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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | Summary of Significant Accounting Policies General Mercury General Corporation ("Mercury General") and its subsidiaries (referred to herein collectively as the "Company") are primarily engaged in writing personal automobile insurance through 14 Insurance Companies in 13 states, principally California. The Company also writes homeowners, commercial automobile, commercial property, mechanical breakdown, fire, and umbrella insurance. The private passenger automobile line of insurance business was more than 77% of the Company’s direct premiums written in 2015, 2014, and 2013, of which approximately 83%, 83%, and 81% of the private passenger automobile premiums were written in California during 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively. Premiums written represents the premiums charged on policies issued during a fiscal period, which is a statutory measure designed to determine production levels. Consolidation and Basis of Presentation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Mercury General Corporation and its subsidiaries:
Insurance Companies |  |
Mercury Casualty Company ("MCC") |  | Mercury National Insurance Company
Mercury Insurance Company ("MIC") |  | American Mercury Insurance Company
California Automobile Insurance Company ("CAIC") |  | American Mercury Lloyds Insurance Company(1)
California General Underwriters Insurance Company, Inc. |  | Mercury County Mutual Insurance Company(2)
Mercury Insurance Company of Illinois |  | Mercury Insurance Company of Florida
Mercury Insurance Company of Georgia |  | Mercury Indemnity Company of America
Mercury Indemnity Company of Georgia |  | Workmen's Auto Insurance Company ("WAIC")(5)
Non-Insurance Companies |  |
Mercury Select Management Company, Inc. |  | AIS Management LLC
Mercury Insurance Services LLC |  | Auto Insurance Specialists LLC
Animas Funding LLC ("AFL")(3) |  | PoliSeek AIS Insurance Solutions, Inc.
Fannette Funding LLC ("FFL")(4) |  |
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(1) | American Mercury Lloyds Insurance Company is not owned but is controlled by the Company through its attorney-in-fact, Mercury Select Management Company, Inc.
(2) | Mercury County Mutual Insurance Company is not owned but is controlled by the Company through a management contract.
(3) | Special purpose investment vehicle formed in 2013.
(4) | Special purpose investment vehicle formed in 2014.
(5) | California domiciled insurance company acquired in 2015. See Note 20. Acquisition.
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), which differ in some respects from those filed in reports to insurance regulatory authorities. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. Certain reclassifications have been made in the 2014 consolidated financial statements to conform to the classifications in 2015. The Company did not have other comprehensive income (loss) in 2015, 2014 and 2013. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. These estimates require the Company to apply complex assumptions and judgments, and often the Company must make estimates about effects of matters that are inherently uncertain and will likely change in subsequent periods. The most significant assumptions in the preparation of these consolidated financial statements relate to reserves for losses and loss adjustment expenses. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Investments The Company applies the fair value option to all fixed maturity and equity securities and short-term investments at the time an eligible items is first recognized. The primary reasons for electing the fair value option were simplification and cost benefit considerations as well as the expansion of the use of fair value measurement by the Company consistent with the long-term measurement objectives of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the "FASB") for accounting for financial instruments. See Note 2. Fair Value of Financial Instruments for additional information on the fair value option. Gains and losses due to changes in fair value for items measured at fair value pursuant to application of the fair value option are included in net realized investment (losses) gains in the Company's consolidated statements of operations, while interest and dividend income on investment holdings are recognized on an accrual basis on each measurement date and are included in net investment income in the Company's consolidated statements of operations. Fixed maturity securities include debt securities, which may have fixed or variable principal payment schedules, may be held for indefinite periods of time, and may be used as a part of the Company’s asset/liability strategy or sold in response to changes in interest rates, anticipated prepayments, risk/reward characteristics, liquidity needs, tax planning considerations, or other economic factors. Premiums and discounts on fixed maturities are amortized using first call date and are adjusted for anticipated prepayments. Premiums and discounts on mortgage-backed securities are adjusted for anticipated prepayment using the retrospective method, with the exception of some beneficial interests in securitized financial assets, which are accounted for using the prospective method. Equity securities consist of non-redeemable preferred stocks, common stocks on which dividend income is partially tax-sheltered by the 70% corporate dividend received deduction, and an interest in private equity funds. Short-term investments include money market accounts, options, and short-term bonds that are highly rated short duration securities and redeemable within one year. Securities on Deposit As required by statute, the Company’s insurance subsidiaries have securities deposited with the Departments of Insurance or similar governmental agencies in the states in which they are licensed to operate with fair values totaling $21 million and $18 million at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Deferred policy acquisition costs consist of commissions paid to outside agents, premium taxes, salaries, and certain other underwriting costs that are