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Significant Accounting Policies (Policy) | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2012
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Basis of Presentation | The consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the basis of accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and in conformity with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, these unaudited consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation of the Company's financial position and results of operations as at the end of and for the periods presented. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated from these statements. Except as discussed in “Note 3. Discontinued Operations,” and unless otherwise noted, the notes to the consolidated financial statements reflect the Company's continuing operations. Certain comparative information has been reclassified to conform to the current presentation. Because of the seasonality of the Company's business, the results of operations and cash flows for any interim period will not necessarily be indicative of the results of operations and cash flows for the full fiscal year or subsequent quarters.
Use of Estimates in Financial Statements | The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported and disclosed amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. The major estimates reflected in the Company’s consolidated financial statements include, but are not limited to, the reserve for claims and claim expenses, reinsurance recoverables, including allowances for reinsurance recoverables deemed uncollectible, estimates of written and earned premiums, fair value, including the fair value of investments, financial instruments and derivatives, impairment charges and the Company’s deferred tax valuation allowance.
Earnings Per Share | The Company accounts for its earnings per share in accordance with FASB ASC Topic Earnings per Share. Basic earnings per common share is based on weighted average common shares and excludes any dilutive effects of stock options and restricted stock. Diluted earnings per common share assumes the exercise of all dilutive stock options and restricted stock grants. In accordance with FASB ASC Topic Earnings per Share, earnings per share calculations use average common shares outstanding - basic, when the Company is in a net loss position for the period.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements | RECENTLY ADOPTED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS Accounting for Costs Associated with Acquiring or Renewing Insurance Contracts In October 2010, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2010-26, Accounting for Costs Associated with Acquiring or Renewing Insurance Contracts (“ASU 2010-26”), which amends FASB ASC Topic Financial Services - Insurance. ASU 2010-26 modifies the definition of the types of costs that can be capitalized in relation to the acquisition of new and renewal insurance contracts. The amended guidance requires costs to be incremental or directly related to the successful acquisition of new or renewal contracts in order to be capitalized as a deferred acquisition cost. Capitalized costs would include incremental direct costs, such as commissions paid to brokers. Additionally, the portion of employee salaries and benefits directly related to time spent for acquired contracts would be capitalized. Costs that fall outside the revised definition must be expensed when incurred. ASU 2010-26 became effective for fiscal periods beginning on or after December 15, 2011, and as a result, the Company adopted ASU 2010-26 effective January 1, 2012. The adoption of ASU 2010-26 did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated statements of operations and financial condition. Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs In May 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-04, Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs (“ASU 2011-04”), which amends FASB ASC Topic Fair Value Measurement. ASU 2011-04 was issued to provide largely identical guidance about fair value measurement and disclosure requirements with the International Accounting Standards Board's new International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) 13, Fair Value Measurement. ASU 2011-04 does not extend the use of fair value but, rather, provides guidance about how fair value should be applied where it is already required or permitted under GAAP and requires enhanced disclosures covering all transfers between Levels 1 and 2 of the fair value hierarchy. Additional disclosures covering Level 3 assets are also required. ASU 2011-04 became effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011 and as a result, the Company adopted ASU 2011-04 effective January 1, 2012. The adoption of ASU 2011-04 did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated statements of operations and financial condition. The additional disclosures required by ASU 2011-04 have been provided in "Note 5. Fair Value Measurements" of the Company's Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. Presentation of Comprehensive Income In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-05, Presentation of Comprehensive Income (“ASU 2011-05”), which amends FASB ASC Topic Comprehensive Income. ASU 2011-05 increases the prominence of items reported in other comprehensive income and eliminates the option to present components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in shareholders' equity. ASU 2011-05 requires that all non-owner changes in shareholders' equity be presented either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. ASU 2011-05 became effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011, with retroactive application required. The Company adopted ASU 2010-26 effective January 1, 2012 and it did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated statements of operations and financial condition.
Fair Value | The use of fair value to measure certain assets and liabilities with resulting unrealized gains or losses is pervasive within the Company's financial statements. Fair value is defined under accounting guidance currently applicable to the Company to be the price that would be received upon the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between open market participants at the measurement date. The Company recognizes the change in unrealized gains and losses arising from changes in fair value in its consolidated statements of operations, with the exception of changes in unrealized gains and losses on its fixed maturity investments available for sale, which are recognized as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income in shareholders' equity. FASB ASC Topic Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures prescribes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to the respective valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:
• | Fair values determined by Level 1 inputs utilize unadjusted quoted prices obtained from active markets for identical assets or liabilities for which the Company has access. The fair value is determined by multiplying the quoted price by the quantity held by the Company;
• | Fair values determined by Level 2 inputs utilize inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 2 inputs include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, and inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, such as interest rates and yield curves that are observable at commonly quoted intervals, broker quotes and certain pricing indices; and
• | Level 3 inputs are based on unobservable inputs for the asset or liability, and include situations where there is little, if any, market activity for the asset or liability. In these cases, significant management assumptions can be used to establish management's best estimate of the assumptions used by other market participants in determining the fair value of the asset or liability.
In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement in its entirety falls has been determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement of the asset or liability. The Company's assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and the Company considers factors specific to the asset or liability. In order to determine if a market is active or inactive for a security, the Company considers a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the spread between what a seller is asking for a security and what a buyer is bidding for the same security, the volume of trading activity for the security in question, the price of the security compared to its par value (for fixed maturity investments), and other factors that may be indicative of market activity. There have been no material changes in the Company's valuation techniques, nor have there been any transfers between Level 1 and Level 2, or Level 2 and Level 3, respectively, during the period represented by these consolidated financial statements.

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- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy regarding (1) the principles it follows in consolidating or combining the separate financial statements, including the principles followed in determining the inclusion or exclusion of subsidiaries or other entities in the consolidated or combined financial statements and (2) its treatment of interests (for example, common stock, a partnership interest or other means of exerting influence) in other entities, for example consolidation or use of the equity or cost methods of accounting. The accounting policy may also address the accounting treatment for intercompany accounts and transactions, noncontrolling interest, and the income statement treatment in consolidation for issuances of stock by a subsidiary. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB) -Number 51 -Paragraph 2-6 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. 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- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy for determining the fair value of financial instruments. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 107 -Paragraph 8, 10, 12, 13, 14 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367646&loc=d3e18780-107790 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -SubTopic 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2155942 + Details
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