Retirement Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

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 $15.0 million in 2016, $14.1 million in 2015, and $13.4 million in 2014.

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



December 31,	Pension Plan
($ in thousands)	2016			2015
Change in Benefit Obligation:
Benefit obligation, beginning of year	$	310,308		322,271
Service cost	1,647			7,215
Interest cost	12,336			13,668
Actuarial losses (gains)	15,086			(24,994	)
Benefits paid	(8,789		)	(7,852	)
Benefit obligation, end of year	$	330,588		310,308

Change in Fair Value of Assets:
Fair value of assets, beginning of year	$	249,700		253,452
Actual return on plan assets, net of expenses	21,079			(7,600	)
Contributions by the employer to funded plans	54,525			11,700
Benefits paid	(8,789		)	(7,852	)
Fair value of assets, end of year	$	316,515		249,700

Funded status	$	(14,073	)	(60,608	)

Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Consolidated Balance Sheet



Amounts Recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheet:
Liabilities	$	(14,073	)	(60,608	)
Net pension liability, end of year	$	(14,073	)	(60,608	)

Schedule of Amounts recognized in Accumulated Other than Comprehensive Income



Amounts Recognized in AOCI:
Net actuarial loss	$	85,845	80,828
Total	$	85,845	80,828

Schedule of Other Information as of December 31



Other Information as of December 31:
Accumulated benefit obligation	$	330,588	310,307

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



	Pension Plan
($ in thousands)	2016			2015		2014
Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost and Other Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income:

Net Periodic Benefit Cost:
Service cost	$	1,647		7,215		5,763
Interest cost	12,336			13,668		12,776
Expected return on plan assets	(17,309		)	(15,969	)	(15,671	)
Amortization of unrecognized actuarial loss	6,299			6,831		1,776
Total net periodic cost	$	2,973		11,745		4,644

Other Changes in Plan Assets and Benefit Obligations Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income:
Net actuarial loss (gain)	$	11,316		(1,425	)	52,556
Reversal of amortization of net actuarial loss	(6,299		)	(6,831	)	(1,776	)
Total recognized in other comprehensive income	$	5,017		(8,256	)	50,780

Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	$	7,990		3,489		55,424

Schedule Of Weighted- Average Expense and Liability Assumptions



Weighted-Average Liability Assumptions as of December 31:
Discount rate	4.41	%	4.69
Rate of compensation increase	—		4.00



	Pension Plan
	2016		2015	2014
Weighted-Average Expense Assumptions for the years ended December 31:
Discount rate	4.69	%	4.29	5.16
Expected return on plan assets	6.37		6.27	6.92
Rate of compensation increase¹	—		4.00	4.00

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets



	2016				2015
	Target Ranges		Actual Percentage		Actual Percentage
Long duration fixed income	40%-100%		53	%	60	%
Global equity	0%-40%		33	%	36	%
Alternatives & other return seeking assets¹	0%-30%		6	%	3	%
Cash and short-term investments	0%-5%		8	%	1	%
Total	—	%	100	%	100	%

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



December 31, 2016			Fair Value Measurements Using
($ in thousands)	Assets Measured at Fair Value 12/31/16		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	$	77,333	27,520	49,813	—
Foreign government	26,865		—	26,865	—
Obligations of states and political subdivisions	1,379,593		—	1,379,593	—
Corporate securities	1,997,753		—	1,997,753	—
CLO and other ABS	528,960		—	528,960	—
CMBS	256,842		—	256,842	—
RMBS	525,194		—	525,194	—
Total AFS fixed income securities	4,792,540		27,520	4,765,020	—
AFS equity securities:
Common stock	130,608		122,932	—	7,676
Preferred stock	16,145		16,145	—	—
Total AFS equity securities	146,753		139,077	—	7,676
Total AFS securities	4,939,293		166,597	4,765,020	7,676
Short-term investments	221,701		221,701	—	—
Total assets measured at fair value	$	5,160,994	388,298	4,765,020	7,676



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	—
CLO and other 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 measured at fair value	$	4,810,073	441,300	4,365,501	3,272

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

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments

Payments



($ in thousands)	Pension Plan
Benefits Expected to be Paid in Future
Fiscal Years:
2017	$	10,830
2018	12,041
2019	13,125
2020	14,184
2021	15,124
2022-2026	89,771

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, 2016			Fair Value Measurements at 12/31/16 Using
($ in thousands)	Assets Measured at Fair Value At 12/31/16		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	$	37,878	37,878	—	—
Extended duration fixed income	131,457		131,457	—	—
Total long duration fixed income	169,335		169,335	—	—
Cash and short-term investments:
Short-term investments	23,722		23,722	—	—
Deposit administration contracts	1,832		—	1,832	—
Total cash and short-term investments	25,554		23,722	1,832	—
Global equity, at net asset value¹:
Non-U.S. equity	48,836		—	—	—
U.S. equity	55,073		—	—	—
Total global equity	103,909		—	—	—
Private equity (limited partnerships, at net asset value)¹:
Real assets	15,466		—	—	—
Private equity	1,615		—	—	—
Private credit	1,108		—	—	—
Total private equity	18,189		—	—	—
Total invested assets	$	316,987	193,057	1,832	—



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	—	—
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	—
Global equity, at net asset value¹:
Non-U.S. equity	42,603		—	—	—
U.S. equity	46,840		—	—	—
Total global equity	89,443		—	—	—
Private equity (limited partnerships, at net asset value)¹:
Private equity	2,626		—	—	—
Real assets	2,514		—	—	—
Private credit	1,318		—	—	—
Total private equity	6,458		—	—	—
Total invested assets	$	249,781	152,462	1,418	—

¹In accordance with ASU 2015-07, certain investments that are measured at fair value using the net asset value per share (or its practical expedient) have not been classified in the fair value hierarchy. The fair value amounts presented in this table are intended to permit reconciliation of the fair value hierarchy to total Pension Plan invested assets.