Stockholders' Equity

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]

Stockholders' Equity

STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

NWLIC is restricted by state insurance laws as to dividend amounts which may be paid to stockholders without prior approval from the Colorado Division of Insurance.  The restrictions are based on the lesser of statutory earnings from operations, excluding capital gains, from the prior calendar year or 10% of statutory surplus of the company as of previous calendar year-end.  The maximum dividend payment which may be made without prior approval in 2017 is $86.0 million. As the sole owner of NWLIC, all dividends declared by National Western are payable entirely to NWLGI and are eliminated in consolidation.

In the second quarter of 2017 National Western declared and paid a $4.0 million dividend to NWLGI. During the third quarter of 2017 National Western declared a $3.0 million dividend payable to NWLGI which was subsequently paid on October 16, 2017. In the nine months ended September 30, 2016, National Western declared a cash dividend of $3.0 million payable to NWLGI which was subsequently paid on October 3, 2016.

NWLGI did not declare or pay cash dividends on its common shares during the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016.