UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
FORM 10-K
 
þ

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2018
OR  
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 001-37536
 
Conifer Holdings, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Michigan
 
27-1298795
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
 
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
 
 
 
550 West Merrill Street, Suite 200
 
 
Birmingham, Michigan
 
48009
(Address of principal executive offices)
 
(Zip code)
 
(248) 559-0840
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Not Applicable
(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)
 
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No  þ
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No  þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 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 þ No ☐ 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes þ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☐
Accelerated filer ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☐

Smaller reporting company  þ
Emerging growth company  þ
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No  þ
The number of outstanding shares of the registrant’s common stock, no par value, as of March 13, 2019, was 8,478,202.
 



CONIFER HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
Form 10-K
 
INDEX
 
 
 
Page No.
 
 
 
 
Item 5.
Item 6.
Item 7.
Item 7A.
Item 9A.
Item 9B.
 
 
Item 10-14.
 
 
 
Item 15.
 



CONIFER HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Legal Organization
Conifer Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: CNFR) is a Michigan‑domiciled insurance holding company formed in 2009. Our principal executive offices are located at 550 W. Merrill, Suite 200, Birmingham, MI 48009 (telephone number: (248) 559-0840). Our corporate website address is www.cnfrh.com.
As used in this Form 10-K, references to “Conifer,” “Conifer Holdings,” “the Company,” “our Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Conifer Holdings, Inc., a Michigan corporation, and its wholly owned subsidiaries Conifer Insurance Company (“CIC”), Red Cedar Insurance Company (“RCIC”), White Pine Insurance Company (“WPIC”), American Colonial Insurance Services and Sycamore Insurance Agency, Inc. (“SIA”). CIC, RCIC and WPIC are collectively referred to as the "Insurance Company Subsidiaries." On a stand-alone basis Conifer Holdings, Inc. is referred to as the "Parent Company." On December 30, 2016, the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, American Colonial Insurance Company ("ACIC") was merged into WPIC.
Business Overview
Through our Insurance Company Subsidiaries, we offer insurance coverage in both specialty commercial and specialty personal product lines. Currently, we are authorized to write insurance as an excess and surplus lines (“E&S”) carrier in 45 states including the District of Columbia. We are also licensed to write insurance in 42 states, including the District of Columbia, as an admitted carrier and we offer our insurance products in all 50 states.
Our revenues are primarily derived from premiums earned from our insurance operations. We also generate other revenues through investment income and other income which mainly consists of: installment fees and policy issuance fees generally related to the policies we write.
Many of our products are targeted to traditionally profitable classes of policyholders that we believe are underserved by other insurers. We market and sell these insurance products through a growing network of over 7,000 independent agents that distribute our policies through approximately 2,100 sales offices. We are focused on growing our business in non‑commoditized property and casualty insurance markets, while maintaining underwriting discipline and a conservative investment strategy.
We have substantial expertise in serving the unique commercial insurance needs of owner‑operated businesses in the following markets:
Hospitality, such as restaurants, bars, taverns, and bowling centers (that require, among other lines, liquor liability insurance), as well as small grocery and convenience stores;
Artisan contractors, such as plumbers, painters, carpenters, electricians and other independent contractors; and
Security service providers, such as companies that provide security guard services, security alarm products and services, and private investigative services.
In our commercial lines business, we seek to differentiate ourselves and provide value to small business owner‑operators by bundling different insurance products that meet a significant portion of their insurance needs. For example, in the hospitality market we offer property, casualty, and liquor liability, as well as, in some jurisdictions, workers’ compensation coverage. The breadth of our specialty commercial insurance products enables our agents and their small business clients to avoid the administrative costs and time required to seek coverage for each of these items from separate insurers. As such, we compete for commercial lines business based on our flexible product offerings and customer service, rather than on pricing alone. Our target commercial lines customer has an average account size of $5,500 in premium.
We also have substantial expertise in providing specialty homeowners insurance products to targeted customers that are often underserved by other homeowners' insurance carriers. Our personal lines products primarily include the following:
Low-value dwelling insurance tailored for owners of lower valued homes, which we currently offer in Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana and Texas; and

1


Wind-exposed catastrophe coverage, including hurricane and wind coverage, to under-served homeowners in Texas and Florida.
In our personal lines business, we target homeowners in need of specific catastrophe coverage or dwelling insurance that are currently underserved by the insurance market, due to the modest value of their homes or the exposure to natural catastrophes in their geographic area. Because these homeowners are underserved, this portion of the market is typically subject to less pricing pressure from larger nationwide insurers that offer a more commoditized product. We believe our underwriting expertise enables us to compete effectively in these markets by evaluating and appropriately pricing risk. In addition, we believe our willingness to meet these underserved segments of the personal lines insurance market fosters deeper relationships with, and increased loyalty from, the agents who distribute our products. Our target personal lines customer has an average account size of $1,100 in premium.
Overall, we structure the multi-line distribution of our premium between commercial and personal lines to better diversify our business and mitigate the potential cyclical nature of either market. In serving these markets, we write business on both an “admitted” and “E&S” basis. As of December 31, 2018 , approximately 49% of our gross written premiums were admitted, and approximately 51% were E&S. Insurance companies writing on an admitted basis are licensed by the states in which they sell policies and are required to offer policies using premium rates and forms that are typically filed with state insurance regulators. Non admitted carriers writing in the E&S market are not bound by most of the rate and form regulations imposed on standard market companies, allowing them the flexibility to change the coverage offered and the rate charged without the time constraints and financial costs associated with the filing process. Our corporate structure allows us to offer both admitted and E&S products in select markets through either CIC or WPIC. Our experience with specialty insurance products enables us to react to new market opportunities and underwrite multiple specialty lines.
Geographic Diversity and Mix of Business
Over the past several years, we have increased our focus on specific core commercial lines of business. As part of this business strategy, we have deemphasized our Florida homeowners' business and other wind-exposed business in Texas and Hawaii. We plan to continue to shift focus to low-value dwelling lines of business in order to bring personal lines premium levels back up and to maintain a strategic balance of commercial and personal lines of business.
While we pursue top line premium growth, we do not do so at the expense of losing underwriting discipline. Our underwriters have the experience and institutional flexibility to recognize when to exit certain products in favor of more profitable opportunities as insurance market conditions dictate. The following tables summarize our gross written premiums by segment and state for the years indicated therein (dollars in thousands):
 
Gross Written Premium by Segment
 
2018
%
 
2017
%
 
2016
%
Commercial
$
97,694

94
%
 
$
92,112

81
%
 
$
88,242

77
%
Personal
6,674

6
%
 
22,172

19
%
 
26,681

23
%
Total
$
104,368

100
%
 
$
114,284

100
%
 
$
114,923

100
%


2


 
Gross Written Premiums by State
 
2018
%
 
2017
%
 
2016
%
Florida
$
23,389

22.4
%
 
$
26,562

23.1
%
 
$
23,910

20.7
%
Michigan
19,822

19.0
%
 
21,099

18.5
%
 
17,572

15.4
%
Texas
6,509

6.2
%
 
12,910

11.3
%
 
12,993

11.3
%
Pennsylvania
6,503

6.2
%
 
8,859

7.8
%
 
10,718

9.3
%
California
5,691

5.5
%
 
2,218

1.9
%
 

%
New Jersey
4,884

4.7
%
 
3,960

3.5
%
 
978

0.9
%
Ohio
4,025

3.9
%
 
3,850

3.4
%
 
3,556

3.1
%
Indiana
3,914

3.8
%
 
4,356

3.8
%
 
4,582

4.0
%
New York
3,845

3.7
%
 
3,095

2.7
%
 

%
Colorado
2,835

2.7
%
 
2,998

2.6
%
 
2,544

2.2
%
Montana
2,433

2.3
%
 
2,409

2.1
%
 
3,041

2.6
%
All Other States
20,518

19.6
%
 
21,968

19.3
%
 
35,029

30.5
%
Total
$
104,368

100.0
%
 
$
114,284

100.0
%
 
$
114,923

100.0
%
The Conifer Approach
We have built our business in a manner that is designed to adapt to changing market conditions and deliver predictable results over time. The following highlights key aspects of our model that contribute to our balanced approach:
Focus on under-served markets. We focus on providing specialty insurance products to targeted policyholders in under-served markets. We believe that most of our small business customers, many of which are owner‑operated, value the efficiency of dealing with a single insurer for multiple products. By targeting small- to medium-sized accounts, we add value to the business owner directly without competing solely on price.
Strong relationships with our agents. We develop strong relationships with our independent agents providing them with responsive service, attractive commissions and competitive products to offer policyholders. We believe our agents understand that we view them as key partners in risk selection that help us serve our ultimate client-the insured.
Deep understanding of the business and regulatory landscapes of our markets. The competition for insurance business and the regulatory operating environment vary significantly from state to state. We focus on tailoring our business to concentrate on the geographic markets and regulatory environments with the greatest opportunities for growth and profitability. Our business plan centers on identification of market opportunities in jurisdictions where our insurance products can profitably suit the needs of our potential customers.
Emphasis on flexibility. We offer coverage to our insureds both on an E&S and admitted basis. We believe this flexibility enables us to pivot effectively between E&S and admitted policies as customer needs and regulatory conditions dictate.
Conservative risk management with an emphasis on lowering volatility. We focus on the risk/reward of insurance underwriting, while maintaining a prudent investment policy. We employ conservative risk management practices and opportunistically purchase reinsurance to minimize our exposure to liability for individual risks. In addition, we seek to maintain a diversified liquid investment portfolio to reduce overall balance sheet volatility. As of December 31, 2018 , our investments primarily consisted of fixed income investments with an average credit rating of “ AA ” and a duration-to-worst average of 3.1  years.
Our Competitive Strengths
We believe the following competitive strengths have allowed us to grow our business and will continue to support our strategic growth initiatives:
Talented underwriters with broad expertise. Our underwriters have significant experience managing account profitability across market cycles. With an average of over 27 years of experience, our senior underwriters possess the required expertise to respond appropriately to market forces.

3


Controlled and disciplined underwriting. We underwrite substantially all policies to our specific guidelines with our experienced, in-house underwriting team. We customize the coverages we offer, and continually monitor our markets and respond to changes in our markets by adjusting our pricing, product structures and underwriting guidelines. By tailoring the terms and conditions of our policies, we align our actual underwriting risk with the profit of each insurance account that we write.
Proactive claims handling. We employ a proactive claims handling philosophy that utilizes an internal team of experienced in-house attorneys to manage and supervise our claims from inception until resolution. We pay what we owe, contest what we don't, and make sound judgment for those claims that fall in between. Our proactive handling of claims reinforces our relationships with our customers and agents by demonstrating our willingness to defend our insureds aggressively and help them mitigate losses.
Proven management team. Our senior management team has an average of over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. Our senior management team has successfully created, managed and grown numerous insurance companies and books of business, and has longstanding relationships with many independent agents and policyholders in our targeted markets.
Ability to leverage technology to drive efficiency. We utilize a web‑based information technology system that creates greater organizational efficiency in our company. Leveraging the infrastructure of programmers and support staff of third‑party vendors allows our in‑house business analysts to focus on new product development and roll‑out. We believe this capability reduces our time to market for new products, enhances services for insureds, increases our ability to capture data, and reduces cost.
Marketing and Distribution
Independent agents are our main distribution source. The selection of an insurance company by a business or individual is strongly influenced by the business or individual’s agent. We seek to maintain favorable relationships with our select group of agents. Our distribution philosophy is to treat our agents as partners, and we provide them with competitive products, personal service and attractive commissions. We believe these factors contribute to our positive agency retention.
In 2018 , our top six independent agencies accounted for approximately 32% of our gross written premiums in our commercial lines, and our top four independent agencies, accounted for approximately 40% of our gross written premiums in our personal lines. We have long term relationships with each of these agencies. We anticipate our concentration in these agencies will decrease in future periods as we establish relationships with additional agencies, as part of our strategic growth plan. Our Insurance Company Subsidiaries market and distribute their products mainly through an independent agency network, however we utilize managing general agents and certain key wholesalers when appropriate.
We recruit our producers through referrals from our existing network of agents, word‑of‑mouth, advertisement, as well as direct contacts initiated by potential agents. Our marketing efforts are directed through our offices in Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
We view our agents as key partners in risk selection. We actively solicit their input regarding potential improvements to our business methods and consult with them in developing new products and entering new customer markets. At the same time, we take careful measure to appropriately control and monitor our agents’ operations. Controls include frequent review of the quality of business, loss experience and other mechanisms. We retain sole binding authority on the majority of our business. Binding authority is only granted to select long-term agents. When binding authority is granted, we restrict this authority to a specific set of guidelines that are provided to each agent. Moreover, our experienced underwriters review each risk to ensure the guidelines are followed.
In addition to marketing to individual agents, we formed Sycamore Insurance Agency to review specific opportunities to write select business on a direct basis. SIA also owns 50% of a small insurance agency that places small commercial risks, mainly for alarm and security guard markets.
Underwriting
We are focused on underwriting profitability and effective enterprise risk management. With an average of over 27 years of experience, our senior underwriters have the experience to properly manage account profitability across market cycles.
Our underwriting philosophy for our specialty commercial risks in the hospitality industry is to look at each risk individually and selectively before writing any policies. We remain focused on the small to medium-sized, well-operated business, where the owner is often on site and in a better position to efficiently and safely run the overall operations. We understand the risks associated with the smaller enterprises and, due to lighter competition, believe we can receive a fair premium to compensate for the risk taken.

4


With respect to commercial property coverages, we believe it is important to focus on the profitability of the insureds’ business, as well as the traditional risk factors. Therefore, in addition to obtaining inspections on commercial risks, we strive to understand the insureds’ business operations and bottom line to verify the underlying business is an acceptable risk.
All commercial and personal policy applications are underwritten according to established guidelines that have been provided to our independent agency force. These guidelines have been integrated into our information technology system framework and only policies that meet our guidelines are accepted by our system. Our underwriting staff has substantial industry experience in matching policy terms, conditions, and pricing to the risk profiles of our policyholders and therefore strengthens our ability to achieve profitability in the product lines we write.
Commercial Lines. In writing commercial lines policies, we frequently employ tailored limiting endorsements, rating surcharges and customized limits to align our product offerings to the risk profile of the class and the specific policyholder being underwritten. Furthermore, we consistently monitor our markets so that we are able to quickly implement changes in pricing, underwriting guidelines and product offerings as necessary to remain competitive. We do not pursue commercial product lines where competition is based primarily on price. We augment our own internally developed pricing models with benchmark rates and policy terms set forth by the Insurance Services Office, or ISO. The ISO system is a widely recognized industry resource for common and centralized rates and forms. It provides advisory ratings, statistical and actuarial services, sample policy provisions and other services to its members.
Personal Lines. We employ internal product managers to review our position relative to our competition, create better segmentation of pricing and originate premium rate changes as appropriate. Consistent with industry practice, we grant our personal lines agents limited binding authority within our specific guidelines. Once a completed application and premium payment are submitted to us, the application is placed in a bound status, and reviewed for final approval. If the agent has underwritten and submitted the account according to our guidelines, we process the application as complete. If our guidelines have not been followed, the application may be cancelled or updated and re‑submitted for further underwriting review.
Claims
We believe that effective claims management is vitally important to our success, allowing us to cost effectively pay valid claims, while vigorously defending those claims that lack merit. Our claims department consists of experienced claims professionals located in Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. We utilize a proactive claims handling philosophy to internally manage or supervise all of our claims from inception through final disposition. By handling our claims internally, we can quickly assess claims, improve communication with our policyholders and claimants and better control our claims management costs.
We have several in‑house attorneys with considerable legal experience in trying cases in the lines of business we write. Included among these attorneys is our head in‑house litigator, who consults on all trials and has 25 years of litigation experience. We also have numerous seasoned property and liability adjusters which allow us to manage our claims exposures more carefully, across all markets. In addition, our claims professionals utilize a network of independent local adjusters and appraisers to assist with specific aspects of claims investigations, such as securing witness statements and conducting initial appraisals in states where it is practical to do so. These outside vendors are mainly compensated based on pre‑negotiated fee schedules to control overall costs.
Claims personnel are organized by line of business, with specific managers assigned as supervisors for each line of business. Reserving and payment authority levels of claims personnel are set by our Senior Vice President of claims and our Executive Vice President. Those limits of authority are integrated into our claims information technology systems to ensure strict compliance.
Initial claim reserves are determined and set using our statistical averages of paid indemnity and loss adjustment expenses by line of business. After reviewing statistical data and consulting with our internal actuary, our senior vice president of claims, together with other members of management, set initial reserves by line of business. Once initial reserves have been set, reserves are evaluated periodically as specific claim information changes to generate management’s overall best estimate of reserves. In addition, claim reviews with in‑house adjusters and attorneys provide a regular opportunity to review the adequacy of reserves. Changes to claims reserves are made by senior management based on claim developments and input from these attorneys and adjusters. We utilize an in‑house, experienced and fully credentialed actuary to support our financial efforts.

5


Reinsurance
We routinely purchase reinsurance for our commercial and personal lines to reduce volatility by limiting our exposure to large losses and to provide capacity for growth. In a reinsurance transaction, an insurance company transfers, or cedes, all or part of its exposure in return for a portion of the premium. We remain legally responsible for the entire obligation to policyholders, irrespective of any reinsurance coverage we may purchase.
Information relating to our reinsurance structure and treaty information is included within Note 6 ~ Reinsurance.

