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Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Reserves
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Text Block [Abstract]  
Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Reserves
Note 6: Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Reserves
The Company’s insured portfolio management groups within its U.S. public finance insurance and international and structured finance insurance businesses (collectively, “IPM”) monitor the Company’s outstanding insured
obligations with the objective of minimizing losses. IPM meets this objective by identifying issuers that, because of deterioration in credit quality or changes in the economic, regulatory or political environment, are at a heightened risk of defaulting on debt service of obligations insured by the Company. In such cases, IPM works with the issuer, trustee, bond counsel, servicer, underwriter and other interested parties in an attempt to alleviate or remedy the problem and avoid defaults on debt service payments. The Company typically requires the issuer, servicer (if applicable) and the trustee of insured obligations to furnish periodic financial and asset-related information, including audited financial statements, to IPM for review. IPM also monitors publicly available information related to insured obligations. Potential problems uncovered through this review, such as poor financial results, low fund balances, covenant or trigger violations and trustee or servicer problems, or other events that could have an adverse impact on the insured obligation, could result in an immediate surveillance review and an evaluation of possible remedial actions. IPM also monitors and evaluates the impact on issuers of general economic conditions, current and proposed legislation and regulations, political developments, as well as sovereign, state and municipal finances and budget developments.
The frequency and extent of IPM’s monitoring is based on the criteria and categories described below. Insured obligations that are judged to merit more frequent and extensive monitoring or remediation activities due to a deterioration in the underlying credit quality of the insured obligation or the occurrence of adverse events related to the underlying credit of the issuer are assigned to a surveillance category (“Caution List—Low,” “Caution List—Medium,” “Caution List—High” or “Classified List”) depending on the extent of credit deterioration or the nature of the adverse events. IPM monitors insured obligations assigned to a surveillance category more frequently and, if needed, develops a remediation plan to address any credit deterioration.
Remediation actions may involve, among other things, waivers or renegotiations of financial covenants or triggers, waivers of contractual provisions, the granting of consents, transfer of servicing, consideration of restructuring plans, acceleration, security or collateral enforcement, actions in bankruptcy or receivership, litigation and similar actions. The types of remedial actions pursued are based on the insured obligation’s risk type and the nature and scope of the event giving rise to the remediation. As part of any such remedial actions, the Company seeks to improve its security position and to obtain concessions from the issuer of the insured obligation. From time to time, the issuer of an insured obligation by the Company may, with the consent of the Company, restructure the insured obligation by extending the term, increasing or decreasing the par amount or decreasing the related interest rate, with the Company insuring the restructured obligation.
The Company does not establish any case basis reserves for insured obligations that are assigned to “Caution List—Low,” “Caution List—Medium” or “Caution List—High.” In the event MBIA expects to pay a claim with respect to an insured transaction, it places the insured transaction on its “Classified List” and establishes a case basis reserve. The following provides a description of each surveillance category:
“Caution List—Low”
—Includes issuers where debt service protection is adequate under current and anticipated circumstances. However, debt service protection and other measures of credit support and stability may have declined since the transaction was underwritten and the issuer is less able to withstand further adverse events. Transactions in this category generally require more frequent monitoring than transactions that do not appear within a surveillance category. IPM subjects issuers in this category to heightened scrutiny.
“Caution List—Medium”
—Includes issuers where debt service protection is adequate under current and anticipated circumstances, although adverse trends have developed and are more pronounced than for “Caution List – Low.” Issuers in this category may have breached one or more covenants or triggers. These issuers are more closely monitored by IPM but generally take remedial action on their own.
“Caution List—High”
—Includes issuers where more proactive remedial action is needed but where no defaults on debt service payments are expected. Issuers in this category exhibit more significant weaknesses, such as low debt service coverage, reduced or insufficient collateral protection or inadequate liquidity, which could lead to debt service defaults in the future. Issuers in this category may have breached one or more covenants or triggers and have not taken conclusive remedial action. Therefore, IPM adopts a remediation plan and takes more proactive remedial actions.
 
