Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Notes to Financial Statements
Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]	1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Basis of Presentation and Management Representation The consolidated financial statements include accounts, after elimination of intercompany accounts and transactions, of Conifer Holdings, Inc. (the “Company” or “Conifer”), its wholly owned subsidiaries Conifer Insurance Company, White Pine Insurance Company, Red Cedar Insurance Company , American Colonial Insurance Company , American Colonial Insurance Services and Sycamore Insurance Agency, Inc. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) and are unaudited. The Company has applied the applicable rules and regulations of the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regarding interim financial reporting and therefore the consolidated financial statements do not include all of the information and notes required by U.S. GAAP for annual financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of items of a normal recurring nature, necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements, have been included. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the year ended December 31, 2015. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes for the year ended December 31, 2014, included in the Company’s final prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with the SEC on August 13, 2015. The consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2014, was derived from the audited financial statements. Business The Company is engaged in the sale of property and casualty insurance products and has organized its principal operations into two types of insurance businesses: commercial lines and personal lines. The Company underwrites a variety of specialty insurance products, including property, general liability, commercial multi-peril, liquor liability, automobile, and homeowners and dwelling policies. The Company markets and sells its insurance products through a network of independent agents, including managing general agents, whereby policies are written in all 50 states in the United States (“U.S.”). The Company’s corporate headquarters are located in Birmingham, Michigan with additional office facilities in Florida, Texas and Pennsylvania. In January 2015, the Company discontinued offering and writing new nonstandard personal automobile policies and stopped writing renewal policies by June, 2015. The Company will continue to service existing policies, pay claims and perform other administrative services until existing policies expire and all claims are paid (a process referred to as “run-off”). The run-off is expected to be substantially complete by the end of 2016. Initial Public Offering In August 2015, the Company completed its initial public offering (“IPO”) whereby it issued and sold 3,300,000 shares of common stock, which included 100,000 shares issued and sold to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, at a public offering price of $10.50 per share. Refer to Note 9 ~ Shareholders’ Equity for further details. Stock Split On July 22, 2015, the board of directors approved a stock split in the form of a stock dividend of 10.2 shares for each share of common stock which was effectuated immediately prior to the effectiveness of the IPO. Accordingly, all common share and per share amounts for all periods presented in these unaudited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, were adjusted retroactively to reflect the stock split. Principles of Consolidation Prior to September 30, 2015, the consolidated financial statements included the accounts of Conifer Holdings, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, and a 50%-owned affiliate (“Affiliate”) which the Company controlled due to its majority representation on the entity’s board of directors. Noncontrolling interest in a consolidated subsidiary in the consolidated balance sheets represents the noncontrolling shareholder’s proportionate share of the entity’s equity. Consolidated net income or loss is allocated to the Company and noncontrolling interest in proportion to their percentage ownership interests. As of September 30, 2015, the Company longer controls the Affiliate but retains significant influence. As a result the entity was deconsolidated from the consolidated financial statements and recognized as an investment in an affiliate utilizing the equity method of accounting. All intercompany transactions and accounts were eliminated. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported therein. Due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making estimates, actual results reported in future periods may be based upon amounts that differ from these estimates. Offering Costs Offering costs of $1.5 million were netted against the proceeds received from the offering and were recorded in common stock during the third quarter of 2015. The offering costs consisted of legal, accounting, printing and other incremental expenses, incurred in connection with the Company’s IPO. Income Taxes As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company did not have any unrecognized tax benefits. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company had no accrued interest or penalties related to uncertain tax positions. Recently Issued Accounting Guidance In May 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-09, Disclosures about Short-Duration Contracts (Topic 944) , which improves disclosure requirements for insurance entities with short-duration insurance contracts. The standard does not change the existing recognition and measurement guidance for short-duration insurance contracts. This standard will provide additional disclosures about our liability for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses, increase transparency of significant estimates made in measuring those liabilities, and provide financial statement users with additional information to facilitate analysis of the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows and development of loss reserves. This standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim reporting periods thereafter and must be applied retrospectively by providing comparative disclosures for each period presented, except for those requirements that apply only to the current period. Early adoption is permitted. The enhanced disclosures under the new guidance will be provided by the Company for the year ended December 31, 2016, as required.