incremental or directly related to the successful acquisition of new and renewal insurance contracts and are amortized over the life of the related policy in proportion to premiums earned. Deferred policy acquisition costs are limited to the amount that will remain after deducting from unearned premiums and anticipated investment income, the estimated losses and loss adjustment expenses, and the servicing costs that will be incurred as premiums are earned. The Company’s deferred policy acquisition costs are further limited by excluding those costs not directly related to the successful acquisition of insurance contracts. Deferred policy acquisition cost amortization was $539.2 million, $526.2 million, and $505.5 million during the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively. The Company does not defer advertising expenditures but expenses them as incurred. The Company recorded net advertising expense of approximately $44 million, $23 million, and $20 million during the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively. Fixed Assets Fixed assets are stated at historical cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. The useful life for buildings is 30 to 40 years. Furniture, equipment, and purchased software are depreciated on a combination of straight-line and accelerated methods over 3 to 7 years. The Company has capitalized certain consulting costs, payroll, and payroll-related costs for employees related to computer software developed for internal use, which are amortized on a straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the software, generally not exceeding 7 years. In accordance with applicable accounting standards, capitalization ceases no later than the point at which a computer software project is substantially complete and ready for its intended use. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the useful life of the assets or the life of the associated lease. The Company periodically assesses long-lived assets or asset groups including building and equipment, for recoverability when events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amounts may not be recoverable. If the Company identifies an indicator of impairment, the Company assesses recoverability by comparing the carrying amount of the asset to the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and the eventual disposal of the asset. An impairment loss is recognized when the carrying amount is not recoverable and is measured as the excess of carrying value over fair value. There were no impairment charges during 2015, 2014, and 2013. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets Goodwill and other intangible assets arise as a result of business acquisitions and consist of the excess of the cost of the acquisitions over the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed and identifiable intangible assets acquired. Identifiable intangible assets consist of the value of customer relationships, trade names, software and technology, and favorable leases, which are all subject to amortization, and an insurance license which is not subject to amortization. The Company evaluates goodwill and other intangible assets for impairment annually or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that the carrying amount of goodwill and other intangible assets may exceed their implied fair values. The Company qualitatively determines whether, more likely than not, the fair value exceeds the carrying amount of a reporting unit. There are numerous assumptions and estimates underlying the qualitative assessments including future earnings, long-term strategies, and the Company’s annual planning and forecasting process. If these planned initiatives do not accomplish the targeted objectives, the assumptions and estimates underlying the qualitative assessments could be adversely affected and have a material effect upon the Company’s financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the Company evaluates other intangible assets using methods similar to those used for goodwill described above. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, goodwill and other intangible impairment assessments indicated that there was no impairment. Premium Revenue Recognition Premium revenue is recognized on a pro-rata basis over the terms of the policies in proportion to the amount of insurance protection provided. Premium revenue includes installment and other fees for services which are recognized in the periods in which the services are rendered. Unearned premiums represent the portion of the written premium related to the unexpired policy term. Unearned premiums are predominantly computed monthly on a pro-rata basis and are stated gross of reinsurance deductions, with the reinsurance deduction recorded in other receivables. Net premiums written, a statutory measure designed to determine production levels, were $3.00 billion, $2.84 billion, and $2.73 billion in 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively. Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses Unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses are determined in amounts estimated to cover incurred losses and loss adjustment expenses and established based upon the Company’s assessment of claims pending and the development of prior years’ loss liabilities. These amounts include liabilities based upon individual case estimates for reported losses and loss adjustment expenses and estimates of such amounts that are incurred but not reported. Changes in the estimated liability are charged or credited to operations as the losses and loss adjustment expenses are re-estimated. The liability is stated net of anticipated salvage and subrogation recoveries. The amount of reinsurance recoverable is included in other receivables. Estimating loss reserves is a difficult process as many factors can ultimately affect the final settlement of a claim and, therefore, the loss reserve that is required. A key assumption in estimating loss reserves is the degree to which the historical data used to analyze reserves will be predictive of ultimate claim costs on incurred claims. Changes in the regulatory and legal environments, results