“Classified List”
—Includes all insured obligations where the Company has paid a claim or where a claim payment is expected. It also includes insured obligations where a significant LAE payment has been made, or is expected to be made, to mitigate a claim payment. This may include property improvements, bond purchases and commutation payments. Generally, IPM is actively remediating these credits where possible, including restructurings through legal proceedings, usually with the assistance of specialist counsel and advisors.
The establishment of the appropriate level of loss reserves is an inherently uncertain process involving numerous assumptions, estimates and subjective judgments by management that depend primarily on the nature of the underlying insured obligation. These variables include the nature and creditworthiness of the issuers of the insured obligations, expected recovery rates on unsecured obligations, the projected cash flow or market value of any assets pledged as collateral on secured obligations, and the expected rates of recovery, cash flow or market values on such obligations or assets. Factors that may affect the actual ultimate realized losses for any policy include economic conditions and trends, political developments, levels of interest rates, borrower behavior, the default rate and salvage values of specific collateral, and the Company’s ability to enforce contractual rights through litigation and otherwise, including the collection of contractual interest on claim payments. The Company’s remediation strategy for an insured obligation that has defaulted or is expected to default may also have an impact on the Company’s loss reserves.

In establishing case basis loss reserves, the Company calculates the present value of probability-weighted estimated loss payments, net of estimated recoveries, using a discount rate equal to the risk-free rate applicable to the currency and the weighted average remaining life of the insurance contract as required by accounting principles for financial guarantee contracts. Yields on U.S. Treasury offerings are used to discount loss reserves denominated in U.S. dollars, which represent the majority of the loss reserves. Similarly, yields on foreign government offerings are used to discount loss reserves denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Significant changes in discount rates from period to period may have a material impact on the present value of the Company’s loss reserves and expected recoveries. In addition, if the Company were to apply different discount rates, its case basis reserves may have been higher or lower than those established as of December 31, 2021. For example, a higher discount rate applied to expected future payments would have decreased the amount of a case basis reserve established by the Company and a lower rate would have increased the amount of a reserve established by the Company. Similarly, a higher discount rate applied to the potential future recoveries would have decreased the amount of a loss recoverable established by the Company and a lower rate would have increased the amount of a loss recoverable established by the Company.
U.S. Public Finance Insurance
U.S. public finance insured transactions consist of municipal bonds, including
tax-exempt
and taxable indebtedness of U.S. political subdivisions, as well as utilities, airports, health care institutions, higher educational facilities, housing authorities and other similar agencies and obligations issued by private entities that finance projects that serve a substantial public purpose. The Company estimates future losses by using probability-weighted cash flow scenarios that are customized to each insured transaction. Future loss estimates consider debt service due for each insured transaction, which includes par outstanding and interest due, as well as recoveries for such payments, if any. Gross par outstanding for capital appreciation bonds represents the par amount at the time of issuance of the insurance policy.
Certain state and local governments and territory obligors that National insures are under financial and budgetary stress. In addition, the
COVID-19
pandemic may present additional but unknown credit risks to National’s insured portfolio. Puerto Rico had been experiencing significant fiscal stress and constrained liquidity, and in response, the U.S. Congress passed PROMESA. In formulating loss reserves, the Company considers the following: environmental and political impacts; litigation; ongoing discussions with creditors; timing and amount of debt service payments and future recoveries; existing proposed restructuring plans or agreements; and deviations from these proposals in its probability-weighted scenarios. On April 12, 2021, National, other monoline insurers and the Oversight Board reached an agreement in principle settling certain HTA clawback claims in the Commonwealth
Title III case and providing for a distribution to HTA holders of cash, bonds and a contingent value instrument and on February 22, 2021, National agreed to join the GO PSA. In September of 2019, National agreed to join the RSA with PREPA, other monoline insurers, a group of uninsured PREPA bondholders, Puerto Rico, and the Oversight Board. Refer to “Note 1: Business Developments and Risks and Uncertainties” for further information on
COVID-19
and the Company’s Puerto Rico exposures.
Recoveries on Puerto Rico Losses
For recoveries on paid Puerto Rico losses, the estimates include assumptions related to the following: economic conditions and trends; political developments; the Company’s ability to enforce contractual rights through litigation and otherwise; discussions with other creditors and the obligors, any existing proposals; and the remediation strategy for an insured obligation that has defaulted or is expected to default.
As part of the GO and HTA PSAs, National will receive certain consideration to include cash, bonds and the CVI. The ultimate recovery value to National will depend on the value of these assets once issued and over time. During 2021, National updated its loss reserve scenarios on the GO and HTA, which include a probability weighting of potential outcomes, to include certain assumptions about recovery valuation on the date it expects to receive the cash, bonds and the CVI. Previously, National’s estimate of GO and HTA recoveries was based on expected long-term cash flows and sale prices at future dates of the consideration it expects to receive from the GO and HTA PSAs, respectively, discounted at risk free rates used for GAAP loss reserving. Also during 2021, National modified its PREPA scenario assumptions to reflect assumptions about actual and anticipated sales of the recoverables on PREPA bankruptcy claims that had been fully satisfied by National’s insurance claim payments. Refer to the section entitled
