Basis of Presentation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Basis of Presentation [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The accompanying unaudited consolidated interim financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements of the Company. In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation have been included and are of a normal recurring nature. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year.

The accompanying unaudited consolidated interim financial statements and footnotes should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and footnotes included within our Annual Report on Form 10-K ("2012 Annual Report") for the year ended December 31, 2012.

The unaudited consolidated interim financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries. All material intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect application of policies and the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the year. Actual results could differ from these estimates. Estimates and their underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Changes in estimates are recorded in the accounting period in which they are determined. The critical accounting estimates and assumptions in the accompanying unaudited consolidated interim financial statements include the provision for unpaid loss and loss adjustment expenses, valuation of fixed maturities and equity investments, valuation of deferred income taxes, valuation of intangible assets, goodwill recoverability, deferred acquisition costs, and fair value assumptions for debt obligations.

The fair values of the Company's investments in fixed maturities and equity investments, LROC preferred units, senior unsecured debentures and subordinated debt are estimated using a fair value hierarchy to categorize the inputs it uses in valuation techniques. The fair value disclosure of the Company's investment in investee is based on quoted market prices. Fair values for other investments approximate their unpaid principal balances. The carrying amounts reported in the consolidated balance sheets approximate fair values for cash, short-term investments and certain other assets and other liabilities because of their short-term nature.

The Company's financial results contained herein are reported in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.