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White Mountains Insurance Group 10-K 2007 Documents found in this filing:UNITED STATES Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 10-K x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 OR o TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Commission file number 1-8993 WHITE MOUNTAINS INSURANCE GROUP, LTD. (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (603) 640-2200 Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes x No o Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Yes o No x Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No o Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated filer and large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o No x The aggregate market value of voting shares (based on the closing price of those shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the consideration received for those shares not listed on a national or regional exchange) held by non-affiliates of the Registrant as of June 30, 2006, was $3,025,848,367. As of February 28, 2007, 10,833,788 common shares, par value of $1.00 per share, were outstanding. DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Portions of the Registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), relating to the Registrant’s Annual General Meeting of Members scheduled to be held May 24, 2007 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K. With the exception of the portions of the Proxy Statement specifically incorporated herein by reference, the Proxy Statement is not deemed to be filed as part of this Form 10-K.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. (the “Company” or the “Registrant”) is an exempted Bermuda limited liability company whose principal businesses are conducted through its property and casualty insurance and reinsurance subsidiaries and affiliates. Within this report, the term “White Mountains” is used to refer to one or more entities within the consolidated organization, as the context requires. The Company’s headquarters are located at Bank of Butterfield Building, 42 Reid Street, Hamilton, Bermuda HM 12, its principal executive office is located at 80 South Main Street, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755-2053 and its registered office is located at Clarendon House, 2 Church Street, Hamilton, Bermuda HM 11. White Mountains’ reportable segments are OneBeacon, White Mountains Re, Esurance and Other Operations. The OneBeacon segment consists of OneBeacon Insurance Group, Ltd. (“OneBeacon Ltd.”), a Bermuda-based company that owns a family of U.S.-based property and casualty insurance companies (collectively “OneBeacon”), substantially all of which operate in a multi-company pool. OneBeacon offers a wide range of specialty, personal and commercial products and services sold primarily through select independent agents and brokers. OneBeacon was acquired by White Mountains in 2001 (the “OneBeacon Acquisition”). During the fourth quarter of 2006, White Mountains sold 27.6 million, or 27.6%, of OneBeacon Ltd.’s common shares in an initial public offering (the “OneBeacon Offering”). In connection with the OneBeacon Offering, White Mountains undertook an internal reorganization (the “Reorganization”) and formed OneBeacon Ltd. for the purpose of holding certain of its property and casualty insurance businesses. As a result of the Reorganization, certain of White Mountains’ businesses that have been historically reported as part of its Other Operations segment are now owned by OneBeacon Ltd., and accordingly have been included in the OneBeacon segment for all periods presented in this report. In addition, certain other businesses of White Mountains that had been historically reported as part of its OneBeacon segment and which were not held by OneBeacon Ltd. following the OneBeacon Offering are included in the Other Operations segment for all periods presented in this report. The White Mountains Re segment consists of White Mountains Re Group, Ltd., a Bermuda-based company, and its subsidiaries (collectively “White Mountains Re”). White Mountains Re offers reinsurance capacity for property, liability, accident & health, aviation and certain marine exposures on a worldwide basis through its subsidiaries, Folksamerica Reinsurance Company (“Folksamerica Re”, together with its immediate parent, Folksamerica Holding Company (“FHC”), “Folksamerica”), which has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of White Mountains since 1998, and Sirius International Insurance Corporation (“Sirius International”). On April 16, 2004, White Mountains acquired Sirius Insurance Holdings Sweden AB and its subsidiaries (“Sirius”) (the “Sirius Acquisition”). The principal companies acquired were Sirius International, Sirius America Insurance Company (“Sirius America”), which provides primary insurance programs in the United States, and Scandinavian Reinsurance Company Ltd. (“Scandinavian Re”), a reinsurance company that has been in run-off since 2002. White Mountains Re also provides reinsurance advisory services, specializing primarily in property and other short-tailed lines of reinsurance, through White Mountains Re Underwriting Services Ltd. (“WMRUS”). On August 3, 2006, White Mountains Re sold Sirius America to an investor group. As part of the transaction, White Mountains acquired an equity interest of approximately 18% in the acquiring entity, Lightyear Delos Acquisition Corp. (“Delos”), and accounts for Delos on the equity method within its Other Operations segment. The Esurance segment consists of Esurance Holdings Ltd., a Bermuda-based company, and certain of its subsidiaries (collectively, “Esurance”). Esurance, which has been a unit of White Mountains since October 2000, sells personal auto insurance directly to customers online and through select online agents. White Mountains’ Other Operations segment consists of the Company and its intermediate holding companies, its wholly-owned investment management subsidiary, White Mountains Advisors LLC (“WM Advisors”), its weather risk management business (“Galileo”), its variable annuity reinsurance business (“WM Life Re”), as well as the International American Group, Inc. (the “International American Group”) and various other entities not included in the other segments. The International American Group, which was acquired by White Mountains in 1999, consists of American Centennial Insurance Company (“American Centennial”) and British Insurance Company of Cayman (“British Insurance Company”), both of which are in run-off. The Other Operations segment also includes White Mountains’ investments in warrants to purchase common shares of Montpelier Re Holdings, Ltd. (“Montpelier Re”), 2 warrants to purchase common shares of Symetra Financial Corporation (“Symetra”) and common and preferred shares of Delos. White Mountains’ Operating Principles White Mountains strives to operate within the spirit of four operating principles. These are: Underwriting Comes First. An insurance enterprise must respect the fundamentals of insurance. There must be a realistic expectation of underwriting profit on all business written, and demonstrated fulfillment of that expectation overtime, with focused attention to the loss ratio and to all the professional insurance disciplines of pricing, underwriting and claims management. Maintain a Disciplined Balance Sheet. The first concern here is that insurance liabilities must always be fully recognized. Loss reserves and expense reserves must be solid before any other aspect of the business can be solid. Pricing, marketing and underwriting all depend on informed judgment of ultimate loss costs and that can be managed effectively only with a disciplined balance sheet. Invest for Total Return. Historical insurance accounting has tended to hide unrealized gains and losses in the investment portfolio and over-reward reported investment income (interest and dividends). Regardless of the accounting, White Mountains must invest for the best growth in after-tax value overtime. In addition to investing our bond portfolios for total after-tax return, that will also mean prudent investment in a balanced portfolio consistent with leverage and insurance risk considerations. Think Like Owners. Thinking like owners has a value all its own. There are stakeholders in a business enterprise and doing good work requires more than this quarter’s profit. But thinking like an owner embraces all that without losing the touchstone of a capitalist enterprise. OneBeacon, whose United States headquarters is in Canton, Massachusetts, is a property and casualty insurance writer that provides a range of specialty insurance products as well as a variety of segmented commercial and personal insurance products. With roots dating back to 1831, OneBeacon has been operating for more than 175 years and has many long-standing relationships with independent agencies, which is its primary distribution channel. At December31, 2006 and 2005, OneBeacon had $9.9 billion and $9.8 billion of total assets, respectively, and shareholder’s equity of $1.8 billion and $1.3 billion, respectively. As a result of the OneBeacon Offering, White Mountains recorded $491 million of minority interest related to its ownership in OneBeacon as of December 31, 2006. OneBeacon wrote approximately $2.0 billion and $2.1 billion in net written premiums in 2006 and 2005, respectively. OneBeacon’s principal operating insurance subsidiaries are rated “A” (Excellent, the third highest of fifteen ratings) by A.M. Best and “A” (Strong, the sixth highest of twenty-one ratings) by Standard & Poor’s, rating agencies that specialize in the insurance and reinsurance industry. Property and Casualty Insurance Overview Generally, property and casualty insurance companies write insurance policies in exchange for premiums paid by its customers (the insured). An insurance policy is a contract between the insurance company and the insured where the insurance company agrees to pay for losses suffered by the insured that are covered under the contract. Such contracts often are subject to subsequent legal interpretation by courts, legislative action and arbitration. Property insurance generally covers the financial consequences of accidental losses to the insured’s property, such as a home and the personal property in it, or a business’ building, inventory and equipment. Casualty insurance (often referred to as liability insurance) generally covers the financial consequences of a legal liability of an individual or an organization resulting from negligent acts and omissions causing bodily injury and/or property damage to a third party. Claims on property coverage generally are reported and settled in a relatively short period of time, whereas those on casualty coverage can take years, even decades, to settle. Insurance companies derive substantially all of their revenues from earned premiums, investment income and net gains and losses from sales of investment securities. Earned premiums represent premiums received from insureds, which are recognized as revenue over the period of time that insurance coverage is provided (i.e., ratably over the life of the policy). A significant period of time normally elapses between the receipt of insurance premiums and the payment of insurance claims. During this time, investment income is generated, consisting primarily of 3 interest earned on fixed maturity investments and dividends earned on equity securities. Net realized investment gains and losses result from sales of securities from the insurance companies’ investment portfolios. Insurance companies incur a significant amount of their total expenses from policyholder losses, which are commonly referred to as “claims”. In settling policyholder losses, various loss adjustment expenses (“LAE”) are incurred, such as insurance adjusters’ fees and litigation expenses. In addition, insurance companies incur policy acquisition expenses, such as commissions paid to agents and premium taxes, and other expenses related to the underwriting process, including compensation and benefits for professional and clerical staff. The key measure of relative underwriting performance for an insurance company is the combined ratio. An insurance company’s combined ratio under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) is calculated by adding the ratio of incurred loss and LAE to earned premiums (the “loss ratio”) and the ratio of policy acquisition and other underwriting expenses to earned premiums (the “expense ratio”). A combined ratio under 100% indicates that an insurance company is generating an underwriting profit. However, when considering investment income and investment gains or losses, insurance companies operating at a combined ratio of greater than 100% can be profitable. Lines of Business OneBeacon’s business is managed through three major underwriting units: specialty lines, commercial lines and personal lines. OneBeacon’s specialty lines businesses are national in scope, while its commercial and personal lines businesses have been concentrated primarily in the Northeastern United States. Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2006, OneBeacon includes OneBeacon Specialty Property (“OBSP”) within its commercial lines underwriting unit and AutoOne Insurance (“AutoOne”) within its personal lines underwriting unit. Both OBSP and AutoOne were formerly reported in its specialty lines underwriting unit. The reporting change was undertaken to better align the reported results of OneBeacon’s underwriting units with the product and management structure of its underwriting units. Prior periods have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2006, 2005 and 2004, OneBeacon’s net written premiums by line of business were as follows:
(1) Includes business in run-off. Specialty lines OneBeacon’s specialty lines underwriting unit is a collection of niche businesses that focus on solving the unique needs of particular customer groups on a national scale. Each of these businesses maintains stand-alone operations and distribution channels targeting their specific customer groups. OneBeacon provides distinct products and offers tailored coverages and services, managed by teams of market specialists. OneBeacon’s specialty businesses currently include: · OneBeacon Professional Partners (“OBPP”): Formed in 2002, OBPP is a provider of specialty liability products primarily focused on the health-care industry. Additional products include media liability and lawyers’ professional liability insurance. OBPP’s health-care products include hospital professional liability, or HPL, HMO reinsurance, providers excess insurance and managed care errors and omissions, or MCE&O. These products protect against claims arising from direct patient treatment, such as diagnoses, rendering opinions or referrals, and coverage for professional committee activities. In 2005, OBPP broadened its capabilities through two acquisitions and the formation of a new business. First Media Insurance Specialists, Inc. was acquired to distribute OBPP’s new product line of primary and excess media liability coverages targeting small-to-midsized media companies (that include publishers, broadcasters and authors). OBPP also acquired the renewal rights to the HPL and MCE&O business of Chubb Specialty Insurance. Additional net written premiums from both transactions totaled $38 million 4 in 2006. In November 2005, OBPP began offering lawyers’ professional liability coverage targeting law firms employing fewer than 150 attorneys. · International Marine Underwriters (“IMU”): A leading provider of marine insurance, this business traces its roots back to the early 1900s. The IMU acquisition from Crum & Forster in the early 1990s doubled the company’s book of marine business. IMU coverages include physical damage or loss, and general liability for cargo and commercial hull, both at primary and excess levels, marinas, including a “package” product (comprehensive property and liability coverage), and yachts (the offerings for which were strengthened by IMU’s October 2006 acquisition of yacht-specialist National Marine Underwriters, Inc., a yacht insurance managing general agency). IMU does not offer offshore energy products. Target customers include ferry operators and charter boats (hull), marina operators and boat dealers (package product) and private-pleasure yachts with hull values of less than $1 million. · A.W.G. Dewar (“Dewar”): A provider of tuition reimbursement insurance since 1930, Dewar’s product protects both schools and parents from the financial consequences of a student’s withdrawal or dismissal from school. The tuition refund plan reimburses parents up to 100 percent of tuition, room and board fees when a student is obliged to leave school due to covered reasons, such as medical or expulsion. Dewar provides customized policies to independent schools and colleges in North America. · Community Banking Professional Liability (“CBPL”): Formed in November 2005, this group provides professional liability coverages for community banks with assets of $3 billion or less. Its full array of management and professional liability coverages includes employment practices liability, fiduciary liability, lender’s liability, bankers professional liability, trust errors and omissions, and directors and officers liability. This group also offers community banking customers access to commercial package products, thereby providing comprehensive insurance solutions to this customer group. CBPL is augmented by strategically positioned underwriting specialists in other markets (such as the Northeast and the Midwest). · Specialty Accident and Health (“A&H”): Formed in November 2006, this group provides accident insurance coverages to large employers (generally Fortune 1000) on a group basis. The full array of anticipated product coverages include corporate accident, travel accident and occupational accident coverage primarily targeted to the trucking industry. This group conducts business through independent agents and brokers and will selectively market directly to customers. OneBeacon offered additional rural and farm related products through National Farmers Union Property and Casualty Company (“NFU”) until its sale on September 30, 2005 and commercial farm and ranch and commercial agricultural products through its Agri division until the sale of the renewal rights of its policies on September 29, 2006. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2006, 2005 and 2004, OneBeacon’s specialty lines net written premiums were as follows:
(1) OneBeacon sold NFU on September 30, 2005 and sold the renewal rights to its Agri division policies on September 29, 2006. 5 Commercial lines OneBeacon provides insurance solutions for middle market and small businesses through products that target particular industry groups with customized coverages and services. In late 2004, OneBeacon’s commercial lines underwriting unit was separated into middle-market and small business divisions to enable a specialized focus in each market and to recognize the difference in product needs, customers and service requirements. OneBeacon’s middle market accounts typically produce annualized gross premiums ranging from $25,000 to $1,000,000 and principally purchase “package” policies (combination policies offering property and liability coverage). OneBeacon targets 13 distinct customer groups including technology, financial institutions, professional services, wholesalers, metalworkers and commercial real estate, among others. OneBeacon also provides some standard commercial business that is not targeted to a specific industry group. By partnering with its specialty lines businesses, OneBeacon’s middle market commercial lines business can deliver a seamless, comprehensive insurance solution. OneBeacon has also formed strategic partnerships with specialized insurance agencies to offer OneBeacon coverage to targeted customer groups such as technology companies and community banks. Included in the middle market division of OneBeacon is OBSP. Formed in 2004, OBSP provides excess property coverage against certain damages over and above those covered by primary policies or a large self-insured retention. Target classes include apartments and condominiums, commercial real estate, small-to-medium manufacturing, retail/wholesale and public entity and educational institutions. Its excess property solutions are provided primarily through surplus lines wholesalers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. OneBeacon also markets package, auto, workers compensation and umbrella coverage to small businesses, which typically generate annualized premiums ranging from $500 to $25,000. OneBeacon targets 14 industry groups as well as some association and group businesses that provide a highly competitive solution for select agents. OneBeacon’s small-business growth strategy is to target insurance networks of typically suburban and rural agents that represent a strong customer base in those areas. OneBeacon’s proprietary web platform has expedited underwriting at the point of sale, which has enabled growth in new territories while limiting the need for much incremental infrastructure. In the first quarter of 2006, OneBeacon introduced a small business service center to handle customer administration for enrolled agents. OneBeacon’s commercial lines products include: · Multi-peril: consists of a package policy sold to small to mid-sized insureds or to members of trade associations or other groups that includes general liability insurance and commercial property insurance. · Automobile: consists of physical damage and liability coverage. Automobile physical damage insurance covers loss or damage to vehicles from collision, vandalism, fire, theft or other causes. Automobile liability insurance covers bodily injury of others, damage to their property and costs of legal defense resulting from a collision caused by the insured. · Workers compensation: covers an employer’s liability for injuries, disability or death of employees, without regard to fault, as prescribed by state workers compensation law and other statutes. · General liability: covers businesses for any liability resulting from bodily injury and property damage arising from its general business operations, accidents on its premises and the products it manufactures or sells. Umbrella: supplements existing insurance policies by covering losses from a broad range of insurance risks in excess of coverage provided by the primary insurance policy up to a specified limit. · Property: covers losses to a business’ premises, inventory and equipment as a result of weather, fire, theft and other causes. · Excess and surplus property: provides excess property coverage against certain damages over and above those covered by primary policies or a large self-insured retention. · Inland marine: covers property that may be in transit or held by a bailee at a fixed location, movable goods that are often stored at different locations or property with an unusual antique or collector’s value. · Package: consists of combination policies offering property and liability coverage. 6 For the years ended December 31, 2006, 2005 and 2004, commercial lines net written premiums were as follows:
Personal lines OneBeacon’s personal lines underwriting unit provides homeowners insurance, segmented private passenger automobile and package policies (package products are combination policies offering home and automobile coverage with optional umbrella, boatowners and other coverages) sold through select independent agents. In 2004, OneBeacon created a highly segmented product suite, called OneChoice, under which it is able to offer the appropriate risk-adjusted product and pricing to its customers. OneChoice is a multi-tiered product suite that enables OneBeacon to offer a broader range of coverages to a full spectrum of customers through more sophisticated pricing models that have a greater statistical correlation between historical loss experience and price than traditional pricing models. This product suite offers both automobile and homeowners coverages as well as package policies. OneChoice products rely on multiple, objective pricing tiers and rules-based underwriting that enable agents to offer OneBeacon solutions to a broad array of its customers and increase OneBeacon’s penetration in existing and new markets. OneBeacon regularly refines its product features and rating plans to optimize target market production. OneBeacon offers an integrated web-based platform available either through its dedicated agent portal or through real-time comparative rating engines. Within OneBeacon’s personal lines underwriting unit, OneBeacon also provides management services for a fee to three reciprocal insurance exchanges (“reciprocals”) that OneBeacon has created and capitalized by lending the reciprocals money in exchange for surplus notes. Reciprocals are not-for-profit, policyholder-owned insurance carriers organized as unincorporated associations. As required by GAAP, White Mountains’ consolidated financial statements reflect the consolidation of these reciprocals (See Note 15 - “Variable Interest Entities”). In 2002, OneBeacon formed New Jersey Skylands Management LLC to provide management services for a fee to New Jersey Skylands Insurance Association, a reciprocal, and its wholly owned subsidiary New Jersey Skylands Insurance Company, (collectively, “New Jersey Skylands Insurance”). New Jersey Skylands Insurance began writing personal automobile coverage for new customers in August 2002. During 2004, OneBeacon formed Houston General Insurance Management Company to provide management services for a fee to another reciprocal, Houston General Insurance Exchange. Houston General Insurance Exchange commenced writing business in Arizona, South Carolina and Texas in November 2005, June 2006 and October 2006, respectively, using the full suite of OneChoice products (auto, home and package). In 2006, Adirondack AIF, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of OneBeacon, entered into an agreement to provide management services for a fee to Adirondack Insurance Exchange, which was approved to write business in New York. OneBeacon has no ownership interest in New Jersey Skylands Insurance, Houston General Insurance Exchange or Adirondack Insurance Exchange. OneBeacon’s personal lines products include: · Automobile: consists of physical damage and liability coverage. Automobile physical damage insurance covers loss or damage to vehicles from collision, vandalism, fire, theft or other causes. Automobile liability insurance covers bodily injury of others, damage to their property and costs of legal defense resulting from a collision caused by the insured. · Homeowners: covers losses to an insured’s home, including its contents, as a result of weather, fire, theft and other causes and losses resulting from liability for acts of negligence by the insured or the insured’s immediate family. OneBeacon also offers identity theft resolution assistance and identity theft expense reimbursement coverage as part of its homeowners policies. · Package: consists of customized combination policies offering home and automobile coverage with optional umbrella and boatowners coverage. 7 OneBeacon’s personal lines underwriting unit also includes AutoOne. Formed in 2001, AutoOne is a market leader in “assigned risk” business in New York. Assigned risk plans provide automobile insurance for individuals unable to secure coverage in the voluntary market. Insurance carriers are obliged to accept future assignments from state assigned risk pools as a condition of maintaining a license to write automobile business in the state. However, carriers may satisfy their assigned risk obligation by transferring their assignments to another insurer or by utilizing various “credits” (i.e. take-out, territorial and youthful driver credits). AutoOne offers services known as Limited Assigned Distribution, or LAD, and Commercial Limited Assigned Distribution, or CLAD, and credit programs to insurance carriers. While AutoOne was able to expand its product offerings to an additional 12 states in the first quarter of 2006, its overall volume of business is shrinking due to an expanding voluntary market in New York and New Jersey, where the majority of AutoOne’s assigned risk business is generated. AutoOne now provides 28 LAD and CLAD programs in 22 states where assigned risk obligations may be assumed by a servicing carrier under a negotiated fee arrangement. AutoOne also writes “voluntary take-out business” (policies “taken out” of the assigned risk pool and written in the voluntary market) by selecting policies from the assigned risk business it manages for its clients and from select insurance brokers that replace their clients assigned risk policy with an AutoOne policy. AutoOne receives credits for all policies taken out of the assigned risk plan which it can use either to reduce its future assigned risk obligations, or to sell to other carriers that can use the credits to reduce their own quota obligations. In 2006, AutoOne wrote more take-out business than all other carriers in New York combined and all of its take-out credits were sold to other carriers or used internally to reduce OneBeacon’s own assigned risk quota obligation. For the years ended December 31, 2006, 2005 and 2004, personal lines net written premiums were as follows:
(1) Represents elimination between traditional personal lines and AutoOne. Geographic Concentration OneBeacon’s net written premiums are derived solely from business produced in the United States. Business from specialty, personal and commercial lines was produced in the following states:
(1) No individual state is greater than 3% of specialty, personal and commercial net written premiums for the years ended December 31, 2006, 2005 and 2004. 8 Marketing OneBeacon offers its products through a network comprised of independent insurance agents, regional and national brokers and wholesalers. OneBeacon’s distribution relationships consist of approximately 2,800 select agencies and brokers. No agency or broker produced more than 3% of OneBeacon’s direct written premiums during 2006. OneBeacon’s specialty lines businesses are managed from locations logistically appropriate to their target markets. OBPP is based in Avon, Connecticut and distributes its products through select national and regional brokers and agents. IMU is headquartered in New York City and operates through nine branch locations throughout the United States. Its products are distributed through a network of select agents that specialize in marine business. Dewar’s affiliate, A.W.G. Dewar Agency, is headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts and distributes tuition refund products to independent schools and colleges throughout North America. OneBeacon distributes its commercial and personal lines products through select independent insurance agents, except for products sold by OBSP and AutoOne. OBSP’s excess property solutions are provided primarily through surplus lines wholesalers. In New York, AutoOne generates take-out credits by writing policies through select insurance brokers that were previously in the New York Automobile Insurance Plan, or NYAIP, and sells these credits to insurance companies subject to NYAIP assignments. AutoOne markets its LAD and CLAD services and New York take-out credits directly to insurance carriers seeking assigned risk solutions. OneBeacon protects the integrity of its franchise value by selectively appointing agents in those areas where it conducts business. OneBeacon believes that independent insurance agents provide more complete assessments of clients’ needs, which results in more appropriate coverages and prudent risk management. OneBeacon also believes that independent agents will continue to be a significant force in overall industry premium production as well as facilitate the cross-selling of specialty, commercial and personal business products. OneBeacon’s top performing agencies have been designated as Lighthouse Partners, a program designed to strengthen these priority relationships and build those books of business. This program was introduced in the second quarter of 2006 and provides enhanced benefits such as priority handling of accounts, access to OneBeacon’s entire franchise of products, preferred profit-sharing opportunities, and priority access to OneBeacon’s producer development school and co-op advertising. There were 98 agencies with this designation in 2006. These agencies represent fewer than five percent of OneBeacon’s overall agency plant but write approximately 22 percent of OneBeacon’s business and over 25 percent of OneBeacon’s new business. OneBeacon believes that its Lighthouse Partners are the core of its distribution and marketing system and that this deeper mutual commitment will benefit both these agencies and OneBeacon. Underwriting and Pricing OneBeacon believes there must be a realistic expectation of attaining an underwriting profit on all the business it writes, as well as a demonstrated fulfillment of that expectation overtime. Adequate pricing is a critical component for achieving an underwriting profit. OneBeacon will underwrite its book with a disciplined approach towards pricing its insurance products and is willing to forgo a business opportunity if it believes that the opportunity is not priced appropriately to the exposure. Specialization — or a heightened focus on certain customer groups and/or geographies through products, pricing and expertise — is a key driver of OneBeacon’s strategy in specialty lines and is being extended into OneBeacon’s commercial and personal businesses. The proprietary knowledge OneBeacon develops regarding the industry, class and risk characteristics provides it with a competitive edge for its terms and conditions on individual accounts. OneBeacon believes that specialization will result in superior returns as compared to a more “generalist” underwriting approach. OneBeacon has used tiered rating plans since 2003 in both its commercial and personal lines. Doing so permits it to offer more tailored price quotes to its customers based on underwriting criteria applicable to each tier. As a result, OneBeacon now has the flexibility to renew expiring policies into the appropriate tier rather than being forced to choose to either renew the policy at the same base rate or cancel the policy. The enhanced accuracy and precision of OneBeacon’s rate plans enable it to more confidently price its products to the exposure, and thereby permits its agency partners to deliver solutions to a broader range of customers. 