Loss and LAE Activity
below for further information.
International and Structured Finance Insurance
The international and structured finance insurance segment’s case basis reserves and insurance loss recoveries recorded in accordance with GAAP do not include reserves and recoveries on consolidated VIEs, since they are eliminated in consolidation. In addition,
COVID-19
may present additional but unknown credit risks to MBIA Corp.’s insured portfolio. Refer to “Note 1: Business Developments and Risks and Uncertainties” for further information on
COVID-19.
RMBS Case Basis Reserves (Financial Guarantees)
The Company’s first-lien RMBS case basis reserves primarily relate to RMBS backed by alternative
A-paper
and subprime mortgage loans. The Company’s second-lien RMBS case basis reserves relate to RMBS backed by home equity lines of credit and
closed-end
second mortgages. The Company calculated RMBS case basis reserves as of December 31, 2021 for both first and second-lien RMBS transactions using a process called the Roll Rate Methodology (“Roll Rate Methodology”). The Roll Rate Methodology is a multi-step process using databases of loan level information, proprietary internal cash flow models, and commercially available models to estimate potential losses and recoveries on insured bonds. Roll Rate is defined as the probability that current loans become delinquent and subsequently default and loans in the delinquent pipeline are
charged-off
or liquidated. The loss reserve estimates are based on a probability-weighted average of potential scenarios of loan losses. Additional data used for both first and second-lien loans include historic averages of deal specific voluntary prepayment rates, forward projections of the LIBOR interest rates, and historic averages of deal-specific loss severities. Where applicable, the Company factors in termination scenarios when clean up calls are imminent.
In calculating ultimate cumulative losses for RMBS, the Company estimates the amount of first-lien loans that are expected to be liquidated in the future through foreclosure or short sale, and estimates, the amount of second-lien loans that are expected to be
charged-off
(deemed uncollectible by servicers of the transactions). The time to liquidation for a defaulted loan is specific to the loan’s delinquency bucket.
For all RMBS transactions, cash flow models consider allocations and other structural aspects and claims against MBIA Corp.’s insurance policy consistent with such policy’s terms and conditions. The estimated net claims from the procedure above are then discounted using a risk-free rate to a net present value reflecting MBIA’s general obligation to pay claims over time and not on an accelerated basis.
The Company monitors RMBS portfolio performance on a monthly basis against projected performance, reviewing delinquencies, roll rates, and prepayment rates (including voluntary and involuntary). However, loan performance remains difficult to predict and losses may exceed expectations. In the event of a material deviation in actual performance from projected performance, the Company would increase or decrease the case basis reserves accordingly and
re-evaluate
its assumptions.
RMBS Recoveries
The Company’s RMBS recoveries relate to structural features within the trust structures that allow for the Company to be reimbursed for prior claims paid. These reimbursements for specific trusts include recoveries that are generated from the excess spread of the transactions. Excess spread within insured RMBS securitizations is the difference between interest inflows on mortgage loan collateral and interest outflows on the insured RMBS notes. Previously, recoveries also included second-lien
“put-back”
claims related to those mortgage loans whose inclusion in an insured securitization failed to comply with representations and warranties (“ineligible loans”); however the Company has settled all of its
put-back
claims relating to the inclusion of ineligible loans in securitizations it insured. See “Second-lien
Put-Back
Claims Related to Ineligible Loans” below.
Second-lien
Put-Back
Claims Related to Ineligible Loans
During the first quarter of 2021, the Company entered into a settlement agreement with Credit Suisse related to its
put-back
claims. In the litigation brought to pursue these claims, Credit Suisse had challenged the Company’s assessment of the ineligibility of individual mortgage loans. In November of 2020, following a trial and post-trial briefing, the Court overseeing the litigation issued a decision declaring that MBIA Corp. had succeeded in establishing that a majority of the loans in the transaction were ineligible. In January of 2021, the Court issued an order declaring that Credit Suisse was liable to MBIA for approximately
$604 million in damages. In February of 2021, the parties to the litigation entered into a settlement agreement pursuant to which Credit Suisse paid MBIA Corp. $600 million, and the Court entered an order dismissing the case. As of December 31, 2020, the Company consolidated the RMBS securitization originated by Credit Suisse as a VIE and, therefore,
eliminated
its estimate of recoveries from its insurance accounting and
reflected
such recoveries in its accounting for the loan repurchase commitments asset of the VIE using a fair value measurement.
CDO Reserves and Recoveries
The Company also has loss and LAE reserves on certain transactions within its CDO portfolio, primarily its multi-sector CDO asset class that was insured in the form of financial guarantee policies. MBIA’s insured multi-sector CDOs are transactions that include a variety of collateral ranging from corporate bonds to structured finance assets (which includes, but are not limited to, RMBS, commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”), ABS and CDO collateral). The Company’s process for estimating reserves and credit impairments on these policies is determined as the present value of the probability-weighted potential future losses, net of estimated recoveries, across multiple scenarios. The Company considers several factors when developing the range of potential outcomes and their impact on MBIA. A range of loss scenarios is considered under different default and severity rates for each transaction’s collateral. Additionally, each transaction is evaluated for its commutation potential.

