Insurance Regulations and Dividends

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Insurance Regulations And Dividends [Abstract]

Insurance Regulations And Dividends

Note 14: Insurance Regulations and Dividends

National and MBIA Insurance Corporation are subject to insurance regulations and supervision of the State of New York (their state of domicile) and all U.S. and non-U.S. jurisdictions in which they are licensed to conduct insurance business. In order to maintain their New York State financial guarantee insurance license, National and MBIA Insurance Corporation are required to maintain a minimum of $65 million of policyholders’ surplus. MBIA 

Mexico is regulated by the Comisión Nacional de Seguros y Fianzas in Mexico. MBIA Corp.’s Spanish Branch is subject to local regulation in Spain. The extent of insurance regulation and supervision varies by jurisdiction, but New York and most other jurisdictions have laws and regulations prescribing minimum standards of solvency and business conduct, which must be maintained by insurance companies. Among other things, these laws prescribe permitted classes and concentrations of investments and limit both the aggregate and individual securities risks that National and MBIA Insurance Corporation may insure on a net basis based on the type of obligations insured. In addition, some insurance laws and regulations require the approval or filing of policy forms and rates. National and MBIA Insurance Corporation are required to file detailed annual financial statements with the NYSDFS. The operations and accounts of National and MBIA Insurance Corporation are subject to examination by regulatory agencies at regular intervals.

Statutory Capital and Regulations

National

For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, National had a statutory net loss of $82 million and statutory net income of $39 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2020, National’s statutory capital was $2.0 billion, consisting of policyholders’ surplus of $1.5 billion and contingency reserves of $445 million. As of December 31, 2019, National had statutory capital of $2.4 billion.

As of December 31, 2020, National was in compliance with its aggregate risk limits under NYIL, but was not in compliance with certain of its single risk limits.

MBIA Insurance Corporation

For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, MBIA Insurance Corporation had statutory net losses of $202 million and $141 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2020, MBIA Insurance Corporation’s statutory capital was $273 million, consisting of policyholders’ surplus of $106 million and contingency reserves of $167 million. As of December 31, 2019, MBIA Insurance Corporation had statutory capital of $476 million. MBIA Insurance Corporation’s policyholders’ surplus as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 included negative unassigned surplus of $1.9 billion. MBIA Insurance Corporation’s policyholders’ surplus may be further negatively impacted if future additional insured losses are incurred.

As of December 31, 2020, MBIA Insurance Corporation was in compliance with its aggregate risk limits under the NYIL, but was not in compliance with certain of its single risk limits. If new overages occur with respect to its single risk limits, MBIA Insurance Corporation will report them to the NYSDFS. 

Under NYIL, MBIA Insurance Corporation is required to establish a contingency reserve to provide protection to policyholders in the event of extreme losses in adverse economic events. The amount of the reserve is based on the percentage of principal insured or premiums earned, depending on the type of obligation (net of collateral, reinsurance, refunding, refinancings and certain insured securities). Under NYIL, MBIA Insurance Corporation is required to invest its minimum surplus and contingency reserves, and 50% of its loss reserves and unearned premium reserves, in certain qualifying assets. As of December 31, 2020, MBIA Insurance Corporation maintained its minimum requirement of policyholders’ surplus but did not have enough qualifying assets to support its contingency reserves and 50% of its loss reserves and unearned premium reserves. Not having enough qualifying assets to support its contingency reserves limits the amount of earned surplus that might otherwise be available for the payment of dividends. Reductions in the contingency reserve may be recognized based on excess reserves and under certain stipulated conditions, subject to the approval of the Superintendent of the NYSDFS. If MBIA Insurance Corporation does not comply with the above mentioned requirements, the NYSDFS may prevent MBIA Insurance Corporation from transacting any new financial guarantee insurance business until it no longer exceeds the limitations.

Dividends

NYIL regulates the payment of dividends by financial guarantee insurance companies and provides that such companies may not declare or distribute dividends except out of statutory earned surplus. Under NYIL, the sum of (i) the amount of dividends declared or distributed during the preceding 12-month period and (ii) the dividend to be declared may not exceed the lesser of (a) 10% of policyholders’ surplus, as reported in the latest statutory financial statements or (b) 100% of adjusted net investment income for such 12-month period (the net investment income for such 12-month period plus the excess, if any, of net investment income over dividends declared or distributed during the two-year period preceding such 12-month period), unless the Superintendent of the NYSDFS approves a greater dividend distribution based upon a finding that the insurer will retain sufficient surplus to support its obligations.

During 2020 and 2019, National declared and paid dividends of $81 million and $134 million, respectively, to its ultimate parent, MBIA Inc.

In 2020, MBIA Insurance Corporation did not declare or pay any dividends to MBIA Inc. or the holders of its preferred stock. MBIA Insurance Corporation is currently unable to pay dividends, including those related to its preferred stock, as a result of its earned surplus deficit as of December 31, 2020 and is not expected to have any statutory capacity to pay dividends in the near term. In connection with MBIA Insurance Corporation obtaining approval from the NYSDFS to release excess contingency reserves in previous periods, MBIA Insurance Corporation agreed that it would not pay any dividends without prior approval from the NYSDFS.