6


Loss Reserve Development
The following table presents the development of our loss and loss adjustment expenses ("LAE") reserves from 2009 through 2018 , net of reinsurance recoverables (dollars in thousands).
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net liability for losses and loss expenses
$
911

$
18,795

$
17,164

$
17,547

$
24,956

$
28,307

$
30,017

$
47,993

$67,830
$63,122
Liability re‑estimated as of:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
One year later
764

16,565

12,807

13,508

23,763

29,321

40,239

57,452

71,186

 
Two years later
593

13,071

9,870

13,601

25,521

33,274

52,321

60,453

 
 
Three years later
495

10,300

10,038

13,821

26,560

38,569

58,251

 
 
 
Four years later
452

10,698

10,064

13,860

27,784

40,822

 
 
 
 
Five years later
434

10,926

10,227

13,980

27,920

 
 
 
 
 
Six years later
434

11,215

10,414

14,048

 
 
 
 
 
 
Seven years later
434

11,402

10,471

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Eight years later
434

11,463

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Nine years later
434

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ten years later
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net cumulative redundancy (deficiency)
477

7,332

6,693

3,499

(2,964
)
(12,515
)
(28,234
)
(12,460
)
(3,356
)
 
Deferred gain on ADC







(5,677
)
(5,677
)
 
Net cumulative redundancy (deficiency)
$
477

$
7,332

$
6,693

$
3,499

$
(2,964
)
$
(12,515
)
$
(28,234
)
$
(18,137
)
$
(9,033
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cumulative amount of net liability paid as of:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
One year later
$
253

$
4,112

$
3,383

$
5,186

$
13,245

$
16,091

$
20,020

$
29,533

44,521

 
Two years later
315

6,277

6,092

9,106

19,711

24,060

35,972

56,962

 
 
Three years later
426

8,302

7,917

11,444

23,241

32,699

50,676

 
 
 
Four years later
434

9,372

8,788

13,015

26,056

37,474

 
 
 
 
Five years later
434

9,971

9,730

13,522

27,217

 
 
 
 
 
Six years later
434

10,799

10,167

13,903

 
 
 
 
 
 
Seven years later
434

11,219

10,398

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Eight years later
434

11,416

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Nine years later
434

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ten years later
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gross liability‑end of year
911

32,047

29,574

24,843

28,909

31,532

35,423

54,651

87,896

92,807

Reinsurance recoverable on unpaid losses

13,252

12,410

7,296

3,952

3,225

5,405

6,658

20,066

29,685

Net liability‑end of year
911

18,795

17,164

17,547

24,957

28,307

30,018

47,993

67,830

63,122

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gross liability re‑estimated‑latest
434

22,167

18,690

20,293

34,273

48,387

70,706

88,271

113,304

 
Reinsurance recoverable on unpaid losses re‑estimated‑latest

10,704

8,219

6,244

6,353

7,565

12,455

27,818

42,118

 
Net liability re‑estimated‑latest
434

11,463

10,471

14,049

27,920

40,822

58,251

60,453

71,186

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gross cumulative redundancy (deficiency)
$
477

$
9,880

$
10,884

$
4,550

$
(5,364
)
$
(16,855
)
$
(35,283
)
$
(33,620
)
$
(25,408
)
 

7


Data from 2009 relates only to American Equable, Inc., which is now known as CIC and the 2010 through 2018 columns include CIC and WPIC.
The first line of the table presents the unpaid loss and LAE reserves at December 31 for each year, including the incurred but not reported ("IBNR") reserve. The next section of the table sets forth the re‑estimates of incurred losses from later years, including payments, for the years indicated. The increase/decrease from the original estimate would generally be a combination of factors, including, but not limited to:
Claims being settled for amounts different from the original estimates;
Reserves being increased or decreased for individual claims that remain open as more information becomes known about those individual claims; and
More or fewer claims being reported after the related year end, than had been expected to be reported before that date.
As our historical data for a particular line of business increases, both in terms of the number of years of loss experience and the size of our data pool, we will increasingly rely upon our own loss experience rather than industry loss experience in establishing our loss and LAE reserves. We plan to continue to apply reserving practices consistent with historical methodologies.
Additional information relating to our reserves is included within the Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses section of Note 1 ~ Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Note 5 ~ Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, as well as in the Critical Accounting Policies ~ Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses section of Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis .
Regulation
Insurance Company Regulation
Our Insurance Company Subsidiaries are subject to regulation in the states where they conduct business. State insurance regulations generally are designed to protect the interests of policyholders, consumers or claimants rather than shareholders or other investors. The nature and extent of such state regulation varies by jurisdiction, but generally involves:
Prior approval of the acquisition of control of an insurance company or of any company controlling an insurance company;
Regulation of certain transactions entered into by such insurance company subsidiary with any of its affiliates;
Approval of premium rates, forms and policies used for many lines of admitted insurance;
Standards of solvency and minimum amounts of capital and surplus that must be maintained;
Limitations on types and concentration of investments;
Licensing of insurers and agents;
Deposits of securities for the benefit of policyholders; and
The filing of periodic reports with state insurance regulators with respect to financial condition and other matters.
In addition, state regulatory examiners perform periodic examinations of our Insurance Company Subsidiaries. The results of these examinations can give rise to regulatory orders requiring remedial, injunctive or other corrective action.
Insurance Holding Company Regulation
We operate as an insurance holding company and are subject to regulation in the jurisdictions in which we conduct business. These regulations require that each of our Insurance Company Subsidiaries register with the insurance department of its state of domicile and furnish information concerning the operations of companies within the holding company system that may materially affect the operations, management or financial condition of the insurers within the system. The insurance laws similarly provide that all transactions among members of a holding company system must be fair and reasonable. Certain types of transactions between our Insurance Company Subsidiaries and the Company and our other affiliates generally must be disclosed to the state regulators, and prior approval of the state insurance regulator generally is required for any material or extraordinary transaction. In addition, a change of control of a domestic insurer or of any controlling person requires the prior approval of the state of domicile insurance regulator.

8


Various State and Federal Regulation
Insurance companies are also affected by a variety of state and federal legislative and regulatory measures and judicial decisions that define and extend the risks and benefits for which insurance is sought and provided. In addition, for some classes of insureds individual state insurance departments may prevent premium rates for some classes of insureds from reflecting the level of risk assumed by the insurer for those classes. Such developments may adversely affect the profitability of various lines of insurance. In some cases, if permitted by applicable regulations, these adverse effects on profitability can be minimized through repricing of coverages or limitations or cessation of the affected business.
Reinsurance Intermediary
Our reinsurance intermediaries are also subject to regulation. Under applicable regulations, an intermediary is responsible, as a fiduciary, for funds received on account of the parties to the reinsurance transaction. The intermediaries are required to hold such funds in appropriate bank accounts subject to restrictions on withdrawals and prohibitions on commingling.
Licensing and Agency Contracts
We, or certain of our designated employees, must be licensed to act as agents by regulatory authorities in the states in which we conduct business. Regulations and licensing laws vary in each state and are often complex.
Insurance licenses are issued by state insurance regulators upon application and may be of perpetual duration or may require periodic renewal. There are often requirements to obtain appropriate new licenses before we can begin writing or offer new coverages in a new state. The requirements are more stringent when writing on an admitted basis, as opposed to on an E&S basis where there is greater form and rate flexibility.
Insurers operating on an admitted basis must file premium rate schedules and policy or coverage forms for review and approval by the insurance regulators. In many states, rates and policy forms must be approved prior to use, and insurance regulators have broad discretion in judging whether or not an insurer’s rates are adequate, excessive and unfairly discriminatory.
The applicable licensing laws and regulations in all states are subject to amendment or reinterpretation by state regulatory authorities, and such authorities are vested in most cases with relatively broad discretion as to the granting, revocation, suspension and renewal of licenses. We, or our employees, could be excluded, or temporarily suspended, from continuing with some or all of our activities in, or otherwise subjected to penalties by, a particular state.
Membership in Insolvency Funds and Associations, Mandatory Pools and Insurance Facilities
Most states require admitted property and casualty insurers to become members of insolvency funds or associations, which generally protect policyholders against the insolvency of insurers. Members of the fund or association must contribute to the payment of certain claims made against insolvent insurers. The Company's assessments from insolvency funds were minimal for the years ended December 31, 2018 , 2017 , and 2016 .
Our Insurance Company Subsidiaries are also required to participate in various mandatory insurance facilities or in funding mandatory pools, which are generally designed to provide insurance coverage for consumers who are unable to obtain insurance in the voluntary insurance market. Among the pools participated in are those established in certain states to provide windstorm and other similar types of property coverage. These pools typically require all companies writing applicable lines of insurance in the state for which the pool has been established to fund deficiencies experienced by the pool based upon each company’s relative premium writings in that state, with any excess funding typically distributed to the participating companies on the same basis. To the extent that reinsurance treaties do not cover these assessments, they may have an adverse effect on the Company. For the years ended December 31, 2018 , 2017 , and 2016 , total assessments paid to all such facilities were minimal.
Restrictions on Dividends and Risk-Based Capital
For information on Restrictions on Dividends and Risk-based Capital that affect us please refer to Note 9 ~  Statutory Financial Data, Risk-Based Capital and Dividend Restrictions of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements and the  Regulatory and Rating Issues  section within Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis .

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NAIC-IRIS Ratios
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (“NAIC”) Insurance Regulatory Information System (“IRIS”) was developed by a committee of state insurance regulators and is primarily intended to assist state insurance departments in executing their statutory mandates to oversee the financial condition of insurance companies operating in their respective states. IRIS identifies thirteen industry ratios and specifies “usual values” for each ratio. Departure from the usual values on four or more ratios generally leads to inquiries or possible further review from individual state insurance commissioners. However, the generation of ratios outside of the usual values does not necessarily indicate a financial problem. For example, premium growth, alone, can trigger one or more unusual values. Refer to the  Regulatory and Rating Issues  section within Item 7,  Management’s Discussion and Analysis .
Effect of Federal Legislation
The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, (“TRIA”), was enacted in November 2002. After several extensions, Congress enacted the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization of 2015 (“Act”). The Act extends the Federal Terrorism Insurance Program until December 31, 2020. The Act continues to require insurance companies to offer terrorism coverage. There is minimal exposure to this coverage as most of our policyholders decline this coverage option.
Employees
At December 31, 2018 , we had 148 employees. Substantially all of our employees are full-time. Our employees are not subject to any collective bargaining agreement, and we are not aware of any current efforts to implement such an agreement. We believe we have good working relations with our employees.


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Available Information
We maintain an internet website at http://www.cnfrh.com, where we make available, free of charge, our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, Statements of Beneficial Ownership (Forms 3, 4, and 5), and any amendments to those reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish to, the SEC. In addition, the SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy statements, and other information that we file at www.sec.gov . The public may read and copy any materials we file with the Commission at the SEC's Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549, on official business days during the hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330. Information found on our website or any other website is not part of this annual report on Form 10-K or any other report we file with, or furnish to the SEC.
Glossary
Accident year

The annual calendar accounting period in which loss events occurred, regardless of when the losses are actually reported, booked or paid.
Accident year combined ratio
The accident year combined ratio is an insurance industry measure that excludes changes in net ultimate loss estimates from prior accident year loss reserves. The accident year combined ratio provides management with an assessment of the specific policy year’s profitability (which matches policy pricing with related losses) and assists management in their evaluation of product pricing levels and quality of business written. Management uses accident year combined ratio as one component to assess the Company's current year performance and as a measure to evaluate, and if necessary, adjust current year pricing and underwriting.
Adjusted operating income (loss)
Net income (loss) excluding net realized investment and other gains (losses), net of tax, the effects of tax reform, the tax effect of changes in unrealized gains to the extent included in net income, the change in the fair value of equity securities, net of tax, and the capitalization and amortization of deferred gains from the ADC.
Adjusted operating income (loss), per share
Adjusted operating income (loss) on a per share basis.
Assignment of Benefits
A legal tool that allows a third party to assert a claim and be paid for services performed for an insured who would normally be reimbursed directly by the insurance company after making a claim themselves.
Book value per share
Total common shareholders' equity divided by the number of common shares outstanding.
Case reserves
Estimates of anticipated future payments to be made on each specific reported claim.
Combined Ratio based on accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”)
The Combined Ratio is the sum of the Loss Ratio and the Expense Ratio. These ratios differ from statutory ratios to reflect GAAP accounting, as management evaluates the performance of our underwriting operations using the GAAP combined ratio.
Combined Ratio based on statutory accounting practices (“SAP”)
The combined ratio based on SAP, expressed as a percentage, is the key measure of underwriting profitability traditionally used in the property and casualty insurance business. The combined ratio is a statutory accounting measurement, which represents the sum of (i) the ratio of losses and loss expenses to net earned premiums (loss ratio), plus (ii) the ratio of underwriting expenses to net written premiums (expense ratio).
Combined Ratio (Overall)
When the combined ratio is under 100%, underwriting results are generally considered profitable; when the combined ratio is over 100%, underwriting results are generally considered unprofitable.
Deferred policy acquisition costs

Primarily commissions and premium-related taxes that vary with, and are primarily related to, the production of new contracts and are deferred and amortized to achieve a matching of revenues and expenses when reported in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP.

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Deficiency

With regard to reserves for a given liability, a deficiency exists when it is estimated or determined that the reserves are insufficient to pay the ultimate settlement value of the related liabilities. Where the deficiency is the result of an estimate, the estimated amount of deficiency (or even the finding of whether or not a deficiency exists) may change as new information becomes available.
Expense Ratio
For GAAP, it is the ratio of GAAP underwriting expenses incurred to net earned premiums plus other income. For SAP, it is the ratio of Statutory underwriting expenses incurred to net written premiums.
Incurred but not reported (IBNR) reserves

Reserves for estimated losses and LAE that have been incurred but not yet reported to the insurer. This includes amounts for unreported claims, development on known cases, and re-opened claims.
Loss

An occurrence that is the basis for submission and/or payment of a claim. Losses may be covered, limited or excluded from coverage, depending on the terms of the policy.
Loss adjustment expenses (LAE)

The expenses of settling claims, including legal and other fees and the portion of general expenses allocated to claim settlement costs.
Loss ratio
The ratio of incurred losses and loss adjustment expenses to net earned premiums plus other income.
Loss reserves

Liabilities established by insurers and reinsurers to reflect the estimated cost of claims incurred that the insurer or reinsurer will ultimately be required to pay in respect of insurance or reinsurance it has written. Reserves are established for losses and for LAE, and consist of case reserves and IBNR reserves. As the term is used in this document, “loss reserves” is meant to include reserves for both losses and LAE, unless stated otherwise.
Loss reserve development

The increase or decrease in Loss or LAE as a result of the re-estimation of claims and claim adjustment expense reserves at successive valuation dates for a given group of claims. Loss reserve development may be related to prior year or current year development.
Losses incurred
The total losses sustained by an insurance company under a policy or policies, whether paid or unpaid. Incurred losses include a provision for IBNR.
NAIC-IRIS ratios
Financial ratios calculated by the NAIC to assist state insurance departments in monitoring the financial condition of insurance companies.
Policyholders' surplus

As determined under SAP, the amount remaining after all liabilities, including loss reserves, are subtracted from all admitted assets. Admitted assets are assets of an insurer prescribed or permitted by a state to be recognized on the statutory balance sheet. Policyholders' surplus is also referred to as “surplus” or “statutory surplus” for statutory accounting purposes.
Premium leverage ratio
The ratio of written premium (gross or net) to consolidated statutory surplus.
Redundancy

With regard to reserves for a given liability, a redundancy exists when it is estimated or determined that the reserves are greater than what will be needed to pay the ultimate settlement value of the related liabilities. Where the redundancy is the result of an estimate, the estimated amount of redundancy (or even the finding of whether or not a redundancy exists) may change as new information becomes available.
Risk-Based Capital (RBC)
A measure adopted by the NAIC and enacted by states for determining the minimum statutory policyholders' surplus requirements of insurers. Insurers having total adjusted capital less than that required by the RBC calculation will be subject to varying degrees of regulatory action.
Statutory accounting practices (SAP)
The practices and procedures prescribed or permitted by domiciliary state insurance regulatory authorities in the United States for recording transactions and preparing financial statements.
Underwriting gain or loss
Net earned premiums plus other income, less losses, LAE, commissions, and operating expenses.

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Summary Risk Factors
You should read the following risk factors carefully in connection with evaluating our business and the forward-looking information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Any of the following risks could materially and adversely affect our business, operating results, financial condition and the actual outcome of matters as to which forward-looking statements are made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. While we believe we have identified and discussed below the key risk factors affecting our business, there may be additional risks and uncertainties that are not presently known or that are not currently believed to be significant that may adversely affect our business, operating results or financial condition in the future.
Our actual incurred losses may be greater than our loss and loss adjustment expense reserves, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Insurance companies’ financial condition and results of operations depend upon their ability to accurately assess the potential losses and loss adjustment expenses under the terms of the insurance policies they underwrite. Reserves do not represent an exact calculation of liability. Rather, reserves represent an estimate of what the expected ultimate settlement and administration of claims will cost, and the ultimate liability may be greater or less than the current estimate. In the insurance industry, there is always the risk that reserves may prove inadequate as it is possible for insurance companies to underestimate the cost of claims.
We base our estimates on our assessment of known facts and circumstances, as well as estimates of future trends in claim severity, claim frequency, judicial theories of liability and other factors. These variables are affected by both internal and external events that could increase our exposure to losses, including changes in actuarial projections, claims handling procedures, inflation, severe weather, climate change, economic and judicial trends, and legislative changes. We continually monitor reserves using new information on reported claims and a variety of statistical techniques to update our current estimate. Our estimates could prove to be inadequate, and this underestimation could have a material adverse effect on our financial strength.
Among the uncertainties we encounter in establishing our reserves for losses and related expenses in connection with our insurance businesses are as follows:
When we write “occurrence” policies, we are obligated to pay covered claims, up to the contractually agreed amount, for any covered loss that occurs while the policy is in force. Accordingly, claims may be reported and develop many years after a policy has lapsed;
Even when a claim is received (irrespective of whether the policy is a "claims-made”, which requires claims to be reported during the policy period, or an “occurrence” based form), it may take considerable time to fully appreciate the extent of the covered loss suffered by the insured and, consequently, estimates of loss associated with specific claims can increase over time;
New theories of liability are enforced retroactively from time to time by courts;
Volatility in the financial markets, economic events, weather events and other external factors may result in an increase in the number of claims and the severity of the claims reported. In addition, elevated inflationary conditions would, among other things, drive loss costs to increase;
If claims became more frequent, even if we had no liability for those claims, the cost of evaluating these potential claims could escalate beyond the amount of the reserves we have established. If we enter new lines of business, or encounter new theories of claims liability, we may encounter an increase in claims frequency and greater claims handling costs than we had anticipated; and
Estimation of “IBNR” losses is a complex and inherently uncertain process which involves a considerable degree of judgment and expertise, which adds to the overall difficulty of estimating loss reserves.
If any of our insurance reserves should prove to be inadequate for the reasons discussed above, or for any other reason, we will be required to increase reserves, resulting in a reduction in our net income and shareholders’ equity in the period in which the deficiency is identified. Future loss experience substantially in excess of established reserves could also have a material adverse effect on future earnings and liquidity and financial rating, which would affect our ability to attract business and could affect our ability to retain or hire qualified personnel.

