Retirement Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Schedule Of Plan Terms In Effect And Revisions Of Retirement Savings Plan

(a) Selective Insurance Retirement Savings Plan (“Retirement Savings Plan”)

SICA offers a voluntary defined contribution 401(k) plan, which is available to most of our employees and is a tax-qualified retirement plan subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA"). Expense recorded for this plan was $14.1 million in 2015, $13.4 million in 2014, and $12.2 million in 2013.

Schedule of Funded Status Of Retirement Income Plan And Retirement Life Plan



December 31,	Pension Plan
($ in thousands)	2015			2014
Change in Benefit Obligation:
Benefit obligation, beginning of year	$	322,271		249,422
Service cost	7,215			5,763
Interest cost	13,668			12,776
Actuarial losses (gains)	(24,994		)	61,534
Benefits paid	(7,852		)	(7,224	)
Benefit obligation, end of year	$	310,308		322,271

Change in Fair Value of Assets:
Fair value of assets, beginning of year	$	253,452		225,817
Actual return on plan assets, net of expenses	(7,600		)	24,649
Contributions by the employer to funded plans	11,700			10,210
Benefits paid	(7,852		)	(7,224	)
Fair value of assets, end of year	$	249,700		253,452

Funded status	$	(60,608	)	(68,819	)

Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Consolidated Balance Sheet



Amounts Recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheet:
Liabilities	$	(60,608	)	(68,819	)
Net pension liability, end of year	$	(60,608	)	(68,819	)

Schedule of Amounts recognized in Accumulated Other than Comprehensive Income



Amounts Recognized in AOCI:
Net actuarial loss	$	80,828	89,085
Total	$	80,828	89,085

Schedule of Other Information as of December 31



Other Information as of December 31:
Accumulated benefit obligation	$	310,307	318,018

Schedule of Components Of Net Periodic Benefit Cost And Other Amounts Recognized In Other Comprehensive Income



	Pension Plan
($ in thousands)	2015			2014		2013
Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost and Other Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income:

Net Periodic Benefit Cost:
Service cost	$	7,215		5,763		7,346
Interest cost	13,668			12,776		12,139
Expected return on plan assets	(15,969		)	(15,671	)	(15,755	)
Amortization of unrecognized prior service cost	—			—		21
Amortization of unrecognized actuarial loss	6,831			1,776		4,145
Curtailment expense	—			—		189
Total net periodic cost	$	11,745		4,644		8,085

Other Changes in Plan Assets and Benefit Obligations Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income:
Net actuarial (gain) loss	$	(1,425	)	52,556		(58,001	)
Reversal of amortization of net actuarial loss	(6,831		)	(1,776	)	(4,145	)
Reversal of amortization of prior service cost	—			—		(21	)
Curtailment expense	—			—		(189	)
Total recognized in other comprehensive income	$	(8,256	)	50,780		(62,356	)

Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	$	3,489		55,424		(54,271	)

Schedule Of Weighted- Average Expense and Liability Assumptions



	Pension Plan
	2015		2014	2013
Weighted-Average Expense Assumptions for the years ended December 31:
Discount rate	4.29	%	5.16	4.66
Expected return on plan assets	6.27	%	6.92	7.40
Rate of compensation increase	4.00	%	4.00	4.00



Weighted-Average Liability Assumptions as of December 31:
Discount rate	4.69	%	4.29
Rate of compensation increase	4.00		4.00

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets



	2015				2014
	Target Ranges		Actual Percentage		Actual Percentage
Long duration fixed income	55%-100%		60	%	59	%
Global equity	0%-45%		36	%	25	%
Global Asset Allocation¹	—	%	—	%	11	%
Private equity^1,2	—	%	3	%	4	%
Cash and short-term investments¹	—	%	1	%	1	%
Total	—	%	100	%	100	%

Schedule of Quantitative Disclosures of our Financial Assets that were Measured at Fair Value



December 31, 2015			Fair Value Measurements Using
($ in thousands)	Assets Measured at Fair Value 12/31/15		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets/ Liabilities (Level 1)¹	Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)¹	Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Description
Measured on a recurring basis:
AFS fixed income securities:
U.S. government and government agencies	$	104,115	42,702	61,413	—
Foreign government	15,181		—	15,181	—
Obligations of states and political subdivisions	1,359,142		—	1,359,142	—
Corporate securities	1,900,182		—	1,900,182	—
ABS	244,154		—	244,154	—
CMBS	243,592		—	243,592	—
RMBS	541,837		—	541,837	—
Total AFS fixed income securities	4,408,203		42,702	4,365,501	—
AFS equity securities:
Common stock	194,789		191,517	—	3,272
Preferred stock	12,262		12,262	—	—
Total AFS equity securities	207,051		203,779	—	3,272
Total AFS securities	4,615,254		246,481	4,365,501	3,272
Short-term investments	194,819		194,819	—	—
Total assets	$	4,810,073	441,300	4,365,501	3,272



