12. REINSURANCE

The Company utilizes reinsurance agreements to reduce its exposure to large claims and catastrophic loss occurrences. These agreements provide for recovery from reinsurers of a portion of losses and LAE under certain circumstances without relieving the ceding company of its obligations to the policyholders. Losses and LAE incurred and premiums earned are reported after deduction for reinsurance. In the event that one or more of the reinsurers were unable to meet their obligations under these reinsurance agreements, the Company would not realize the full value of the reinsurance recoverable balances. The Company may hold partial collateral, including letters of credit, trust accounts and funds held, under these agreements. See also Note 1C and Note 3.

Premiums written and earned and incurred losses and LAE are comprised of the following for the periods indicated:


	Years Ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)	2012			2011			2010
Written premiums:
Direct	$	1,050,248		$	808,526		$	823,305
Assumed		2,519,142			2,749,993			2,644,451
Ceded		(1,877,789	)		(1,804,508	)		(1,679,045	)
Net written premiums	$	1,691,601		$	1,754,011		$	1,788,711

Premiums earned:
Direct	$	1,032,576		$	867,340		$	823,734
Assumed		2,687,521			2,734,765			2,602,704
Ceded		(1,946,199	)		(1,808,250	)		(1,612,615	)
Net premiums earned	$	1,773,898		$	1,793,855		$	1,813,823

Incurred losses and LAE:
Direct	$	910,136		$	738,823		$	703,229
Assumed		1,630,386			2,491,002			1,946,124
Ceded		(1,290,778	)		(1,352,222	)		(1,171,903	)
Net incurred losses and LAE	$	1,249,744		$	1,877,603		$	1,477,450

The Company engages in reinsurance transactions with Bermuda Re, Everest International Reinsurance, Ltd. ("Everest International") and Everest Canada, which are affiliated companies primarily driven by enterprise risk and capital management considerations under which business is ceded at market rates and terms.

The table below represents affiliated quota share reinsurance agreements ("whole account quota share") for all new and renewal business for the indicated coverage period:


(Dollars in thousands)
		Percent			Assuming		Single			Aggregate
Coverage Period	Ceding Company	Ceded			Company	Type of Business	Occurrence Limit			Limit

01/01/2002-12/31/2002	Everest Re		20.0	%	Bermuda Re	property / casualty business	$	-		$	-

01/01/2003-12/31/2003	Everest Re		25.0	%	Bermuda Re	property / casualty business		-			-

01/01/2004-12/31/2005	Everest Re		22.5	%	Bermuda Re	property / casualty business		-			-
	Everest Re		2.5	%	Everest International	property / casualty business		-			-

01/01/2006-12/31/2006	Everest Re		18.0	%	Bermuda Re	property business		125,000	(1)		-
	Everest Re		2.0	%	Everest International	property business		-			-

01/01/2006-12/31/2007	Everest Re		31.5	%	Bermuda Re	casualty business		-			-
	Everest Re		3.5	%	Everest International	casualty business		-			-

01/01/2007-12/31/2007	Everest Re		22.5	%	Bermuda Re	property business		130,000	(1)		-
	Everest Re		2.5	%	Everest International	property business		-			-

01/01/2008-12/31/2008	Everest Re		36.0	%	Bermuda Re	property / casualty business		130,000	(1)		275,000	(2)
	Everest Re		4.0	%	Everest International	property / casualty business		-			-

01/01/2009-12/31/2009	Everest Re		36.0	%	Bermuda Re	property / casualty business		150,000	(1)		325,000	(2)
	Everest Re		8.0	%	Everest International	property / casualty business		-			-

01/01/2010-12/31/2010	Everest Re		44.0	%	Bermuda Re	property / casualty business		150,000			325,000

01/01/2011-12/31/2011	Everest Re		50.0	%	Bermuda Re	property / casualty business		150,000			300,000

01/01/2012	Everest Re		50.0	%	Bermuda Re	property / casualty business		100,000			200,000

01/01/2003-12/31/2006	Everest Re- Canadian Branch		50.0	%	Bermuda Re	property business		-			-
01/01/2007-12/31/2009	Everest Re- Canadian Branch		60.0	%	Bermuda Re	property business		-			-
01/01/2010-12/31/2010	Everest Re- Canadian Branch		60.0	%	Bermuda Re	property business		350,000	(3)		-
01/01/2011-12/31/2011	Everest Re- Canadian Branch		60.0	%	Bermuda Re	property business		350,000	(3)		-
01/01/2012-12/31/2012	Everest Re- Canadian Branch		75.0	%	Bermuda Re	property / casualty business		206,250	(3)		412,500	(3)
01/01/2013	Everest Re- Canadian Branch		75.0	%	Bermuda Re	property / casualty business		150,000	(3)		412,500	(3)

01/01/2012	Everest Canada		80.0	%	Everest Re- Canadian Branch	property business		-			-

(1) The single occurance limit is applied before the loss cessions to either Bermuda Re or Everest International.
(2) The aggregate limit is applied before the loss cessions to either Bermuda Re or Everest International.
(3) Amounts shown are Canadian dollars.

For premiums earned and losses incurred for the period January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2002, Everest Re, Everest National Insurance Company and Everest Security Insurance Company entered into an Excess of Loss Reinsurance Agreement with Bermuda Re, covering workers' compensation losses occurring on and after January 1, 2002, as respect to new, renewal and in force policies effective on that date through December 31, 2002. The table below represents Bermuda Re's liability limits for any losses per one occurrence.


	Liability Limits
(Dollars in thousands)	Exceeding		Not to Exceed
Losses per one occurrence	$	100,000	$	150,000

The table below represents loss portfolio transfer reinsurance agreements whereby net insurance exposures and reserves were transferred to an affiliate.


(Dollars in thousands)

Effective	Transferring	Assuming	% of Business or			Covered Period
Date	Company	Company	Amount of Transfer			of Transfer

09/19/2000	Mt. McKinley	Bermuda Re		100	%	All years
10/01/2001	Everest Re (Belgium Branch)	Bermuda Re		100	%	All years
10/01/2008	Everest Re	Bermuda Re	$	747,022		01/01/2002-12/31/2007

The following tables summarize the premiums and losses ceded by the Company to Bermuda Re and Everest International, respectively, and premiums and losses assumed by the Company from Everest Canada for the periods indicated:


Bermuda Re	Years Ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)	2012			2011		2010
Ceded written premiums	$	1,649,473		$	1,627,298	$	1,375,778
Ceded earned premiums		1,701,811			1,565,561		1,282,720
Ceded losses and LAE (a)		1,095,331			1,226,832		923,123

Everest International	Years Ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)		2012			2011		2010
Ceded written premiums	$	1,828		$	885	$	48,128
Ceded earned premiums		3,535			18,238		99,731
Ceded losses and LAE		(2,815	)		5,084		93,648


Everest Canada	Years Ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)		2012			2011		2010
Assumed written premiums	$	17,216		$	388	$	-
Assumed earned premiums		15,455			94		-
Assumed losses and LAE		9,489			57		-

(a) Ceded losses and LAE include the Mt. McKinley loss portfolio transfer that constitutes losses ceded under retroactive reinsurance and therefore, in accordance with FASB guidance, a deferred gain on retroactive reinsurance is reflected in other expenses on the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss).

Everest Re sold net assets of its UK branch to Bermuda Re and provided Bermuda Re with a reserve indemnity agreement allowing for indemnity payments of up to 90% of ₤25.0 million of the excess of 2002 and prior reserves, provided that any recognition of profit from the reserves for 2002 and prior underwriting years is taken into account. The limit available under this agreement was fully exhausted at December 31, 2004.