for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods within those years. Earlier application is permitted. We do not expect that the adoption of this new guidance will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements as we historically have not made changes to the terms or conditions of an outstanding share-based payment award. 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 new accounting guidance requires that companies recognize the income tax effects of awards in the income statement when the awards vest or are settled, rather than recognizing the tax benefits in excess of compensation costs through stockholders’ equity. ASU 2016-09 provides that this requirement be applied prospectively. As it relates to forfeitures, the guidance allows for companies to choose whether to continue to estimate forfeitures or account for forfeitures as they occur. This new guidance was effective in first quarter 2017 and has been applied by us. Due to the adoption of the new guidance, we recognized the income tax benefit of stock based awards that vested or were settled in the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2017 of $1.9 million and $10.1 million, respectively, in our consolidated statement of earnings. The income tax benefit of stock based awards that vested or were settled in the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2016 were $2.5 million and $3.1 million, respectively, that was recognized in our consolidated stockholders’ equity. Additionally, our consolidated statement of cash flows now presents excess tax benefits as an operating activity, rather than as a financing activity, applied prospectively. Finally, we elected to continue to estimate forfeitures based on historical data and recognize forfeitures over the vesting period of the award.
Cash Receipts and Cash Payments	Cash Receipts and Cash Payments In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, (ASU 2016-15). The amendments in ASU 2016-15 address several specific cash flow issues and apply to all entities that are required to present a statement of cash flows under ASC 230, Statement of Cash Flows. This new guidance is effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. We early adopted this guidance in first quarter 2017. The adoption of this guidance resulted in a change to our classification whereby contingent payments on acquisitions that are up to the acquisition date fair value have been presented in financing activities and those payments in excess of the acquisition date fair value have been presented in operating activities. Historically these payments have all been included in investing activities. Accordingly, in our June 30, 2016 consolidated statement of cash flows, we reclassified $15.6 million and $30.7 million of payments from investing activities to operating activities and financing activities, respectively, to conform to the current year presentation. The modifications can be seen in our statement of cash flows.
Income Taxes	Income Taxes In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory. This new accounting guidance allows entities to recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. Current guidance does not allow recognition until the asset has been sold to an outside party. This new guidance is effective beginning January 1, 2018 and is to be applied on a modified retrospective basis. Early adoption is permitted. We have not yet determined the effect that adoption of this guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements.
Restricted Cash	Restricted Cash In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash. This new accounting guidance addresses the classification and presentation of changes in restricted cash on the statement of cash flows under Topic 230, Statement of Cash Flows. This guidance is effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted for all entities. We are currently assessing the impact that adopting this new guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements.
Revenue Recognition	Revenue Recognition In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, as a new Topic, ASC 606, which will supersede nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP. The core principal of the new accounting guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. The new guidance is effective for us in first quarter 2018, and early adoption is permitted beginning in first quarter 2017. Two methods of transition are permitted upon adoption; full retrospective and modified retrospective. Under the full retrospective method, prior periods would be restated under the new revenue standard, providing a comparable view across all periods presented. Under the modified retrospective method, prior periods would not be restated. Rather, revenues and other disclosures for pre-2018 periods would be provided in the notes to the financial statements as previously reported under the current revenue standard. We will adopt this new guidance in first quarter 2018. We are evaluating both methods of transition; however, we currently anticipate adopting the new guidance using the full retrospective method to restate each prior reporting period presented. A preliminary assessment to determine the impacts of the new accounting standard has been performed. We are currently implementing new accounting and operational processes which are a result of the new guidance, but we are unable to provide information on quantitative impacts at this time. We anticipate this standard will have a material impact on individual lines in our consolidated financial statements, but we do not expect it will have as material an impact on our results of operations on an annual basis. The primary impacts of the new standard to our product and service lines are anticipated to be as follows:
Segment Reporting	Brokerage segment Revenue - We currently recognize revenue for certain of our brokerage activities, such as direct bill and contingent commission revenue, over a period of time either due to the transfer of value to our customers or as the remuneration becomes determinable. Under the new guidance, these revenues will be substantially recognized at a point in time on the effective date of the associated policies when control of the policy transfers to the customer. Conversely under the new guidance we may need to defer certain revenues to reflect delivery of services over the contract period. As a result, revenue from certain arrangements will be recognized in earlier periods under the new guidance in comparison to our current accounting policies, and others will be recognized in later periods. We have not yet identified the net effect of all of these changes on the timing and amount of revenue recognized for annual and interim periods. Expense - Amendments to ASC Topic 340, Other Assets and Deferred Costs, require the capitalization of costs to obtain and costs to fulfill customer contracts, which are currently expensed as incurred. The assets recognized for the costs to obtain and/or fulfill a contract will be amortized on a systematic basis that is consistent with the transfer of the services to which the asset relates. We are currently determining the nature of and quantifying the costs that would qualify for capitalization, and the amount of amortization that will be recognized in each period. Risk management segment We are currently assessing the timing and measurement of revenue recognition under the new guidance for our risk management segment, specifically third party administration contracts among others, and anticipate that more revenue will be initially deferred and recognized over a longer future period of time than under our current accounting policies. Corporate segment We expect that the timing related to recognition of revenue in our corporate segment will remain substantially unchanged.