Zohar Recoveries
MBIA Corp. is seeking to recover the payments it made (plus interest and expenses) with respect to Zohar I and Zohar II. Salvage and subrogation recoveries related to Zohar I and Zohar II are reported within “Insurance loss recoverable” on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. The Company’s estimate of the insurance loss recoverable for Zohar I and Zohar II includes probability-weighted scenarios of the ultimate monetized recovery from the Zohar Collateral.
MBIA Corp. anticipates that it will receive substantial recoveries on the Zohar Collateral. There still remains significant uncertainty with respect to the realizable value of the remaining Zohar Collateral. Further, as the monetization process at the remaining portfolio companies continues to unfold in coordination with the new directors and managers in place, and new information concerning the financial condition of the portfolio companies is disclosed, the Company will continue to revise its expectations for recoveries.
Summary of Loss and LAE Reserves and Recoveries
The Company’s loss and LAE reserves and recoveries before consolidated VIE eliminations, along with amounts that were eliminated as a result of consolidating VIEs for the international and structured finance insurance segment, which are included in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 are presented in the following table:
 
 
  
As of December 31, 2021
 
  
As of December 31, 2020
 
In millions
  
Balance Sheet Line Item
 
  
Balance Sheet Line Item
 
 
  
Insurance
loss
recoverable
 
  
Loss and
LAE
reserves
(2)
 
  
Insurance
loss
recoverable
 
  
Loss and
LAE
reserves
(2)
 
U.S. Public Finance Insurance
   $ 1,054      $ 425      $ 1,220      $ 469  
International and Structured Finance Insurance:

                          
Before VIE eliminations
(1)
     244        687        1,082        780  
VIE eliminations
(1)
     (2)        (218)        (625)        (259)  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total international and structured finance insurance
     242        469        457        521  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total
   $ 1,296      $ 894      $ 1,677      $ 990  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
(1)—Includes loan repurchase commitments of $604 million as of December 31, 2020.
(2)—Amounts are net of estimated recoveries of expected future claims.
Changes in Loss and LAE Reserves
Loss and LAE reserves represent the Company’s estimate of future claims and LAE payments, net of any future recoveries of such payments. 
The following table presents changes in the Company’s loss and LAE reserves for the years ended December 31, 2021. Changes in loss and LAE reserves, with the exception of loss and LAE payments and the impact of the revaluation of loss reserves denominated in amounts other than U.S. dollars, are recorded in “Losses and loss adjustment” expenses in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2021, the weighted average risk-free rate used to discount the Company’s loss reserves (claim liability) was 1.53%. LAE reserves are generally expected to be settled within a
one-year
period and are not discounted. As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company’s gross loss and LAE reserves included $38 million and $30 million, respectively, related to LAE.
 
In millions
  
Changes in Loss and LAE Reserves for the Year Ended December 31, 2021
 
  
 
 
Gross Loss
and LAE
Reserves as of
December 31,
2020
(1)
  
Loss
Payments
 
  
Accretion
of Claim
Liability
Discount
 
  
Changes in
Discount
Rates
 
  
Changes in
Assumptions
 
  
Changes in
Unearned
Premium
Revenue
 
  
Gross Loss
and LAE
Reserves as of
December 31,
2021
(1)
 
$
         990
  
$
(302)
 
  
$
15
 
  
$
(40)
 
  
$
226
 
  
$
5
 
  
$
894
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
(1)—Includes changes in amount and timing of estimated payments and recoveries.
 
 
 
In millions
  
Changes in Loss and LAE Reserves for the Year Ended December 31, 2020
 
  
 
 
Gross Loss
and LAE
Reserves as of
December 31,
2019
(1)
  
Loss
Payments
 
  
Accretion
of Claim
Liability
Discount
 
  
Changes in
Discount
Rates
 
  
Changes in
Assumptions
 
  
Changes in
Unearned
Premium
Revenue
 
  
Other
 
  
Gross Loss
and LAE
Reserves as of
December 31,
2020
(1)
 
$
        
901
  
$
(441)
 
  
$
11
 
  
$
(86)
 
  
$
606
 
  
$
8
 
  
$
(9)
 
  
$
990
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
(1)—Includes changes in amount and timing of estimated payments and recoveries.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, loss and LAE reserves declined compared to December 31, 2020, primarily related to claim payments made on Puerto Rico exposures and a decrease in expected payments related to certain insured first-lien RMBS transactions as a result of an increase in risk-free rates used to present value loss reserves during 2021. This decline was partially offset by an increase in losses on certain Puerto Rico exposures as a result of a change in scenario assumptions as discussed above, and an increase in risk-free rates in 2021, which caused future recoveries of unpaid losses to decline.
The increase in the Company’s loss reserves for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily related to an increase in expected payments on certain Puerto Rico exposures and an increase in losses on insured first-lien RMBS due to the decline in risk-free rates during 2020 used to present value loss reserves. This increase was partially offset by actual payments made and favorable changes in future recoveries on unpaid losses due to the decline in risk-free rates on certain Puerto Rico exposures.
Changes in Insurance Loss Recoverable
Insurance loss recoverable represents the Company’s estimate of recoveries on paid claims and LAE. The Company recognizes potential recoveries on paid claims based on the probability-weighted net cash inflows present valued at applicable risk-free rates as of the measurement date. The following table presents changes in the Company’s insurance loss recoverable for the years ended December 31, 2021. Changes in insurance loss recoverable with the exception of collections, are recorded in “Losses and loss adjustment” expenses in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Changes in Insurance Loss Recoverable
for the Year Ended December 31, 2021
 
