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Income Taxes
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
Income Taxes

The effective tax rate was 28.0% and 26.2% for the third quarter of 2012 and 2011, respectively and 25.5% and 30.7% for the nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively.   In periods where our effective tax rate is lower than the statutory tax rate of 35%, the difference is primarily due to tax exempt state and local bonds, and in some years, to gains arising from the change in fair value of outstanding warrants to purchase Class A common stock. The effective tax rate is lower in the current year compared to 2011 primarily because the Company began purchasing tax-exempt state and local bonds in the second half of 2011 and continued to do so in 2012 in the non-insurance companies where the full tax benefit can be realized.