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Significant Accounting Policies | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Significant Accounting Policies | SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES There have been no material changes to the Company’s significant accounting policies as described in its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, except as described below. BASIS OF PRESENTATION These consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the basis of accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“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 consolidated 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. 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 consolidated 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 consolidated 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. DERIVATIVES From time to time, the Company enters into derivative instruments such as futures, options, swaps, forward contracts and other derivative contracts primarily to manage its foreign currency exposure, obtain exposure to a particular financial market, for yield enhancement, or for trading and to assume risk. The Company accounts for its derivatives in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic Derivatives and Hedging, which requires all derivatives to be recorded at fair value on the Company’s balance sheet as either assets or liabilities, depending on their rights or obligations, with changes in fair value reflected in current earnings. Commencing in the second quarter of 2019, the Company elected to adopt hedge accounting for certain of its derivative instruments used as hedges of a net investment in a foreign operation, as discussed below. The fair value of the Company’s derivatives is estimated by reference to quoted prices or broker quotes, where available, or in the absence of quoted prices or broker quotes, the use of industry or internal valuation models. Hedges of the Net Investment in a Foreign Operation Changes in the fair value of derivative instruments used to hedge the net investment in a foreign operation, to the extent effective as a hedge, are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in foreign currency translation adjustments, net of tax. Cumulative changes in fair value recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) are reclassified into earnings upon the sale, or complete or substantially complete liquidation, of the foreign operation. Any hedge ineffectiveness is recorded immediately in current period earnings as net foreign exchange gains (losses). Hedge Documentation and Effectiveness Testing To qualify for hedge accounting treatment, a derivative must be highly effective in mitigating the designated changes in value or cash flow of the hedged item. At the inception of a hedge, the Company formally documents relationships between hedging instruments and hedged items, as well as its risk management objective and strategy for undertaking each hedge transaction. The documentation process includes linking derivatives that are designated as net investment hedges to specific assets or liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet. The Company also formally assesses, both at the hedge's inception and on an ongoing basis, whether the derivatives that are used in hedging transactions are highly effective in offsetting changes in the net investment in a foreign operation. The Company will discontinue hedge accounting prospectively if it determines that the derivative is no longer highly effective in offsetting changes in the net investment in a foreign operation, the derivative is no longer designated as a hedging instrument, or the derivative expires or is sold, terminated or exercised. If hedge accounting is discontinued, the derivative continues to be carried at fair value on the consolidated balance sheet with changes in its fair value recognized in current period earnings through net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments. FOREIGN EXCHANGE Foreign Currency Revaluation and Translation Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in a currency other than the functional currency of the Company’s subsidiaries in which those monetary assets and liabilities reside are revalued into such subsidiary’s functional currency at the prevailing exchange rate on the balance sheet date. Revenues and expenses denominated in a currency other than the functional currency of the Company’s subsidiaries, are valued at the exchange rate on the date on which the underlying revenue or expense transaction occurred. The net effect of these revaluation adjustments are recognized in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations as part of net foreign exchange (gains) losses. The Company’s functional currency is the U.S. dollar. Certain of the Company’s subsidiaries have a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar. Assets and liabilities of foreign operations whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar are translated into the Company's U.S. dollar reporting currency at prevailing balance sheet-date exchange rates, while revenue and expenses of such foreign operations are translated into the Company's U.S. dollar functional currency at monthly average exchange rates during the year. The net effect of these translation adjustments, as well as any gains or losses on intercompany balances for which settlement is not planned or anticipated in the foreseeable future, net of applicable deferred income taxes, is included in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as currency translation adjustments and reflected within accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). RECENTLY ADOPTED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS Leases In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-02, Leases and subsequently issued a number of other ASUs to amend the guidance, each ultimately reflected in FASB ASC Topic Leases. FASB ASC Topic Leases requires, among other items, lessees to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet for those leases classified as operating leases under the previous guidance. FASB ASC Topic Leases was effective for public business entities for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company has adopted FASB ASC Topic Leases through the application of the modified retrospective transition approach. In addition, the Company employed certain practical expedients permitted under the guidance and utilized its incremental borrowing rate in determining the present value of lease payments, not yet paid. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and financial position. The Company determined it was not required to record a cumulative effect adjustment to opening retained earnings as of January 1, 2019. Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory (“ASU 2016-16”). ASU 2016-16 requires entities to recognize the income tax consequences of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory when the transfers occur; this is a change from current guidance which prohibits the recognition of current and deferred income taxes until the underlying assets have been sold to outside entities. ASU 2016-16 was effective for public business entities for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and financial position. RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS NOT YET ADOPTED Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”). ASU 2016-13 modifies the recognition of credit losses by replacing the incurred loss impairment methodology with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. ASU 2016-13 is applicable to financial assets such as loans, debt securities, trade receivables, off-balance sheet credit exposures, reinsurance receivables, and other financial assets that have the contractual right to receive cash. The measurement of expected credit losses is based on relevant information about past events, including historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectability of the reported amount. The Company's invested assets are measured at fair value through net income, and therefore those invested assets would not be impacted by the adoption of ASU 2016-13. The Company has other financial assets, such as reinsurance recoverables, that could be impacted by the adoption of ASU 2016-13. ASU 2016-13 is effective for public business entities that are SEC filers for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance; however, it is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and financial position. Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment (“ASU 2017-04”). Among other things, ASU 2017-04 requires the following: (1) the elimination of step two of the goodwill impairment test; entities will no longer utilize the implied fair value of their assets and liabilities for purposes of testing goodwill for impairment, (2) the quantitative portion of the goodwill impairment test will be performed by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount; an impairment charge is to be recognized for the excess of carrying amount over fair value, but only to the extent of the amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit, and (3) foreign currency translation adjustments are not to be allocated to a reporting unit from an entity’s accumulated other comprehensive income (loss); the reporting unit’s carrying amount should include only the currently translated balances of the assets and liabilities assigned to the reporting unit. ASU 2017-04 is effective for public business entities that are SEC filers for annual periods, or any interim goodwill impairment tests in annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance; however, it is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and financial position. Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement (“ASU 2018-13”). The ASU 2018-13 modifies the disclosure requirements of fair value measurements as part of the disclosure framework project with the objective to improve the effectiveness of disclosures in the notes to the financial statements. ASU 2018-13 allows for removal of the amount and reasons for transfer between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy; the policy for transfers between levels; and the valuation processes for Level 3 fair value measurements. ASU 2018-13 is effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance; however, it is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and financial position.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for all significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2122369 + Details
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