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Severe weather conditions and other catastrophes are inherently unpredictable and may have a material adverse effect on our financial results and financial condition.
Our property insurance business is exposed to the risk of severe weather conditions and other catastrophes. Catastrophes can be caused by various events, including natural events such as hurricanes, winter weather, tornadoes, windstorms, earthquakes, hailstorms, severe thunderstorms, fires and other non-natural events such as explosions or riots.
The incidence and severity of catastrophes and severe weather conditions are inherently unpredictable. The extent of losses from a catastrophe is a function of both the total amount of insured exposure in the area affected by the event and the severity of the event. Severe weather conditions and catastrophes can cause greater losses in our property lines and cause our liquidity and financial condition to deteriorate. In addition, our inability to obtain reinsurance coverage at reasonable rates and in amounts adequate to mitigate the risks associated with severe weather conditions and other catastrophes could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operation.
If we are unable to underwrite risks accurately and charge competitive yet profitable rates to our policyholders, our business, financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected.
In general, the premiums for our insurance policies are established at the time a policy is issued and, therefore, before all of our underlying costs are known. Like other insurance companies, we rely on estimates and assumptions in setting our premium rates. Establishing adequate premium rates is necessary, together with investment income, to generate sufficient revenue to offset losses, LAE and other underwriting costs and to earn a profit. If we do not accurately assess the risks that we underwrite, we may not charge adequate premiums to cover our losses and expenses, which would adversely affect our results of operations and our profitability. Alternatively, we could set our premiums too high, which could reduce our competitiveness and lead to lower revenues.
Pricing involves the acquisition and analysis of historical loss data and the projection of future trends, loss costs and expenses, and inflation trends, among other factors, for each of our products in multiple risk tiers and many different markets. In order to accurately price our policies, we:
Collect and properly analyze a substantial volume of data from our insureds;
Develop, test and apply appropriate actuarial projections and rating formulas;
Closely monitor and timely recognize changes in trends; and
Project both frequency and severity of our insureds’ losses with reasonable accuracy.
We seek to implement our pricing accurately in accordance with our assumptions. Our ability to undertake these efforts successfully and, as a result, accurately price our policies, is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including:
Insufficient or unreliable data;
Incorrect or incomplete analysis of available data;
Uncertainties generally inherent in estimates and assumptions;
Our failure to implement appropriate actuarial projections and rating formulas or other pricing methodologies;
Regulatory constraints on rate increases; and
Our failure to accurately estimate investment yields and the duration of our liability for loss and loss adjustment expenses, as well as unanticipated court decisions, legislation or regulatory action.
In addition, as a result of current industry non-weather factors, such as the increase in litigation surrounding the Assignment of Benefits claims and lawsuits in Florida, in particular, we may experience additional losses that could adversely affect our financial position or results of operations.
We operate in a highly competitive environment and we may not continue to be able to compete effectively against larger or more well‑established business rivals.
We compete with a large number of other companies in our selected lines of business. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and may enjoy better name recognition, substantially greater financial resources, higher financial strength ratings by rating agencies, broader and more diversified product lines and more widespread agency relationships than us. Insurers in our markets generally compete on the basis of price, consumer recognition, coverages offered, claims handling, financial stability, customer service and geographic coverage. Although pricing is influenced to some degree by that of our competitors, it is not in our best interests to compete solely on price, and we may from time-to-time experience a loss of

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market share during periods of intense price competition. A number of new, proposed or potential legislative or industry developments could further increase competition in our industry including, but not limited to:
An increase in capital‑raising by companies in our lines of business, which could result in new entrants to our markets and an excess of capital in the industry;
The deregulation of commercial insurance lines in certain states and the possibility of federal regulatory reform of the insurance industry, which could increase competition from standard carriers for our E&S lines of insurance business; and
Changing practices caused by the Internet may lead to greater competition in the insurance business. Among the possible changes are shifts in the way insurance is purchased. If our distribution model was to be significantly altered by changes in the way products were marketed, including, without limitation, through use of the Internet, it could have a material adverse effect on our premiums, underwriting results and profits.
There is no assurance that we will be able to continue to compete successfully in the insurance market. Increased competition in our market could result in a change in the supply and/or demand for insurance, affect our ability to price our products at risk‑adequate rates and retain existing business, or underwrite new business on favorable terms. If this increased competition so limits our ability to transact business, our operating results could be adversely affected.
The price of our common stock may be volatile and limited public float and low trading volume for our shares may have an adverse impact on the share price or make it difficult to liquidate.
The trading price of our common stock is likely to be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be related to our operating performance. These fluctuations could be significant and could cause a loss in the amount invested in our shares of common stock.
In addition, the stock market in general, and the market for insurance companies in particular, has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. Securities class action litigation has often been instituted against companies following periods of volatility in the overall market and in the market price of a company’s securities. This litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs, divert our management’s attention and resources, and harm our business, operating results, and financial condition.
As a result of these factors, investors in our common stock may not be able to resell their shares at or above their purchase price or may not be able to resell them at all. These market and industry factors may materially reduce the market price of our common stock, regardless of our operating performance. In addition, price volatility may be greater if the public float and the trading volume of our common stock remain low.
Our investment portfolio is subject to significant market and credit risks, which could result in an adverse impact on our financial conditions or results of operations.
Our results of operations depend, in part, on the performance of our investment portfolio. We seek to hold a diversified portfolio of investments that is managed by professional investment advisory management firms in accordance with our investment policy and routinely reviewed by our Investment Committee. However, our investments are subject to general economic conditions and market risks as well as risks inherent to particular securities.
The value of our investment portfolio is subject to the risk that certain investments may default or become impaired due to deterioration in the financial condition of one or more issuers of the securities held, or due to deterioration in the financial condition of an insurer that guarantees an issuer’s payments of such investments. Such defaults and impairments could reduce our net investment income and result in realized investment losses.
Risks for all types of securities are managed through application of our investment policy, which establishes investment parameters that include but are not limited to maximum percentages of investment in certain types of securities and minimum levels of credit quality, which we believe are within guidelines established by the NAIC and various state insurance departments, as applicable.
A severe economic downturn could cause us to incur substantial realized and unrealized investment losses in future periods, which would have an adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations, debt and financial strength ratings, Insurance Company Subsidiaries’ capital liquidity and ability to access capital markets.
Although we seek to preserve our capital, we cannot be certain that our investment objectives will be achieved, and results may vary substantially over time. In addition, although we seek to employ investment strategies that are not

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correlated with our insurance exposures, losses in our investment portfolio may occur at the same time as underwriting losses and, therefore, exacerbate the adverse effect of the losses on us.
Our ability to meet ongoing cash requirements, service debt and pay dividends may be limited by our holding company structure and regulatory constraints restricting dividends or other distributions by our Insurance Company Subsidiaries.
We are a holding company that transacts the majority of our business through our Insurance Company Subsidiaries. Our ability to meet our obligations on our outstanding debt, and to pay our expenses and shareholder dividends, depends upon the dividend paying capacity of our Insurance Company Subsidiaries. We will be limited by the earnings of our Insurance Company Subsidiaries, and the distribution or other payment of such earnings to it in the form of dividends, loans, advances or the reimbursement of expenses. Payments of dividends to us by our Insurance Company Subsidiaries are subject to various business considerations and restricted by state insurance laws, including laws establishing minimum solvency and liquidity thresholds, and could be subject to revised restrictions in the future. The ability to pay ordinary and extraordinary dividends must be reviewed in relation to the impact on key financial measurement ratios, including RBC ratios. The Insurance Company Subsidiaries’ ability to pay future dividends without advance regulatory approval is dependent upon maintaining a positive level of unassigned surplus. As a result, at times, we may not be able to receive dividends from our Insurance Company Subsidiaries in amounts necessary to meet our debt obligations, to pay shareholder dividends on our capital stock or to pay corporate expenses. Therefore, the inability of our Insurance Company Subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other distributions could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
We may be adversely affected by interest rate changes .
Our investment portfolio is predominantly comprised of fixed income securities. These securities are sensitive to changes in interest rates. An increase in interest rates typically reduces the fair market value of fixed income securities. In addition, if interest rates decline, investment income earned from future investments in fixed income securities will be lower. We generally hold our fixed income securities to maturity, so our interest rate exposure does not usually result in realized losses. However, as noted above, rising interest rates could result in a significant reduction of our book value. A low investment yield environment could adversely impact our net earnings, as a result of fixed income securities maturing and being replaced with lower yielding securities which impact investing results.
Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors beyond our control including general economic conditions, governmental monetary policy, and political conditions. As discussed above, fluctuations in interest rates may adversely impact our business. See “Item 7A. Qualitative and Quantitative Disclosures About Market Risk” for further discussion on interest rate risk.
A decline in our financial strength rating may result in a reduction of new or renewal business.
Participants in the insurance industry use ratings from independent ratings agencies, such as A.M. Best Company, Inc. (“A.M. Best”) and Kroll Bond Rating Agency ("Kroll") as an important means of assessing the financial strength and quality of insurers. In setting their ratings, A.M. Best and Kroll utilize a quantitative and qualitative analysis of a company’s balance sheet strength, operating performance and business profile. These analyses include comparisons to peers and industry standards as well as assessments of operating plans, philosophy and management. For A.M. Best, the ratings range from A++, or superior, to F for in liquidation. Kroll's ratings range from AAA (extremely strong) to R (under regulatory supervision). As of the date of this Form 10-K, A.M. Best has assigned financial strength ratings of B++ (Good) and B+ (Good) for WPIC. A rating of B++ for CIC and a rating of B+ for WPIC means A.M. Best considers both companies to have a “good” ability to meet ongoing financial obligations. Kroll has given CIC and WPIC an insurance financial strength rating of BBB+ with a stable outlook (fourth highest rating level out of eleven) as of the date of this Form 10-K. A BBB+ rating indicates that the insurer's financial condition is adequate.
A.M. Best and Kroll assign ratings that are intended to provide an independent opinion of an insurance company’s ability to meet its financial obligations to policyholders and such ratings are not evaluations directed to investors. A.M. Best and Kroll periodically review our ratings and may revise ratings downward or revoke them at their sole discretion based primarily on their analyses of our balance sheet strength (including capital adequacy and loss and loss adjustment expense reserve adequacy), operating performance and business profile. Factors that could affect such analyses include but are not limited to:
If we change our business practices from our organizational business plan in a manner that no longer supports A.M. Best’s or Kroll's rating;
If unfavorable financial, regulatory or market trends affect us, including excess market capacity;
If we incur operating losses;
If we have unresolved issues with government regulators;

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If we are unable to retain our senior management or other key personnel;
If our investment portfolio incurs significant losses; or
If A.M. Best or Kroll alters its capital adequacy assessment methodology in a manner that would adversely affect our rating.
These and other factors could result in a downgrade of our rating. A downgrade of our rating could cause our current and future agents, retail brokers and insureds to choose other, more highly‑rated competitors. A downgrade of this rating could also increase the cost or reduce the availability of reinsurance to us.
In addition, in view of the earnings and capital pressures recently experienced by many financial institutions, including insurance companies, it is possible that rating organizations will heighten the level of scrutiny that they apply to such institutions and may increase the capital and other requirements employed in the rating organizations’ models for maintenance of certain ratings levels. It is possible that such reviews of us may result in adverse ratings consequences, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. A downgrade or withdrawal of any rating could severely limit or prevent us from writing new and renewal insurance contracts.
We distribute our insurance products through a select group of agents, several of which account for a significant portion of our business, and there can be no assurance that such relationships will continue, or if they do continue, that the relationship will be on favorable terms to us. In addition, reliance on agents subjects us to their credit risk.
Our distribution model depends almost entirely on the agencies that distribute our products. In 2018 , our top six independent agencies accounted for approximately 32% of our gross written premiums in our commercial lines, and our top four independent agencies, accounted for approximately 40% of our gross written premiums in our personal lines. We cannot assure you that these relationships, or our relationships with any of our agencies will continue. Even if the relationships do continue, they may not be on terms that are profitable for us. The termination of a relationship with one or more significant agents could result in lower direct written premiums and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or business prospects.
Certain premiums from policyholders, where the business is produced by agents, are collected directly by the agents and forwarded to our Insurance Company Subsidiaries. In certain jurisdictions, when the insured pays its policy premium to these agents for payment on behalf of our Insurance Company Subsidiaries, the premiums might be considered to have been paid under applicable insurance laws and regulations. Accordingly, the insured would no longer be liable to us for those amounts, whether or not we have actually received the premiums from that agent. Consequently, we assume a degree of credit risk associated with agents. There may be instances where agents collect premiums but do not remit them to us and we may be required under applicable law to provide the coverage set forth in the policy despite the absence of premiums. If we are unable to collect premiums from agents in the future, underwriting profits may decline and our financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
The property and casualty insurance business is historically cyclical in nature, and we may experience periods with excess underwriting capacity and unfavorable premium rates, which could adversely affect our business.
Historically, insurers have experienced significant fluctuations in operating results due to competition, frequency and severity of catastrophic events, levels of capacity, adverse litigation trends, regulatory constraints, general economic conditions and other factors. The supply of insurance is related to prevailing prices, the level of insured losses and the level of capital available to the industry that, in turn, may fluctuate in response to changes in rates of return on investments being earned in the insurance industry. As a result, the insurance business historically has been a cyclical industry characterized by periods of intense price competition due to excessive underwriting capacity as well as periods when shortages of capacity increased premium levels. Demand for insurance depends on numerous factors, including the frequency and severity of catastrophic events, levels of capacity, the introduction of new capital providers, and general economic conditions. All of these factors fluctuate and may contribute to price declines generally in the insurance industry.
We cannot predict with certainty whether market conditions will improve, remain constant or deteriorate. Negative market conditions may impair our ability to underwrite insurance at rates we consider appropriate and commensurate relative to the risk assumed. If we cannot underwrite insurance at appropriate rates, our ability to transact business will be materially and adversely affected. Any of these factors could lead to an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Adverse economic factors, including recession, inflation, periods of high unemployment or lower economic activity could result in the sale of fewer policies than expected or an increase infrequency or severity of claims and premium defaults or both, which, in turn, could affect our growth and profitability.
Factors, such as business revenue, economic conditions, the volatility and strength of the capital markets and inflation can all affect the business and economic environment in which we operate. These same factors affect our ability to generate revenue and profits. In an economic downturn that is characterized by higher unemployment, declining spending and reduced corporate revenues, the demand for insurance products is adversely affected, which directly affects our premium levels and profitability. Negative economic factors may also affect our ability to receive the appropriate rate for the risk we insure with our policyholders and may adversely affect the number of policies we can write, including with respect to our opportunities to underwrite profitable business. In an economic downturn, our customers may have less need for insurance coverage, cancel existing insurance policies, modify their coverage or not renew with us. Existing policyholders may exaggerate or even falsify claims to obtain higher claims payments. These outcomes would reduce our underwriting profit to the extent these factors are not reflected in the rates we charge.
We are subject to extensive regulation, which may adversely affect our ability to achieve our business objectives. In addition, if we fail to comply with these regulations, we may be subject to penalties, including fines and suspensions, which may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
As a holding company which owns insurance companies domiciled in the United States, we and our admitted Insurance Company Subsidiaries are subject to extensive regulation, primarily by Michigan (the domiciliary state for CIC and WPIC) and to a lesser degree, the other jurisdictions in which we operate. Most insurance regulations are designed to protect the interests of insurance policyholders, as opposed to the interests of shareholders. These regulations generally are administered by a department of insurance in each state and relate to, among other things, authorizations to write certain lines of business, capital and surplus requirements, reserve requirements, rate and form approvals, investment and underwriting limitations, affiliate transactions, dividend limitations, cancellation and non‑renewal of policies, changes in control, solvency and a variety of other financial and non‑financial aspects of our business. These laws and regulations are regularly re‑examined and any changes in these laws and regulations or new laws may be more restrictive, could make it more expensive to conduct business or otherwise adversely affect our operations. State insurance departments also conduct periodic examinations of the affairs of insurance companies and require the filing of annual and other reports relating to financial condition, holding company issues and other matters. These regulatory requirements may impose timing and expense or other constraints that could adversely affect our ability to achieve some or all of our business objectives.
In addition, regulatory authorities have broad discretion to deny or revoke licenses for various reasons, including the violation of regulations. In some instances, where there is uncertainty as to applicability, we follow practices based on our interpretations of regulations or practices that we believe are generally followed by the industry. These practices may turn out to be different from the interpretations of regulatory authorities. If we do not have the requisite licenses and approvals or do not comply with applicable regulatory requirements, insurance regulatory authorities could preclude or temporarily suspend us from carrying on some or all of our activities or otherwise penalize us. This could adversely affect our ability to operate our business.
The admitted market is subject to more state regulation than the E&S market, particularly with regard to rate and form filing requirements, restrictions on the ability to exit lines of business, premium tax payments and membership in various state associations, such as guaranty associations. Some states have deregulated their commercial insurance markets. We cannot predict the effect that further deregulation would have on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
The NAIC has developed a system to test the adequacy of statutory capital of U.S.‑based insurers, known as Risk-Based Capital ("RBC"), that many states have adopted. This system establishes the minimum amount of RBC necessary for a company to support its overall business operations. It identifies property‑casualty insurers that may be inadequately capitalized by looking at certain inherent risks of each insurer’s assets and liabilities and its mix of premiums. Insurers falling below a calculated threshold may be subject to varying degrees of regulatory action, including supervision, rehabilitation or liquidation. Failure to maintain adequate risk‑based capital at the required levels could adversely affect the ability of our Insurance Company Subsidiaries to maintain regulatory authority to conduct their business.
In addition, the various state insurance regulators have increased their focus on risks within an insurer’s holding company system that may pose enterprise risk to the insurer. In 2012, the NAIC adopted significant changes to the insurance holding company act and regulations (the “NAIC Amendments”). The NAIC Amendments, when adopted by the various states, are designed to respond to perceived gaps in the regulation of insurance holding company systems in the United States. One of the major changes is a requirement that an insurance holding company system’s ultimate controlling person submit annually to its lead state insurance regulator an “enterprise risk report” that identifies activities, circumstances or

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events involving one or more affiliates of an insurer that, if not remedied properly, are likely to have a material adverse effect upon the financial condition or liquidity of the insurer or its insurance holding company system as a whole. Other changes include requiring a controlling person to submit prior notice to its domiciliary insurance regulator of a divestiture of control, having detailed minimum requirements for cost sharing and management agreements between an insurer and its affiliates and expanding of the agreements between an insurer and its affiliates to be filed with its domiciliary insurance regulator. The NAIC Amendments must be adopted by the individual state legislatures and insurance regulators in order to be effective. Michigan (i.e., our main domiciliary state for both our CIC and WPIC subsidiaries), requires a form of the enterprise risk report.
In 2012, the NAIC also adopted the Risk Management and Own Risk and Solvency Assessment Model Act (the “ORSA Model Act”). The ORSA Model Act, when adopted by the various states, will require an insurance holding company system’s Chief Risk Officer to submit annually to its lead state insurance regulator an Own Risk and Solvency Assessment Summary Report (“ORSA”). The ORSA is a confidential internal assessment appropriate to the nature, scale and complexity of an insurer, conducted by that insurer of the material and relevant risks identified by the insurer associated with an insurer’s current business plan and the sufficiency of capital resources to support those risks. The ORSA Model Act must be adopted by the individual state legislature and insurance regulators in order to be effective. Michigan has adopted the ORSA Model Act.  ORSA filings were required in Michigan starting in 2018.  The Company is currently exempt from providing an ORSA summary report as it does not meet the minimum premium requirements.
We cannot predict the impact, if any, that the NAIC Amendments, compliance with the ORSA Model Act or any other regulatory requirements may have on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We may become subject to additional government or market regulation which may have a material adverse impact on our business.
Market disruptions like those experienced during the credit‑driven financial market collapse in 2008, as well as the dramatic increase in the capital allocated to alternative asset management during recent years, have led to increased governmental as well as self‑regulatory scrutiny of the insurance industry in general. In addition, certain legislation proposing greater regulation of the industry is periodically considered by governing bodies of some jurisdictions, and the credit‑driven equity market collapse may increase the likelihood that some increased regulation of the industry is mandated.
Our business could be adversely affected by changes in state laws, including those relating to asset and reserve valuation requirements, surplus requirements, limitations on investments and dividends, enterprise risk and risk‑based capital requirements and, at the federal level, by laws and regulations that may affect certain aspects of the insurance industry, including proposals for preemptive federal regulation. The U.S. federal government generally has not directly regulated the insurance industry except for certain areas of the market, such as insurance for flood, nuclear and terrorism risks. However, the federal government has undertaken initiatives or considered legislation in several areas that may affect the insurance industry, including tort reform and corporate governance. The Dodd‑Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd‑Frank Act”) also established the Federal Insurance Office, which is authorized to study, monitor and report to Congress on the insurance industry and to recommend that the Financial Stability Oversight Council (the “FSOC”) designate an insurer as an entity posing risks to U.S. financial stability in the event of the insurer’s material financial distress or failure. In December 2013, the Federal Insurance Office issued a report on alternatives to modernize and improve the system of insurance regulation in the United States, including increasing national uniformity through either a federal charter or effective action by the states. Any additional regulations established as a result of the Dodd‑Frank Act or actions in response to the Federal Insurance Office Report could increase our costs of compliance or lead to disciplinary action. In addition, legislation has been introduced from time to time that, if enacted, could result in the federal government assuming a more direct role in the regulation of the insurance industry, including federal licensing in addition to or in lieu of state licensing and reinsurance for natural catastrophes. We are unable to predict whether any legislation will be enacted or any regulations will be adopted, or the effect any such developments could have on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
It is impossible to predict what, if any, changes in the regulations applicable to us, the markets in which we operate, trade and invest or the counterparties with which we do business may be instituted in the future. Any such regulation could have a material adverse impact on our business.
The effect of emerging claim and coverage issues on our business is uncertain.
As industry practices and legal, judicial, social and other environmental conditions change, unexpected and unintended issues related to claims and coverage may emerge. These issues may adversely affect our business by either broadening coverage beyond our underwriting intent or by increasing the number or size of claims. In some instances, these changes may not become apparent until sometime after we have issued insurance contracts that are affected by the changes. As a result, the full extent of liability under our insurance contracts may not be known for many years after a contract is issued.