of litigation, medical costs, the cost of repair materials, and labor rates, among other factors, can impact this assumption. In addition, time can be a critical part of reserving determinations since the longer the span between the incidence of a loss and the payment or settlement of a claim, the more variable the ultimate settlement amount could be. Accordingly, short-tail claims, such as property damage claims, tend to be more reasonably predictable than long-tail liability claims, such as those involving the Company’s bodily injury (BI) coverages. Management believes that the liability for losses and loss adjustment expenses is adequate to cover the ultimate net cost of losses and loss adjustment expenses incurred to date. However, since the provisions for loss reserves are necessarily based upon estimates, the ultimate liability may be more or less than such provisions. The Company analyzes loss reserves quarterly primarily using the incurred loss, paid loss, claim count development, and average severity methods described below. When deciding among methods to use, the Company evaluates the credibility of each method based on the maturity of the data available and the claims settlement practices for each particular line of insurance business or coverage within a line of insurance business. The Company may also evaluate qualitative factors such as known changes in laws or legal ruling that could affect claims handling or other external environmental factors or internal factors that could affect the settlement of claims. When establishing the loss reserve, the Company will generally analyze the results from all of the methods used rather than relying on a single method. While these methods are designed to determine the ultimate losses on claims under the Company’s policies, there is inherent uncertainty in all actuarial models since they use historical data to project outcomes. The Company believes that the techniques it uses provide a reasonable basis in estimating loss reserves.
• | The incurred loss development method analyzes historical incurred case loss (case reserves plus paid losses) development to estimate ultimate losses. The Company applies development factors against current case incurred losses by accident period to calculate ultimate expected losses. The Company believes that the incurred loss development method provides a reasonable basis for evaluating ultimate losses, particularly in the Company’s larger, more established lines of insurance business which have a long operating history.
• | The average severity method analyzes historical loss payments and/or incurred losses divided by closed claims and/or total claims to calculate an estimated average cost per claim. From this, the expected ultimate average cost per claim can be estimated. The average severity method coupled with the claim count development method provide meaningful information regarding inflation and frequency trends that the Company believes is useful in establishing loss reserves. The claim count development method analyzes historical claim count development to estimate future incurred claim count development for current claims. The Company applies these development factors against current claim counts by accident period to calculate ultimate expected claim counts.
• | The paid loss development method analyzes historical payment patterns to estimate the amount of losses yet to be paid. The Company uses this method for losses and loss adjustment expenses.
The Company analyzes catastrophe losses separately from non-catastrophe losses. For catastrophe losses, the Company determines claim counts based on claims reported and development expectations from previous catastrophes and applies an average expected loss per claim based on loss reserves established by adjusters and average losses on previous similar catastrophes. Derivative Financial Instruments The Company accounts for all derivative instruments, other than those that meet the normal purchases and sales exception, as either an asset or liability, measured at fair value, which is based on information obtained from independent parties. In addition, changes in fair value are recognized in earnings unless specific hedge accounting criteria are met. The Company’s derivative instruments include total return swaps and options sold. See Note 8. Derivative Financial Instruments. Earnings Per Share Basic earnings per share excludes dilution and reflects net income divided by the weighted average shares of common stock outstanding during the periods presented. Diluted earnings per share is based on the weighted average shares of common stock and potential dilutive securities outstanding during the periods presented. At December 31, 2015 and 2014, potential dilutive securities consisted of outstanding stock options and restricted stock units ("RSUs") granted from the Company's 2013 Long Term Incentive Plan. See Note 16. Earnings Per Share, for the required disclosures relating to the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share. Income Taxes Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial reporting basis and the respective tax basis of the Company’s assets and liabilities, and expected benefits of utilizing net operating loss, capital loss, and tax-credit carryforwards. The Company assesses the likelihood that its deferred tax assets will be realized and, to the extent management does not believe these assets are more likely than not to be realized, a valuation allowance is established. