Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Practices (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Practices [Abstract]

(A) Critical Accounting Policies

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions about future events that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Future events and their effects cannot be determined with absolute certainty. Therefore, the determination of estimates requires the exercise of judgment. Actual results inevitably will differ from those estimates, and such differences may be material to the financial statements.

The most significant accounting estimates inherent in the preparation of our financial statements include estimates associated with management’s evaluation of the determination of (i) liability for unpaid losses and LAE, (ii) the amount and recoverability of amortization of DPAC, and (iii) estimates for our reserves with respect to finance contracts, premiums receivable and deferred income taxes. Various assumptions and other factors underlie the determination of these significant estimates, which are described in greater detail in Footnote 2 of the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, which we included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K which was filed with the SEC on March 16, 2015.

We believe that there were no significant changes in those critical accounting policies and estimates during the nine months ended September 30, 2015. Senior management has reviewed the development and selection of our critical accounting policies and estimates and their disclosure in this Form 10-Q with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors.

The process of determining significant estimates is fact-specific and takes into account factors such as historical experience, current and expected economic conditions, and in the case of unpaid losses and LAE, an actuarial valuation. Management regularly reevaluates these significant factors and makes adjustments where facts and circumstances dictate. In selecting the best estimate, we utilize various actuarial methodologies. Each of these methodologies is designed to forecast the number of claims we will be called upon to pay and the amounts we will pay on average to settle those claims. In arriving at our best estimate, our actuaries consider the likely predictive value of the various loss development methodologies employed in light of underwriting practices, premium rate changes and claim settlement practices that may have occurred, and weight the credibility of each methodology. Our actuarial methodologies take into account various factors, including, but not limited to, paid losses, liability estimates for reported losses, paid allocated LAE, salvage and other recoveries received, reported claim counts, open claim counts and counts for claims closed with and without payment for loss.

We are required to review the contractual terms of all our reinsurance purchases to ensure compliance with U.S. GAAP, which establishes the conditions required for a contract with a reinsurer to be accounted for as reinsurance and prescribes accounting and reporting standards for those contracts. Contracts that do not result in the reasonable possibility that the reinsurer may realize a significant loss from the insurance risk assumed generally do not meet the conditions for reinsurance accounting and must be accounted for as deposits. The guidance also requires us to disclose the nature, purpose and effect of reinsurance transactions, including the premium amounts associated with reinsurance assumed and ceded. It also requires disclosure of concentrations of credit risk associated with reinsurance receivables and prepaid reinsurance premiums.

Investments classified as held-to-maturity include debt securities wherein the Company’s intent and ability are to hold the investment until maturity and are carried at amortized cost without consideration to unrealized gains or losses. Investments classified as trading securities include debt and equity securities bought and held primarily for sale in the near term and are carried at fair value with unrealized holding gains and losses included in current period operations. Investments classified as available-for-sale include debt and equity securities that are not classified as held-to-maturity or as trading security investments and are carried at fair value with unrealized holding gains and losses excluded from earnings and reported as a separate component of shareholders’ equity, namely “Other Comprehensive Income”.

A decline in the fair value of an available-for-sale security below cost that is deemed other-than-temporary results in a charge to income, resulting in the establishment of a new cost basis for the security. Premiums and discounts are amortized or accreted, respectively, over the life of the related debt security as an adjustment to yield using a method that approximates the effective interest method. Dividends and interest income are recognized when earned. Realized gains and losses are included in earnings and are derived using the specific-identification method for determining the cost of securities sold.

Financial instruments, which potentially expose us to concentrations of credit risk, consist primarily of investments, premiums receivable, amounts due from reinsurers on paid and unpaid losses and finance contracts. We have not experienced significant losses related to premiums receivable from individual policyholders or groups of policyholders in a particular industry or geographic area. We believe no credit risk beyond the amounts provided for collection losses is inherent in our premiums receivable or finance contracts. In order to reduce credit risk for amounts due from reinsurers, we seek to do business with financially sound reinsurance companies and regularly review the financial strength of all reinsurers used. Additionally, our credit risk in connection with our reinsurers is frequently mitigated by the establishment of irrevocable clean letters of credit in favor of FNIC.

The fair value of our investments is estimated based on prices published by financial services or quotations received from securities dealers and is reflective of the interest rate environment that existed as of the close of business on September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014. Changes in interest rates subsequent to September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 may affect the fair value of our investments.

The carrying amounts for the following financial instrument categories approximate their fair values at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 because of their short-term nature: cash and short-term investments, premiums receivable, finance contracts, due from reinsurers, revolving credit outstanding, claims payments outstanding, accounts payable and accrued expenses.