9 OneBeacon also monitors pricing activity on a weekly basis and regularly measures usage of tiers, credits, debits and limits. In addition, OneBeacon regularly updates base rates to achieve targeted returns on surplus and attempts to shift writings away from lines and classes where pricing is inadequate. To the extent changes in premium rates, policy forms or other matters are subject to regulatory approval, OneBeacon proactively monitors its pending regulatory filings to facilitate, to the extent possible, their prompt processing and approval. Lastly, OneBeacon expends considerable effort to measure and verify exposures and insured values. Competition Property and casualty insurance is highly competitive. In specialty lines, OneBeacon competes with numerous regional and national insurance companies, most notably The Chubb Corporation, American International Group, The St. Paul Travelers Companies and CNA Financial Corporation. In commercial and personal lines, OneBeacon competes with numerous regional and national insurance companies, most notably The St. Paul Travelers Companies, Inc., Zurich Financial Services Group, CNA Financial Corporation, Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc., W.R. Berkley Corporation, The Chubb Corporation, The Progressive Corporation, Allstate Insurance Company and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company (“Liberty Mutual”). The more significant competitive factors for most insurance products OneBeacon offers are price, product terms and claims service. OneBeacon’s underwriting principles and dedication to independent agency distribution are unlikely to make it the low-cost provider in most markets. However, while it is often difficult for insurance companies to differentiate their products to consumers, OneBeacon believes that its dedication to providing superior product offerings, expertise and local talent, claims service and disciplined underwriting provide a competitive advantage over typical low-cost providers. Claims Management Effective claims management is a critical factor in achieving satisfactory underwriting results. OneBeacon maintains an experienced staff of appraisers, medical specialists, managers, staff attorneys and field adjusters strategically located throughout its operating territories. OneBeacon also maintains a special investigative unit designed to detect insurance fraud and abuse, and supports efforts by regulatory bodies and trade associations to curtail fraud. Claims are separately organized by specialty, commercial, personal and run-off operations. This approach allows OneBeacon to better identify and manage claims handling costs. In addition, a shared service unit manages costs related to both staff and vendors. OneBeacon takes a total claims cost management approach that gives equal importance to controlling claims handling expenses, legal expenses and claims payments, enabling it to lower the sum of the three. This approach requires the utilization of approximately fifty metrics to monitor the effectiveness of various programs implemented to lower total loss cost. The metrics are designed to guard against the implementation of an expense containment program that will cost OneBeacon more than it expects to save. As an example, an internal legal bill audit team has contributed to savings by reducing legal invoices submitted by outside counsel. OneBeacon’s claims department utilizes a claims workstation that records reserves, payments and adjuster activity and assists each claim handler in evaluating bodily injury claims, determining liability and identifying fraud. OneBeacon’s commitment and performance in fighting insurance fraud has reduced claim costs and aided law enforcement investigations. Under its staff counsel program, OneBeacon’s in-house attorneys defend the majority of new lawsuits, which has resulted in savings when compared to the cost of using outside counsel. In addition, OneBeacon’s internal legal bill audit team has contributed to savings by reducing the amounts paid to outside counsel. Most of OneBeacon’s claims for run-off operations are handled by in-house adjusters. Calendar year reported claims in OneBeacon’s run-off operations have decreased to 1,700 in 2006 compared to 3,400 in 2005 and 5,900 in 2004, in part due to the lapse of time and the nature of run-off operations. These levels of reported claims are down from 202,000 in 2002 and 64,800 in 2003. Total open claims for run-off operations were 7,300 at December 31, 2006 compared to 10,200 at December 31, 2005, a 28% reduction, which reflects the success of OneBeacon’s focus on settling claims from its run-off operations. Total open claims for run-off operations were 14,600 in 2004 and 33,000 in 2003. These numbers included all of the claims that were previously handled by Liberty Mutual as a Third Party Administrator (“TPA”). 10 In connection with the purchase of OneBeacon by White Mountains in 2001, to help protect against potential asbestos and environmental claims relating to the pre-acquisition period, OneBeacon purchased a reinsurance contract (the “NICO Cover”) from the National Indemnity Company (“NICO”). See the discussion in the “Reinsurance Protection” section below. NICO has retained a TPA, Resolute New England (“Resolute”, formerly Cavell USA), to manage the claims processing for asbestos and environmental claims reinsured under the NICO Cover. OneBeacon’s claims department personnel are consulted by NICO and Resolute on major claims. As with all TPAs, claims department personnel perform claim audits on Resolute to ensure their controls, processes and settlements are appropriate. For more information regarding OneBeacon’s A&E exposures, see the “Asbestos and Environmental Reserves” discussion included in “CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES” in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”. Terrorism Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (the “Attacks”), OneBeacon has sought to mitigate the risk associated with any future terrorist attacks by limiting the aggregate insured value of policies in geographic areas with exposure to losses from terrorist attacks. This is accomplished by either limiting the total insured values exposed, or, where applicable, through the use of terrorism exclusions. On December 22, 2005, the United States government extended the Terrorism Act, which was set to expire on December 31, 2005, for two more years. The Terrorism Act, originally enacted on November 26, 2002, established a Federal “backstop” for commercial property and casualty losses, including workers compensation, resulting from acts of terrorism by or on behalf of any foreign person or foreign interest. The law limits the industry’s aggregate liability by requiring the Federal government to share 85% of certified losses in 2007 once a company meets a specific retention or deductible as determined by its prior year’s direct written premiums and limits the aggregate liability to be paid by the government and industry without further action by Congress at $100.0 billion. In exchange for this “back-stop,” primary insurers are required to make coverage available to commercial insureds for losses from acts of non-domestic terrorism as specified in the Terrorism Act. The following types of coverage are excluded from the program: commercial automobile, burglary and theft, surety, farmowners multi-peril and all professional liability coverage except directors and officers coverage. OneBeacon estimates its individual retention level for commercial policies subject to the Terrorism Act to be approximately $162 million in 2007. The aggregate industry retention level is $27.5 billion in 2007. The Federal government will pay 85% of covered terrorism losses that exceed OneBeacon’s or the industry’s retention levels in 2007 up to a total of $100 billion. The catastrophe reinsurance protection that OneBeacon currently has obtained provides coverage for “non-certified” events as defined under the Terrorism Act, provided such losses are not the result of a nuclear, biological or chemical attack. See the discussion in the “Reinsurance Protection” section below for a further description of OneBeacon’s catastrophe program. OneBeacon closely monitors and manages its concentration of risk by geographic area. OneBeacon’s strategy is to control its exposures so that its total maximum expected loss from a likely terrorism event within any half-mile radius in a metropolitan area or around a target risk will not exceed $200 million, or $300 million in all other areas. OneBeacon monitors its terrorism exposures from existing policies on a quarterly basis, and the exposure of potential new business located in areas of existing concentration or that individually present significant exposure is evaluated during the underwriting process. As a result, OneBeacon believes that it has taken appropriate actions to limit its exposure to losses from terrorist attacks and it will continue to monitor its terrorism exposure in the future. Nonetheless, risks insured by OneBeacon, including those covered by the Terrorism Act, remain exposed to terrorist attacks and the possibility remains that losses resulting from future terrorist attacks could prove to be material. 