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We may not be able to manage our growth effectively.
We intend to continue to grow our business, which could require additional capital, systems development and skilled personnel. We cannot assure you that we will be able to locate profitable business opportunities, meet our capital needs, expand our systems and our internal controls effectively, allocate our human resources optimally, identify qualified employees or agents or incorporate effectively the components of any businesses we may acquire in our effort to achieve growth. The failure to manage our growth effectively and maintain underwriting discipline could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may be unable to obtain reinsurance coverage at reasonable prices or on terms that provide us adequate protection.
We purchase reinsurance in many of our lines of business to help manage our exposure to insurance risks that we underwrite and to reduce volatility in our results.
The availability and cost of reinsurance are subject to prevailing market conditions, both in terms of price and available capacity, each of which can affect our business volume and profitability. The availability of reasonably affordable reinsurance is a critical element of our business plan. One important way we utilize reinsurance is to reduce volatility in claims payments by limiting our exposure to losses from large risks. Another way we use reinsurance is to purchase substantial protection against concentrated losses when we enter new markets. As a result, our ability to manage volatility and avoid significant losses, expand into new markets or grow by offering insurance to new kinds of enterprises may be limited by the unavailability of reasonably priced reinsurance. We may not be able to obtain reinsurance on acceptable terms or from entities with satisfactory creditworthiness. In such event, if we are unwilling to accept the terms or credit risk of potential reinsurers, we would have to reduce the level of our underwriting commitments, which would reduce our revenues.
Many reinsurance companies have begun to exclude certain coverages from, or alter terms in, the reinsurance contracts we enter into with them. Some exclusions relate to risks that we cannot in turn exclude from the policies we write due to business or regulatory constraints. In addition, reinsurers are imposing terms, such as lower per occurrence and aggregate limits, on direct insurers that do not wholly cover the risks written by these direct insurers. As a result, we, like other direct insurance companies, write insurance policies which to some extent do not have the benefit of reinsurance protection. These gaps in reinsurance protection expose us to greater risk and greater potential losses. For example, certain reinsurers have excluded coverage for terrorist acts or priced such coverage at unreasonably high rates.
If we are unable to retain key management and employees or recruit other qualified personnel, we may be adversely affected.
We believe that our future success depends, in large part, on our ability to retain our experienced management team and key employees, particularly our chairman and chief executive officer, James G. Petcoff. There can be no assurance that we can attract and retain the necessary employees to conduct our business activities on a timely basis or at all. Our competitors may offer more favorable compensation arrangements to our key management or employees to incentivize them to leave our Company. Furthermore, our competitors may make it more difficult for us to hire their personnel by offering excessive compensation arrangements to certain employees to induce them not to leave their current employment and bringing litigation against employees who do leave (and possibly us as well) to join us. The loss of any of our executive officers or other key personnel, or our inability to recruit and retain additional qualified personnel as we grow, could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations, and could prevent us from fully implementing our growth strategies.
We may require additional capital in the future, which may not be available or available only on unfavorable terms.
Our future capital requirements depend on many factors, including our ability to write new and renewal business successfully and to establish premium rates and reserves at levels sufficient to cover losses. Our ability to underwrite depends largely upon the expected quality of our claims paying process and our perceived financial strength as estimated by potential insureds, agents, brokers, other intermediaries and independent rating agencies. To the extent that our existing capital is insufficient to fund our future operating requirements, cover claim losses, or satisfy ratings agencies in order to maintain a satisfactory rating, we may need to raise additional capital in the future through offerings of debt or equity securities or otherwise to:
Fund liquidity needs caused by underwriting or investment losses;
Replace capital lost in the event of significant reinsurance losses or adverse reserve developments;
Satisfy letters of credit or guarantee bond requirements that may be imposed by our clients or by regulators;
Meet rating agency or regulatory capital requirements; or

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Respond to competitive pressures.
Any equity or debt financing, if available at all, may be on terms that are unfavorable to us. Further, any additional capital raised through the sale of equity could dilute your ownership interest in the Company and may cause the value of our shares to decline. Additional capital raised through the issuance of debt may result in creditors having rights, preferences and privileges senior or otherwise superior to those of the holders of our shares and may limit our flexibility in operating our business and make it more difficult to obtain capital in the future. Disruptions, uncertainty, or volatility in the capital and credit markets may also limit our access to capital required to operate our business. If we are not able to obtain adequate capital, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
We are subject to credit risk with regard to our reinsurance counterparties.
Although reinsurance makes the assuming reinsurer liable to us to the extent of the risk ceded, we are not relieved of our primary liability to our insureds as the direct insurer. We cannot be sure that our reinsurers will pay all reinsurance claims on a timely basis or at all. For example, reinsurers may default in their financial obligations to us as the result of insolvency, lack of liquidity, operational failure, fraud, asserted defenses based on agreement wordings or the principle of utmost good faith, asserted deficiencies in the documentation of agreements or other reasons. The failure of a reinsurer to pay us does not lessen our contractual obligations to insureds. If a reinsurer fails to pay the expected portion of a claim or claims, our net losses might increase substantially and adversely affect our financial condition. Any disputes with reinsurers regarding coverage under reinsurance contracts could be time‑consuming, costly and uncertain of success.
Downgrades to the credit ratings of our reinsurance counterparties may result in the reduction of rating agency capital credit provided by those reinsurance contracts and could, therefore, result in a downgrade of our own credit ratings. We evaluate each reinsurance claim based on the facts of the case, historical experience with the reinsurer on similar claims and existing case law and include any amounts deemed uncollectible from the reinsurer in our reserve for uncollectible reinsurance.
Our Insurance Company Subsidiaries are subject to minimum capital and surplus requirements. Failure to meet these requirements could subject us to regulatory action.
Our Insurance Company Subsidiaries are subject to minimum capital and surplus requirements imposed under the laws of their respective states of domicile and each state in which they issue policies. As of December 31, 2018 , our Insurance Company Subsidiaries were in compliance with all such reserves. Any failure by one of our Insurance Company Subsidiaries to meet minimum capital and surplus requirements imposed by applicable state law will subject it to corrective action. This may include requiring adoption of a comprehensive financial plan, revocation of its license to sell insurance products or placing the subsidiary under state regulatory control. A decline in the risk based capital ratios of our Insurance Company Subsidiaries could limit their ability to make a dividend to us and could be a factor in causing rating agencies to downgrade our ratings. Any new minimum capital and surplus requirements adopted in the future may require us to increase the capital and surplus of our Insurance Company Subsidiaries, which we may not be able to do.
Any debt service obligations will reduce the funds available for other business purposes, and the terms and covenants relating to our current and future indebtedness could adversely impact our financial performance and liquidity.
As of December 31, 2018 , we had $25.3 million of senior unsecured notes (the “Notes”) outstanding, and $10.5 million of subordinated notes (the "Subordinated Notes") outstanding. We are subject to risks typically associated with debt financing, such as insufficient cash flow to meet required debt service payment obligations and the inability to refinance existing indebtedness.
The Subordinated Notes contain various restrictive covenants that relate to the Company’s tangible net worth, fixed-charge coverage ratios, dividend paying capacity, reinsurance retentions, and risk-based capital ratios. If we are unable to meet debt covenant requirements or to obtain future waivers regarding such failures, we could be in breach of our credit agreement. Any such breach could cause significant disruption to our operations, including a requirement to immediately repay our indebtedness, and would have severe adverse effects on our liquidity and financial flexibility.

The failure of any of the loss limitations or exclusions we employ, or changes in other claims or coverage issues, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.
Although we seek to mitigate our loss exposure through a variety of methods, the future is inherently unpredictable. It is difficult to predict the timing, frequency and severity of losses with statistical certainty. It is not possible to completely eliminate our exposure to un‑forecasted or unpredictable events and, to the extent that losses from such risks occur, our financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

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For instance, various provisions of our policies, such as limitations or exclusions from coverage or choice of forum, which have been negotiated to limit our risks, may not be enforceable in the manner we intend. At the present time, we employ a variety of endorsements to our policies that limit exposure to known risks. As industry practices and legal, judicial, social and other conditions change, unexpected and unintended issues related to claims and coverage may emerge. These issues may adversely affect our business by either extending coverage beyond the underwriting intent or by increasing the size or number of claims.
In addition, we design our policy terms to manage our exposure to expanding theories of legal liability like those which have given rise to claims for lead paint, asbestos, mold, construction defects and environmental matters. Many of the policies we issue also include conditions requiring the prompt reporting of claims to us and entitle us to decline coverage in the event of a violation of that condition. Also, many of our policies limit the period during which a policyholder may bring a claim under the policy, which in many cases is shorter than the statutory period under which such claims can be brought against our policyholders. While these exclusions and limitations help us assess and reduce our loss exposure and help eliminate known exposures to certain risks, it is possible that a court or regulatory authority could nullify or void an exclusion or legislation could be enacted modifying or barring the use of such endorsements and limitations. These types of governmental actions could result in higher than anticipated losses and loss adjustment expenses, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. In some instances, these changes may not become apparent until sometime after we have issued insurance policies that are affected by the changes. As a result, the full extent of liability under our insurance contracts may not be known for many years after a contract is issued.
Increased information technology security threats and more sophisticated computer crimes pose a risk to our systems, networks, products and services.
Our business is dependent upon the uninterrupted functioning of our information technology and telecommunication systems. We rely upon our systems, as well as the systems of our vendors, to underwrite and process our business; make claim payments; provide customer service; provide policy administration services, such as endorsements, cancellations and premium collections; comply with insurance regulatory requirements; and perform actuarial and other analytical functions necessary for pricing and product development. We have established security policies, processes and layers of defense designed to help identify and protect against intentional and unintentional misappropriation or corruption of our systems and information and disruption of our operations. Our security measures are focused on the prevention, detection and remediation of damage from computer viruses, natural disasters, unauthorized access, cyber attack and other similar disruptions.
Despite these efforts, our systems may be damaged, disrupted, or shut down due to attacks by unauthorized access, malicious software, undetected intrusion, hardware failures, or other events, and in these circumstances our disaster recovery planning may be ineffective or inadequate. Information technology security threats from user error to cybersecurity attacks are increasing in frequency and sophistication. Cybersecurity attacks may range from random attempts to coordinated and targeted attacks, including sophisticated computer crime and advanced threats. These threats pose a risk to the security of our systems and networks and the confidentiality, availability and integrity of our data. The potential consequences of a material cybersecurity attack include reputational damage, litigation with third parties, and increased cybersecurity protection and remediation costs. A sustained business interruption or system failure could adversely impact our ability to process our business, provide customer service, pay claims in a timely manner or perform other necessary business functions. We could also be subject to fines and penalties from a security breach. The cost to remedy a severe breach could be substantial.
We rely on our systems and employees, and those of certain third‑party vendors and service providers in conducting our operations, and certain failures, including internal or external fraud, operational errors, or systems malfunctions, could materially adversely affect our operations.
We are exposed to many types of operational risk, including the risk of fraud by employees and outsiders, clerical and recordkeeping errors and computer or telecommunications systems malfunctions. Our business depends on our ability to process a large number of increasingly complex transactions. If any of our operational, accounting, or other data processing systems fail or have other significant shortcomings, we could be materially adversely affected. Similarly, we depend on our employees. We could be materially adversely affected if one or more of our employees cause a significant operational breakdown or failure, either as a result of human error or intentional sabotage or fraudulent manipulation of our operations or systems.
Third parties with whom we do business, including vendors that provide services or security solutions for our operations, could also be sources of operational and information security risk to us, including from breakdowns, failures, or capacity constraints of their own systems or employees. Any of these occurrences could diminish our ability to operate our business, or cause financial loss, potential liability to insureds, inability to secure insurance, reputational damage or regulatory intervention, which could materially adversely affect us.

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Our geographic concentration ties our performance to the business, economic, natural perils, man-made perils, and regulatory conditions within our most concentrated region.
Our revenues and profitability are subject to the prevailing regulatory, legal, economic, political, demographic, competitive, weather and other conditions in the principal states in which we do business. Changes in any of these conditions could make it less attractive for us to do business in such states and would have a more pronounced effect on us compared to companies that are more geographically diversified. In addition, our exposure to severe losses from localized perils, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tropical storms, tornadoes, wind, ice storms, hail, fires, terrorism, riots and explosions, is increased in those areas where we have written significant numbers of insurance policies.
Litigation and legal proceedings against our subsidiaries could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and/or results of operations.
As an insurance holding company, our subsidiaries are named as defendants in various legal actions in the ordinary course of business. We believe that the outcome of presently pending matters, individually and in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, operating results or liquidity. However, the outcomes of lawsuits cannot be predicted and, if determined adversely, could require us to pay significant damage amounts or to change aspects of our operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.
We are subject to assessments and other surcharges from state guaranty funds, and mandatory state insurance facilities, which may reduce our profitability.
Our Insurance Company Subsidiaries are subject to assessments in most states where we are licensed for the provision of funds necessary for the settlement of covered claims under certain policies provided by impaired, insolvent or failed insurance companies. These assessments, which are levied by guaranty associations within the state in proportion to premiums written by member insures in the lines of business in which the impaired, insolvent or failed insurer was engaged. Maximum contributions required by law in any one year vary by state, and have historically been less than one percent of annual premiums written. We cannot predict with certainty the amount of future assessments because they depend on factors outside our control, such as insolvencies of other insurance companies. Significant assessments could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
Our principal shareholders and management own a significant percentage of our stock and will be able to exert significant control over matters subject to shareholder approval.
As of December 31, 2018 , our executive officers, directors, 5% shareholders and their affiliates owned approximately 50.7% of our voting stock. Therefore, these shareholders will have the ability to influence us through their ownership position. These shareholders may be able to significantly influence all matters requiring shareholder approval. For example, these shareholders may be able to significantly influence elections of directors, amendments of our organizational documents, or approval of any merger, sale of assets, or other major corporate transaction. This may prevent or discourage unsolicited acquisition proposals or offers for our common stock that you may feel are in your best interest as one of our shareholders.
We cannot assure you that we will declare or pay dividends on our common shares in the future so any returns may be limited to the value of our stock.
We currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings for the development, operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. Any return to shareholders will therefore be limited to appreciation in value of their stock, if any.
In addition, any determination to declare or pay future dividends to our shareholders will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on a variety of factors, including (1) our financial condition, liquidity, results of operations (including our ability to generate cash flow in excess of expenses and our expected or actual net income), retained earnings and collateral and capital requirements, (2) general business conditions, (3) legal, tax and regulatory limitations, (4) contractual prohibitions and other restrictions, (5) the effect of a dividend or dividends upon our financial strength ratings and (6) any other factors that our board of directors deems relevant.
We incur significant increased costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management will be required to devote substantial time to new compliance initiatives.
As a public company, we incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. In addition, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, which require, among other things, that we file with the SEC, annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. We are

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also subject to other reporting and corporate governance requirements, including certain requirements of Nasdaq and certain provisions of the Sarbanes‑Oxley Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder, which will impose significant compliance obligations upon us.
The Sarbanes‑Oxley Act and the Dodd‑Frank Act, as well as new rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and Nasdaq, have increased regulation of, and imposed enhanced disclosure and corporate governance requirements on, public companies. Our efforts to comply with these evolving laws, regulations and standards have increased our operating costs and may divert management’s time and attention from revenue‑generating activities.
Other expenses associated with being a public company include increases in auditing, accounting and legal fees and expenses, investor relations expenses, increased directors’ fees and director and officer liability insurance costs, registrar and transfer agent fees and listing fees, as well as other expenses.
Certain provisions of our corporate governance documents and Michigan law could discourage, delay or prevent a merger or acquisition at a premium price.
Our amended and restated articles of incorporation and bylaws will contain provisions that may make the acquisition of our Company more difficult without the approval of our board of directors (our “Board”). These include provisions that, among other things:
Permit the Board to issue up to 10 million shares of preferred stock, with any rights, preferences and privileges as they may determine (including the right to approve an acquisition or other change in control);
Provide that the authorized number of directors may be fixed only by the Board in accordance with our amended and restated bylaws;
Do not provide for cumulative voting rights (therefore allowing the holders of a majority of the shares entitled to vote in any election of directors to elect all of the directors standing for election);
Provide that all vacancies and newly created directorships may be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of directors then in office, even if less than a quorum;
Prohibit removal of directors without cause;
Prohibit shareholders from calling special meetings of shareholders;
Requires unanimous consent for shareholders to take action by written consent without approval of the action by our Board;
Provide that shareholders seeking to present proposals before a meeting of shareholders or to nominate candidates for election as directors at a meeting of shareholders must provide advance notice in writing and also comply with specified requirements related to the form and content of a shareholder’s notice;
Require at least 80% supermajority shareholder approval to alter, amend or repeal certain provisions of our amended and restated articles of incorporation; and
Require at least 80% supermajority shareholder approval in order for shareholders to adopt, amend or repeal our amended and restated bylaws.
These provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our shareholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for shareholders to replace members of the Board of Directors, which is responsible for appointing members of our management.
In addition, the 2015 Omnibus Incentive Plan permits the Board or a committee thereof to accelerate, vest or cause the restrictions to lapse with respect to outstanding equity awards, in the event of, or immediately prior to, a change in control. Such vesting or acceleration could discourage the acquisition of our Company.
We could also become subject to certain anti‑takeover provisions under Michigan law which may discourage, delay or prevent someone from acquiring us or merging with us, whether or not an acquisition or merger is desired by or beneficial to our shareholders. If a corporation’s board of directors chooses to “opt in” to certain provisions of Michigan Law, such corporation may not, in general, engage in a business combination with any beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 10% of the corporation’s outstanding voting shares unless the holder has held the shares for five years or more or, among other things, the board of directors has approved the business combination. Our Board of Directors has not elected to be subject to this provision, but could do so in the future. Any provision of our amended and restated articles of incorporation or bylaws or Michigan law that has the effect of delaying or deterring a change in control could limit the opportunity for our shareholders

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to receive a premium for their shares, and could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our common stock otherwise.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Publicly Traded Debt
There are limited covenants in the Indenture.
In addition to our currently outstanding indebtedness and other liabilities, the Indenture does not restrict us or our subsidiaries from incurring additional debt or other liabilities, including additional senior debt or secured debt under our secured credit facilities. If we incur additional debt or liabilities, our ability to pay the obligations on the Notes could be adversely affected.
Our indebtedness, including the indebtedness we or our subsidiaries may incur in the future, could have important consequences for the holders of the Notes, including:
limiting our ability to satisfy our obligations with respect to the Notes;
increasing our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions;
limiting our ability to obtain additional financing to fund future working capital, capital expenditures, and other general corporate requirements;
requiring a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations for the payment of principal of, and interest on, our indebtedness and thereby reducing our ability to use our cash flow to fund working capital, capital expenditures and general corporate requirements; and
limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and the industry; and putting us at a disadvantage compared to competitors with less indebtedness.
In addition, we have limited restrictions under the Indenture from granting security interests in our assets, paying dividends or issuing or repurchasing securities.
Moreover, the Indenture does not require us to maintain any financial ratios or specific levels of net worth, revenues, income, cash flow or liquidity and, accordingly, does not protect holders of the Notes in the event that we experience material adverse changes in our financial condition or results of operations. Holders of the Notes have limited protection under the Indenture in the event of a highly leveraged transaction, reorganization, default under our existing indebtedness, restructuring, merger or similar transaction.
For these reasons, you should not consider the covenants in the Indenture a significant factor in evaluating whether to invest in the Notes.
The Notes will be structurally subordinated to the indebtedness and other liabilities of our subsidiaries.
The Notes are obligations exclusively of Conifer Holdings, Inc. and not of any of our subsidiaries. None of our subsidiaries is a guarantor of the Notes and the Notes are not required to be guaranteed by any subsidiary we may acquire or create in the future. Any assets of our subsidiaries will not be directly available to satisfy the claims of our creditors, including holders of the Notes. Except to the extent we are a creditor with recognized claims against our subsidiaries, all claims of creditors of our subsidiaries will have priority over our equity interests in such subsidiaries (and therefore the claims of our creditors, including holders of the Notes) with respect to the assets of such subsidiaries. Even if we are recognized as a creditor of one or more of our subsidiaries, our claims would still be effectively subordinated to any security interests in the assets of any such subsidiary and to any indebtedness or other liabilities of any such subsidiary senior to our claims. Consequently, the Notes will be structurally subordinated to all indebtedness and other liabilities of any of our subsidiaries and any subsidiaries that we may in the future acquire or establish. Our subsidiaries may incur substantial indebtedness in the future, all of which would be structurally senior to the Notes.
Servicing our indebtedness will require a significant amount of cash. Our ability to generate sufficient cash depends on many factors, some of which are not within our control.
Our ability to make payments on our indebtedness (including the Notes) will depend on our ability to generate cash in the future. To a certain extent, this is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow to service our debt and meet our other commitments, we may need to restructure or refinance all or a portion of our debt, sell material assets or operations or raise additional debt or equity capital. We may not be able to effect any of these actions on a timely basis, on commercially reasonable terms or at all, and these actions may not be sufficient to meet our capital requirements. In addition, the terms of our existing or future debt arrangements may restrict us from effecting any of these alternatives.