In millions
 
Gross
Reserve as of
December 31,
2020
 
 
Collections
for Cases
 
 
Accretion of
Recoveries
 
 
Changes in
Discount
Rates
 
 
Changes in
Assumptions
 
 
Gross
Reserve as of
December 31,
2021
 
Insurance loss recoverable
  $ 1,677     $ (266)     $ 15     $ 25     $ (155)     $ 1,296  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
 
 
 
 
 
Changes in Insurance Loss Recoverable
for the Year Ended December 31, 2020
 
In millions
 
Gross
Reserve as of
December 31,
2019
 
 
Collections
for Cases
 
 
Accretion of
Recoveries
 
 
Changes in
Discount
Rates
 
 
Changes in
Assumptions
 
 
Gross
Reserve as of
December 31,
2020
 
Insurance loss recoverable
  $ 1,694     $ (49)     $ 14     $ 115     $ (97)     $ 1,677  
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
The decrease in the Company’s insurance loss recoverable during 2021 was the result of the sale of a portion of PREPA bankruptcy claims that have been fully satisfied by National’s insurance claim payments, a decline in expected recoveries on CDOs, the collection of salvage related to certain CDO transactions, and the collection of excess spread related to the sale of loans within and termination of certain second-lien RMBS transactions. This was partially offset by an increase in estimated recoveries for claims paid on certain Puerto Rico credits during 2021 for which the Company expects recoveries.
The decrease in the Company’s insurance loss recoverable during 2020 was primarily due to a decline in expected recoveries on CDOs. This was partially offset by certain Puerto Rico claim payments that are expected to be recovered in the future, as well as the impact of a decline in risk-free rates on certain Puerto Rico exposures.
Loss and LAE Activity
For the year ended December 31, 2021, loss and LAE incurred primarily related to changes in loss and recovery scenario assumptions on HTA, PREPA, GO, CDO and RMBS credits, and changes in risk-free rates. National modified its HTA scenarios to reflect the most recent Plan of Adjustment including certain assumptions about recovery valuation on the date it expects to receive cash, bonds, and a CVI, which resulted in a decreased recovery value. National modified its PREPA scenarios to reflect assumptions about actual and anticipated sales of the recoverables on PREPA bankruptcy claims that have been fully satisfied by National’s insurance claim payments, which decreased its expected PREPA recoveries, partially offset by additional expected recoveries under the PREPA RSA. With regard to GO, National recorded a benefit as a result of modifying its scenario assumptions to incorporate the final terms of the Plan of Adjustment. This includes a commutation of
 27% of National’s outstanding insured bonds and an acceleration of National’s remaining insured bonds. In addition, National updated its GO loss reserve scenarios to include certain assumptions about recovery valuation on the date it expects to receive cash, bonds and a CVI. For CDOs, the Company incurred losses related to a decline in estimated recoveries of paid claims. The increase in risk free rates during 2021 resulted in unfavorable changes in future recoveries on unpaid losses on certain Puerto Rico exposure and favorable changes in unpaid losses on the Company’s insured first-lien RMBS exposure.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, loss and LAE incurred primarily related to a decrease in expected salvage collections related to CDOs, an increase in actual and expected payments on certain Puerto Rico credits and an increase in losses on first-lien RMBS due to the decline in risk-free rates used to present value loss reserves. During 2020, overall risk-free rates used to discount loss reserve and recovery cash flows declined. The decline in risk-free rates had the impact of increasing the present value of recoveries, primarily on certain Puerto Rico credits, which was partially offset by the impact of increasing the present value of future claim payments across the Company’s insured portfolio.
For the year ended December 31, 2019, loss and LAE incurred primarily related to a decrease in expected salvage collections related to CDOs, an increase in expected payments on insured first-lien RMBS transactions and certain Puerto Rico exposures.
Costs associated with remediating insured obligations assigned to the Company’s surveillance categories are recorded as LAE and are included in “Losses and loss adjustment” expenses on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, gross LAE related to remediating insured obligations were $47 million, $51 million and $29
 
million, respectively.
Surveillance Categories
The following table provides information about the financial guarantees and related claim liability included in each of MBIA’s surveillance categories as of December 31, 2021:
 