Impact of New Accounting Pronouncements

(B) Impact of New Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) 2015-09, Financial Services – Insurance (Topic 944): Disclosures about Short-Duration-Contracts. The amendments in this ASU apply to all insurance entities that issue short-duration contracts as defined in Topic 944, Financial Services—Insurance. The amendments require insurance entities to disclose for annual reporting periods the following information about the liability for unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses: (1) Incurred and paid claims development information by accident year, on a net basis after risk mitigation through reinsurance, for the number of years for which claims incurred typically remain outstanding (that need not exceed 10 years, including the most recent reporting period presented in the statement of financial position). Each period presented in the disclosure about claims development that precedes the current reporting period is considered to be supplementary information. (2) A reconciliation of incurred and paid claims development information to the aggregate carrying amount of the liability for unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses, with separate disclosure of reinsurance recoverable on unpaid claims for each period presented in the statement of financial position. (3) For each accident year presented of incurred claims development information, the total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities plus expected development on reported claims included in the liability for unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses, accompanied by a description of reserving methodologies (as well as any changes to those methodologies). (4) For each accident year presented of incurred claims development information, quantitative information about claim frequency (unless it is impracticable to do so) accompanied by a qualitative description of methodologies used for determining claim frequency information (as well as any changes to these methodologies). (5) For all claims except health insurance claims, the average annual percentage payout of incurred claims by age (that is, history of claims duration) for the same number of accident years as presented in (3) and (4) above. The amendments in this ASU are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Because the new guidance does not affect the existing recognition or measurement guidance, the adoption is not expected to have any effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-02, Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis (“ASU 2015-02”). ASU 2015-02 amends the consolidation requirements and significantly changes the consolidation analysis required. The amendments in this ASU affect reporting entities that are required to evaluate whether they should consolidate certain legal entities. All legal entities are subject to reevaluation under the revised consolidation model. Specifically, the amendments: (i) modify the evaluation of whether limited partnership and similar legal entities are VIEs ,(ii) eliminate the presumption that a general partner should consolidate a limited partnership, (iii) affect the consolidation analysis of reporting entities that are involved with VIEs particularly those that have fee arrangements and related party relationships, and (iv) provide a scope exception from consolidation guidance for reporting entities with interests in legal entities that are required to comply with or operate in accordance with requirements that are similar to those in Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Act of 1940 for registered money market funds. The amendments in this ASU are effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and, earlier adoption is permitted. The adoption of the amendments in this ASU will not have a material impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Other recent accounting pronouncements issued by FASB, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (“AICPA”), and the SEC did not or are not believed by management to have a material impact on the Company’s present or future financial statements.

Stock Options

Pursuant to FASB issued guidance, compensation cost recognized during the nine months ended September 30, 2015 includes compensation cost for all share-based payments granted subsequent to January 1, 2006, based on the grant date fair value estimated in accordance with the guidance.

Earnings per Share

(D) Earnings per Share

Basic earnings per share (“Basic EPS”) is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period presented. Diluted earnings per share (“Diluted EPS”) is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of shares of common stock and common stock equivalents outstanding during the period presented.

Adjustments

(E) Adjustments

In conjunction with our third quarter 2015 analysis of actual experience to date under the July 1, 2014 quota share reinsurance contract, we re-evaluated the accounting treatment for quota share reinsurance contracts with retrospective rating provisions. As a result of this re-evaluation, we have concluded reinsurance contracts which have retrospective rating provisions should be accounted for under Accounting Standards Codification 944, Financial Services — Insurance (“ASC 944”), where amounts due to (from) the assuming companies are accrued based on estimated contract experience to date as though the contracts were terminated. The adjustment to the accounting treatment related to reinsurance contracts with retrospective rated provisions resulted in the following changes:

(a)

We eliminated recording of future estimated quota share profits in one line item, “Quota Share Profit Sharing,” in the financial statements.

(b)

Amounts due to (from) the assuming companies have been accrued based on actual contract experience to date as though the contracts were terminated. These accruals impacted the following income statement line items: gross ceded premiums, loss and loss adjustment expenses, and deferred policy acquisition costs.

The adjustments to our accounting for the July 1, 2014 quota share reinsurance treaty, inclusive of other adjustments, are not material in any prior quarter or annual period based on an analysis of quantitative and qualitative factors in accordance with SEC Guidance.

As a result, we recorded these adjustments during the third quarter of 2015. These adjustments increased net income by $2.2 million for the three and nine month periods ended on September 30, 2015.

Additionally, the quota share reinsurance accounting adjustments impacted the following income statement line items for the three and nine month periods ended on September 30, 2015:

Gross ceded premiums decreased by $10.9 million,

Loss and loss adjustment expenses increased by $4.5 million, and

Deferred acquisition costs increased by $1.5 million.

Finally, the quota share reinsurance accounting adjustments impacted the following balance sheet line items for the three and nine months periods ended on September 30, 2015:

Prepaid reinsurance premiums increased by $10.9 million,

Reinsurance recoverable, net decreased by $4.5 million, and

Deferred policy acquisition costs decreased by $1.5 million.

The $14 million balance previously reported under Contingent quota-share profit sharing has been reclassed to the prepaid reinsurance premiums line item

The $7 million balance previously reported under Deferred quota-share profit sharing has been reclassed to the reinsurance recoverable, net line item