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates or laws is recognized in earnings in the period that includes the enactment date. At December 31, 2015, the Company’s deferred income taxes were in a net asset position, which included a combination of ordinary and capital deferred tax benefits. In assessing the Company's ability to realize deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon generating sufficient taxable income of the appropriate character within the carryback and carryforward periods available under the tax law. Management considers the reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income of an appropriate nature, and tax-planning strategies in making this assessment. The Company believes that through the use of prudent tax planning strategies and the generation of capital gains, sufficient income will be realized in order to maximize the full benefits of its deferred tax assets. Although realization is not assured, management believes that it is more likely than not that the Company’s deferred tax assets will be realized. Reinsurance Liabilities for unearned premiums and unpaid losses are stated in the accompanying consolidated financial statements before deductions for ceded reinsurance. The ceded amounts are immaterial and are carried in other receivables. Earned premiums are stated net of deductions for ceded reinsurance. The Insurance Companies, as primary insurers, are required to pay losses to the extent reinsurers are unable to discharge their obligations under the reinsurance agreements. Share-Based Compensation Share-based compensation expense for all share-based payment awards granted or modified is based on the estimated grant-date fair value. The Company recognizes these compensation costs on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the award, which is the option vesting term of four or five years for options granted prior to 2008 and four years for options granted subsequent to January 1, 2008, for only those shares expected to vest. The fair value of stock option awards is estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the grant-date assumptions and weighted-average fair values. The fair value of each restricted stock unit grant was determined based on the market price on the grant date. Compensation cost is recognized based on management’s best estimate of the performance goals that will be achieved. If such goals are not met, no compensation cost is recognized and any recognized compensation cost would be reversed. See Note 15. Share-Based Compensation for additional disclosures. Recently Issued Accounting Standards In January 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-01, "Financial Instruments-Overall (Subtopic 825-10), Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities." The amendments in this ASU update address certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments. ASU 2016-01: (1) requires equity investments (except those accounted for under the equity method or those that result in the consolidation of the investee) to be measured at fair value with changes in the fair value recognized in net income; (2) simplifies the impairment assessment of equity investments without readily determinable fair values by requiring a qualitative assessment to identify impairment; (3) requires the use of the exit price notion when measuring the fair value of financial instruments for disclosure purposes; and (4) requires separate presentation of financial assets and financial liabilities by measurement category and form of financial asset on the balance sheet or the notes to the financial statements. These amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company does not anticipate that ASU 2016-01 will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In May 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-09, "Financial Services-Insurance (Topic 944) Disclosures About Short-Duration Contracts." ASU 2015-9 requires insurance entities to provide additional disclosures related to claims liabilities. The additional disclosure requirements for the annual reports include: (1) the claims development information by accident year, on a net of reinsurance basis, for the number of years for which claims incurred remain outstanding but not to exceed the most recent 10 years, and for the most recent reporting period presented, an insurer also needs to disclose the amount of total net outstanding claims for all accident years included in the claims development tables; (2) a reconciliation of claims development information and the aggregate carrying amount of the liability for unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses; and (3) information about the claims frequency and the amount of the incurred-but-not-reported liabilities for each accident year presented. In addition, a description of the methodologies and assumptions used to determine the amounts disclosed and significant changes in methodologies and assumptions are required. The roll forward of the liability for unpaid claims and claims adjustment expenses, currently required only for annual periods, will also be required for interim periods. This standard will be effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Although the adoption of this standard will not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements, the Company will expand the nature and extent of its insurance contracts disclosures. In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-02, "Consolidation (Topic 810) Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis" affecting the consolidation evaluation of limited partnerships and similar entities, fees paid to a decision maker or a service provider as a variable interest, and variable interests in a variable interest entity held by related parties of the reporting entities. The amendments are effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The adoption of the new standard will not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, "Revenue Recognition (Topic 606): Revenue from Contracts with Customers." ASU 2014-09 requires entities to apply a five-step model to determine the amount and timing of revenue recognition. The model specifies, among other criteria, that revenue should be recognized when an entity transfers control of goods or services to a customer at the amount at which the entity expects to be entitled. In August 2015, the FASB issued an update which defers the effective date of this standard to annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods within that annual reporting period. Early adoption is now permitted only as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim reporting periods within that annual reporting period. The Company is evaluating the impact of this standard on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

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