11 Reinsurance Protection In the ordinary course of its business, OneBeacon purchases reinsurance from high-quality, highly rated, third party reinsurers in order to minimize loss from large risks or catastrophic events. The timing and size of catastrophe losses are unpredictable and the level of losses experienced in any year could be material to OneBeacon’s operating results and financial position. Examples of catastrophes include losses caused by hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires and other types of storms and terrorist acts. The extent of losses caused by catastrophes is both a function of the amount and type of insured exposure in an area affected by the event and the severity of the event. OneBeacon uses models (primarily AIR V.8) to estimate losses its exposures would generate under various scenarios as well as the probability of those losses occurring. OneBeacon uses this model output in conjunction with other data to manage its exposure to catastrophe losses through individual risk selection and by limiting its concentration of insurance written in catastrophe-prone areas, such as coastal regions. In addition, OneBeacon imposes wind deductibles on existing coastal windstorm exposures. OneBeacon believes that its largest single event natural catastrophe exposures are Northeastern United States windstorms and California earthquakes. OneBeacon seeks to further reduce its potential loss from catastrophe exposures through the purchase of catastrophe reinsurance. Effective July 1, 2006, OneBeacon renewed its property catastrophe reinsurance program through June 30, 2007. Under that cover, the first $200 million of losses resulting from any single catastrophe are retained by OneBeacon and losses from a single event in excess of the first $200 million and up to $850 million are reinsured for 100% of the loss. OneBeacon anticipates this $850 million limit is sufficient to cover Northeast windstorm losses with a 0.4%-0.5% probability of occurrence (1-in-250-year event to 1-in-200-year event). In the event of a catastrophe, OneBeacon’s property catastrophe reinsurance program is automatically reinstated for the remainder of the original contract term for a reinstatement premium that is based on the percentage of coverage reinstated and the original property catastrophe coverage premium. OneBeacon’s property catastrophe reinsurance program does not cover personal or commercial property losses resulting from nuclear, biological or chemical terrorist attacks. The program covers personal property losses resulting from “certified” events as defined under the Terrorism Act, such as foreign terrorism, provided such losses were not caused by nuclear biological or chemical means. The program also covers personal and commercial property losses resulting from “non-certified” events as defined under the Terrorism Act, such as domestic terrorist attacks, provided such losses were not caused by nuclear, biological or chemical means. OneBeacon also purchases individual property reinsurance coverage for certain risks to reduce large loss volatility. The property-per-risk reinsurance program reinsures losses in excess of $5 million up to $75 million. Individual risk facultative reinsurance may be purchased above $75 million where OneBeacon deems it appropriate. The property-per-risk treaty also provides one limit of reinsurance protection for losses in excess of $10 million up to $75 million on an individual risk basis for terrorism losses. However, nuclear, biological and chemical events are not covered. OneBeacon also maintains a casualty reinsurance program that provides protection for individual risk or catastrophe losses involving workers compensation, general liability, automobile liability or umbrella liability in excess of $6 million up to $81 million. This program provides coverage for either “certified” or “non-certified” terrorism losses but does not provide coverage for losses resulting from nuclear, biological or chemical attacks. In 2001, OneBeacon purchased reinsurance contracts with two reinsurance companies rated “AAA” (“Extremely Strong”, the highest of twenty-one ratings) by Standard & Poor’s and “A++” (“Superior”, the highest of fifteen ratings) by A.M. Best. One contract is a reinsurance cover with NICO which entitles OneBeacon to recover up to $2.5 billion in ultimate loss and LAE incurred related primarily to A&E claims arising from business written by OneBeacon’s predecessor prior to 1992 for asbestos claims and 1987 for environmental claims. As of December 31, 2006, OneBeacon has ceded estimated incurred losses of approximately $2.1 billion to the NICO Cover. The other contract is a reinsurance cover with General Reinsurance Corporation, or GRC, for up to $570 million of additional losses on all claims arising from accident years 2000 and prior. As of December 31, 2006, OneBeacon has ceded estimated incurred losses of $550 million to the GRC Cover. Pursuant to the GRC Cover, OneBeacon is not entitled to recover losses to the full contract limit if such losses are reimbursed by GRC more quickly than anticipated at the time the contract was signed. OneBeacon intends to only seek reimbursement from GRC for claims which result in payment patterns similar to those supporting the recoverables recorded pursuant to the GRC Cover. The economic cost of not submitting certain other eligible claims to GRC is primarily the investment spread between the rate credited by GRC and the rate achieved by OneBeacon on its investments. This cost, if any, is expected to be small. 12 Reinsurance contracts do not relieve OneBeacon of its obligation to its policyholders. Therefore, collectibility of balances due from reinsurers is critical to its financial strength. See Note 4 - “Third Party Reinsurance” in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of the largest balances due from OneBeacon’s reinsurers. Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Reserves OneBeacon establishes loss and LAE reserves that are estimates of amounts needed to pay claims and related expenses in the future for insured events that have already occurred. The process of estimating reserves involves a considerable degree of judgment by management and, as of any given date, is inherently uncertain. See “CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES” in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for a full discussion regarding OneBeacon’s loss reserving process. The following information presents (1) OneBeacon’s reserve development over the preceding ten years and (2) a reconciliation of reserves in accordance with accounting principles and practices prescribed or permitted by insurance authorities (“Statutory” basis) to such reserves determined in accordance with GAAP, each as prescribed by Securities Act Industry Guide No. 6. Section I of the 10 year table shows the estimated liability that was recorded at the end of each of the indicated years for all current and prior accident year unpaid loss and LAE. The liability represents the estimated amount of loss and LAE for claims that were unpaid at the balance sheet date, including incurred but not reported (“IBNR”) reserves. In accordance with GAAP, the liability for unpaid loss and LAE is recorded in the balance sheet gross of the effects of reinsurance with an estimate of reinsurance recoverables arising from reinsurance contracts reported separately as an asset. The net balance represents the estimated amount of unpaid loss and LAE outstanding as of the balance sheet date, reduced by estimates of amounts recoverable under reinsurance contracts. Section II shows the cumulative amount of net loss and LAE paid relating to recorded liabilities as of the end of each succeeding year. Section III shows the re-estimated amount of the previously recorded net liability as of the end of each succeeding year. Estimates of the liability for unpaid loss and LAE are increased or decreased as payments are made and more information regarding individual claims and trends, such as overall frequency and severity patterns, becomes known. Section IV shows the cumulative net (deficiency)/redundancy representing the aggregate change in the liability from original balance sheet dates and the re-estimated liability through December 31, 2006. Section V shows the re-estimated gross liability and re-estimated reinsurance recoverables through December 31, 2006. Section VI shows the cumulative gross (deficiency)/redundancy representing the aggregate change in the liability from original balance sheet dates and the re-estimated liability through December 31, 2006. 13 OneBeacon Loss and LAE(1), (3), (4)
(1) In 1998, Commercial General Union (“CGU”), the predecessor company to OneBeacon, was formed as a result of a pooling of interests between Commercial Union Corporation and General Accident Corporation of America. All historical balances have been restated as though the companies had been merged throughout the periods presented. (2) CGU acquired Houston General Insurance Company (“HGIC”) in 1998. In 2005, OneBeacon contributed HGIC to Houston General Insurance Exchange. Even though no longer owned by OneBeacon, all liabilities related to this entity continue to be shown from 1998 forward in this table because GAAP continues to require it to be consolidated by OneBeacon. (3) This table reflects the effects of the NICO Cover and the GRC Cover as if they had been in effect for all periods presented. (4) OneBeacon became a wholly-owned subsidiary of White Mountains during 2001. Reserve development for the years ended 1995 through 2000 reflects development on reserves established before White Mountains consolidated OneBeacon’s results. (5) OneBeacon acquired NFU in 1998 and sold it during 2005. All liabilities related to this entity are shown from 1998 through 2004. 14 The cumulative net (deficiency)/redundancy in the table above reflects reinsurance recoverables recorded in connection with the OneBeacon Acquisition under the NICO Cover and the GRC Cover. See Note 4- “Third Party Reinsurance” in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of the NICO Cover and the GRC Cover. These covers apply to losses incurred in 2000 and prior years. As a result, they have the effect of significantly increasing OneBeacon’s reinsurance recoverables in 2001 and 2002 and reducing its reserve deficiency for each of the years presented prior to the OneBeacon Acquisition by the amount of the reserves ceded at the time these covers were purchased. See “Asbestos and Environmental Reserves” under “CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES” in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for a discussion of the impact of the NICO Cover on OneBeacon’s net loss and LAE reserve position. The following table reconciles loss and LAE reserves determined on a Statutory basis to loss and LAE reserves determined in accordance with GAAP at December 31, as follows:
(1) Represents adjustments made to add back reinsurance recoverables included with the presentation of reserves under Statutory accounting. (2) Primarily represents long-term workers compensation loss and LAE reserve discount recorded of $36.2 million, $36.8 million and $36.1 million in 2006, 2005 and 2004 in excess of statutorily defined discount. OneBeacon’s Intermediate Holding Companies OneBeacon’s intermediate holding companies include Fund American Enterprises Holdings, Inc. (“FAEH”) and Fund American Companies, Inc. (“Fund American”), both U.S.-domiciled companies, as well as various intermediate holding companies domiciled in the United States, Gibraltar, Luxembourg and Bermuda. In May 2003, Fund American issued $700 million face value of senior unsecured debt through a public offering, at an issue price of 99.7% (the “Senior Notes”). The Senior Notes bear an annual interest rate of 5.9% until maturity in May 2013. Pursuant to the offering of the Senior Notes, White Mountains fully and unconditionally guaranteed the payment of principal and interest on the Senior Notes. Following the OneBeacon Offering, White Mountains continues to guarantee the payment of principal and interest on the Senior Notes. OneBeacon Ltd. pays White Mountains a guarantee fee equal to 25 basis points per annum on the outstanding principal amount of the Senior Notes. If White Mountains’ voting interest in OneBeacon Ltd.’s common shares ceases to represent more than 50% of all their voting securities, OneBeacon Ltd. will seek to redeem, exchange or otherwise modify the senior notes in order to fully and permanently eliminate White Mountains’ obligations under its guarantee. In the event that White Mountains’ guarantee is not eliminated, the guarantee fee will increase over time up to a maximum of 450 basis points. As part of the financing for the OneBeacon Acquisition, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (“Berkshire”) invested a total of $300 million in cash, of which (1) $225 million was for the purchase of cumulative non-voting preferred stock of Fund American (the “Berkshire Preferred Stock”), which has a $300 million redemption value; and (2) $75 million was for the purchase of warrants to acquire 1,724,200 common shares of the Company. The Berkshire Preferred Stock is entitled to a dividend of no less than 2.35% per quarter and is mandatorily redeemable on May 31, 2008. During 2004, Berkshire exercised its warrants for $294 million in cash. Also as part of the financing of the OneBeacon Acquisition, Zenith Insurance Company (“Zenith”) purchased $20 million in cumulative non-voting preferred stock of FAEH (the “Zenith Preferred Stock”). The Zenith Preferred Stock is entitled to a dividend of no less than a 2.5% per quarter through June 30, 2007 and a dividend of no less than 3.5% per quarter thereafter. The Zenith Preferred Stock is mandatorily redeemable on May 31, 2011. At White Mountains’ option, which it expects to exercise, the Zenith Preferred Stock may be redeemed on June 30, 2007. In connection with the OneBeacon Offering, Fund American and FAEH each established an irrevocable grantor trust to economically defease the Berkshire Preferred Stock and the Zenith Preferred Stock. The assets of each trust are solely dedicated to the satisfaction of the payment of dividends and redemption amounts on the $300 million 15 liquidation preference of the Berkshire Preferred Stock and the $20 million liquidation preference of the Zenith Preferred Stock. Concurrently with the closing of the OneBeacon Offering, Fund American and FAEH funded their respective trust with cash that was used to purchase a portfolio of fixed maturity securities issued by the U.S. government or government-sponsored enterprises. The scheduled interest and principal payments of the portfolio of fixed maturity securities in each trust is sufficient to pay when due all amounts required under the terms of the Berkshire Preferred Stock and the Zenith Preferred Stock, including the mandatory redemption of the Berkshire Preferred Stock in May 2008 and the optional redemption of the Zenith Preferred Stock in June 2007. In connection with the OneBeacon Offering, Fund American established a $75 million revolving credit facility that matures in November 2011 (the “FAC Bank Facility”). As of December 31, 2006, the FAC Bank Facility was undrawn. White Mountains Re is a global multi-line reinsurance organization that provides reinsurance for property, liability, accident & health, aviation and certain marine exposures on a worldwide basis through its subsidiaries, Folksamerica Re and Sirius International. Folksamerica Re is a multi-line property and casualty reinsurer that provides reinsurance primarily in the United States, Canada, Continental Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean and Japan. Sirius International, which is the largest reinsurance company domiciled in Scandinavia based on gross written premiums, is a multi-line property and casualty reinsurer that provides reinsurance primarily in Europe, North America and Asia. WMRUS provides reinsurance underwriting advice and reinsurance portfolio analysis services to Sirius, Folksamerica, Olympus Reinsurance Company Ltd. (“Olympus”) and Helicon Reinsurance Company, Ltd. (“Helicon”). As White Mountains Re’s “center of excellence” for property catastrophe risk evaluation, its goal is to promote increased efficiencies, consistency in pricing and underwriting methodology, centralized management of catastrophe exposures and advanced catastrophe modeling, as well as value-added services for intermediaries and clients. In exchange for these services, WMRUS receives fee income on the business it refers. White Mountains Re has offices in Belgium, Bermuda, Chicago, Connecticut, Dublin, Hamburg, London, Miami, New York, Singapore, Stockholm, Toronto and Zurich. At December 31, 2006 and 2005, White Mountains Re had $7.3 billion and $8.5 billion of total assets and $2.1 billion and $1.9 billion of shareholder’s equity, respectively. Folksamerica Re is rated “A-” (Excellent, the fourth highest of fifteen ratings) by A.M. Best and “A-” (Strong, the seventh highest of twenty-one ratings) by Standard & Poor’s. Sirius International is rated “A” (Excellent, the third highest of fifteen ratings) by A.M. Best and “A-” (Strong, the seventh highest of twenty-one ratings) by Standard & Poor’s. White Mountains Re has completed several significant transactions involving interests in other insurance and reinsurance organizations. In most cases the transactions were acquisitions of entities that were owned by organizations that no longer considered them core businesses. Since 2000, White Mountains Re has completed the following significant transactions in addition to the Sirius Acquisition: · On December 22, 2006, White Mountains Re acquired Mutual Service Casualty Insurance Company (“Mutual Service”), a Minnesota-domiciled, runoff insurer for $34 million in cash. Mutual Service has been renamed Stockbridge Insurance Company (“Stockbridge”) as part of a sponsored demutualization and conversion to a stock company and was formerly affiliated with Illinois-based Country Insurance & Financial Services (“Country”). As part of the transaction, Country has provided Stockbridge with approximately $25 million of reinsurance protection in excess of Stockbridge’s carried reserves as of September 30, 2006. White Mountains Re did not acquire any infrastructure or employees and is managing Stockbridge’s run-off administration through the use of a TPA under White Mountains Re’s direction. · On August 2, 2006, White Mountains Re sold Sirius America to an investor group led by Lightyear Capital for $139 million in cash. As part of the transaction, White Mountains acquired an equity interest of approximately 18% in the acquiring entity and accounts for its remaining interest in Sirius America on the equity method within its Other Operations segment. · On November 11, 2004, Sirius International acquired Denmark-based Tryg-Baltica Forsikring, internationalt forsikringsselskab A/S (“Tryg-Baltica”). Following the closing, White Mountains Re placed Tryg-Baltica into run-off, with select business renewed by Sirius International. White Mountains Re did not acquire any infrastructure or employees and is managing the company’s run-off administration. 16 · On March 31, 2004, Folksamerica acquired the Sierra Insurance Group companies (the “Sierra Group”). Subsequent to the acquisition, the Sierra Group companies, which previously wrote mainly workers compensation business, were placed into run-off and all of the acquired companies’ run-off claims administration was transferred to TPAs working under White Mountains Re’s direction. · Effective October 1, 2003, White Mountains Re acquired renewal rights to the property and casualty treaty reinsurance business of CNA Reinsurance (“CNA Re”), a division of CNA Financial Corporation (the “CNA Re Agreement”). Under the terms of the CNA Re Agreement, White Mountains Re paid CNA Re a renewal commission on the premiums renewed over the two contract renewal periods subsequent to October 1, 2003. · In 2002, Folksamerica acquired Imperial Casualty and Indemnity Insurance Company, a company in run-off. · In 2001, White Mountains Re acquired substantially all of the international reinsurance operations of Folksam International Insurance Company and Folksamerica acquired C-F Insurance Company, a company in run-off. · In 2000, Folksamerica acquired substantially all the reinsurance operations of Risk Capital Reinsurance Company (“Risk Capital”) and PCA Property & Casualty Insurance Company (“PCA”), a company in run-off. Reinsurance Overview Reinsurance is an arrangement in which a reinsurance company (the “reinsurer”) agrees to indemnify an insurance company (the “ceding company”) for all or a portion of the insurance risks underwritten by the ceding company under one or more insurance policies. Reinsurance can benefit a ceding company in a number of ways, including reducing exposure on individual risks, providing catastrophe protections from large or multiple losses, and assisting in maintaining acceptable capital levels as well as financial and operating leverage ratios. Reinsurance can also provide a ceding company with additional underwriting capacity by permitting it to accept larger risks and underwrite a greater number of risks without a commensurate increase in its capital or surplus. Reinsurers may also purchase reinsurance, known as retrocessional reinsurance, to cover their own risks assumed from ceding companies. Reinsurance companies often enter into retrocessional agreements for many of the same reasons that ceding companies enter into reinsurance agreements. Reinsurance is generally written on a treaty or facultative basis. Treaty reinsurance is an agreement whereby the reinsurer assumes a specified portion or category of risk under all qualifying policies issued by the ceding company during the term of the agreement, usually one year. When underwriting treaty reinsurance, the reinsurer does not evaluate each individual risk and generally accepts the original underwriting decisions made by the ceding company. Treaty reinsurance is typically written on either a quota share or excess of loss basis. A quota share reinsurance treaty is an arrangement whereby a reinsurer assumes a predetermined proportional share of the premiums and losses generated on specified business. An excess of loss treaty is an arrangement whereby a reinsurer assumes losses that exceed a specific retention of loss by the ceding company. Facultative reinsurance, on the other hand, is underwritten on a risk-by-risk basis, which allows the reinsurer to determine pricing for each exposure. A significant period of time normally elapses between the receipt of reinsurance premiums and the payment of reinsurance claims. While premiums are generally paid to the reinsurer upon inception of coverage, the claims process is delayed and generally begins upon the occurrence of an event causing an insured loss followed by: (1) the reporting of the loss by the insured to the ceding company; (2) the reporting of the loss by the ceding company to the reinsurer; (3) the ceding company’s adjustment and payment of the loss; and (4) the payment to the ceding company by the reinsurer. During this time, reinsurers generate investment income on premium receipts, consisting primarily of interest earned on fixed maturity investments and dividends earned on equity securities. The period of time between the receipt of premiums and the payment of claims is typically longer for a reinsurer than for a primary insurer. This delay is less significant for companies that write large volumes of short-tailed coverage, such as property. 17 Classes of Business White Mountains Re writes three main classes of reinsurance: property, liability and specialty. White Mountains Re’s net written premiums by class of business for the years ended December 31, 2006, 2005 and 2004 were as follows:
(1) Includes primarily accident & health, marine and aviation business. The majority of White Mountains Re’s premiums are derived from reinsurance contracts both on a quota share and an excess of loss basis, which in 2006 amounted to 47% and 38%, respectively, of its total net written premiums, while primary business represented 15% of total net written premium. During the years ended December31, 2006, 2005 and 2004, White Mountains Re received no more than 10% of its gross reinsurance premiums from any individual ceding company. During the years ended December 31, 2006, 2005 and 2004, White Mountains Re received approximately 52%, 40% and 51%, respectively, of its gross reinsurance written premiums from three major, third-party reinsurance intermediaries as follows: (1) AON Re — 24%, 18% and 22%, respectively; (2) Benfield — 16%, 14% and 16%, respectively; and (3) Guy Carpenter — 12%, 8% and 13%, respectively. Geographic Concentration White Mountains Re’s net written premiums by geographic region for the years ended December 31, 2006, 2005 and 2004 were as follows:
Marketing White Mountains Re, which conducts its reinsurance business through Folksamerica Re and Sirius International, obtains most of its business from reinsurance intermediaries. Business submissions come from intermediaries that represent the ceding company or through submissions recommended by WMRUS. The process of placing an intermediary reinsurance program typically begins when a ceding company enlists the aid of a reinsurance intermediary in structuring a reinsurance program. The ceding company and the intermediary will often consult with one or more lead reinsurers as to the pricing and contract terms for the reinsurance protection being sought. Once the ceding company has approved the terms quoted by the lead reinsurer, the intermediary will offer participation to qualified reinsurers until the program is fully subscribed. White Mountains Re considers both the intermediary and the ceding company to be its clients in any placement and as such has developed strong business relationships over a long period of time with the management of many of its ceding companies. 18 White Mountains Re pays ceding companies a ceding commission under most quota share reinsurance treaties and some excess of loss reinsurance treaties. The ceding commission is generally based on the ceding company’s cost of acquiring and administering the business being reinsured (e.g., commissions, premium taxes and certain miscellaneous expenses). Additionally, White Mountains Re pays reinsurance intermediaries commissions based on negotiated percentages of the premium they produce. The reinsurance intermediaries’ commissions constitute a significant portion of White Mountains Re’s total acquisition costs. Underwriting and Pricing White Mountains Re has a long history of maintaining a disciplined underwriting strategy which, while considering overall exposure, focuses on writing more business when market terms and conditions are favorable and reducing business volume during soft markets when terms and conditions become less favorable. White Mountains Re also employs a multi-line approach, offering clients a wide range of reinsurance products to satisfy their risk management needs. White Mountains Re derives its business from a broad spectrum of ceding companies, including national, regional, specialty and excess and surplus lines writers, both in the United States and internationally. White Mountains Re’s underwriters and pricing actuaries perform reviews of the underwriting, pricing, and general underwriting controls of potential ceding companies before quoting contract terms for its reinsurance products. White Mountains Re prices its products by assessing the desired return on the expected capital needed to write a given contract and on the expected underwriting results of the contract. White Mountains Re’s pricing indications are based on a number of underwriting factors including historical results, analysis of exposure and estimates of future loss costs, a review of other programs displaying similar exposure characteristics and the ceding company’s underwriting and claims experience. White Mountains Re’s underwriters, actuaries and claims personnel perform audits to monitor certain ceding companies’ risk selection, pricing and claim handling discipline. Additionally, White Mountains Re’s finance staff reviews the financial stability and creditworthiness of certain ceding companies. Such reviews provide important input to support underwriting decisions. White Mountains Re and other reinsurance companies have sought to mitigate the risks associated with future terrorist attacks in a similar manner as primary insurers. Reinsurers do not have the stringent regulations with respect to contract terms and policy exclusions that are generally imposed on primary insurers. For example, the Terrorism Act is not applicable to reinsurers. As a result, terrorism exclusions on reinsurance contracts are dictated by the marketplace. White Mountains Re evaluates terrorism exposure from its ceding companies and applies exclusions as it deems appropriate. Reinsurance on commercial risks written by White Mountains Re subsequent to the Attacks generally contains clauses that exclude acts of terrorism certified under the Terrorism Act. Reinsurance on personal risks written by White Mountains Re subsequent to the Attacks generally contains exclusions related to nuclear, biological and chemical attacks. Following the 2004 and 2005 catastrophe activity, White Mountains Re enhanced its catastrophe underwriting process by significantly raising its provision for demand surge (i.e., the rise in costs from shortages of material and labor in regions affected by a catastrophe) and by employing a more conservative methodology to evaluate exposure than those that result from standard actuarial and modeling techniques. Additionally, Folksamerica Re non-renewed its excess off-shore energy and marine business in the Gulf of Mexico effective January 1, 2006. Claims Management White Mountains Re maintains a staff of experienced reinsurance claim specialists that work closely with reinsurance intermediaries to obtain specific claims information from its customers. White Mountains Re’s claims staff also regularly perform on-site claim reviews to assess certain reinsured’s claim handling ability and reserving techniques. In addition, White Mountains Re’s claims specialists review loss information provided by the reinsured for adequacy. The results of these claim reviews are shared with the underwriters and actuaries to assist them in pricing products and establishing loss reserves. White Mountains Re also uses TPAs for certain other claims, including run-off claims related to certain acquisitions. White Mountains Re’s claims staff performs on-site claim audits of certain TPAs to ensure the propriety of the controls and processes over claims serviced by the TPA. 19 Competition The worldwide reinsurance market is highly competitive. Competition in the types of reinsurance that White Mountains Re underwrites is influenced by a variety of factors, including price and other terms and conditions offered, financial strength ratings, prior history and relationships, as well as expertise and the speed at which the company has historically paid claims. White Mountains Re competes for reinsurance business in the United States, Bermuda, Europe, and other international reinsurance markets with numerous global competitors. White Mountains Re’s competitors include reinsurance companies, and underwriting syndicates at Lloyd’s. Some of the companies that White Mountains Re competes directly with include ACE Limited, Arch Capital Group Ltd., Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd., Everest Re Group, Ltd., Hannover Ruckversicherung AG, Lloyd’s of London, Munich Re Group, Partner Re Ltd., Platinum Underwriters Holdings Ltd., Renaissance Re Holdings Ltd., Swiss Re Group, Transatlantic Holdings, Inc. and XL Capital Ltd. Catastrophe Risk Management White Mountains Re has exposure to losses caused by hurricanes, earthquakes, winter storms, windstorms, terrorist acts and other catastrophic events. In the normal course of business, White Mountains Re regularly manages its concentration of exposures to catastrophic events, primarily by limiting concentrations of exposure to what it deems acceptable levels and, if necessary, purchasing reinsurance. In addition, White Mountains Re seeks terrorism exclusions in its reinsurance contracts, where applicable. White Mountains Re also uses third party global catastrophe models that calculate its expected probable maximum loss (“PML”) from several possible catastrophes. White Mountains Re believes that its largest natural catastrophe exposures, net of reinsurance and based on a 250-year PML single event scenario, are European winter storm, California earthquake, United States Atlantic Coast windstorm (i.e., Delaware to Florida) and United States Gulf Coast windstorm (i.e., Florida to Texas). White Mountains Re’s catastrophe pricing models are based on third party software models and internally developed models. White Mountains Re models and assesses each property contract it writes for catastrophe exposure. Catastrophe exposure modeling is inherently uncertain due to process risk (the probability and magnitude of the underlying event, e.g. earthquake) and parameter risk (the probability of making inaccurate modeling assumptions). In particular, geographic and policy coverage data on the primary