Note 3: Insurance Activity

The Company, through WMMRC, reinsures mortgage guaranty risks of mortgage loans originated by affiliates of the Company during the period from 1997 through 2008. WMMRC is (or was) a party to reinsurance agreements with UGRIC, GMIC, MGIC, PMI, Radian, RMIC and Triad. The agreements with UGRIC and Triad were placed into runoff effective May 31, 2008. The agreements with all other primary mortgage insurers were placed into runoff effective September 26, 2008. The reinsurance agreements with Triad, PMI, UGRIC and Radian were commuted on August 31, 2009, October 2, 2012, April 3, 2014 and October 23, 2017, respectively.

All agreements between WMMRC and the primary mortgage insurers are on an excess of loss basis, except for a certain reinsurance treaty with GMIC during 2008, which is reinsured on a 50% quota share basis. Pursuant to the excess of loss reinsurance agreements, WMMRC reinsures a second loss layer which ranges from 5% to 10% of the risk in force in excess of the primary mortgage insurer’s first loss percentages which range from 4% to 5%. Each calendar year, or book year, is treated separately from other years when calculating losses. In return for accepting a portion of the risk, WMMRC receives, net of ceding commission, a percentage of the premium that ranges from 25% to 40%.

As security for the ceding insurers, WMMRC has entered into separate trust agreements with each of the primary mortgage insurance companies whereby a portion of the funds from premiums assumed are held in trust accounts for the benefit of each separate insurer. Pursuant to the terms of the reinsurance agreements, WMMRC is required to keep such assets in trust for a minimum of five years and is subject to claims for up to ten years from termination of obligations arising from the last year in which insurance business was written prior to runoff. Release of funds from the trust by WMMRC requires approval from the primary mortgage guaranty companies.

Premiums assumed and earned are as follows for the periods ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively:

	Year ended December 31, 2017		Year ended December 31, 2016		Year ended December 31, 2015
Premiums assumed	$	989	$	2,656	$	4,788
Change in unearned premiums		231		491		333
Premiums earned	$	1,220	$	3,147	$	5,121

The components of the liability for losses and loss adjustment reserves are as follows as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively:

	December 31, 2017		December 31, 2016
Case-basis reserves	$	151	$	553
IBNR reserves		1		—
Premium deficiency reserves		322		258
Total losses and loss adjustment reserves	$	474	$	811

Losses and loss adjustment reserve activity are as follows for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively:


	Year ended December 31, 2017			Year ended December 31, 2016
Balance at beginning of period	$	811		$	5,063
Incurred (released) - prior periods		19			(669	)
Paid or terminated - prior periods		(356	)		(3,583	)
Total losses and loss adjustment reserves	$	474		$	811

The loss contract reserve balance is analyzed and adjusted quarterly. The balances in the reserve were zero and $5.6 million at December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. The loss contract reserve was established on March 19, 2012 at $63.1 million. The reserve was decreased by $5.6 million, $4.0 million and $2.9 million during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. In periods during which a reduction in loss contract reserve occurs, a corresponding decrease in expense is reflected in the consolidated statement of operations for the respective period. The loss contract reserve is zero at December 31, 2017 and is not expected to change or have an impact on future periods.