Effect of New Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

Accounting Changes and Error Corrections [Abstract]

Business Combinations

In January 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (which we refer to as the FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (which we refer to as ASU) No. 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805) Clarifying the Definition of a Business. The new guidance clarifies the definition of a business with the objective of adding information to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. The definition of a business affects many areas of accounting including acquisitions, disposals, goodwill and consolidation. The new guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those periods. Management does not anticipate that this new guidance will have a material impact upon adoption.

Intangibles - Goodwill and Other

Intangibles – Goodwill and Other

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. The new guidance eliminates Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test, which required us to determine the implied fair value of goodwill by allocating the reporting unit’s fair value to each of its assets and liabilities as if the reporting unit was acquired in a business acquisition. Instead, the updated guidance requires an entity to perform its annual or interim goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit to its carrying value, and recognizing a non-cash impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value with the loss not exceeding the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. The new guidance is effective beginning January 1, 2020, with early adoption permitted, and will be applied on a prospective basis. The new guidance currently has no impact on our consolidated financial statements; however, we will evaluate the impact of this updated guidance on future annual or interim goodwill impairment tests performed.

Leases

Leases

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). Under this new accounting guidance, an entity is required to recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on its balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. This new guidance offers specific accounting guidance for a lessee, a lessor and sale and leaseback transactions. Lessees and lessors are required to disclose qualitative and quantitative information about leasing arrangements to enable a user of the financial statements to assess the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. This new guidance is effective for first quarter 2019, and requires a modified retrospective adoption, with early adoption permitted.

We anticipate this guidance will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. While we are continuing to assess all potential impacts of the new guidance, we currently believe the most significant impact relates to our real estate operating leases and the related recognition of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities in both noncurrent assets and noncurrent liabilities in our consolidated balance sheet.

Stock Compensation

Stock Compensation

In May 2017 the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting (ASU 2017-09). This new accounting guidance provides information about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in Topic 718. ASU 2017-09 is effective for financial statements issued for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods within those years. Earlier application is permitted. We do not expect that the adoption of this new guidance will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements as we historically have not made changes to the terms or conditions of an outstanding share-based payment award.

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 new accounting guidance requires that companies recognize the income tax effects of awards in the income statement when the awards vest or are settled, rather than recognizing the tax benefits in excess of compensation costs through stockholders’ equity. ASU 2016-09 provides that this requirement be applied prospectively. As it relates to forfeitures, the guidance allows for companies to choose whether to continue to estimate forfeitures or account for forfeitures as they occur. This new guidance was effective in first quarter 2017 and has been applied by us. Due to the adoption of the new guidance, we recognized the income tax benefit of stock based awards that vested or were settled in the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2017 of $1.9 million and $10.1 million, respectively, in our consolidated statement of earnings. The income tax benefit of stock based awards that vested or were settled in the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2016 were $2.5 million and $3.1 million, respectively, that was recognized in our consolidated stockholders’ equity. Additionally, our consolidated statement of cash flows now presents excess tax benefits as an operating activity, rather than as a financing activity, applied prospectively. Finally, we elected to continue to estimate forfeitures based on historical data and recognize forfeitures over the vesting period of the award.

