Investments

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2019

Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]

Fixed Maturity Securities

The Company’s investment portfolio is comprised primarily of fixed maturity securities. The amortized cost, net unrealized investment gains (losses) and fair values of all fixed maturity securities in the portfolio were as follows:



($ in thousands)	Amortized Cost		Unrealized Gains		Unrealized Losses		Fair Value
March 31, 2019
Fixed maturity securities
U.S. Government and federally sponsored agency obligations:⁽¹⁾
Mortgage-backed securities	$	793,290	$	32,299	$	5,402	$	820,187
Other, including U.S. Treasury securities	848,659		23,333		6,534		865,458
Municipal bonds	1,915,504		171,412		3,872		2,083,044
Foreign government bonds	83,330		3,084		179		86,235
Corporate bonds	2,041,390		104,303		11,601		2,134,092
Other mortgage-backed securities	1,805,300		16,234		12,546		1,808,988
Totals	$	7,487,473	$	350,665	$	40,134	$	7,798,004

December 31, 2018
Fixed maturity securities
U.S. Government and federally sponsored agency obligations:⁽¹⁾
Mortgage-backed securities	$	778,038	$	22,724	$	13,321	$	787,441
Other, including U.S. Treasury securities	835,096		16,127		17,681		833,542
Municipal bonds	1,884,313		133,150		13,494		2,003,969
Foreign government bonds	83,343		2,321		760		84,904
Corporate bonds	2,054,105		64,296		38,891		2,079,510
Other mortgage-backed securities	1,739,016		10,467		23,531		1,725,952
Totals	$	7,373,911	$	249,085	$	107,678	$	7,515,318

________________


⁽¹⁾	Fair value includes securities issued by Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) of $474,541 thousand and $441,308 thousand; Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC) of $421,933 thousand and $417,308 thousand; and Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) of $96,844 thousand and $96,466 thousand as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively.

The following table presents the fair value and gross unrealized losses of securities in an unrealized loss position at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively. The Company views the decrease in fair value of all of the securities with unrealized losses at March 31, 2019 -- which was driven largely by increasing interest rates, spread widening, financial market illiquidity and/or market volatility from the date of acquisition -- as temporary. For fixed maturity securities, management does not have the intent to sell the securities and it is not more likely than not the Company will be required to sell the securities before the anticipated recovery of their amortized cost bases, and management expects to recover the entire amortized cost bases of the fixed maturity securities. Therefore, it was determined that the unrealized losses on the securities presented in the table below were not other than temporarily impaired as of March 31, 2019.



($ in thousands)	12 Months or Less					More than 12 Months					Total
	Fair Value			Gross Unrealized Losses		Fair Value			Gross Unrealized Losses		Fair Value			Gross Unrealized Losses
March 31, 2019
Fixed maturity securities
U.S. Government and federally sponsored agency obligations:
Mortgage-backed securities	$	4,364		$	49	$	218,612		$	5,353	$	222,976		$	5,402
Other	8,230			16		303,498			6,518		311,728			6,534
Municipal bonds	15,003			254		127,688			3,618		142,691			3,872
Foreign government bonds	7,925			59		6,416			120		14,341			179
Corporate bonds	89,954			808		215,797			10,793		305,751			11,601
Other mortgage-backed securities	630,075			8,593		332,167			3,953		962,242			12,546
Total	$	755,551		$	9,779	$	1,204,178		$	30,355	$	1,959,729		$	40,134

Number of positions with a gross unrealized loss	234					496					730
Fair value as a percentage of total fixed maturity securities fair value	9.6		%			15.2		%			24.8		%

December 31, 2018
Fixed maturity securities
U.S. Government and federally sponsored agency obligations:
Mortgage-backed securities	$	193,447		$	5,026	$	157,295		$	8,295	$	350,742		$	13,321
Other	263,497			6,746		246,213			10,935		509,710			17,681
Municipal bonds	291,869			7,603		95,297			5,891		387,166			13,494
Foreign government bonds	16,250			760		—			—		16,250			760
Corporate bonds	818,519			27,429		99,171			11,462		917,690			38,891
Other mortgage-backed securities	913,858			16,076		291,442			7,455		1,205,300			23,531
Total	$	2,497,440		$	63,640	$	889,418		$	44,038	$	3,386,858		$	107,678

Number of positions with a gross unrealized loss	1,052					359					1,411
Fair value as a percentage of total fixed maturity securities fair value	32.7		%			11.7		%			44.4		%

Fixed maturity securities with an investment grade rating represented 93.3% of the gross unrealized losses as of March 31, 2019. With respect to fixed maturity securities involving securitized financial assets, the underlying collateral cash flows were stress tested to determine there was no adverse change in the present value of cash flows below their amortized cost bases.

Limited Partnership Interests

As of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, the carrying value of equity method limited partnerships totaled $330,434 thousand and $328,516 thousand, respectively. Principal factors influencing carrying value appreciation or decline include operating performance, comparable public company earnings multiples, capitalization rates and the economic environment. The Company recognizes an impairment loss for equity method limited partnerships when evidence demonstrates that the loss is other than temporary. Evidence of a loss in value that is other than temporary may include the absence of an ability to recover the carrying amount of the investment or the inability of the investee to sustain a level of earnings that would justify the carrying amount of the investment.

Credit Losses

The following table summarizes the cumulative amounts related to the Company’s credit loss component of other-than-temporary impairment (OTTI) losses on fixed maturity securities held as of March 31, 2019 and 2018 that the Company did not intend to sell as of those dates, and it was not more likely than not that the Company would be required to sell the securities before the anticipated recovery of the amortized cost bases, for which the non-credit portions of OTTI losses were recognized in OCI:



($ in thousands)	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2019		2018
Cumulative credit loss⁽¹⁾
Beginning of period	$	1,529	$	3,825
New credit losses	—		—
Increases to previously recognized credit losses	—		—
Losses related to securities sold or paid down during the period	—		—
End of period	$	1,529	$	3,825

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⁽¹⁾	The cumulative credit loss amounts exclude OTTI losses on securities held as of the periods indicated that the Company intended to sell or it was more likely than not that the Company would be required to sell the security before the recovery of the amortized cost basis.

Maturities of Fixed Maturity Securities

The following table presents the distribution of the Company’s fixed maturity securities portfolio by estimated expected maturity. Estimated expected maturities differ from contractual maturities, reflecting assumptions regarding borrowers’ utilization of the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties. For structured securities, including mortgage-backed securities and other asset-backed securities, estimated expected maturities consider broker-dealer survey prepayment assumptions and are verified for consistency with the interest rate and economic environments.



($ in thousands)	Percent of Total Fair Value				March 31, 2019
	March 31, 2019		December 31, 2018		Fair Value		Amortized Cost
Estimated expected maturity:
Due in 1 year or less	4.8	%	4.8	%	$	371,816	$	366,071
Due after 1 year through 5 years	23.8	%	22.8	%	1,854,784		1,813,271
Due after 5 years through 10 years	32.3	%	32.8	%	2,522,113		2,450,544
Due after 10 years through 20 years	26.5	%	26.5	%	2,068,846		1,947,733
Due after 20 years	12.6	%	13.1	%	980,445		909,854
Total	100.0	%	100.0	%	$	7,798,004	$	7,487,473

Average option-adjusted duration, in years	5.7		5.9

Sales of Fixed Maturity and Equity Securities

Proceeds received from sales of fixed maturity and equity securities, each determined using the specific identification method, and gross gains and gross losses realized as a result of those sales for each period were:



($ in thousands)	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2019			2018
Fixed maturity securities
Proceeds received	$	59,724		$	89,894
Gross gains realized	542			1,670
Gross losses realized	(105		)	(53		)

Equity securities
Proceeds received	$	15,489		$	2,048
Gross gains realized	4,745			616
Gross losses realized	(344		)	(34		)

Net Investment Gains (Losses)

The following table reconciles the net investment gains (losses) pretax by transaction type:



($ in thousands)	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2019			2018
Impairment write-downs	$	—		$	—
Change in intent write-downs	(236		)	(110		)
Net OTTI losses recognized in earnings	(236		)	(110		)
Sales and other, net	4,838			2,203
Change in fair value - equity securities	3,506			(5,186		)
Change in fair value and gains (losses) realized on settlements - derivative instruments	(691		)	1,439
Net investment gains (losses)	$	7,417		$	(1,654	)

Net Unrealized Investment Gains (Losses) on Securities

The following table reconciles the net unrealized investment gains (losses) on securities, net of tax, included in AOCI, before the impact of DAC:



($ in thousands)	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2019			2018
Net unrealized investment gains (losses) on securities, net of tax
Beginning of period	$	111,712		$	286,176
Change in net unrealized investment gains (losses) on securities	140,012			(67,285		)
Reclassification of net investment (gains) losses on securities to net income	(6,405		)	2,443
Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle ⁽¹⁾	—			(15,041		)
End of period	$	245,319		$	206,293

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⁽¹⁾	Effective January 1, 2018, with the adoption of new accounting guidance for recognition and measurement of financial instruments, available for sale equity securities were reclassified to equity securities at fair value and the related net unrealized gains were reclassified from AOCI to Retained earnings.

Offsetting of Assets and Liabilities

The Company’s derivative instruments (call options) are subject to enforceable master netting arrangements. Collateral support agreements associated with each master netting arrangement provide that the Company will receive or pledge financial collateral in the event minimum thresholds have been reached.

The following table presents the instruments that were subject to a master netting arrangement for the Company.



($ in thousands)			Gross Amounts Offset in the		Net Amounts of Assets/ Liabilities Presented in the		Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Consolidated Balance Sheets
	Gross Amounts		Consolidated Balance Sheets		Consolidated Balance Sheets		Financial Instruments		Cash Collateral Received		Net Amount
March 31, 2019
Asset derivatives:
Free-standing derivatives	$	7,643	$	—	$	7,643	$	—	$	6,938	$	705

December 31, 2018
Asset derivatives:
Free-standing derivatives	$	2,647	$	—	$	2,647	$	—	$	1,868	$	779

Deposits

At March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, fixed maturity securities with a fair value of $17,824 thousand and $17,695 thousand, respectively, were on deposit with governmental agencies as required by law in various states in which the insurance subsidiaries of HMEC conduct business. In addition, at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, fixed maturity securities with a fair value of $800,016 thousand and $740,016 thousand, respectively, were on deposit with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (FHLB) as collateral for amounts subject to funding agreements, advances and borrowings which were equal to $725,000 thousand at March 31, 2019 and $675,000 thousand at December 31, 2018. The deposited securities are included in Fixed maturity securities on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.