SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Components of Deferred Acquisition Costs

The following table is a summary of the components of DAC that are reported in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.

Property and Casualty Insurance	2016			2015			2014
Recorded asset at beginning of year	$	90,547		$	72,861		$	67,663
Underwriting costs deferred	205,707			197,869			166,508
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs	(202,892		)	(180,183		)	(161,310		)
Recorded asset at end of year	$	93,362		$	90,547		$	72,861
Life Insurance
Recorded asset at beginning of year	$	77,717		$	66,858		$	82,429
Underwriting costs deferred	5,564			6,113			7,357
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs	(8,121		)	(6,634		)	(6,139		)
	$	75,160		$	66,337		$	83,647
Change in "shadow" deferred policy acquisition costs	(4,410		)	11,380			(16,789		)
Recorded asset at end of year	$	70,750		$	77,717		$	66,858
Total
Recorded asset at beginning of year	$	168,264		$	139,719		$	150,092
Underwriting costs deferred	211,271			203,982			173,865
Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs	(211,013		)	(186,817		)	(167,449		)
	$	168,522		$	156,884		$	156,508
Change in "shadow" deferred policy acquisition costs	(4,410		)	11,380			(16,789		)
Recorded asset at end of year	$	164,112		$	168,264		$	139,719

Schedule of Property and Equipment

Depreciation is computed primarily by the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:

	Useful Life
Computer equipment and software	Three years
Furniture and fixtures	Seven years
Leasehold improvements	Shorter of the lease term or useful life of the asset
Real estate	Seven to thirty-nine years
Airplane	Five years

The following table is a summary of the components of the property and equipment that are reported in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.

	2016		2015
Real estate:
Land	$	8,231	$	7,999
Buildings	41,119		37,451
Furniture and fixtures	4,711		3,954
Computer equipment and software	1,463		2,452
Airplane	—		1,385
Total property and equipment	$	55,524	$	53,241