14. DIVIDEND RESTRICTIONS AND STATUTORY FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Holdings and its operating subsidiaries are subject to various regulatory restrictions, including the amount of dividends that may be paid and the level of capital that the operating entities must maintain. These regulatory restrictions are based upon statutory capital as opposed to GAAP basis equity or net assets. Holdings’ primary operating subsidiary, Everest Re, is regulated by Delaware law and is subject to the Risk-Based Capital Model (“RBC”) developed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (“NAIC”). This model represents the aggregate regulatory restrictions on net assets and statutory capital and surplus.

Dividend Restrictions.

Delaware law provides that an insurance company which is a member of an insurance holding company system and is domiciled in the state shall not pay dividends without giving prior notice to the Insurance Commissioner of Delaware and may not pay dividends without the approval of the Insurance Commissioner if the value of the proposed dividend, together with all other dividends and distributions made in the preceding twelve months, exceeds the greater of (1) 10% of statutory surplus or (2) net income, not including realized capital gains, each as reported in the prior year’s statutory annual statement. In addition, no dividend may be paid in excess of unassigned earned surplus. At December 31, 2020, Everest Re has $592,082 thousand available for payment of dividends in 2021 without the need for prior regulatory approval.

Statutory Financial Information.

Everest Re prepares its statutory financial statements in accordance with accounting practices prescribed or permitted by the NAIC and the Delaware Insurance Department. Prescribed statutory accounting practices are set forth in the NAIC Accounting Practices and Procedures Manual. The capital and statutory surplus of Everest Re was $5,276,003 thousand and $3,739,140 thousand at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The statutory net income of Everest Re was $595,077 thousand and $363,034 thousand, for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The statutory net loss of Everest Re was $1,317,991 for the year ended December 31, 2018.

There are certain regulatory and contractual restrictions on the ability of Holdings’ operating subsidiaries to transfer funds to Holdings in the form of cash dividends, loans or advances. The insurance laws of the State of Delaware, where Holdings’ direct insurance subsidiaries are domiciled, require regulatory approval before those subsidiaries can pay dividends or make loans or advances to Holdings that exceed certain statutory thresholds.

Capital Restrictions.

In the United States, Everest Re is subject to the RBC developed by the NAIC which determines an authorized control level risk-based capital. As long as the total adjusted capital is 200% or more of the authorized control level capital, no action is required by the Company.

The regulatory targeted capital and the actual statutory capital for Everest Re is as follows: