Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Text Block [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X and, accordingly, do not include all of the information and disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for annual periods. These statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have not been audited by an independent registered public accounting firm in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (U.S.), but in the opinion of management such financial statements include all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for the fair statement of the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations. All material intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and 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. Actual results could differ from those estimates. As additional information becomes available or actual amounts become determinable, the recorded estimates are revised and reflected in operating results.

The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 may not be indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2020. The December 31, 2019 consolidated balance sheet was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP for annual periods.

Investments

Investments

The Company classifies its investments as available-for-sale (“AFS”), held-to-maturity (“HTM”), or trading. AFS investments are reported in the consolidated balance sheets at fair value with non-credit related unrealized gains and losses, net of applicable deferred income taxes, reflected in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (“AOCI”) in shareholders’ equity. The specific identification method is used to determine realized gains and losses on AFS securities. HTM investments, for which the Company has the ability and intent to hold such investments to maturity, are reported in the consolidated balance sheets at amortized cost (net of an allowance for credit losses). Investments carried at fair value consist of equity instruments, and certain investments elected under the fair value option, or classified as trading. Short-term investments held as AFS include all fixed-maturity securities with a remaining maturity of less than one year at the date of purchase, commercial paper and money market securities. Changes in fair value of investments carried at fair value and realized gains and losses from the sale of investment securities are reflected in earnings as part of “Net gains (losses) on financial instruments at fair value and foreign exchange” on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.

Investment income is recorded as earned which includes the current period interest accruals deemed collectible. Accrued interest income is recorded as part of “Other assets” on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. Bond discounts and premiums are amortized using the effective yield method over the remaining term of the securities and reported in “Net investment income” on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. However, premiums on certain callable debt securities are amortized to the earliest call date. For MBS and asset-backed securities (“ABS”), discounts and premiums are amortized using the retrospective or prospective method.

Effective January 1, 2020, accrued interest income on debt securities is not assessed for credit losses as the Company reverses any past due accrued interest income and charges it against net investment income. Interest income is subsequently recognized to the extent cash is received.

Credit Losses on Debt Securities

For AFS debt securities, the Company’s consolidated statements of operations reflect the full impairment (the difference between a security’s amortized cost basis and fair value) if the Company intends to sell or would more likely than not be required to sell before the expected recovery of the amortized cost basis. For AFS debt securities in an unrealized loss position and HTM debt securities that the Company has the intent and ability to hold, the securities are evaluated on a quarterly basis to determine if a credit loss exists. The Company considers a credit loss exists when the Company does not expect to recover the entire amortized cost basis of the debt security. The Company measures the allowance for credit loss on a security-by-security basis as the difference between the recorded investment and the present value of the cash flows expected to be collected, discounted at the instrument’s effective interest rate. In the event of a credit loss, only the amount of impairment associated with the credit loss is recognized in income and reflected in earnings as part of “Other net realized gains (losses)” on the Company’s statements of operations.

Effective January 1, 2020, the Company no longer records impairment for credit losses as adjustments to the amortized cost of the debt securities, but rather records an allowance for credit loss. For AFS debt securities, adjustments to the amortized cost basis are recorded if there is an intent to sell before recovery from impairment. For debt securities with an allowance for credit loss, changes in credit losses including accretion of the allowance for credit losses are recognized through other net realized gains (losses) as discussed above.

Financial Guarantee Insurance Premiums

Financial Guarantee Insurance Premiums

The Company has disclosed its financial guarantee insurance premiums in “Note 2: Significant Accounting Policies” and “Note: 5 Insurance Premiums” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. Below is an update on the Company’s premium receivables accounting policy.

Credit Losses on Premium Receivables

The Company evaluates the collectability of outstanding premium receivables on a quarterly basis and measures any allowance for credit losses as the difference between the receivable amounts compared to the projected net present value of premiums expected to be collected, discounted at the effective interest rate which is the risk-free rate for the insurance contracts. The estimation of the allowance for credit losses involves substantial judgment, requires forecasting cash flows, and incorporates any historical experience of uncollectible balances, future performance of the transaction’s underlying assets, certain macro-economic factors and each transaction’s liability structure, including the seniority of premium payments to the Company.