Statutory Balances And Accounting Practices (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Statutory Balances And Accounting Practices [Abstract]

Schedule Of Statutory Net Income And Capital And Surplus

	Year Ended December 31,
	2011		2010			2009
	(Amounts in thousands)
Statutory net income(1)	$	223,447	$	142,981		$	186,995
Statutory capital and surplus(2)		1,497,609		1,322,270	(2)		1,517,864

(1) Statutory net income excludes changes in the fair value of the investment portfolio as a result of the application of fair value option.

(2) The decrease in statutory capital and surplus in 2010 was primarily due to a $270 million extraordinary intercompany dividend declared by MCC in the fourth quarter of 2010. The dividend was paid to Mercury General in 2011.