Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation

NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Nature of Operations, Basis of Presentation and Consolidation

Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. (“UVE”, and together with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, “the Company”) is a Delaware corporation incorporated in 1990. The Company is a vertically integrated insurance holding company performing all aspects of insurance underwriting, distribution and claims. Through its wholly-owned insurance company subsidiaries, Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company (“UPCIC”) and American Platinum Property and Casualty Insurance Company (“APPCIC”, and together with UPCIC, the “Insurance Entities”) the Company is principally engaged in the property and casualty insurance business offered primarily through its network of independent agents. Risk from catastrophic losses is managed through the use of reinsurance agreements. The Company’s primary product is residential homeowners’ insurance currently offered in 18 states as of December 31, 2019, including Florida, which comprises the majority of the Company’s policies in force. See “—Note 5 (Insurance Operations),” for more information regarding the Company’s insurance operations.

The Company generates revenues primarily from the collection of premiums and invests funds in excess of those retained for claims-paying obligations and insurance operations. Other significant sources of revenue include brokerage commissions collected from reinsurers on certain reinsurance programs placed by the Insurance Entities, policy fees collected from policyholders by our wholly-owned managing general agent (“MGA”) subsidiary and payment plan fees charged to policyholders who choose to pay their premiums in installments. Our wholly-owned adjusting company receives claims-handling fees from the Insurance Entities. The Insurance Entities are reimbursed for these fees on claims that are subject to recovery under the Insurance Entities’ respective reinsurance programs. These fees, after expenses, are recorded in the consolidated financial statements as an adjustment to losses and loss adjustment expense.

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of UVE and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All material intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

To conform to the current period presentation, certain amounts in the prior periods’ consolidated financial statements and notes have been reclassified. Such reclassifications were of an immaterial amount and had no effect on net income or stockholders’ equity.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. The Company’s primary use of estimates are in the recognition of liabilities for unpaid losses, loss adjustment expenses and subrogation recoveries, and reinsurance recoveries. Actual results could differ from those estimates.