policies reinsured by White Mountains Re is essential. Accordingly, White Mountains Re’s ability to accurately predict its catastrophe exposure is dependent on the quality and accuracy of data obtained from its clients. Additionally, catastrophe modeling is dependent upon several broad economic and scientific assumptions, such as storm surge (i.e., the water that is pushed toward the shore by the force of a windstorm), demand surge and zone density (i.e., the percentage of insured perils that would be affected in a region by a catastrophe). While catastrophe models can be effective tools in assisting with the pricing and managing of property catastrophe exposures, White Mountains Re does not believe that they can be strictly relied upon to measure its exposure to catastrophic risk. For example, losses arising from Hurricane Katrina for both the industry and White Mountains Re were substantially in excess of losses previously predicted by third party models from such an event, due to issues such as inadequate storm surge and demand surge assumptions in the models as well as flood due to the levees breaking, which was not fully contemplated in these models. Correspondingly, White Mountains Re assesses catastrophe risk by monitoring total limits exposed to a catastrophe event in key zones. White Mountains Re has enhanced its operations in Bermuda to advise the group in the underwriting, pricing and managing of catastrophe risks assumed. Reinsurance Protection White Mountains Re’s reinsurance protection is provided through Folksamerica Re’s quota share retrocessional arrangements with Olympus and Helicon and through excess of loss protection purchased by Sirius to cover Sirius’ property catastrophe and aviation exposures. These reinsurance protections are designed to increase White Mountains Re’s underwriting capacity, where appropriate, and to reduce its potential loss exposure to any large or series of smaller catastrophe events. 20
Under White Mountains Re’s 2006 arrangements with Olympus and Helicon, Folksamerica Re ceded 35% of its 2006 underwriting year short-tailed excess of loss business, mainly property and marine. Olympus and Helicon shared approximately 56% and 44%, respectively, in the 2006 underwriting year cession. Under White Mountains Re’s 2005 arrangements with Olympus, Folksamerica Re ceded up to 75% of substantially all of its 2005 underwriting year short-tailed excess of loss business, mainly property and marine, and 50% of its 2005 underwriting year proportional property business and Sirius International ceded 25% of its 2005 underwriting year short-tailed proportional and excess of loss business. White Mountains Re received fee income based on premiums ceded to Olympus and Helicon. During 2007, Folksamerica Re will continue to cede 35% of its 2007 underwriting year short-tailed excess of loss business, mainly property and marine, with Olympus and Helicon sharing approximately 55% and 45%, respectively, in 2007. White Mountains Re is also entitled to receive a profit commission with respect to the profitability of the business placed with Olympus and Helicon. However, this profit commission arrangement is subject to a deficit carryforward whereby net underwriting losses from one year carryover to future years. As a result of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma and several other significant loss events during 2005, Olympus recorded substantial net underwriting losses. Accordingly, White Mountains Re did not record a profit commission from Olympus or Helicon during 2006 or 2005 and does not expect to record profit commissions from Olympus or Helicon for the foreseeable future. Reinsurance contracts do not relieve White Mountains Re of its obligation to its ceding companies. Therefore, collectibility of balances due from its retrocessional reinsurers is critical to White Mountains Re’s financial strength. See Note 4 - “Third Party Reinsurance” to the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of White Mountains Re’s top reinsurers. Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Reserves White Mountains Re establishes reserves that are estimates of future amounts needed to pay claims and related expenses for insured events that have already occurred. See “CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES” in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for a full discussion regarding White Mountains Re’s loss reserving process. The following information presents (1) White Mountains Re’s reserve development over the preceding ten years and (2) a reconciliation of reserves on a regulatory basis to reserves determined in accordance with GAAP, each as prescribed by Securities Act Industry Guide No. 6. Section I of the 10 year table shows the estimated liability that was recorded at the end of each of the indicated years for all current and prior accident year unpaid loss and LAE. The liability represents the estimated amount of loss and LAE for claims that were unpaid at the balance sheet date, including IBNR reserves. In accordance with GAAP, the liability for unpaid loss and LAE is recorded in the balance sheet gross of the effects of reinsurance with an estimate of reinsurance recoverables arising from reinsurance contracts reported separately as an asset. The net balance represents the estimated amount of unpaid loss and LAE outstanding as of the balance sheet date, reduced by estimates of amounts recoverable under reinsurance contracts. Section II shows the cumulative amount of net loss and LAE paid relating to recorded liabilities as of the end of each succeeding year. Section III shows the re-estimated amount of the previously recorded net liability as of the end of each succeeding year. Estimates of the liability for unpaid loss and LAE are increased or decreased as payments are made and more information regarding individual claims and trends, such as overall frequency and severity patterns, becomes known. Section IV shows the cumulative net (deficiency)/redundancy representing the aggregate change in the liability from original balance sheet dates and the re-estimated liability through December 31, 2006. Section V shows the re-estimated gross liability and re-estimated reinsurance recoverables through December 31, 2006. Section VI shows the cumulative gross (deficiency)/redundancy representing the aggregate change in the liability from original balance sheet dates and the re-estimated liability through December 31, 2006. 21
The following table includes the complete loss development history for all periods presented for all companies acquired by White Mountains Re as if the companies had been combined from their inception. This table includes development on reserves reported by acquired companies before those companies were acquired by White Mountains Re White Mountains Re Loss and LAE (1), (2), (3), (4), (5) Years Ended December 31,
(1) The table includes the complete loss development history for all periods presented for all companies acquired by Folksamerica through an instrument of transfer and assumption approved by the appropriate insurance regulators. Under the instrument, insurance regulators require that Folksamerica report reserve development as if the companies had been combined from their inception. (2) Folksamerica became a wholly-owned subsidiary of White Mountains during 1998. Reserve development for the years ended 1996 through 1997 reflects development on reserves established before White Mountains consolidated Folksamerica’s results. (3) Sirius, including Scandinavian Re, became a wholly-owned subsidiary of White Mountains Re during 2004. The table includes the complete loss development history for all periods presented. Reserve development for the years ended 1996 through 2003 reflects development on reserves established before White Mountains Re consolidated Sirius’ results. See table, below. (4) White Mountains Re acquired $136.8 million in net loss and LAE reserves when it acquired Tryg-Baltica during 2004. For periods prior to December 31, 2004, loss and LAE reserves for Tryg-Baltica are not included due to lack of availability of loss development history on a comparable basis. (5) White Mountains Re acquired $38.3 million in net loss and LAE reserves when it acquired Stockbridge during 2006. For periods prior to December 31, 2006, loss and LAE reserves for Stockbridge are not included due to lack of availability of loss development history. 22
The cumulative net (deficiency)/redundancy in the table above reflects adverse development recorded by Scandinavian Re, which was acquired by White Mountains Re as part of the Sirius Acquisition in 2004, and has been in run off since 2002. Scandinavian Re was a writer of non-traditional reinsurance products from 1988 to 2001. The cumulative net (deficiency)/redundancy in the table above also includes adverse development from A&E claims. White Mountains Re's exposure to A&E claims results mainly from asbestos claims arising from treaty and facultative contracts written prior to 1985 at two companies acquired by Folksamerica - MONY Reinsurance in 1991 and Christiania General in 1996. As a result, the table above reflects reserve development on Scandinavian Re prior to White Mountains Re’s ownership and on A&E business that was not underwritten by White Mountains Re. The table presented below represents White Mountains Re’s cumulative net (deficiency)/redundancy excluding Scandinavian Re and A&E claims:
In general, many of Scandinavian Re's contracts were large and contained high limits. During the soft market period of 1999 to 2001, when pricing, terms and conditions were not very favorable, many of the contracts Scandinavian Re entered into were underpriced, resulting in much higher incurred losses than expected. These factors caused a significant amount of adverse development to be reported by Scandinavian Re, nearly all of which was recorded prior to White Mountains Re's ownership. As a result, including Scandinavian Re's results in the ten year table presents a distorted picture of the historic loss reserve adequacy of White Mountains Re's ongoing businesses. White Mountains Re's net incurred losses from A&E claims have totaled $145 million over the past ten years. Although losses arising from A&E claims were on contracts that were not underwritten by White Mountains Re, White Mountains Re is liable for any additional losses arising from such contracts. Accordingly, White Mountains Re cannot guarantee that it will not incur additional A&E losses in the future. Refer to “CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES” in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for further details of White Mountains Re's A&E reserves. The following table reconciles loss and LAE reserves determined on a regulatory basis to loss and LAE reserves determined in accordance with GAAP at December 31, as follows:
(1) Represents adjustments made to add back reinsurance recoverables included with the presentation of reserves under regulatory accounting. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||