We enter into third-party reinsurance transactions to actively manage our risk, ensure compliance with PMIERs, state regulatory and other applicable capital requirements, and support the growth of our business. The GSEs and the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (Wisconsin OCI) have approved all such transactions (subject to certain conditions and ongoing review, including levels of approved capital credit).


	For the three months ended
	March 31, 2020		March 31, 2019
	(In Thousands)
Net premiums written
Direct	$	103,453	$	81,730
Ceded ⁽¹⁾	(12,082)		(9,807)
Net premiums written	$	91,371	$	71,923

Net premiums earned
Direct	$	113,187	$	86,298
Ceded ⁽¹⁾	(14,470)		(12,430)
Net premiums earned	$	98,717	$	73,868

NMIC entered into excess-of-loss reinsurance agreements with Oaktown Re Ltd., Oaktown Re II Ltd. and Oaktown Re III Ltd. (special purpose reinsurance entities collectively referred to as the Oaktown Re Vehicles) effective May 2, 2017, July 25, 2018 and July 30, 2019, respectively. Each agreement provides NMIC with aggregate excess-of-loss reinsurance coverage on a defined portfolio of mortgage insurance policies written during a discrete period. Under each agreement, NMIC retains a first layer of aggregate loss exposure on covered policies and the respective Oaktown Re Vehicle then provides second layer loss protection up to a defined reinsurance coverage amount. NMIC then retains losses in excess of the respective reinsurance coverage amounts.

The respective reinsurance coverage amounts provided by the Oaktown Re Vehicles decrease from the inception of each agreement over a 10 year period as the underlying insured mortgages are amortized or repaid, and/or the mortgage insurance coverage is canceled. The respective outstanding reinsurance coverage amounts stop amortizing if certain credit enhancement or delinquency thresholds, as defined in each agreement, are triggered.

NMIC makes risk premium payments to the Oaktown Re Vehicles for the applicable outstanding reinsurance coverage amount and pays an additional amount for anticipated operating expenses (capped at $300 thousand per year to Oaktown Re Ltd. and $250 thousand per year to Oaktown Re II, Ltd. and Oaktown Re III, Ltd.). NMIC ceded aggregate premiums to the Oaktown Re Vehicles of $3.9 million and $3.0 million during the three months ended March 31, 2020 and three months ended March 31, 2019, respectively.

NMIC applies claims paid on covered policies against its first layer aggregate retained loss exposure under each excess-of-loss agreement. NMIC did not cede any incurred losses on covered policies to the Oaktown Re Vehicles during the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, as the aggregate first layer risk retention was not exhausted for each applicable agreement during such periods.

Under the terms of each excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement, the Oaktown Re Vehicles are required to fully collateralize their outstanding reinsurance coverage amount to NMIC with funds deposited into segregated reinsurance trusts. Such trust funds are required to be invested in short-term U.S. Treasury money market funds at all times. Each Oaktown Re Vehicle financed its respective collateral requirement through the issuance of mortgage insurance-linked notes to unaffiliated investors. Such insurance-linked notes mature 10 years from the inception date of each reinsurance agreement. We refer to NMIC's reinsurance agreements with and the insurance-linked note issuances by Oaktown Re Ltd., Oaktown Re II, Ltd. and

The following table presents the inception date, covered production period, initial and current reinsurance coverage amount, and initial and current first layer retained aggregate loss under each of the ILN Transactions.


($ values in thousands)	Inception Date	Covered Production	Initial Reinsurance Coverage		Current Reinsurance Coverage		Initial First Layer Retained Loss		Current First Layer Retained Loss
2017 ILN Transaction	May 2, 2017	1/1/2013 - 12/31/2016	$	211,320	$	46,990	$	126,793	$	122,810
2018 ILN Transaction	July 25, 2018	1/1/2017 - 5/31/2018	264,545		174,340		125,312		124,311
2019 ILN Transaction	July 30, 2019	6/1/2018 - 6/30/2019	326,905		259,047		123,424		123,424

NMIC holds optional termination rights under each ILN Transaction, including, among others, an optional call feature which provides NMIC the discretion to terminate the transaction on or after a prescribed date, and a clean-up call if the outstanding reinsurance coverage amount amortizes to 10% or less of the reinsurance coverage amount at inception or if NMIC reasonably determines that changes to GSE or rating agency asset requirements would cause a material and adverse effect on the capital treatment afforded to NMIC under a given agreement. In addition, there are certain events that trigger mandatory termination of an agreement, including NMIC's failure to pay premiums or consent to reductions in a trust account to make principal payments to noteholders, among others.

Under the terms of the 2018 ILN Transaction and the 2019 ILN Transaction, we are required to maintain a certain level of restricted funds in premium deposit accounts with Bank of New York Mellon until the respective notes have been redeemed in full. "Cash and cash equivalents" on our condensed consolidated balance sheet includes restricted amounts of $2.5 million as of March 31, 2020. We are not required to deposit additional funds into the premium deposit accounts in the future and the restricted balances required under these transactions will decrease over time as the outstanding principal balances of the respective insurance-linked notes decline.

