2017 Mercury Casualty Exam Report
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REPORT OF EXAMINATION OF THE MERCURY CASUALTY COMPANY AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2017 Filed on June 17, 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page SCOPE OF EXAMINATION ............................................................................................ 2 COMPANY HISTORY: .................................................................................................... 4 Dividends paid to Parent ............................................................................................ 4 Capital Contributions .................................................................................................. 4 MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL:................................................................................... 4 Management Agreements .......................................................................................... 7 TERRITORY AND PLAN OF OPERATION ..................................................................... 9 REINSURANCE: ........................................................................................................... 10 Assumed .................................................................................................................. 10 Ceded ...................................................................................................................... 12 ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS: ...................................................................................... 13 Automobile Assessment File .................................................................................... 13 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: ......................................................................................... 14 Statement of Financial Condition as of December 31, 2017 .................................... 15 Underwriting and Investment Exhibit for the Year Ended December 31, 2017 ........ 16 Reconciliation of Surplus as Regards Policyholders from December 31, 2013 through December 31, 2017 ............................................................................... 17 COMMENTS ON FINANCIAL STATEMENT ITEMS: .................................................... 18 Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses .................................................................. 18 SUBSEQUENT EVENTS .............................................................................................. 18 SUMMARY OF COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: ........................................ 19 Current Report of Examination ................................................................................ 19 Previous Report of Examination .............................................................................. 19 ACKNOWLEDGMENT .................................................................................................. 20 Los Angeles, California May 17, 2019 Honorable Ricardo Lara Insurance Commissioner California Department of Insurance Sacramento, California Dear Commissioner: Pursuant to your instructions, an examination was made of the MERCURY CASUALTY COMPANY (hereinafter also referred to as the Company) at the primary location of its books and records, 4484 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, 90010. The Company's statutory home office and main administrative office is located at 555 West Imperial Highway, Brea, California 92821. SCOPE OF EXAMINATION We have performed our multi-state examination of the Company. The previous examination of the Company was made as of December 31, 2013. This examination covers the period from January 1, 2014, through December 31, 2017. The examination was conducted in accordance with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Financial Condition Examiners’ Handbook (Handbook). The Handbook requires the planning and performance of the examination to evaluate the Company’s financial condition, assess corporate governance, identify current and prospective risks, and evaluate system controls and procedures used to mitigate those risks. The examination also included identifying and evaluating significant risks that could cause the Company’s surplus to be materially misstated, both currently and prospectively. All accounts and activities of the Company were considered in accordance with the risk- focused examination process. This includes assessing significant estimates made by 2 management, and evaluating management’s compliance with Statutory Accounting Principles. The examination does not attest to the fair presentation of the financial statements included herein. If an adjustment was identified during the course of the examination, the impact of such adjustment would be documented separately following the Company’s financial statements. This examination report includes findings of fact and general information about the Company and its financial condition. There might be other items identified during the examination that, due to their nature (e.g., subjective conclusions, proprietary information, etc.), were not included within the examination report, but separately communicated to other regulators and/or the Company. The examination was a coordinated examination of the Mercury Insurance Group with California as the lead state, and conducted concurrently with the Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Texas Departments of Insurance. The insurance entities reviewed as part of this examination are identified below by state of domicile: Company State California Automobile Insurance Company California California General Underwriters Insurance Company, Inc. California Mercury Casualty Company California Mercury Insurance Company California Workmen’s Auto Insurance Company California Mercury Indemnity Company of America Florida Mercury Insurance Company of Florida Florida Mercury Indemnity Company of Georgia Georgia Mercury Insurance Company of Georgia Georgia Mercury Insurance Company of Illinois Illinois Mercury National Insurance Company Illinois American Mercury Insurance Company Oklahoma 3 Mercury County Mutual Insurance Company Texas American Mercury Lloyds Insurance Company Texas COMPANY HISTORY The Company was incorporated in the state of California on January 6, 1961 and commenced operations in 1962. The Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mercury General Corporation (MGC) and the parent company of Mercury Insurance Company and California General Underwriters Insurance Company, Inc., California domiciled insurance companies; and Mercury Insurance Services, LLC, a management services company. The Company is also the sole member of AIS Management, LLC (AISM), a licensed insurance agent. Membership interest in AISM was acquired on January 1, 2009. Dividends paid to Parent Ordinary cash dividends paid by the Company to its parent, MGC, totaled $225,000,000, $133,000,000, $94,800,000, and $93,000,000, for the years 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, respectively. Capital Contributions The Company received a capital contribution of $140,000,000 from MGC on March 8, 2017. MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL Mercury General Corporation (MGC) is a publicly traded insurance holding company. The controlling stockholders, George Joseph and Gloria Joseph, own 34.0% and 16.6%, respectively, of MGC's stock with the remaining 49.4% held by public shareholders and Blackrock, Inc. The following organizational chart depicts the Company's relationship within the holding company system: 4 George Joseph Public Shareholders Gloria Joseph Blackrock, Inc. 34.0% 37.3% 16.6% 12.1% Mercury General Corporation California 100% California Mercury Casualty Mercury Insurance American Mercury Mercury Indemnity Automobile Co. Co. of Illinois Insurance Co. Co. of Georgia Insurance Co. CA 100% IL 100% OK 100% GA 100% CA 100% Mercury Insurance Mercury Insurance Mercury National Mercury Select Mercury Indemnity Co. Of Georgia Co. Insurance Co. Management Co., Co. of America GA 100% CA 100% IL 100% Inc. *** TX 100% FL 100% California General American Mercury Mercury Insurance Underwriters Ins. Lloyds Insurance Co. of Florida Co., Inc. Co. FL 100% CA 100% TX Workmen’s Auto Mercury Insurance Insurance Company Services, LLC* CA 100% CA Mercury County Mutual Insurance Co. ** TX * Mercury Insurance Services, LLC, is controlled by its sole and managing member, Mercury Casualty Company, through a management agreement. ** Mercury County Mutual Insurance Company is managed and controlled by Mercury Insurance Services, LLC, through a management agreement. *** Mercury Select Management Company, Inc. is Attorney-in-fact for American Mercury Lloyds Insurance Company, a Texas Lloyds Plan Insurer. The nine members of the board of directors, who are elected annually, manage the business and affairs of the Company. Following are members of the board and principal officers of the Company serving at December 31, 2017: 5 Directors Name and Location Principal Business Affiliation Michael D. Curtius *** Retired President Carlsbad, California Mercury General Corporation James G. Ellis Dean of the Marshall School of Business Carlsbad, California The University of Southern California George Joseph Chairman of the Board Los Angeles, California Mercury General Corporation Joshua E. Little Attorney and Managing Shareholder St. George, Utah Durham Jones & Pinegar, P.C. Martha E. Marcon Retired Partner Glendale, California KPMG, LLP John G. Nackel (**) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Pasadena, California Three-Sixty Advisory Group, LLC Glenn S. Shafer (**) Retired President Irvine, California Pacific Life Insurance Company Donald R. Spuehler (*) Retired Partner Los Angeles, California Law Firm of O’Melveny & Meyers, LLP Gabriel Tirador President and