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Our ability to meet our obligations on our outstanding debt, including making principal and interest payments on the Notes and the Subordinated Notes, may be limited by our holding company structure and regulatory constraints restricting dividends or other distributions by our Insurance Company Subsidiaries.
We are a holding company that transacts the majority of our business through our Insurance Company Subsidiaries and, as a result, our principal sources of funds are dividends and other payments from our Insurance Company Subsidiaries, including intercompany service fees. Our ability to meet our obligations on our outstanding debt obligations, including making principal and interest payments on the Notes, depends on continuing to receive sufficient funds from our Insurance Company Subsidiaries. We have met, and expect to continue to meet our outstanding debt obligations, including making principal and interest payments on the Notes, primarily through intercompany service fees we receive. We also may use dividends paid to us by our Insurance Company Subsidiaries to meet part or all of our debt obligations, including making principal and interest payments on the Notes. State insurance laws, however, limit the ability of our Insurance Company Subsidiaries to pay dividends and require them to maintain specified minimum levels of statutory capital and surplus. The aggregate maximum amount of dividends permitted by law to be paid by an insurance company does not necessarily define an insurance company’s actual ability to pay dividends. The actual ability to pay dividends may be further constrained by business and regulatory considerations, such as the impact of dividends on surplus, by our competitive position and by the amount of premiums that we can write. As a result, our ability to use dividends as a source of funds to meet part or all of our debt obligations, including making principal and interest payments on the Notes, may be significantly limited. Any significant reduction in the intercompany service fees we receive, and any regulatory and other limitations on the payment of dividends to us by our Insurance Company Subsidiaries, may adversely affect our ability to pay interest on the Notes as it comes due and the principal of the Notes at their maturity.
We may be able to incur substantially more debt.
Conifer may be able to incur substantial indebtedness in the future and such debt may be secured debt or debt of its subsidiaries. The terms of the Indenture governing the notes will not prohibit Conifer or its subsidiaries from incurring unsecured debt and the limitation on incurring secured debt is subject to important limitations, qualifications and exceptions. If Conifer incurs any secured debt (including secured revolving loans under our Senior Credit Facility) or any of its subsidiaries incur any debt, all such debt will be effectively senior to the Notes either to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such debt or structurally, and if Conifer incurs any additional indebtedness that ranks equally with the Notes, the holders of that debt will be entitled to share ratably with the holders of the Notes in any proceeds distributed in connection with any insolvency, liquidation, reorganization, dissolution or other winding up of Conifer. If new debt is added to Conifer’s current debt levels, or Conifer’s subsidiaries incur additional debt, the related risks Conifer faces will increase.
Although the Notes may be listed on the NASDAQ, an active trading market for the Notes may not develop, which could limit the market price of the Notes or your ability to sell them.
Although the Notes may be listed on the NASDAQ, we cannot provide any assurances that an active trading market will develop for the Notes or that you will be able to sell your Notes. If the Notes are traded after their initial issuance, they may trade at a discount from their initial offering price depending on prevailing interest rates, the market for similar securities, our credit ratings, general economic conditions, our financial condition, performance and prospects and other factors. The underwriters have advised us that they intend to make a market in the Notes, but they are not obligated to do so. The underwriters may discontinue any market-making in the Notes at any time at their sole discretion. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that a liquid trading market will develop for the Notes, that you will be able to sell your Notes at a particular time or that the price you receive when you sell will be favorable. To the extent an active trading market does not develop, the liquidity and trading price for the Notes may be harmed. Accordingly, you may be required to bear the financial risk of an investment in the Notes for an indefinite period of time.
No market currently exists for the Notes and an active trading market may not develop.
The Notes are a new issue of securities with no established trading market. We have applied for listing of the Notes on the Nasdaq Global Market, but no assurance can be given as to the approval of the Notes for listing or, if listed, the continued listing for the term of the Notes, or the liquidity or trading market for the Notes. There can be no assurance that a secondary market for the Notes will develop. We are not required to maintain a listing on the Nasdaq Global Market or any other exchange. Even if the listing of the Notes on the Nasdaq Global Market is approved, we cannot assure you that a market will develop, or continue, or that you will be able to sell your Notes easily.
The liquidity of any market for the Notes will depend upon various factors, including:
the number of holders of the Notes;
the interest of securities dealers in making a market for the Notes;

26


the overall market for debt securities;
our financial performance and prospects; and
the prospects for companies in our industry generally.
Accordingly, we cannot assure you that an active trading market will develop, or continue, for the Notes. If the Notes are traded after their initial issuance, they may trade at a discount from their initial offering price, depending upon prevailing interest rates and other factors, including those listed above.
Volatility in the market price and trading volume of our common stock could adversely impact the trading price of the Notes.
The stock market in recent years has experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated to the operating performance of companies. In addition, the market price of our common stock historically has been volatile. The market price of our common stock could fluctuate significantly for many reasons, including in response to the risks described in this section or in our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, or our subsequently filed quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or elsewhere in this prospectus for reasons unrelated to our operations, such as reports by industry analysts, investor perceptions or negative announcements by our customers, competitors or suppliers regarding their own performance, as well as industry conditions and general financial, economic and political instability. A decrease in the market price of our common stock would likely adversely impact the trading price of the Notes. The market price of our common stock could also be affected by possible sales of our common stock by investors who view the Notes as a more attractive means of equity participation in us and by hedging or arbitrage trading activity that may develop involving our common stock. This trading activity could, in turn, affect the trading price of the Notes. This volatility in the market price of our common stock may affect the price at which you could sell the shares of our common stock you receive upon conversion of your Notes, if any, and the sale of substantial amounts of our common stock could adversely affect the price of our common stock and the value of your Notes.
If we default on our obligations to pay our other indebtedness, we may not be able to make payments on the Notes.
Any default under the agreements governing our indebtedness, including other indebtedness to which we may be a party that is not waived by the required lenders, and the remedies sought by the holders of such indebtedness could make us unable to pay principal, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes and substantially decrease the market value of the Notes. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow and are otherwise unable to obtain funds necessary to meet required payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest on our indebtedness, or if we otherwise fail to comply with the various covenants, including financial and operating covenants, in the instruments governing our indebtedness, we could be in default under the terms of the agreements governing such indebtedness. In the event of such default, the holders of such indebtedness could elect to declare all the funds borrowed thereunder to be due and payable, together with accrued and unpaid interest, the lenders under any other debt we may incur in the future could elect to terminate their commitments, cease making further loans and institute foreclosure proceedings against our assets, and we could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation. If our operating performance declines, we may in the future need to seek to obtain waivers from the required lenders under other debt that we may incur in the future to avoid being in default. If we breach our covenants under other debt and seek a waiver, we may not be able to obtain a waiver from the required lenders. If this occurs, we would be in default under other debt, the lenders could exercise their rights as described above, and we could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation. If we are unable to repay debt, lenders having secured obligations could proceed against the collateral securing the debt.
The price at which holders will be able to sell their Notes prior to maturity will depend on a number of factors and may be substantially less than the amount originally invested.
We believe that the value of the Notes in any secondary market will be affected by the supply and demand of the Notes, the interest rate, their ranking and a number of other factors. The following factors, among others, may have an impact on the market value of the Notes:
United States interest rates. We expect that the market value of the Notes will be affected by actual or anticipated changes in interest rates in the United States. In general, if U.S. interest rates increase, the market value of the Notes may decrease.
Our credit ratings, financial condition and results. Actual or anticipated changes in our A.M. Best ratings, other credit ratings, financial condition or results of operations may affect the market value of the Notes.
Our other existing and future liabilities. Existing and any future indebtedness and other obligations of our, or of our subsidiaries, may affect the market value of the Notes.
General economic conditions. General economic conditions may affect the market value of the Notes.
Market for similar securities. The market for similar securities may affect the market value of the Notes.

27


Some of these factors are interrelated in complex ways. As a result, the effect of any one factor, such as an increase in United States interest rates, may be offset or magnified by the effect of one or more other factors.
We may redeem the Notes before maturity, and holders of the redeemed Notes may be unable to reinvest the proceeds at the same or a higher rate of return.
We may redeem all or a portion of the Notes. If redemption does occur, holders of the redeemed Notes may be unable to reinvest the money received in the redemption at a rate that is equal to or higher than the rate of return on the Notes.



28


ITEM 1B.  UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.

ITEM 2.  PROPERTIES
We lease office space in Birmingham, Michigan, where our principal executive office is located. We also lease offices in Southfield, Michigan; Jacksonville, Orlando and Miami, Florida; Somerset, Pennsylvania; and Brentwood, Tennessee. We believe that our facilities are adequate for our current needs and that suitable additional or substitute space will be available as needed.

ITEM 3.  LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
We are party to legal proceedings which arise in the ordinary course of business. We believe that the outcome of such matters, individually and in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, operating results or liquidity.

ITEM 4.  MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not Applicable.

29


PART II

ITEM 5.  MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES.
Shareholder Information
Corporate Headquarters
Transfer Agent & Registrar
550 W. Merrill Street
American Stock Transfer & Trust Co, LLC
Birmingham, MI 48009
6201 15 th  Avenue
Phone: (248) 559-0840
Brooklyn, NY 11219
 
 
 
 
Corporate Counsel
 
Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, LLP
 
600 Woodward Avenue
 
2290 First National Building
 
Detroit, MI 48226-3506
 
Shareholder Relations and Form 10-K
A copy of our 2018 Annual Report and Form 10-K, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, may be obtained upon written request to our Financial Reporting Department at our corporate headquarters at ir@cnfrh.com.
Share Price and Dividend Information
Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol “CNFR.” The following table sets forth the high and low sale prices of our common shares as reported by the Nasdaq for each period shown:
 
High
 
Low
2018
 
 
 
First Quarter
6.85
 
5.15
Second Quarter
6.40
 
5.60
Third Quarter
7.20
 
5.60
Fourth Quarter
5.90
 
3.06
 
 
 
 
2017
 
 
 
First Quarter
7.75
 
6.55
Second Quarter
8.05
 
6.75
Third Quarter
7.30
 
6.05
Fourth Quarter
7.15
 
5.55
Neither Michigan law nor our amended and restated articles of incorporation requires our board of directors to declare dividends on our common stock. Conifer Holdings, Inc. is a holding company that has no substantial revenues of its own, and relies primarily on intercompany service fees, cash dividends or distributions from its subsidiaries to pay operating expenses, service debts, and pay dividends to shareholders. The payment of dividends by the Insurance Company Subsidiaries is limited under the laws and regulations of their respective state of domicile. These regulations stipulate the maximum amount of annual dividends or other distributions available to shareholders without prior approval of the relevant regulatory authorities. Any future determination to declare cash dividends on our common stock will be made at the discretion of the board of directors and will depend on the financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, general business conditions and other factors that the board of directors may deem relevant. The Parent Company has not historically paid dividends and does not anticipate paying cash dividends on its common stock for the foreseeable future.

30


For additional information regarding dividend restrictions, refer to the  Liquidity and Capital Resources  section of Management’s Discussion and Analysis.
Shareholders of Record
As of March 13, 2019, there were 30 shareholders of record of our common stock. A substantially greater number of holders are beneficial owners whose shares are held of record by banks, brokers and other nominees.
Repurchases of Company's Stock
On December 5, 2018, the Company's Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase program, under which the Company may repurchase up to one million shares of the Company's common stock. Shares may be purchased in the open market or through negotiated transactions. The program may be terminated or suspended at any time, at the discretion of the Company. The Company may in the future enter into a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan to effect a portion of the authorized purchases, if criteria set forth in the plan are met. Such a plan would enable the Company to repurchase its shares during periods outside of its normal trading windows, when the Company typically would not be active in the market. The timing of purchases, and the exact number of any shares to be purchased, will depend on market conditions. The repurchase program does not include specific price targets or timetables. For the year ended December 31, 2018 , the Company had repurchased 129,175 shares of stock valued at approximately $584,000 . Upon the repurchase of the Company's shares, the shares remain authorized, but not issued or outstanding.
On February 25, 2016, the Company's Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase program, under which the Company may repurchase up to $2.1 million of its outstanding common stock. Under this program, management was authorized to repurchase shares at prevailing market prices through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions, block purchases or otherwise in accordance with applicable federal securities laws, including Rule 10b5-1 and 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The actual timing, number and value of shares repurchased under the program was determined by management in its discretion and depended on a number of factors, including the market price of the Company’s stock, general market conditions, and other factors. The Company did not repurchase any of its outstanding common stock during 2017.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
In the past three years, we have sold and issued the following unregistered securities:
On September 27, 2017, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a private placement stock purchase offering wherein the Company was authorized to sell a maximum of $7.0 million of the Company’s common stock, no par value per share, pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Rule 506(b) of Regulation D as promulgated under the Securities Act and in accordance with applicable federal securities laws, including Rule 10b5-1 and 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended. The participants in the private placement consisted mainly of members of the Company’s management team and Board of Directors, including the Company’s Chairman and CEO, James Petcoff.
Under this private placement offering, the Company issued $5.0 million of common equity consisting of 800,000 shares at the price of $6.25 per share on September 28, 2017. The Company’s common stock closing market price on the Nasdaq Stock Market on September 28, 2017, was $6.05 per share. The offering was made to accredited investors only. No commissions or other remuneration were paid in connection with the issuance. The actual timing, number and value of shares to be issued under the private placement offering was determined by management in its discretion and depended on a number of factors, including the market price of the Company’s stock, general marketing conditions, and other factors. The Company used the proceeds from the issuance to strengthen its balance sheet through contributions to the Insurance Company Subsidiaries to support future growth, as well as to cover the cost of the ADC and reserve strengthening.
No underwriters were involved in the foregoing sales of securities. The issuances of the securities described above were deemed to be exempt from registration under the Securities Act in reliance on Section 4(2) of the Securities Act as transactions by an issuer not involving a public offering.

31


ITEM 6. SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA
The following tables set forth selected consolidated historical financial information of Conifer Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiaries as of the dates and for the periods indicated. The selected financial data for the years ended December 31, 2018 , 2017 , 2016 , 2015 and 2014 were derived from our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto.
These historical results are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for any future period. The following financial information should be read in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included elsewhere in this report (dollars in thousands, except for per share data).
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
Operating Results:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gross written premiums
$
104,368

 
$
114,284

 
$
114,923

 
$
93,750

 
$
83,847

Ceded written premiums
(15,282
)
 
(23,044
)
 
(14,994)

 
(14,076)

 
(17,548)

Net written premiums
$
89,086

 
$
91,240

 
$
99,929

 
$
79,674

 
$
66,299

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net earned premiums
$
93,811

 
$
91,729

 
$
89,627

 
$
66,765

 
$
57,528

Net investment income
3,336

 
2,728

 
2,173

 
1,902

 
1,175

Net realized investment gains
61

 
70

 
1,365

 
285

 
417

Change in fair value of equity securities
121

 



 

 

Other gains (losses) (1)

 
750

 
(400)

 
104

 

Other income
1,582

 
1,560

 
1,118

 
1,667

 
1,809

Total revenue
98,911

 
96,837

 
93,883

 
70,723

 
60,929

Losses and loss adjustment expenses, net
62,515

 
73,917

 
59,003

 
38,882

 
40,730

Policy acquisition costs
25,534

 
26,245

 
25,280

 
16,183

 
14,696

Operating expenses
17,683

 
17,367

 
17,596

 
14,806

 
12,139

Interest expense
2,644

 
1,362

 
647

 
769

 
584

Total expenses
108,376

 
118,891

 
102,526

 
70,640

 
68,149

Income (loss) before income taxes
(9,465)

 
(22,054)

 
(8,643)

 
83

 
(7,220)

Income tax expense (benefit)
52

 
(447
)
 
(77)

 
48

 
(281)

Equity earnings (losses) in affiliates, net of tax
290

 
65

 
129

 
(52)

 

Net income (loss)
(9,227)

 
(21,542)

 
(8,437)

 
(17)

 
(6,939)

Less net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest

 

 

 
(81)

 
(4)

Net income (loss) attributable to Conifer
$
(9,227
)
 
$
(21,542
)
 
$
(8,437
)
 
$
64

 
$
(6,935
)
Net income (loss) allocable to common shareholders    
$
(9,227
)
 
$
(21,542
)
 
$
(8,437
)
 
$
(476
)
 
$
(7,200
)
Net income (loss) per share allocable to common shareholders, basic and diluted
$
(1.08
)
 
$
(2.74
)
 
$
(1.11
)
 
$
(0.09
)
 
$
(2.69
)
Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted
8,543,876

 
7,867,344

 
7,618,588

 
5,369,960

 
2,672,440


32


 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
Balance Sheet Data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cash and invested assets
$
150,894

 
$
169,518

 
$
141,023

 
$
130,427

 
$
123,726

Reinsurance recoverables
34,745

 
24,539

 
7,498

 
7,044

 
5,139

Total assets
232,752

 
239,032

 
203,701

 
177,927

 
163,738

Unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses
92,807

 
87,896

 
54,651

 
35,422

 
31,531

Unearned premiums
52,852

 
57,672

 
58,126

 
47,916

 
43,381

Debt
33,502

 
29,027

 
17,750

 
12,750

 
27,562

Total liabilities
190,589

 
186,206

 
135,907

 
100,665

 
113,460

Preferred stock (2)

 

 

 

 
6,119

Total shareholders’ equity attributable to Conifer
42,163

 
52,826

 
67,794

 
77,262

 
44,182

Other Data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Shareholders’ equity per common share outstanding
$
4.97

 
$
6.20

 
$
8.88

 
$
10.11

 
$
11.06

Regulatory capital and surplus (3)
63,993

 
62,451

 
62,189

 
71,153

 
65,974

 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
Underwriting Ratios:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Loss ratio
65.5
%
 
79.2
%
 
65.0
%
 
56.8
%
 
68.6
%
Expense ratio
45.3
%
 
46.8
%
 
47.2
%
 
45.3
%
 
45.2
%
Combined ratio
110.8
%
 
126.0
%
 
112.2
%
 
102.1
%
 
113.8
%

(1)
In 2017, the Company recognized a $750,000 gain on the sale of the renewal rights of a portion of the low value dwelling book of business to another insurer. In 2016, as a result of the merger of ACIC into WPIC, the value of intangible assets recorded for insurance licenses on ACIC were written off resulting in a loss. In 2015, the Company recognized a gain as a result of the deconsolidation of an affiliate.
(2)
In March 2015, the Company reclassified the then carrying amount of its preferred stock of $6,180 from temporary equity to permanent equity as the redemption of the preferred stock became within the Company’s control as a result of the amendments to the preferred stock designations.
(3)
For our Insurance Company Subsidiaries, the excess of assets over liabilities are determined in accordance with statutory accounting principles as determined by the domiciliary state for each Insurance Company Subsidiary. In 2018, CIC issued a surplus note to WPIC for $10.0 million. The regulatory capital and surplus balance as of year ended December 31, 2018 eliminates the $10.0 million surplus note from the consolidated balance.