Under each of the QSR Transactions, NMIC cedes a proportional share of its risk on eligible policies written during a discrete period to panels of third-party reinsurance providers. Each of the third-party reinsurance providers has an insurer financial strength rating of A- or better by S&P, A.M.Best or both.

Under the 2016 QSR Transaction, NMIC cedes premiums written related to 25% of the risk on eligible primary policies written for all periods through December 31, 2017 and 100% of the risk under our pool agreement with Fannie Mae. The 2016 QSR Transaction is scheduled to terminate on December 31, 2027, except with respect to the ceded pool risk, which is scheduled to terminate on August 31, 2023. NMIC has the option, based on certain conditions and subject to a termination fee, to terminate the agreement as of December 31, 2020, or at the end of any calendar quarter thereafter, which would result in NMIC reassuming the related risk.

Under the 2018 QSR Transaction, NMIC cedes premiums earned related to 25% of the risk on eligible policies written in 2018 and 20% of the risk on eligible policies written in 2019. The 2018 QSR Transaction is scheduled to terminate on December 31, 2029. NMIC has the option, based on certain conditions and subject to a termination fee, to terminate the agreement as of December 31, 2022, or at the end of any calendar quarter thereafter, which would result in NMIC reassuming the related risk.

NMIC may terminate either or both of the QSR Transactions without penalty if, due to a change in PMIERs requirements, it is no longer able to take full PMIERs asset credit for the risk-in-force (RIF) ceded under the respective agreements. Additionally, under the terms of the QSR Transactions, NMIC may elect to selectively terminate its engagement with individual reinsurers on a run-off basis (i.e., reinsurers continue providing coverage on all risk ceded prior to the termination date, with no new cessions going forward) or cut-off basis (i.e., the reinsurance arrangement is completely terminated with NMIC recapturing all previously ceded risk) under certain circumstances. Such selective termination rights arise when, among other reasons, a reinsurer experiences a deterioration in its capital position below a prescribed threshold and/or a reinsurer breaches (and fails to cure) its collateral posting obligations under the relevant agreement.

Effective April 1, 2019, NMIC elected to terminate its engagement with one reinsurer under the 2016 QSR Transaction on a cut-off basis. In connection with the termination, NMIC recaptured approximately $500 million of previously ceded primary RIF and stopped ceding new premiums earned or written with respect to the recaptured risk. With the termination, ceded premiums written under the 2016 QSR Transaction decreased from 25% to 20.5% on eligible policies. The termination has no effect on the cession of pool risk under the 2016 QSR Transaction.


	For the three months ended
	March 31, 2020		March 31, 2019
	(In Thousands)
Ceded risk-in-force	$	4,843,715	$	4,534,353

Ceded premiums earned	(23,011)		(21,468)
Ceded claims and claim expenses	1,532		899

Ceding commission earned	4,513		4,206
Profit commission	12,413		12,061

Ceded premiums written under the 2016 QSR Transaction are recorded on the balance sheet as prepaid reinsurance premiums and amortized to ceded premiums earned in a manner consistent with the recognition of revenue on direct premiums. Under the 2018 QSR Transaction, premiums are ceded on an earned basis as defined in the agreement. NMIC receives a 20% ceding commission for premiums ceded under the QSR Transactions. NMIC also receives a profit commission under each of the QSR Transactions, provided that the loss ratios on loans covered under the 2016 QSR Transaction and 2018 QSR Transaction generally remain below 60% and 61%, respectively, as measured annually. Ceded claims and claim expenses under each of the QSR Transactions reduce the respective profit commission received by NMIC on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

In accordance with the terms of the 2016 QSR Transaction, rather than making a cash payment or transferring investments for ceded premiums written, NMIC established a funds withheld liability, which also includes amounts due to NMIC for ceding and profit commissions. Any loss recoveries and any potential profit commission to NMIC will be realized from this account until exhausted. NMIC's reinsurance recoverable balance is further supported by trust accounts established and maintained by each reinsurer in accordance with the PMIERs funding requirements for risk ceded to non-affiliates. The reinsurance recoverable on loss reserves related to our 2016 QSR Transaction was $3.1 million as of March 31, 2020.

In accordance with the terms of the 2018 QSR Transaction, cash payments for ceded premiums earned are settled on a quarterly basis, offset by amounts due to NMIC for ceding and profit commissions. Any loss recoveries and any potential profit commission to NMIC are also settled quarterly. NMIC's reinsurance recoverable balance is supported by trust accounts established and maintained by each reinsurer in accordance with the PMIERs funding requirements for risk ceded to non-affiliates. The reinsurance recoverable on loss reserves related to our 2018 QSR Transaction was $3.1 million as of March 31, 2020.