General (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Consolidation and Basis of Presentation

The interim consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Mercury General Corporation and its subsidiaries (referred to herein collectively as the “Company”). For the list of the Company’s subsidiaries, see Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. These interim financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), which differ in some respects from those filed in reports to insurance regulatory authorities. The financial data of the Company included herein are unaudited. In the opinion of management, all material adjustments of a normal recurring nature have been made to present fairly the Company’s financial position at March 31, 2024 and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.

Certain financial information that is normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP, but that is not required for interim reporting purposes, has been omitted from the accompanying interim consolidated financial statements and related notes. Readers are urged to review the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 for more complete descriptions and discussions. Operating results and cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2024 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2024.

Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. These estimates require the Company to apply complex assumptions and judgments, and often the Company must make estimates about the effects of matters that are inherently uncertain and will likely change in subsequent periods. The most significant assumptions in the preparation of these consolidated financial statements relate to reserves for losses and loss adjustment expenses ("LAE"). Actual results could differ from those estimates. See Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023

Earnings per Share

There were no potentially dilutive securities with anti-dilutive effect for the three months ended March 31, 2024. Potentially dilutive securities representing 17,500 shares of common stock were excluded from the computation of diluted loss per share for the three months ended March 31, 2023, because their effect would have been anti-dilutive.

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

Deferred policy acquisition costs consist of commissions paid to outside agents, premium taxes, salaries, and certain other underwriting costs that are incremental or directly related to the successful acquisition of new and renewal insurance contracts and are amortized over the life of the related policy in proportion to premiums earned. Deferred policy acquisition costs are limited to the amount that will remain after deducting from unearned premiums and anticipated investment income, the estimated losses and loss adjustment expenses, and the servicing costs that will be incurred as premiums are earned. The Company’s deferred policy acquisition costs are further limited by excluding those costs not directly related to the successful acquisition of insurance contracts. Deferred policy acquisition cost amortization was $196.0 million and $164.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The Company does not defer advertising expenditures but expenses them as incurred. The Company recorded net advertising expense of approximately $3.3 million and $1.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Fixed Assets

A fixed asset classified as held for sale is measured at the lower of its carrying amount or fair value less cost to sell, and is presented separately from other fixed assets. An office building located in Brea, California was classified as a property held for sale at September 30, 2023, and $10.8 million of the property held for sale, which represented the carrying amount of the property on that date, was included in other assets in the Company's consolidated balance sheets at March 31, 2024. The Company is actively engaged in selling this office building as most of its employees currently work from home and this property is being used on a limited basis.

Reinsurance

Unearned premiums and loss and loss adjustment expense reserves are stated in the accompanying consolidated financial statements before deductions for ceded reinsurance. Unearned premiums and loss and loss adjustment expense reserves that are ceded to reinsurers are carried in other assets and reinsurance recoverables, respectively, in the Company's consolidated balance sheets. Earned premiums and losses and loss adjustment expenses are stated net of deductions for ceded reinsurance.

The Company is the assuming reinsurer under a Catastrophe Participation Reinsurance Contract (the "Contract") effective through December 31, 2025. The Company reimburses up to $30 million in losses for a proportional share of a portfolio of catastrophe losses under the Contract, to the extent the actual loss ratio exceeds the threshold loss ratio of 73.5%. If the actual loss ratio is less than the threshold loss ratio, the Company is eligible to receive a certain portion of the underwriting profit.

The Company is party to a Catastrophe Reinsurance Treaty (the "Treaty") covering a wide range of perils that is effective through June 30, 2024. The Treaty provides $1,111 million of coverage on a per occurrence basis after covered catastrophe losses exceed the $100 million Company retention limit and 95% of such losses between $100 million and $140 million are retained by the Company. The Treaty specifically excludes coverage for any Florida business and for California earthquake losses on fixed property policies, such as homeowners, but does cover losses from fires following an earthquake. The Treaty provides for one full reinstatement of coverage limits with a minor exception at certain upper layers of coverage, and includes some additional minor territorial and coverage restrictions.

The effect of reinsurance on property and casualty premiums written and earned was as follows:

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2024		2023
	(Amounts in thousands)
Premiums Written
Direct	$	1,294,475	$	1,012,238
Ceded	(31,299)		(23,391)
Assumed	15,159		15,031
Net	$	1,278,335	$	1,003,878
Premiums Earned
Direct	$	1,186,585	$	1,016,870
Ceded	(31,079)		(23,198)
Assumed	3,863		3,890
Net	$	1,159,369	$	997,562

The Company recognized ceded premiums earned of approximately $31.1 million and $23.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, which are included in net premiums earned in its consolidated statements of operations. The Company recognized ceded losses and loss adjustment expenses of approximately $(0.8) million and $7.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, which are included in losses and loss adjustment expenses in its consolidated statements of operations. The negative ceded losses and loss adjustment expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2024 were primarily the result of favorable development on prior years' catastrophe losses that had been ceded to the Company's reinsurers.