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation and Management Representation

The consolidated financial statements include accounts, after elimination of intercompany accounts and transactions, of Conifer Holdings, Inc. (the “Company” or “Conifer”), its wholly owned subsidiaries Conifer Insurance Company, White Pine Insurance Company, Red Cedar Insurance Company , American Colonial Insurance Company , American Colonial Insurance Services and Sycamore Insurance Agency, Inc.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) and are unaudited. The Company has applied the applicable rules and regulations of the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regarding interim financial reporting and therefore the consolidated financial statements do not include all of the information and notes required by U.S. GAAP for annual financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of items of a normal recurring nature, necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements, have been included. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the year ended December 31, 2015.

These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes for the year ended December 31, 2014, included in the Company’s final prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with the SEC on August 13, 2015. The consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2014, was derived from the audited financial statements.

Business

The Company is engaged in the sale of property and casualty insurance products and has organized its principal operations into two types of insurance businesses: commercial lines and personal lines. The Company underwrites a variety of specialty insurance products, including property, general liability, commercial multi-peril, liquor liability, automobile, and homeowners and dwelling policies. The Company markets and sells its insurance products through a network of independent agents, including managing general agents, whereby policies are written in all 50 states in the United States (“U.S.”). The Company’s corporate headquarters are located in Birmingham, Michigan with additional office facilities in Florida, Texas and Pennsylvania.

In January 2015, the Company discontinued offering and writing new nonstandard personal automobile policies and stopped writing renewal policies by June, 2015. The Company will continue to service existing policies, pay claims and perform other administrative services until existing policies expire and all claims are paid (a process referred to as “run-off”). The run-off is expected to be substantially complete by the end of 2016.

Initial Public Offering

In August 2015, the Company completed its initial public offering (“IPO”) whereby it issued and sold 3,300,000 shares of common stock, which included 100,000 shares issued and sold to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, at a public offering price of $10.50 per share. Refer to Note 9 ~

Shareholders’ Equity

for further details.

Stock Split

On July 22, 2015, the board of directors approved a stock split in the form of a stock dividend of 10.2 shares for each share of common stock which was effectuated immediately prior to the effectiveness of the IPO. Accordingly, all common share and per share amounts for all periods presented in these unaudited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, were adjusted retroactively to reflect the stock split.

Principles of Consolidation

Prior to September 30, 2015, the consolidated financial statements included the accounts of Conifer Holdings, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, and a 50%-owned affiliate (“Affiliate”) which the Company controlled due to its majority representation on the entity’s board of directors. Noncontrolling interest in a consolidated subsidiary in the consolidated balance sheets represents the noncontrolling shareholder’s proportionate share of the entity’s equity. Consolidated net income or loss is allocated to the Company and noncontrolling interest in proportion to their percentage ownership interests.

As of

September 30, 2015, the Company longer controls the Affiliate but retains significant influence. As a result the entity was deconsolidated from the consolidated financial statements and recognized as an investment in an affiliate utilizing the equity method of accounting.

All intercompany transactions and accounts were eliminated.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported therein. Due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making estimates, actual results reported in future periods may be based upon amounts that differ from these estimates.

Offering Costs

Offering costs of $1.5 million were netted against the proceeds received from the offering and were recorded in common stock during the third quarter of 2015. The offering costs consisted of legal, accounting, printing and other incremental expenses, incurred in connection with the Company’s IPO.

Income Taxes

As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company did not have any unrecognized tax benefits. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company had no accrued interest or penalties related to uncertain tax positions.

Recently Issued Accounting Guidance

In May 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-09,

Disclosures about Short-Duration Contracts (Topic 944)

, which improves disclosure requirements for insurance entities with short-duration insurance contracts. The standard does not change the existing recognition and measurement guidance for short-duration insurance contracts. This standard will provide additional disclosures about our liability for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses, increase transparency of significant estimates made in measuring those liabilities, and provide financial statement users with additional information to facilitate analysis of the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows and development of loss reserves. This standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim reporting periods thereafter and must be applied retrospectively by providing comparative disclosures for each period presented, except for those requirements that apply only to the current period. Early adoption is permitted. The enhanced disclosures under the new guidance will be provided by the Company for the year ended December 31, 2016, as required.