33


 
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements, related notes and other financial information appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, which are not statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements give current expectations or forecasts of future events or our future financial or operating performance. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” "will," “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “seek” and similar terms and phrases, or the negative thereof, may be used to identify forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking statements contained in this report are based on management’s good-faith belief and reasonable judgment based on current information. The forward-looking statements are qualified by important factors, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including those described above in Item 1A Risk Factors and subsequent reports filed with or furnished to the SEC. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this report speaks only as of the date hereof or as of the date specified herein. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by any applicable laws or regulations.
Business Overview
We are an insurance holding company that markets and services our product offerings through specialty commercial and specialty personal insurance business lines. Our growth has been significant since our founding in 2009. Currently, we are authorized to write insurance as an excess and surplus lines carrier in 45 states, including the District of Columbia. We are licensed to write insurance in 42 states, including the District of Columbia, as an admitted carrier and we offer our insurance products in all 50 states.
Our revenues are primarily derived from premiums earned from our insurance operations. We also generate other revenues through investment income and other income which mainly consists of: installment fees and policy issuance fees generally related to the policies we write and commission income from SIA's 50% owned agency (the "Affiliate"). The Affiliate places small commercial risks mainly for alarm and security guard markets.
Our expenses consist primarily of losses and loss adjustment expenses, agents’ commissions, and other underwriting and administrative expenses. We organize our operations in two insurance businesses: commercial insurance lines and personal insurance lines.
Through our commercial insurance lines, we offer coverage for both commercial property and commercial liability. We also offer coverage for commercial automobiles and workers’ compensation. Our insurance policies are sold to targeted small and mid-sized businesses on a single or multiple-coverage basis.
Through our personal insurance lines, we offer homeowners insurance and dwelling fire insurance products to individuals in several states. Our specialty homeowners insurance line is primarily comprised of either wind-exposed homeowners insurance providing hurricane and wind coverage to underserved homeowners in Texas, Hawaii and Florida or low-value dwelling insurance tailored for owners of lower valued homes, which we offer in Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana and Texas. Due to certain Florida-based industry events, we have deemphasized our Florida homeowners business and other wind-exposed business in Texas and Hawaii. We plan to continue to shift focus to low-value dwelling lines of business in order to bring personal lines premium levels back up and to maintain a strategic balance of commercial and personal lines of business.

34


Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
General
We identified the accounting estimates below as critical to the understanding of our financial position and results of operations. Critical accounting estimates are defined as those estimates that are both important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results of operations and which require us to exercise significant judgment. We use significant judgment concerning future results and developments in applying these critical accounting estimates and in preparing our consolidated financial statements. These judgments and estimates affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the disclosure of material contingent assets and liabilities. Actual results may differ materially from the estimates and assumptions used in preparing the consolidated financial statements. We evaluate our estimates regularly using information that we believe to be relevant. See the Consolidated Financial Statements Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, for further details.
Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Reserves
Our recorded loss and loss adjustment expenses ("LAE") reserves represent management’s best estimate of unpaid loss and LAE at each balance sheet date, based on information, facts and circumstances known at such time. Our loss and LAE reserves reflect our estimates at the balance sheet date of:
•    Case reserves, which are unpaid loss and LAE amounts that have been reported; and
•    Incurred but not reported ("IBNR") reserves, which are (1) unpaid loss and LAE amounts that have been incurred but not yet reported; and (2) the expected development on case reserves.
We do not discount the loss and LAE reserves for the time value of money.
Case reserves are initially set by our claims personnel. When a claim is reported to us, our claims department completes a case‑basis valuation and establishes a case reserve for the estimated amount of the probable ultimate losses and LAE associated with that claim. Our claims department updates their case‑basis valuations upon receipt of additional information and reduces case reserves as claims are paid. The case reserve is based primarily upon an evaluation of the following factors:
•    The type of loss;
•    The severity of injury or damage;
•    Our knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the claim;
•    The jurisdiction of the occurrence;
•    Policy provisions related to the claim;
•    Expenses intended to cover the ultimate cost of settling claims, including investigation and defense of lawsuits resulting from such claims, costs of outside adjusters and experts, and all other expenses which are identified to the case; and
Any other information considered pertinent to estimating the indemnity and expense exposure presented by the claim.
IBNR reserves are determined by subtracting case reserves and paid loss and LAE from the estimated ultimate loss and LAE. Our actuarial department develops estimated ultimate loss and LAE on a quarterly basis. Our Reserve Review Committee (which includes our Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, other members of executive management, and key actuarial, underwriting and claims personnel) meets each quarter to review our actuaries’ estimated ultimate expected loss and LAE.
We use several generally accepted actuarial methods to develop estimated ultimate loss and LAE estimates by line of business and accident year. This process relies on the basic assumption that past experience, adjusted for the effects of current developments and likely trends, is a reasonable basis for predicting future outcomes. These methods utilize various inputs, including:
•    Written and earned premiums;
•    Paid and reported losses and LAE;
•    Expected initial loss and LAE ratio, which is the ratio of incurred losses and LAE to earned premiums; and

35


•    Expected claim reporting and payout patterns based on our own loss experience and supplemented with insurance industry data where applicable.
The principal standard actuarial methods used by our actuaries for their comprehensive reviews include:
•    Loss ratio method—This method uses loss and LAE ratios for prior accident years, adjusted for current trends, to determine an appropriate expected loss and LAE ratio for a given accident year;
•    Loss development methods—Loss development methods assume that the losses and LAE yet to emerge for an accident year are proportional to the paid or reported loss and LAE amounts observed to‑date. The paid loss development method uses losses and LAE paid to date, while the reported loss development method uses losses and LAE reported to date;
•    Bornheutter‑Ferguson method—This method is a combination of the loss ratio and loss development methods, where the loss development factor is given more weight as an accident year matures; and
•    Frequency/severity method—This method projects claim counts and average cost per claim on a paid or reported basis for high frequency, low severity products.
Our actuaries give different weights to each of these methods based upon the amount of historical experience data by line of business and by accident year, and based on judgment as to what method is believed to result in the most accurate estimate. The application of each method by line of business and by accident year may change in the future if it is determined that a different emphasis for each method would result in more accurate estimates.
Our actuaries also analyze several diagnostic measures by line of business and accident year, including but not limited to: reported and closed frequency and severity, claim reporting and claim closing patterns, paid and incurred loss ratio development, and ratios of paid loss and LAE to incurred loss and LAE. After the actuarial methods and diagnostic measures have been performed and analyzed, our actuaries use their judgment and expertise to select an estimated ultimate loss and LAE by line of business and by accident year.
Our actuaries estimate an IBNR reserve for our unallocated LAE not specifically identified to a particular claim, namely our internal claims department salaries and associated general overhead and administrative expenses associated with the adjustment and processing of claims. These estimates, which are referred to as unallocated loss adjustment expense ("ULAE") reserves, are based on internal cost studies and analyses reflecting the relationship of ULAE paid to actual paid and incurred losses. We select factors that are applied to case reserves and IBNR reserve estimates in order to estimate the amount of ULAE reserves applicable to estimated loss reserves at the balance sheet date.
We allocate the applicable portion of our estimated loss and LAE reserves to amounts recoverable from reinsurers under reinsurance contracts and report those amounts separately from our loss and LAE reserves as an asset on our balance sheet.
The estimation of ultimate liability for losses and LAE is a complex, imprecise and inherently uncertain process, and therefore involves a considerable degree of judgment and expertise. Our loss and LAE reserves do not represent an exact measurement of liability, but are estimates based upon various factors, including but not limited to:
•    Actuarial projections of what we, at a given time, expect to be the cost of the ultimate settlement and administration of claims reflecting facts and circumstances then known;
•    Estimates of future trends in claims severity and frequency;
•    Assessment of asserted theories of liability; and
•    Analysis of other factors, such as variables in claims handling procedures, economic factors, and judicial and legislative trends and actions.
Most or all of these factors are not directly or precisely quantifiable, particularly on a prospective basis, and are subject to a significant degree of variability over time. In addition, the establishment of loss and LAE reserves makes no provision for the broadening of coverage by legislative action or judicial interpretation or for the extraordinary future emergence of new types of losses not sufficiently represented in our historical experience or which cannot yet be quantified. As a result, an integral component of our loss and LAE reserving process is the use of informed subjective estimates and judgments about our ultimate exposure to losses and LAE. Accordingly, the ultimate liability may vary significantly from the current estimate. The effects of change in the estimated loss and LAE reserves are included in the results of operations in the period in which the estimate is revised.
Our reserves consist entirely of reserves for property and liability losses, consistent with the coverages provided for in the insurance policies directly written or assumed by us under reinsurance contracts. Occasionally, several years may elapse

36


between the occurrence of an insured loss, the reporting of the loss to us and our payment of the loss. The level of IBNR reserves in relation to total reserves depends upon the characteristics of the specific line of business, particularly related to the speed with which claims are reported and outstanding claims are paid. Lines of business for which claims are reported slowly will have a higher percentage of IBNR reserves than lines of business that report and settle claims more quickly.
The following table shows the ratio of IBNR reserves to total reserves net of reinsurance recoverables as of December 31, 2018 (dollars in thousands):
Line of Business
Case
Reserves
 
IBNR
Reserves
 
Total
Reserves
 
Ratio of
IBNR to
Total
Reserves
 
 
Commercial Lines
$
25,513

 
$
35,211

 
$
60,724

 
58.0
%
Personal Lines
1,615

 
783

 
2,398

 
32.7
%
Total Lines
$
27,128

 
$
35,994

 
$
63,122

 
57.0
%
Although we believe that our reserve estimates are reasonable, it is possible that our actual loss and LAE experience may not conform to our assumptions and may, in fact, vary significantly from our assumptions. Accordingly, the ultimate settlement of losses and the related LAE may vary significantly from the estimates included in our financial statements. We continually review our estimates and adjust them as we believe appropriate as our experience develops or new information becomes known to us. Such adjustments are included in current operations.
Our loss and LAE reserves do not represent an exact measurement of liability, but are estimates. The most significant assumptions affecting our IBNR reserve estimates are the loss development factors applied to paid losses and case reserves to develop IBNR by line of business and accident year. Although historical loss development provides us with an indication of future loss development, it typically varies from year to year. Thus, for each accident year within each line of business we select one loss development factor out of a range of historical factors.
We generated a sensitivity analysis of our net reserves which represents reasonably likely levels of variability in our selected loss development factors. We believe the most meaningful approach to the sensitivity analysis is to vary the loss development factors that drive the ultimate loss and LAE estimates. We applied this approach on an accident year basis, reflecting the reasonably likely differences in variability by level of maturity of the underlying loss experience for each accident year. Generally, the most recent accident years are characterized by more unreported losses and less information available for settling claims, and have more inherent uncertainty than the reserve estimates for more mature accident years. Therefore, we used variability factors of plus or minus 10% for the most recent accident year, 5% for the preceding accident year, and 2.5% for the second preceding accident year. There is minimal expected variability for accident years at four or more years’ maturity.
    

37


The following table displays ultimate net loss and LAE and net loss and LAE reserves by accident year for the year ended December 31, 2018 . We applied the sensitivity factors to each accident year amount and have calculated the amount of potential net loss and LAE reserve change and the impact on 2018 reported pre-tax income and on net income and shareholders’ equity at December 31, 2018 . We believe it is not appropriate to sum the illustrated amounts as it is not reasonably likely that each accident year’s reserve estimate assumptions will vary simultaneously in the same direction to the full extent of the sensitivity factor. We also believe that such changes to our reserve balance would not have a material impact on our operating results, financial position, or liquidity. The net income and shareholders' equity amounts include an income tax rate assumption of 21%. The dollar amounts in the table are in thousands.
 
Ultimate
Loss and LAE
Sensitivity
Factor
 
December 31, 2018
Ultimate
Loss and LAE
 
December 31, 2018
Loss and LAE
Reserves, Net
 
Potential
Impact on
2018 Pre-
Tax Income
 
Potential
Impact on 2018
Net Income and
December 31, 2018
Shareholders'
Equity
 
 
Increased Ultimate Losses & LAE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Accident Year 2018
10.0
 %
 
$
53,249

 
$
36,457

 
$
5,325

 
$
4,207

Accident Year 2017
5.0
 %
 
63,433

 
23,175

 
3,172

 
2,506

Accident Year 2016
2.5
 %
 
48,715

 
2,127

 
1,218

 
962

Prior to 2016 Accident Years
 %
 

 
1,363

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Decreased Ultimate Losses & LAE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Accident Year 2018
(10.0
)%
 
53,249

 
36,457

 
(5,325
)
 
(4,207
)
Accident Year 2017
(5.0
)%
 
63,433

 
23,175

 
(3,172
)
 
(1,801
)
Accident Year 2016
(2.5
)%
 
48,715

 
2,127

 
(1,218
)
 
(982
)
Prior to 2016 Accident Years
 %
 

 
1,363

 

 

Investment Valuation and Impairment
We carry debt securities classified as available‑for‑sale at fair value, and unrealized gains and losses on such securities, net of any deferred taxes, are reported as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income. Our equity securities that do not result in consolidation and are not accounted for under the equity method are measured at fair value and any changes in fair value are recognized in net income. We carry other equity investments that do not have a readily determinable fair value. These equity investments are recorded at cost, less impairment and adjusted for observable price changes under the measurement alternative provided under GAAP. We review these investments for impairment during each reporting period. We do not have any securities classified as trading or held‑to‑maturity.
We evaluate our available‑for‑sale investments regularly to determine whether there have been declines in value that are other‑than‑temporary. Our outside investment managers assist us in this evaluation. When we determine that a security has experienced an other‑than‑temporary impairment, the impairment loss is recognized as a realized investment loss.
We consider a number of factors in assessing whether an impairment is other‑than‑temporary, including (1) the amount and percentage that current fair value is below cost or amortized cost, (2) the length of time that the fair value has been below cost or amortized cost and (3) recent corporate developments or other factors that may impact an issuer’s near term prospects. In addition, for debt securities, we consider the credit quality ratings for the securities, with a special emphasis on securities downgraded to below investment grade. We also consider our intent to sell available‑for‑sale debt securities in an unrealized loss position, and if it is more likely than not that we will be required to sell these securities before a recovery in fair value to their cost or amortized cost basis.
Fair values are measured in accordance with ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements . The guidance establishes a framework for measuring fair value and a three‑level hierarchy based upon the quality of inputs used to measure fair value. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are: (1) Level 1: inputs are based on quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for

38


identical assets or liabilities, (2) Level 2: inputs are other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liabilities, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability and (3) Level 3: unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity. The unobservable inputs represent the Company’s best assumption of how market participants would price the assets or liabilities.
The fair values of debt and equity securities have been determined using fair value prices provided by our investment managers, who utilize internationally recognized independent pricing services. The prices provided by the independent pricing services are generally based on observable market data in active markets (e.g., broker quotes and prices observed for comparable securities).
The values for publicly‑traded equity securities are generally based on Level 1 inputs which use the market approach valuation technique. The values for debt securities generally incorporate significant Level 2 inputs. The carrying value of cash and short‑term investments approximate their fair values due to their short‑term maturity.
We review fair value prices provided by our outside investment managers for reasonableness by comparing the fair values provided by the managers to those provided by our investment custodian. We also review and monitor changes in unrealized gains and losses. We obtain an understanding of the methods, models and inputs used by our investment managers and independent pricing services, and controls are in place to validate that prices provided represent fair values. Our control process includes initial and ongoing evaluation of the methodologies used, a review of specific securities and an assessment for proper classification within the fair value hierarchy.
Income Taxes
Our income tax expense, deferred tax assets and liabilities, and liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits reflect management’s best assessment of estimated current and future taxes to be paid. We are subject to income taxes in the United States and numerous state jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining the consolidated income tax expense.
On December 22, 2017, the U.S. federal government enacted H.R. 1, “An Act to Provide for Reconciliation Pursuant to Titles II and V of the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2018” (the “Act”). The Act provided for significant changes to corporate taxation including the decrease of the corporate tax rate from 34% to 21%. In 2017, the Company completed an analysis of the impact of the Act and followed the additional guidance provided by the Security and Exchange Commission’s Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (“SAB 118”). There were no material provisional balances as of December 31, 2017.
In 2018, the Company recognized a measurement period adjustment of $42,735 related to loss reserve discounting, which reduced deferred tax expense. The Company also recognized a measurement period adjustment of $42,735 related to the loss reserve discounting transitional adjustment, which increased deferred tax expense. The measurement period adjustments were based upon obtaining additional information about facts and circumstances that existed as of the enactment date that, if known, would have affected the income tax effects initially reported as provisional amounts under the Act. The measurement period adjustments had no effect on the effective tax rate for the year ending December 31, 2018. The accounting for the income tax effects of the Act pursuant to SAB 118 has been completed as of the end of the December 22, 2018, measurement period and for the year ending December 31, 2018.
Deferred income taxes arise from temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements, which will result in taxable or deductible amounts in the future. In evaluating our ability to recover our deferred tax assets within the jurisdiction from which they arise, we consider all available positive and negative evidence, including scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, tax‑planning strategies, and results of recent operations. In projecting future taxable income, we begin with historical results and incorporate assumptions about the amount of future state and federal pretax operating income adjusted for items that do not have tax consequences. The assumptions about future taxable income require significant judgment and are consistent with the plans and estimates we are using to manage the underlying businesses. In evaluating the objective evidence that historical results provide, we consider three years of cumulative operating income or loss.
As of December 31, 2018 , we have federal and state income tax net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards of $48.3 million and $11.9 million , respectively, which will expire at various dates from 2019 through 2038. Of the federal NOL amount, $14.1 million are subject to limitations under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. These net NOL carryforwards are limited in the amount that can be utilized in any one year and may expire before they are realized. At this time we do not expect that any of the remaining NOL carryforwards will expire before utilized.
The carrying value of our gross deferred tax asset for the NOL carryforwards is equal to the total NOL carryforward amount times the applicable federal and state tax rates, and was $10.7 million and $9.5 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 , respectively. Total gross deferred tax assets were $15.4 million and $13.3 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 . A