The Company's insurance subsidiaries, as primary insurers, are required to pay losses to the extent reinsurers are unable to discharge their obligations under the reinsurance agreements.

Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)

The Company's revenue from contracts with customers is commission income earned from third-party insurers by its 100% owned insurance agencies, which amounted to approximately $5.7 million and $4.8 million, with related expenses of $3.2 million and $2.9 million, for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. All of the commission income, net of related expenses, is included in other revenues in the Company's consolidated statements of operations, and in other income of the Property and Casualty business segment in the Company's segment reporting (see Note 13. Segment Information).

As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company had no contract assets and contract liabilities, and no remaining performance obligations associated with unrecognized revenues.

Allowance for Credit Losses

Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326) uses the "expected loss" methodology for recognizing credit losses for financial assets that are not accounted for at fair value through net income. The Company's investment portfolio, excluding accrued investment income, was not affected by Topic 326 as it applies the fair value option to all of its investments. The estimated allowance amounts for credit losses at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 primarily related to premiums receivable.

Premiums Receivable

The majority of the Company's premiums receivable are short-term in nature and are due within a year, consistent with the policy term of its insurance policies sold. Generally, premiums are collected prior to providing risk coverage, minimizing the Company's exposure to credit risk. In estimating an allowance for uncollectible premiums receivable, the Company assesses customer balances and write-offs by state, line of business, and the year the premiums were written. The estimated allowance is based on historical write-off percentages adjusted for the effects of current trends and reasonable and supportable forecasts, as well as expected recoveries of amounts written off.

The following table presents a summary of changes in allowance for credit losses on premiums receivable:

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2024		2023
	(Amounts in thousands)
Beginning balance	$	5,300	$	5,800
Provision during the period for expected credit losses	1,116		1,136
Write-off amounts during the period	(813)		(1,270)
Recoveries during the period of amounts previously written off	197		134
Ending balance	$	5,800	$	5,800

Accrued Interest Receivables

The Company made certain accounting policy elections for its accrued interest receivables allowed under Topic 326: a) an election to present accrued interest receivable balances separately from the associated financial assets on the balance sheet, and b) an election not to measure an allowance for credit losses on accrued interest receivable amounts and instead write off uncollectible accrued interest amounts in a timely manner by reversing interest income. The Company's accrued interest receivable balances are included in accrued investment income receivable in its consolidated balance sheets.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In March 2024, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2024-01, "Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope Application of Profits Interest and Similar Awards." ASU 2024-01 is intended to improve GAAP by adding an illustrative example that includes four fact patterns to demonstrate how an entity should apply the scope guidance in paragraph 718-10-15-3 to determine whether a profits interest award should be accounted for in accordance with Topic 718. The fact patterns in the illustrative example focus on the scope conditions in

paragraph 718-10-15-3. The illustrative example is intended to reduce (1) complexity in determining whether a profits interest award is subject to the guidance in Topic 718 and (2) existing diversity in practice. ASU 2024-01 will be effective for the Company in the annual and interim periods beginning January 1, 2025, though early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this ASU on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, "Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures." ASU 2023-09 is intended to enhance the transparency and decision usefulness of income tax disclosures. The amendments in ASU 2023-09 address investor requests for enhanced income tax information primarily through changes to the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid information. ASU 2023-09 will be effective for the Company in the annual period beginning January 1, 2025, though early adoption is permitted. The Company is evaluating the presentational effect that ASU 2023-09 will have on its consolidated financial statements and expects presentation changes to its note on income taxes.

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, "Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures." The amendments in ASU 2023-07 improve financial reporting by requiring disclosure of incremental segment information, including significant segment expenses, on an annual and interim basis for all public entities to enable investors to develop more useful financial analyses. Currently, Topic 280 requires that a public entity disclose certain information about its reportable segments. For example, a public entity is required to report a measure of segment profit or loss that the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) uses to assess segment performance and make decisions about allocating resources. Topic 280 also requires other specified segment information, such as depreciation, amortization and depletion expense amounts, to be disclosed under certain circumstances. The amendments in ASU 2023-07 do not change or remove those disclosure requirements. The amendments in ASU 2023-07 also do not change how a public entity identifies its operating segments, aggregates those operating segments, or applies the quantitative thresholds to determine its reportable segments. The amendments in ASU 2023-07 are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this ASU on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, "Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting." ASU 2020-04 provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying GAAP to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions affected by reference rate reform if certain criteria are met. The amendments in this ASU apply only to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference LIBOR or other interbank offered rates expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform. ASU 2020-04 was effective for all entities as of March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. In December 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-06, "Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848), Deferral of the Sunset Date of Topic 848," which defers the sunset date of Topic 848 from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2024. The Company does not expect any material impact on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures resulting from applying these ASUs.