Cash Receipts and Cash Payments

Cash Receipts and Cash Payments

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, (ASU 2016-15). The amendments in ASU 2016-15 address several specific cash flow issues and apply to all entities that are required to present a statement of cash flows under ASC 230, Statement of Cash Flows. This new guidance is effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. We early adopted this guidance in first quarter 2017.

The adoption of this guidance resulted in a change to our classification whereby contingent payments on acquisitions that are up to the acquisition date fair value have been presented in financing activities and those payments in excess of the acquisition date fair value have been presented in operating activities. Historically these payments have all been included in investing activities. Accordingly, in our June 30, 2016 consolidated statement of cash flows, we reclassified $15.6 million and $30.7 million of payments from investing activities to operating activities and financing activities, respectively, to conform to the current year presentation. The modifications can be seen in our statement of cash flows.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory. This new accounting guidance allows entities to recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. Current guidance does not allow recognition until the asset has been sold to an outside party. This new guidance is effective beginning January 1, 2018 and is to be applied on a modified retrospective basis. Early adoption is permitted. We have not yet determined the effect that adoption of this guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements.

Restricted Cash

Restricted Cash

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash. This new accounting guidance addresses the classification and presentation of changes in restricted cash on the statement of cash flows under Topic 230, Statement of Cash Flows. This guidance is effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted for all entities. We are currently assessing the impact that adopting this new guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, as a new Topic, ASC 606, which will supersede nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP. The core principal of the new accounting guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. The new guidance is effective for us in first quarter 2018, and early adoption is permitted beginning in first quarter 2017. Two methods of transition are permitted upon adoption; full retrospective and modified retrospective. Under the full retrospective method, prior periods would be restated under the new revenue standard, providing a comparable view across all periods presented. Under the modified retrospective method, prior periods would not be restated. Rather, revenues and other disclosures for pre-2018 periods would be provided in the notes to the financial statements as previously reported under the current revenue standard. We will adopt this new guidance in first quarter 2018. We are evaluating both methods of transition; however, we currently anticipate adopting the new guidance using the full retrospective method to restate each prior reporting period presented.

A preliminary assessment to determine the impacts of the new accounting standard has been performed. We are currently implementing new accounting and operational processes which are a result of the new guidance, but we are unable to provide information on quantitative impacts at this time. We anticipate this standard will have a material impact on individual lines in our consolidated financial statements, but we do not expect it will have as material an impact on our results of operations on an annual basis. The primary impacts of the new standard to our product and service lines are anticipated to be as follows:

Segment Reporting

Brokerage segment

Revenue - We currently recognize revenue for certain of our brokerage activities, such as direct bill and contingent commission revenue, over a period of time either due to the transfer of value to our customers or as the remuneration becomes determinable. Under the new guidance, these revenues will be substantially recognized at a point in time on the effective date of the associated policies when control of the policy transfers to the customer. Conversely under the new guidance we may need to defer certain revenues to reflect delivery of services over the contract period. As a result, revenue from certain arrangements will be recognized in earlier periods under the new guidance in comparison to our current accounting policies, and others will be recognized in later periods. We have not yet identified the net effect of all of these changes on the timing and amount of revenue recognized for annual and interim periods.

Expense - Amendments to ASC Topic 340, Other Assets and Deferred Costs, require the capitalization of costs to obtain and costs to fulfill customer contracts, which are currently expensed as incurred. The assets recognized for the costs to obtain and/or fulfill a contract will be amortized on a systematic basis that is consistent with the transfer of the services to which the asset relates. We are currently determining the nature of and quantifying the costs that would qualify for capitalization, and the amount of amortization that will be recognized in each period.

Risk management segment

We are currently assessing the timing and measurement of revenue recognition under the new guidance for our risk management segment, specifically third party administration contracts among others, and anticipate that more revenue will be initially deferred and recognized over a longer future period of time than under our current accounting policies.

Corporate segment

We expect that the timing related to recognition of revenue in our corporate segment will remain substantially unchanged.