December 31, 2014			Fair Value Measurements Using
($ in thousands)	Assets Measured at Fair Value 12/31/14		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets/ Liabilities (Level 1)¹	Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)¹	Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Description
Measured on a recurring basis:
AFS fixed income securities:
U.S. government and government agencies	$	124,130	53,199	70,931	—
Foreign government	27,831		—	27,831	—
Obligations of states and political subdivisions	1,246,264		—	1,246,264	—
Corporate securities	1,799,806		—	1,799,806	—
ABS	177,224		—	177,224	—
CMBS	179,593		—	179,593	—
RMBS	511,274		—	511,274	—
Total AFS fixed income securities	4,066,122		53,199	4,012,923	—
AFS equity securities:
Common stock	191,400		188,500	—	2,900
Total AFS equity securities	191,400		188,500	—	2,900
Total AFS securities	4,257,522		241,699	4,012,923	2,900
Short-term investments	131,972		131,972	—	—
Total assets	$	4,389,494	373,671	4,012,923	2,900

¹There were no transfers of securities between Level 1 and Level 2.

Schedule of Effect of Significant Unobservable Inputs, Changes in Plan Assets



Investments in Limited Partnerships
($ in thousands)	2015			2014
Fair value, beginning of year	$	10,392		12,159
Total gains (realized and unrealized)
included in changes in net assets	(410		)	1,586
Purchases	51			334
Sales	—			—
Issuances	—			—
Settlements	(3,575		)	(3,687	)
Transfers into Level 3	—			—
Transfers out of Level 3	—			—
Fair value, end of year	$	6,458		10,392

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments



($ in thousands)	Pension Plan
Benefits Expected to be Paid in Future
Fiscal Years:
2016	$	9,917
2017	10,958
2018	12,005
2019	13,045
2020	14,092
2021-2025	84,400

Retirement Income Plan [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Schedule of Quantitative Disclosures of our Financial Assets that were Measured at Fair Value



December 31, 2015			Fair Value Measurements at 12/31/15 Using
($ in thousands)	Assets Measured at Fair Value At 12/31/15		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets/ Liabilities (Level 1)	Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)	Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Description
Long duration fixed income:
Global asset allocation fund	$	33,565	33,565	—	—
Extended duration fixed income	117,297		117,297	—	—
Total long duration fixed income	150,862		150,862	—	—
Global equity:
Non-U.S. equity	42,603		—	42,603	—
U.S. equity	46,840		—	46,840	—
Total global equity	89,443		—	89,443	—
Private equity (limited partnerships):
Private equity	4,852		—	—	4,852
Real estate	1,606		—	—	1,606
Total private equity	6,458		—	—	6,458
Cash and short-term investments:
Short-term investments	1,600		1,600	—	—
Deposit administration contracts	1,418		—	1,418	—
Total cash and short-term investments	3,018		1,600	1,418	—
Total invested assets	$	249,781	152,462	90,861	6,458



December 31, 2014			Fair Value Measurements at 12/31/14 Using
($ in thousands)	Assets Measured at Fair Value At 12/31/14		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets/ Liabilities (Level 1)	Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)	Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Description
Long duration fixed income:
Global asset allocation fund	$	27,782	27,782	—	—
Extended duration fixed income	120,532		120,532	—	—
Total long duration fixed income	148,314		148,314	—	—
Global equity:
Non-U.S. equity	16,852		5,438	11,414	—
U.S. equity	47,719		47,719	—	—
Total global equity	64,571		53,157	11,414	—
Global asset allocation	27,842		27,842	—	—
Private equity (limited partnerships):
Equity long/short hedge	41		—	—	41
Private equity	8,136		—	—	8,136
Real estate	2,215		—	—	2,215
Total private equity	10,392		—	—	10,392
Cash and short-term investments:
Short-term investments	1,222		1,222	—	—
Deposit administration contracts	1,180		—	1,180	—
Total cash and short-term investments	2,402		1,222	1,180	—
Total invested assets	$	253,521	230,535	12,594	10,392