 
  
Surveillance Categories
 
 
  
Caution
 
  
Caution
 
  
Caution
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
List
 
  
List
 
  
List
 
  
Classified
 
  
 
 
$ in millions
  
Low
 
  
Medium
 
  
High
 
  
List
 
  
Total
 
Number of policies
     55        3               202        260  
Number of issues
(1)
     16        2               88        106  
Remaining weighted average contract period (in years)
     6.1        2.6               8.1        7.4  
Gross insured contractual payments outstanding:
(2)
                                            
Principal
   $ 1,366      $ 6      $      $ 2,719      $ 4,091  
Interest
     1,867        1               1,214        3,082  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total
   $ 3,233      $ 7      $      $ 3,933      $ 7,173  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Gross Claim Liability
(3)
   $
 
  
$
 
  
$
 
  
$ 1,051
 
  
$ 1,051  
Less:
                                            
Gross Potential Recoveries
(4)
                          1,498        1,498  
Discount, net
(5)
                          (32)        (32)  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Net claim liability (recoverable)
   $      $      $      $ (415)
 
   $ (415)
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Unearned premium revenue
   $ 8      $      $      $ 29      $ 37  
Reinsurance recoverable on paid and unpaid losses
(6)
                                       $ 7  
 
(1)—An “issue” represents the aggregate of financial guarantee policies that share the same revenue source for purposes of making debt service payments on the insured debt.
(2)—Represents contractual principal and interest payments due by the issuer of the obligations insured by MBIA.
(3)—The gross claim liability with respect to Puerto Rico exposures are net of expected recoveries for policies in a net payable position.
(4)—Gross potential recoveries with respect to certain Puerto Rico exposures are net of the claim liability for policies in a net recoverable position.
(5)—Represents discount related to Gross Claim Liability and Gross Potential Recoveries.
(6)—Included in “Other assets” on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

The following table provides information about the financial guarantees and related claim liability included in each of MBIA’s surveillance categories as of December 31, 2020:
 
 
  
Surveillance Categories
 
 
  
Caution
 
  
Caution
 
  
Caution
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
List
 
  
List
 
  
List
 
  
Classified
 
  
 
 
$ in millions
  
Low
 
  
Medium
 
  
High
 
  
List
 
  
Total
 
Number of policies
     46        16               219        281  
Number of issues
(1)
     16        3               100        119  
Remaining weighted average contract period (in years)
     6.4        6.4               7.9        7.4  
Gross insured contractual payments outstanding:
(2)
                                            
Principal
   $ 1,422      $ 123      $      $ 3,302      $ 4,847  
Interest
     1,974        54               1,441        3,469  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Total
   $ 3,396      $ 177      $      $ 4,743      $ 8,316  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Gross Claim Liability
(3)
   $      $      $      $ 1,088      $ 1,088  
Less:
                                            
Gross Potential Recoveries
(4)
                          1,947        1,947  
Discount, net
(5)
                          (173)        (173)  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Net claim liability (recoverable)
   $      $      $      $ (686)      $ (686)  
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
 
Unearned premium revenue
   $ 10      $      $      $ 35      $ 45  
Reinsurance recoverable on paid and unpaid losses
(6)
                                       $ 11  
 
(1)—An “issue” represents the aggregate of financial guarantee policies that share the same revenue source for purposes of making debt service payments on the insured debt.
(2)—Represents contractual principal and interest payments due by the issuer of the obligations insured by MBIA.
(3)—The gross claim liability with respect to Puerto Rico exposures are net of expected recoveries for policies in a net payable position.
(4)—Gross potential recoveries with respect to certain Puerto Rico exposures are net of the claim liability for policies in a net recoverable position.
(5)—Represents discount related to Gross Claim Liability and Gross Potential Recoveries.
(6)—Included in “Other assets” on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.