39


valuation allowance of $12.6 million and $9.9 million has been recorded against the gross deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 , respectively, as the Company has recognized a three-year cumulative loss as of December 31, 2018 which is significant negative evidence to support the lack of recoverability of those deferred tax assets in accordance with ASC 740, Income Taxes . If the $12.6 million valuation allowance as of December 31, 2018 was reversed in the future, it would increase book value by $1.49. The net deferred tax liability was $115,000 as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 .
If, in the future, we determine we can support the recoverability of a portion or all of the deferred tax assets under the guidance, the tax benefits relating to any reversal of the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets will be accounted for as a reduction of income tax expense and result in an increase in equity. Changes in tax laws and rates may affect recorded deferred tax assets and liabilities and our effective tax rate in the future.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) and Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) Per Share
Adjusted operating income (loss) and adjusted operating income (loss) per share are non-GAAP measures that represent net income allocable to common shareholders excluding net realized investment and other gains (losses), net of tax, the effects of tax reform, the tax effect of changes in unrealized gains to the extent included in net income, the change in the fair value of equity securities, net of tax, and the capitalization and amortization of deferred gains from the ADC. The most directly comparable financial GAAP measures to adjusted operating income and adjusted operating income per share are net income and net income per share, respectively. Adjusted operating income and adjusted operating income per share are intended as supplemental information and are not meant to replace net income or net income per share. Adjusted operating income and adjusted operating income per share should be read in conjunction with the GAAP financial results. Our definition of adjusted operating income may be different from that used by other companies. The following is a reconciliation of net income to adjusted operating income (dollars in thousands), as well as net income per share to adjusted operating income per share:
 
For the Years Ended December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
 
 
Net income (loss)
$
(9,227
)
 
$
(21,542
)
 
$
(8,437
)
Less:
 
 
 
 
 
Net realized investment gains and other gains, net of tax
61

 
820

 
965

Effect of tax law change

 
63

 

Tax effect of unrealized gains and losses on investments

 
356

 
147

Change in fair value of equity securities, net of tax
121

 

 

Net (increase) in deferred gain on losses ceded to ADC, net of tax
(5,677
)
 

 

Adjusted operating income (loss)
$
(3,732
)
 
$
(22,781
)
 
$
(9,549
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Weighted average common shares, diluted
8,543,876

 
7,867,344

 
7,618,588

 
 
 
 
 
 
Diluted (loss) per common share:
 
 
 
 
 
Net income (loss)
$
(1.08
)
 
$
(2.74
)
 
$
(1.11
)
Net realized investment gains and other gains, net of tax
0.01

 
0.10

 
0.13

Effect of tax law change

 
0.01

 

Tax effect of unrealized gains and losses on investments

 
0.05

 
0.02

Change in fair value of equity securities, net of tax
0.01

 

 

Net (increase) in deferred gain on losses ceded to ADC, net of tax
(0.66
)
 

 

Adjusted operating (loss) per share
$
(0.44
)
 
$
(2.90
)
 
$
(1.26
)
We use adjusted operating income and adjusted operating income per share, in conjunction with other financial measures, to assess our performance and to evaluate the results of our business. We believe these measures provide investors with valuable information relating to our ongoing performance that may be obscured by the effect of investment gains and

40


losses as a result of our market risk sensitive instruments, which primarily relate to fixed income securities that are available-for-sale and not held for trading purposes. Realized investment gains and losses may vary significantly between periods and are generally driven by external economic developments, such as capital market conditions. Accordingly, adjusted operating income excludes the effect of items that tend to be highly variable from period to period and highlights the results from our ongoing business operations and the underlying loss or profitability of our business. We believe that it is useful for investors to evaluate adjusted operating income and adjusted operating income per share, along with net income and net income per share, when reviewing and evaluating our performance.
Executive Overview
For the year ended December 31, 2018, we continued to expand our commercial lines and reposition our personal lines of business. Our commercial lines gross written premiums grew by $5.6 million, or 6.1%, to $97.7 million in 2018, compared to $92.1 million in 2017. Personal lines gross written premiums decreased by $15.5 million, or 69.9%, to $6.7 million in 2018, compared to $22.2 million in 2017.
The Company reported a net loss of $9.2 million, or $1.08 per share, in 2018, compared to a net loss of $21.5 million, or $2.74 per share, in 2017.
Adjusted operating loss, a non-GAAP measure, was $3.7 million, or $0.44 per share, for the year ended December 31, 2018, compared to an adjusted operating loss of $22.8 million, or $2.90 per share, for the year ended December 31, 2017.
The 2018 results were mainly driven by $9.0 million of adverse development. The largest difference between net loss and adjusted operating loss is related to the ADC (described below) in which $5.7 million of benefit from the ADC was included in the adjusted operating loss, but is deferred under retrospective accounting and will be recognized as a benefit over the next two years.
In 2018, there was $583,000 of loss development on Hurricane Harvey and $1.0 million of catastrophe reinsurance reinstatement costs relating to Hurricane Irma. The reinstatement costs, plus a short-term reduction in net earned premiums as we repositioned our business profile, contributed to a slightly higher expense ratio.
In an effort to reduce interest costs, we restructured our debt during 2018 by issuing $25.3 million of public senior unsecured notes (the "Notes") and paid down $19.5 million of our subordinated notes to $10.5 million.
In 2017, we entered into the ADC to protect against loss development of up to $17.5 million in excess of stated reserves as of June 30, 2017. The agreement provides up to $17.5 million of reinsurance for adverse net loss reserve development for accident years 2005 through 2016. The agreement attaches when net losses exceed $1.4 million of the $36.6 million carried reserves at June 30, 2017, and extends to $19.5 million in coverage up to $57.5 million (inclusive of a 10% co-participation).
The 2017 results were mainly driven by adverse development on prior-year reserves, the cost of the ADC, and losses from Hurricanes Irma and Harvey.

Potential impact of ADC on future periods
We purchased the ADC to greatly reduce our exposure to prior-year adverse development. The benefits of the ADC can be seen during 2018 wherein we ceded $10.3 million of adverse development to the ADC. Of the $10.3 million of ceded losses, $4.6 million was amortized in 2018, and reduced losses and LAE expense. The remaining $5.7 million was recognized as a deferred gain under retroactive reinsurance accounting rules and will be amortized over the next two years as a reduction in losses and LAE expense using the interest method. In 2017, we recorded $7.2 million in ceded premiums under the ADC, and ceded $7.2 million in losses. As of December 31, 2018, the ADC has been fully utilized.

41


Results of Operations - 2018 Compared to 2017
The following table summarizes our operating results for the years indicated (dollars in thousands):
Summary Operating Results
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
 
 
 
 
2018
 
2017
 
$ Change
 
% Change
 
 
Gross written premiums
$
104,368

 
$
114,284

 
$
(9,916
)
 
(8.7
%)
Net written premiums
$
89,086

 
$
91,240

 
$
(2,154
)
 
(2.4
%)
Net earned premiums
$
93,811

 
$
91,729

 
$
2,082

 
2.3
%
Other income
1,582

 
1,560

 
22

 
1.4
%
Losses and loss adjustment expenses, net
62,515

 
73,917

 
(11,402
)
 
(15.4
%)
Policy acquisition costs
25,534

 
26,245

 
(711
)
 
(2.7
%)
Operating expenses
17,683

 
17,367

 
316

 
1.8
%
Underwriting gain (loss)
(10,339
)
 
(24,240
)
 
13,901

 
*

Net investment income
3,336

 
2,728

 
608

 
22.3
%
Net realized investment gains
61

 
70

 
(9
)
 
(12.9
%)
Change in fair value of equity securities
121

 

 
121

 
*

Other gains (losses)

 
750

 
(750
)
 
*

Interest expense
2,644

 
1,362

 
1,282

 
94.1
%
Income (loss) before income taxes
(9,465
)
 
(22,054
)
 
12,589

 
*

Income tax expense (benefit)
52

 
(447
)
 
499

 
*

Equity earnings (losses) in affiliates, net of tax
290

 
65

 
225

 
*

Net income (loss)
$
(9,227
)
 
$
(21,542
)
 
$
12,315

 
*

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Underwriting Ratios:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Loss ratio
65.5
%
 
79.2
%
 
 
 
 
Expense ratio
45.3
%
 
46.8
%
 
 
 
 
Combined ratio
110.8
%
 
126.0
%
 
 
 
 
* Percentage change is not meaningful
Premiums
Earned premiums are earned ratably over the term of the policy, whereas written premiums are reflected on the effective date of the policy. All commercial lines and homeowners products have annual policies, under which premiums are earned evenly over one year. Almost all personal automobile policies are six month term policies under which premiums are earned evenly over a six-month period. The resulting net earned premiums are impacted by the gross and ceded written premiums, earned ratably over time.
    

42


Our premiums are presented below for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 (dollars in thousands):
Summary of Premium Revenue
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
 
 
 
 
2018
 
2017
 
$ Change
 
% Change
 
 
Gross written premiums
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Commercial lines
$
97,694

 
$
92,112

 
$
5,582

 
6.1
%
Personal lines
6,674

 
22,172

 
(15,498
)
 
(69.9
%)
Total
$
104,368

 
$
114,284

 
$
(9,916
)
 
(8.7
%)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net written premiums
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Commercial lines
$
87,038

 
$
78,217

 
$
8,821

 
11.3
%
Personal lines
2,048

 
13,023

 
(10,975
)
 
(84.3
%)
Total
$
89,086

 
$
91,240

 
$
(2,154
)
 
(2.4
%)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net Earned premiums
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Commercial lines
$
83,352

 
$
76,786

 
$
6,566

 
8.6
%
Personal lines
10,459

 
14,943

 
(4,484
)
 
(30.0
%)
Total
$
93,811

 
$
91,729

 
$
2,082

 
2.3
%
Gross written premiums decreased by $9.9 million , or 8.7% , to $104.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 , as compared to $114.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 . These results reflect our continued execution of our growth initiatives in the niche commercial insurance markets and our strategic change in the mix of business of our personal lines.
Commercial lines gross written premiums increased $5.6 million , or 6.1% , to $97.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 , as compared to $92.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 . This increase was seen across many commercial product lines as a result of our continued strategic expansion efforts.
Personal lines gross written premiums decreased $15.5 million , or 69.9% , to $6.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 , as compared to $22.2 million for the same period in 2017 . This was largely driven by a reduction in wind-exposed homeowners business in both Hawaii and Florida.
Net written premiums decreased $2.2 million , or 2.4% , to $89.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 , as compared to $91.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 . The decrease was primarily due to the reduction in wind-exposed homeowners business.
Other Income
Other income consists primarily of fees charged to policyholders by the Company for services outside of the premium charge, such as installment billings or policy issuance costs. Commission income is also received by the Company’s insurance agencies for writing policies for third party insurance companies. Other income for the year December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 remained flat at $1.6 million .

43


Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses
The tables below detail our losses and LAE and loss ratios for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 (dollars in thousands).
Year Ended December 31, 2018
Commercial
Lines
 
Personal
Lines
 
Total
 
 
Accident year net losses and LAE
$
46,816

 
$
6,665

 
$
53,481

Net (favorable) adverse development
6,249

 
2,785

 
9,034

Calendar year net loss and LAE
$
53,065

 
$
9,450

 
$
62,515

 
 
 
 
 
 
Accident year loss ratio
55.8
%
 
59.4
%
 
56.1
%
Net (favorable) adverse development
7.4
%
 
24.8
%
 
9.4
%
Calendar year loss ratio
63.2
%
 
84.2
%
 
65.5
%
Year Ended December 31, 2017
Commercial
Lines
 
Personal
Lines
 
Total
 
 
Accident year net losses and LAE
$
48,520

 
$
15,937

 
$
64,457

Net (favorable) adverse development
7,181

 
2,279

 
9,460

Calendar year net loss and LAE
$
55,701

 
$
18,216

 
$
73,917

 
 
 
 
 
 
Accident year loss ratio
62.7
%
 
101.4
%
 
69.1
%
Net (favorable) adverse development
9.3
%
 
14.5
%
 
10.1
%
Calendar year loss ratio
72.0
%
 
115.9
%
 
79.2
%
Net losses and LAE decreased by $11.4 million , or 15.4% , for the year ended December 31, 2018 , as compared to the same period in 2017 . The calendar year loss ratios were 65.5% and 79.2% for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 , respectively. Before the impact of the ADC deferred gain and hurricane costs, the calendar year loss ratio was 58.3% in 2018. Before the impact of the ADC deferred gain and hurricane costs, the calendar year loss ratio was 74.8% in 2017 .
The $9.0 million of adverse development in 2018 consisted of $6.2 million from commercial lines and $2.8 million from personal lines and mostly related to the 2016 and 2015 accident years.
The $9.5 million of adverse development in 2017 consisted of $7.2 million from commercial lines and $2.3 million from personal lines and mostly related to the 2016 and 2015 accident years. This development primarily consisted of $5.1 million from commercial liability business, $1.6 million from the commercial property, $1.7 million from Florida homeowners and $0.5 million from commercial auto business.
Expense Ratio
Our expense ratio is calculated by dividing the sum of policy acquisition costs and operating expenses by the sum of net earned premiums and other income. We use the expense ratio to evaluate the operating efficiency of our consolidated operations and each segment. Costs that are not readily identifiable as a direct cost of a segment or product line remain in Corporate and Other for segment reporting purposes.
    







44


The table below provides the expense ratio by major component:
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
 
 
 
Before ADC or Reinstatement Costs
 
Impact of ADC & Reinstatement Costs
Total
Commercial Lines
 
 
 
 
 
 
Policy acquisition costs
25.6
%
 
24.7
%
 
1.7
%
26.4
%
Operating expenses
17.9
%
 
13.7
%
 
1.0
%
14.7
%
Total
43.5
%
 
38.4
%
 
2.7
%
41.1
%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Personal Lines
 
 
 
 
 
 
Policy acquisition costs
36.1
%
 
31.5
%
 
5.2
%
36.7
%
Operating expenses
13.0
%
 
14.0
%
 
2.3
%
16.3
%
Total
49.1
%
 
45.5
%
 
7.5
%
53.0
%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Corporate and Other
 
 
 
 
 
 
Operating expenses
1.2
%
 
3.7
%
 
%
3.7
%
Total
1.2
%
 
3.7
%
 
%
3.7
%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Consolidated
 
 
 
 
 
 
Policy acquisition costs
26.8
%
 
25.9
%
 
2.2
%
28.1
%
Operating expenses
18.5
%
 
17.2
%
 
1.4
%
18.6
%
Total
45.3
%
 
43.1
%
 
3.6
%
46.7
%
Our expense ratio decreased by 1.4%, to 45.3% for the year ended December 31, 2018, as compared to the same period in 2017. The decrease in the expense ratio was primarily due to there being less impact in 2018 from the ADC. The expense ratio before the ADC and reinstatement costs for the year ended 2018 was 44.8%, compared to 43.1% for the year ended 2017. The increase in the expense ratio before the impact of the ADC and reinstatement costs was due to lower net earned premium in 2018, as much of the wind-exposed homeowners business rolled off.
Policy acquisition costs are costs we incur to issue policies, which include commissions, premium taxes, underwriting reports and underwriter compensation costs. The Company offsets direct commissions with ceded commissions from reinsurers. The percentage of policy acquisition costs to net earned premiums and other income decreased by 1.3 percentage points from 28.1% in 2017, to 26.8% in 2018.
Operating expenses consist primarily of employee compensation, information technology and occupancy costs, such as rent and utilities. Operating expenses as a percent of net earned premiums and other income was 18.5% and 18.6% for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

45


Underwriting Results
We measure the performance of our consolidated results, in part, based on our underwriting gain or loss. The following table provides the underwriting gain or loss for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 (dollars in thousands):
Underwriting Gain (Loss)
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
 
 
2018
 
2017
 
Change
 
 
Commercial Lines
$
(5,660
)
 
$
(10,096
)
 
$
4,436

Personal Lines
(3,737
)
 
(10,838
)
 
7,101

Corporate and Other
(942
)
 
(3,306
)
 
2,364

Total
$
(10,339
)
 
$
(24,240
)
 
$
13,901

Investment Income
Net investment income increased by $608,000, or 22.3% , to $3.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 , as compared to 2.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 . This increase was mainly due to an increase in interest rates and average invested assets during 2018. Average invested assets as of December 31, 2018 , were $148.9 million as compared to $143.1 million at December 31, 2017 , an increase of $5.8 million , or 4.1% . As of December 31, 2018 , the average invested asset balance was comprised of 86.3% debt securities , 6.9% equity securities and 6.8% short-term investments, compared to the December 31, 2017 mix of 87.3% debt securities, 5.0% equity securities and 7.9% short term investments.
The portfolio’s average quality was AA at December 31, 2018 and 2017 . The portfolio produced a tax-equivalent book yield of 2.8% and 2.5% for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 , respectively. The duration-to-worst average of the debt securities portfolio was 3.1 years and 3.2 years at December 31, 2018 and 2017 , respectively.
Other Gains (Losses)
There were no other gains in 2018. In 2017, we recognized a $750,000 gain on the sale of the renewal rights of a portion of the low-value dwelling book of business to another insurer.
Interest Expense
Interest expense was $2.6 million and $1.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Interest expense increased due to the increase in outstanding debt throughout the year. We issued $22.0 million of public senior unsecured notes (the "Notes") in the third quarter of 2018. We issued an additional $3.3 million of the Notes in the fourth quarter of 2018. Proceeds from the notes were used to pay down $19.5 million of the $30.0 million of subordinated notes that were issued in the third quarter of 2017. Interest expense includes the amortization of debt issuance costs relating to the new Notes which is $260,000 per annum over the 5-year life of the Notes. The interest expense relating to the amortization of debt issuance costs for the existing $10.5 million of the subordinated notes is $50,000 per annum over the 20-year life of the subordinated notes.
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)
On December 22, 2017, the U.S. federal government enacted H.R. 1, “An Act to Provide for Reconciliation Pursuant to Titles II and V of the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2018” (the “Act”). The Act provided for significant changes to corporate taxation including the decrease of the corporate tax rate from 34% to 21%. In 2017, the Company completed an analysis of the impact of the Act and followed the additional guidance provided by the Security and Exchange Commission’s Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (“SAB 118”). There were no material provisional balances as of December 31, 2017.
In 2018, the Company recognized a measurement period adjustment of $42,735 related to loss reserve discounting, which reduced deferred tax expense. The Company also recognized a measurement period adjustment of $42,735 related to the loss reserve discounting transitional adjustment, which increased deferred tax expense. The measurement period adjustments were based upon obtaining additional information about facts and circumstances that existed as of the enactment date that, if known, would have affected the income tax effects initially reported as provisional amounts under the Act. The measurement period adjustments had no effect on the effective tax rate for the year ending December 31, 2018. The accounting for the income tax effects of the Act pursuant to SAB 118 has been completed as of the end of the December 22, 2018, measurement period and for the year ending December 31, 2018.

