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Dividends | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2011
Dividends [Abstract] |
Dividends | 12. Dividends The following table presents shareholder dividends paid in total and per share:
|  | 2011 |  |  | 2010 |  |  | 2009 |
|  | (Amounts in thousands, except per share data) |
Total paid |  | $ | 132,142 |  |  | $ | 129,863 |  |  | $ | 127,617 |
Per share |  | $ | 2.41 |  |  | $ | 2.37 |  |  | $ | 2.33 |
The Insurance Companies are subject to the financial capacity guidelines established by their domiciliary states. The payment of dividends from statutory unassigned surplus of the Insurance Companies is restricted, subject to certain statutory limitations. For 2012, the insurance subsidiaries of the Company are permitted to pay approximately $179 million in dividends to Mercury General without the prior approval of the DOI of domiciliary states. The above statutory regulations may have the effect of indirectly limiting the ability of the Company to pay shareholder dividends. During 2011, 2010, and 2009, the Insurance Companies paid the Company ordinary dividends of $0, $128.0 million, and $110.0 million, respectively, and extraordinary dividends of $270 million, $0, and $0, respectively.

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- Definition This includes a summary of shareholder dividends paid in total and per share. Further, this includes disclosures relating to statutory restrictions on the payment of dividends as prescribed by state regulatory authorities. + References No definition available. + Details
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