XML 33 R19.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.22.0.1
Segment Information
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Segment Reporting [Abstract]  
Segment Information SEGMENT INFORMATION
Our property and casualty insurance business is reported as one business segment. The property and casualty insurance business profit or loss is consistent with consolidated reporting as disclosed on the Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income. We analyze the property and casualty insurance business results based on profitability (i.e., loss ratios), expenses and return on equity. The Company's property and casualty insurance business was determined using a management approach to make decisions on operating matters, including allocating resources, assessing performance, determining which products to market and sell, determining distribution networks with insurance agents and monitoring the regulatory environment. The property and casualty insurance business products have similar economic characteristics and use a similar marketing and distribution strategy with our independent agents. We continually evaluate our operations on the basis of both statutory accounting principles prescribed or permitted by our states of domicile and GAAP.

Our property and casualty insurance business is comprised of commercial lines insurance, including surety bonds, personal lines insurance and assumed reinsurance. All of our property and casualty insurance subsidiaries and our affiliate belong to an intercompany reinsurance pooling arrangement. Pooling arrangements permit the participating companies to rely on the capacity of the entire pool's capital and surplus, rather than being limited to policy exposures of a size commensurate with each participant's own surplus level. Under such arrangements, the members share substantially all of the insurance business that is written and allocate the combined premiums, losses and expenses based on percentages defined in the arrangement.

The accounting policies of our businesses are the same as those described in Note 1 "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
We write both commercial and personal lines of property and casualty insurance. We focus on commercial lines, which represented 97.7 percent of our property and casualty insurance premiums earned for 2021. Our personal lines represented 2.3 percent of our property and casualty insurance premiums earned for 2021.
Commercial Lines Business
Our primary commercial policies are tailored business packages that include the following coverages: fire and allied lines, other liability, automobile, workers' compensation and surety.
Personal Lines Business
Our personal lines consist primarily of automobile and fire and allied lines coverage, including homeowners.
In May 2020, the Company entered into a renewal rights agreement for our personal lines business, providing our
independent insurance agents with the opportunity to transfer their personal lines policies to Nationwide Mutual
Insurance Company beginning in the third quarter of 2020. The majority of this transfer was completed by December 31, 2021. There is an immaterial amount of personal lines business remaining primarily in the state of New Jersey as of December 31, 2021. The business remaining in New Jersey is scheduled to lapse over the next 3 years.
Pricing
Pricing levels for our property and casualty insurance products are influenced by many factors, including an estimation of expected losses, the expenses of producing, issuing and servicing business and managing claims, the time value of money associated with such loss and expense cash flows, and a reasonable allowance for profit. We have a disciplined approach to underwriting and risk management that emphasizes profitable growth rather than premium volume or market share. Our insurance company subsidiaries are subject to state laws and regulations regarding rate and policy form approvals. The applicable state laws and regulations establish standards in certain lines of business to ensure that rates are not excessive, inadequate, unfairly discriminatory, or used to engage in unfair price competition. Our ability to increase rates and the relative timing of the process are dependent upon each respective state's requirements, as well as the competitive market environment.
Seasonality
Our property and casualty insurance business experiences some seasonality with regard to premiums written, which are generally highest in January and July and lowest during the fourth quarter. Although we experience some seasonality in our premiums written, premiums are earned ratably over the period of coverage. Losses and loss settlement expenses incurred tend to remain consistent throughout the year, with the exception of catastrophe losses which generally are highest in the second and third quarters. Catastrophes inherently are unpredictable and can occur at any time during the year from man-made or natural disaster events that include, but are not limited to, hail, tornadoes, hurricanes and windstorms.
Premiums Earned
The following table sets forth our net premiums earned:
   
Years Ended December 31,202120202019
 Property and casualty insurance business
Net premiums earned
Other liability$299,961 $316,098 $318,412 
Fire and allied lines253,485 277,515 285,205 
Automobile255,279 324,420 345,637 
Workers' compensation61,690 75,953 87,376 
Fidelity and surety30,989 28,001 25,539 
Reinsurance assumed59,745 30,417 21,861 
Other1,674 2,678 2,942 
Total net premiums earned$962,823 $1,055,082 $1,086,972 
Total revenue includes sales to external customers and intercompany sales that are eliminated to arrive at the total revenues as reported in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income. We account for intercompany sales on the same basis as sales to external customers.