46


For the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company reported $0 of current federal income tax expense and $52,000 of current state income tax expense. The Company also reported a deferred tax benefit of $0. For the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company reported $16,000 of current federal income tax benefit and $12,000 of current state income tax benefit. For the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company also reported a deferred tax benefit of $419,000 which was largely the result of changes in the net deferred tax asset valuation allowance related to changes in unrealized gains.
There is a $12.6 million valuation allowance against 100% of the net deferred tax assets at December 31, 2018, which would increase book value by $1.49 per share if reversed in the future. The valuation allowance was $9.9 million for 2017. As of December 31, 2018, the Company has net operating loss carryforwards for federal income tax purposes of $48.3 million, of which $43.3 million expire in tax years 2019 through 2038 and $5.0 million never expire. Of this amount, $14.1 million are limited in the amount that can be utilized in any one year and may expire before they are realized under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. The Company has state net operating loss carryforwards of $11.9 million, which expire in tax years 2021 through 2038.


47


Results of Operations - 2017 Compared to 2016
The following table summarizes our operating results for the years indicated (dollars in thousands):
Summary Operating Results
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
 
 
 
 
2017
 
2016
 
$ Change
 
% Change
 
 
Gross written premiums
$
114,284

 
$
114,923

 
$
(639
)
 
(0.6
%)
Net written premiums
$
91,240

 
$
99,929

 
$
(8,689
)
 
(8.7
%)
Net earned premiums
$
91,729

 
$
89,627

 
$
2,102

 
2.3
%
Other income
1,560

 
1,118

 
442

 
39.5
%
Losses and loss adjustment expenses, net
73,917

 
59,003

 
14,914

 
25.3
%
Policy acquisition costs
26,245

 
25,280

 
965

 
3.8
%
Operating expenses
17,367

 
17,596

 
(229
)
 
(1.3
%)
Underwriting gain (loss)
(24,240
)
 
(11,134
)
 
(13,106
)
 
*

Net investment income
2,728

 
2,173

 
555

 
25.5
%
Net realized investment gains
70

 
1,365

 
(1,295
)
 
(94.9
%)
Other gains (losses)
750

 
(400
)
 
1,150

 
*

Interest expense
1,362

 
647

 
715

 
110.5
%
Income (loss) before income taxes
(22,054
)
 
(8,643
)
 
(13,411
)
 
*

Income tax expense (benefit)
(447
)
 
(77
)
 
(370
)
 
*

Equity earnings (losses) in affiliates, net of tax
65

 
129

 
(64
)
 
*

Net income (loss)
$
(21,542
)
 
$
(8,437
)
 
$
(13,105
)
 
*

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Underwriting Ratios:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Loss ratio
79.2
%
 
65.0
%
 
 
 
 
Expense ratio
46.8
%
 
47.2
%
 
 
 
 
Combined ratio
126.0
%
 
112.2
%
 
 
 
 
* Percentage change is not meaningful
Premiums
Earned premiums are earned ratably over the term of the policy, whereas written premiums are reflected on the effective date of the policy. All commercial lines and homeowners products have annual policies, under which premiums are earned evenly over one year. Almost all personal automobile policies are six month term policies under which premiums are earned evenly over a six-month period. The resulting net earned premiums are impacted by the gross and ceded written premiums, earned ratably over time.

48



Our premiums are presented below for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 (dollars in thousands):
Summary of Premium Revenue
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
 
 
 
 
2017
 
2016
 
$ Change
 
% Change
 
 
Gross written premiums
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Commercial lines
$
92,112

 
$
88,242

 
$
3,870

 
4.4
%
Personal lines
22,172

 
26,681

 
(4,509
)
 
(16.9
%)
Total
$
114,284

 
$
114,923

 
$
(639
)
 
(0.6
%)
 
 
 
 
 

 

Net written premiums
 
 
 
 

 

Commercial lines
$
78,217

 
$
78,439

 
$
(222
)
 
(0.3
%)
Personal lines
13,023

 
21,490

 
(8,467
)
 
(39.4
%)
Total
$
91,240

 
$
99,929

 
$
(8,689
)
 
(8.7
%)
 
 
 
 
 

 

Net Earned premiums
 
 
 
 

 

Commercial lines
$
76,786

 
$
68,921

 
$
7,865

 
11.4
%
Personal lines
14,943

 
20,706

 
(5,763
)
 
(27.8
%)
Total
$
91,729

 
$
89,627

 
$
2,102

 
2.3
%
Gross written premiums remained flat for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to 2016. These results reflect our continued execution of our growth initiatives in the niche commercial insurance markets and our strategic change in the mix of business of our personal lines.
Commercial lines gross written premiums increased $3.9 million, or 4.4%, to $92.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to $88.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. This increase was seen across almost every commercial product line as a result of our continued strategic expansion efforts.
Personal lines gross written premiums decreased $4.5 million , or 16.9%, to $22.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to $26.7 million for the same period in 2016. This was largely driven by a reduction in wind-exposed homeowners business in both Florida and Texas.
Net written premiums decreased $8.7 million, or 8.7%, to $91.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to $99.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. The decrease was primarily due to $7.2 million of ceded written premium recorded in the third quarter of 2017 relating to the ADC.
Other Income
Other income consists primarily of fees charged to policyholders by the Company for services outside of the premium charge, such as installment billings or policy issuance costs. Commission income is also received by the Company’s insurance agencies for writing policies for third party insurance companies. Other income for the year December 31, 2017 increased $442,000, or 39.5%, to $1.5 million as compared to $1.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. The increase was due to continued expansion into lines of business in which various fees are charged to the policyholders.



49


Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses
The tables below detail our losses and LAE and loss ratios for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 (dollars in thousands).
Year Ended December 31, 2017
Commercial
Lines
 
Personal
Lines
 
Total
 
 
Accident year net losses and LAE
$
48,520

 
$
15,937

 
$
64,457

Net (favorable) adverse development
7,181

 
2,279

 
9,460

Calendar year net loss and LAE
$
55,701

 
$
18,216

 
$
73,917

 
 
 
 
 
 
Accident year loss ratio
62.7
%
 
101.4
%
 
69.1
%
Net (favorable) adverse development
9.3
%
 
14.5
%
 
10.1
%
Calendar year loss ratio
72.0
%
 
115.9
%
 
79.2
%
Year Ended December 31, 2016
Commercial
Lines
 
Personal
Lines
 
Total
 
 
Accident year net losses and LAE
$
35,652

 
$
13,130

 
$
48,782

Net (favorable) adverse development
6,789

 
3,432

 
10,221

Calendar year net loss and LAE
$
42,441

 
$
16,562

 
$
59,003

 
 
 
 
 
 
Accident year loss ratio
51.4
%
 
61.8
%
 
53.7
%
Net (favorable) adverse development
9.8
%
 
16.1
%
 
11.3
%
Calendar year loss ratio
61.2
%
 
77.9
%
 
65.0
%
Net losses and LAE increased by $14.9 million, or 25.3%, for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to the same period in 2016. The increase was due to a combination of $9.5 million of adverse reserve development from prior years and $5.4 million of net losses from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The calendar year loss ratios were 79.2% and 65.0% for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The hurricanes contributed 6.4 percentage points to the 2017 loss ratio. The ADC resulted in approximately a 1.5 percentage point increase in the loss ratio as slightly more premiums were ceded under the ADC than losses in 2017. The 14.2 percentage point increase in our loss ratio was primarily attributable to the reserve strengthening in our Florida homeowners, commercial automobile and commercial liability lines of business.
The $9.5 million of adverse development in 2017 consisted of $7.2 million from commercial lines and $2.3 million from personal lines and mostly related to the 2016 and 2015 accident years. Substantially all of this development occurred in the first three quarters of 2017 and primarily consisted of $5.1 million from commercial liability business, $1.6 million from the commercial property, $1.7 million from Florida homeowners and $0.5 million from commercial auto business.
Overall reserve development on prior accident years for the year ended December 31, 2016, was unfavorable by $10.2 million, or 11.3 percentage points of the loss ratio. The development included $2.7 million of adverse development in both the wind-exposed homeowners and commercial auto lines of business as well as $2.6 million and $760,000 of adverse development in the hospitality line of business and personal auto lines of business, respectively.
Expense Ratio
Our expense ratio is calculated by dividing the sum of policy acquisition costs and operating expenses by the sum of net earned premiums and other income. We use the expense ratio to evaluate the operating efficiency of our consolidated operations and each segment. Costs that are not readily identifiable as a direct cost of a segment or product line remain in Corporate and Other for segment reporting purposes.
    




50


The table below provides the expense ratio by major component:
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
2017
 
2016
 
Before ADC or Reinstatement Costs
 
Impact of ADC & Reinstatement Costs
Total
 
 
Commercial Lines
 
 
 
 
 
 
Policy acquisition costs
24.7
%
 
1.7
%
26.4
%
 
26.8
%
Operating expenses
13.7
%
 
1.0
%
14.7
%
 
9.7
%
Total
38.4
%
 
2.7
%
41.1
%
 
36.5
%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Personal Lines
 
 
 
 
 
 
Policy acquisition costs
31.5
%
 
5.2
%
36.7
%
 
31.6
%
Operating expenses
14.0
%
 
2.3
%
16.3
%
 
13.7
%
Total
45.5
%
 
7.5
%
53.0
%
 
45.3
%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Corporate and Other
 
 
 
 
 
 
Operating expenses
3.7
%
 
%
3.7
%
 
8.7
%
Total
3.7
%
 
%
3.7
%
 
8.7
%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Consolidated
 
 
 
 
 
 
Policy acquisition costs
25.9
%
 
2.2
%
28.1
%
 
27.8
%
Operating expenses
17.2
%
 
1.4
%
18.6
%
 
19.4
%
Total
43.1
%
 
3.6
%
46.7
%
 
47.2
%
Our expense ratio decreased by half of a percentage point, to 46.7% for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to the same period in 2016. The decrease in the ratio was primarily due to continued improvement in our operating efficiencies as our earned premium grew faster than our more fixed expense structure. The decrease was dampened by the impact of both the hurricanes and ADC which occurred in the third quarter of 2017. During 2017, $7.2 million was ceded to the ADC (a one-time charge) and $806,000 was ceded as reinstatement costs of catastrophe reinsurance relating to Hurricane Irma. Before these two costs, the expense ratio would have declined even further, to 43.1% for the year, and 41.1% in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Policy acquisition costs are costs we incur to issue policies, which include commissions, premium taxes, underwriting reports and underwriter compensation costs. The Company offsets direct commissions with ceded commissions from reinsurers. The percentage of policy acquisition costs to net earned premiums and other income increased to 28.1% for the year ended December 31, 2017, compared to 27.8% in 2016. The increase was primarily due to the decrease in net earned premiums related to the ADC and reinstatement ceded premiums. Before the $7.2 million and $806,000 of ceded earned premiums, the policy acquisition cost ratio in 2017, was 25.9%, a 1.9 percentage point reduction. Our direct commission expense rate was consistent between 2016 and 2017.
Operating expenses consist primarily of employee compensation, information technology and occupancy costs, such as rent and utilities. Operating expenses as a percent of net earned premiums and other income was 18.6% and 19.4% for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Earned premium growth on a more fixed operating expense structure has helped to reduce the operating expense ratio, which is expected to continue to decline as our earned premium grows. In addition, there have been Company-wide efforts to reduce operating expenses even with growing earned premiums. Dampening the effects of the growth in earned premium and expense reductions was the impact of the ADC and reinstatement premiums. Before the impact of the ADC and reinstatement premiums, the operating expense ratio was 17.2% for the year and only 15.4% in the fourth quarter of 2017.


51


Underwriting Results
We measure the performance of our consolidated results, in part, based on our underwriting gain or loss. The following table provides the underwriting gain or loss for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 (dollars in thousands):
Underwriting Gain (Loss)
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
 
 
2017
 
2016
 
Change
 
 
Commercial Lines
$
(10,096
)
 
$
1,531

 
$
(11,627
)
Personal Lines
(10,838
)
 
(4,929
)
 
(5,909
)
Corporate and Other
(3,306
)
 
(7,736
)
 
4,430

Total
$
(24,240
)
 
$
(11,134
)
 
$
(13,106
)
Investment Income
Net investment income increased by $555,000, or 25.5%, to $2.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to $2.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. This increase was mainly due to the growth of the investment portfolio. Average invested assets as of December 31, 2017, were $143.1 million as compared to $123.1 million at December 31, 2016, an increase of $20.0 million, or 16.2%. As of December 31, 2017, the average invested asset balance was comprised of 87.3% debt securities , 5.0% equity securities and 7.9% short-term investments, compared to the December 31, 2016 mix of 89.4% debt securities, 3.6% equity securities and 7.0% short term investments.
The portfolio’s average quality was AA at December 31, 2017 and 2016. The portfolio produced a tax equivalent book yield of 2.5% and 2.2% for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 , respectively. The duration-to-worst average of the debt securities portfolio was 3.2 years at December 31, 2017 and 2016.
Other Gains (Losses)
In 2017, we recognized a $750,000 gain on the sale of the renewal rights of a portion of the low value dwelling book of business to another insurer. In 2016, as a result of the merger of ACIC into WPIC, the value of intangible assets recorded for insurance licenses on ACIC were written off resulting in a $400,000 loss.
Interest Expense
Interest expense was $1.4 million and $647,000 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Interest expense increased due to the increase in outstanding debt throughout the year. We issued $30.0 million of subordinated notes in the third quarter of 2017, with a current interest rate of 8.0% per annum. We paid off all of the senior debt facility from the proceeds of the subordinated notes. Interest expense includes the amortization of debt issuance costs relating to the new subordinated notes which is $66,000 per annum over the 15-year life of the notes.
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)
On December 22, 2017, the U.S. federal government enacted H.R.1, “An Act to Provide for Reconciliation Pursuant to Titles II and V of the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2018” (the “Act”). The Act provides for significant changes to corporate taxation including the decrease of the corporate tax rate from 34% to 21%. We have completed an analysis of the impact of the Act and have followed the additional guidance provided by the Security and Exchange Commission's Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118. We believe there are no material provisional balances as of December 31, 2017.
We accounted for the impacts of the Act by remeasuring our deferred tax assets and liabilities at the 21% enacted tax rate. The approximate impact of the change in tax rate was a decrease in net deferred tax assets (before valuation allowance) of $5.6 million with a corresponding deferred income tax expense of $5.6 million. The valuation allowance also decreased by $5.7 million with a corresponding deferred income tax benefit of $5.7 million. Accordingly, the net deferred income tax impact on the results of operations relating to the Act was a $63,000 deferred tax benefit in 2017. The Company’s net deferred tax assets for the year ended December 31, 2016, remain at the previously enacted tax rate.
For the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company reported $16,000 of current federal income tax benefit and $12,000 of current state income tax benefit. The Company also reported a deferred tax benefit of $419,000 which was largely the result of changes in the net deferred tax asset valuation allowance related to changes in unrealized gains. For the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company reported $0 of current federal income tax expense and $70,000 of current state income tax

52


expense. The Company also reported a deferred tax benefit of $147,000 related to a $400,000 write-off of intangible assets resulting from the merger of ACIC into WPIC in 2016.
There is a $9.9 million valuation allowance against 100% of the net deferred tax assets at December 31, 2017, which would increase book value by $1.16 per share if reversed in the future. The valuation allowance was $8.4 million for 2016. As of December 31, 2017, the Company has net operating loss carryforwards for federal income tax purposes of $43.6 million, which expire in tax years 2029 through 2037. Of this amount, $15.1 million are limited in the amount that can be utilized in any one year and may expire before they are realized under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. The Company has state net operating loss carryforwards of $11.0 million, which expire in tax years 2029 through 2037.

Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources and Uses of Funds
At December 31, 2018, we had $19.7 million in cash and short-term investments. Our principal sources of funds, excluding capital raises, are insurance premiums, investment income, proceeds from maturity and sale of invested assets and installment fees. These funds are primarily used to pay claims, commissions, employee compensation, taxes and other operating expenses, and service debt.
We believe that our existing cash, short-term investments and investment securities balances will be adequate to meet our capital and liquidity needs and the needs of our subsidiaries on a short-term and long-term basis.
We conduct our business operations primarily through our Insurance Company Subsidiaries. Our ability to service debt, and pay administrative expenses is primarily reliant upon our intercompany service fees paid by the Insurance Company Subsidiaries to the holding company for management, administrative, and information technology services provided to the Insurance Company Subsidiaries by the holding company. Secondarily, the holding company may receive dividends from the Insurance Company Subsidiaries; however, this is not the primary means in which the holding company supports its funding as state insurance laws restrict the ability of our Insurance Company Subsidiaries to declare dividends to the holding company under certain circumstances. Generally, the limitations are based on the greater of statutory net income for the preceding year or 10% of statutory surplus at the end of the preceding year. No dividends were paid from our Insurance Company Subsidiaries in 2018 or 2017, and $5.5 million of dividends were paid from our Insurance Company Subsidiaries to the holding company in 2016.
We made no contributions to our Insurance Company Subsidiaries in 2018, and we contributed $20.9 million to our Insurance Company Subsidiaries in 2017, and $2.1 million in 2016, to increase their statutory surplus levels. We believe that the current statutory surplus levels and the funds available at the holding company level will provide the necessary statutory capital to support our premium volume growth over the next two years.
Cash Flows
Operating Activities. Cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2018, was $17.0 million as compared to cash provided by operating activities of $9.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The $26.1 million fluctuation in cash from operations was due to a $10.0 million decrease in cash collected on gross premiums, mostly due to the reduction in wind-exposed homeowners premiums, a $2.8M increase in paid ceded premiums due to the ceded premiums paid on the ADC and reinstatement premiums, and a $10.1 million increase in net paid losses due, in part, to losses incurred from the 2017 hurricanes. Cash provided by operating activities for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 were $9.1 million and $6.2 million, respectively. The increase in cash provided by operations was attributable to the overall growth of the business.
Investing Activities. Cash provided by investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2018, was $12.2 million as compared to $26.0 million used in investing activities for the same period in 2017. The increase in funds provided by investing activities was due to a decrease in funds available to be invested in our investment portfolios in the insurance subsidiaries as cash collections decreased and paid losses increased from operating activities.
Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2016, was $10.8 million and was primarily attributable to net investments into debt securities of $23.9 million, offset by the sale of short-term investments of $10.3 million.
Financing Activities. Cash provided by financing activities for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, were $3.7 million and $16.2 million, respectively. There was a $5.0 million issuance of common stock in 2017 and none in 2018. Also, there was $6.9 million greater cash flow from debt, net of repayments and debt issuance costs in 2017, than in 2018.

53


Cash provided by financing activities for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, were $16.2 million and $4.4 million, respectively. The greater cash provided by financing activities in 2017 was due to a $5.0 million stock issuance in 2017, and the issuance of a $30.0 million subordinated debt offering, offset by issuance costs and the payment in full of the senior debt facility.
Outstanding Debt
In September and October 2018, we issued $25.3 million of public senior unsecured notes (the “Notes”). The Notes mature on September 30, 2023, and bear interest, payable quarterly, at the annual rate of 6.75%. We used a portion of the proceeds from the Notes to pay down $19.5 million of the $30.0 million subordinated notes originally entered into on September 29, 2017 (“Subordinated Notes”). Effective September 24, 2018, the Subordinated Notes agreement was amended. Under the new terms, the Subordinated Notes carry a principle value of $10.5 million, mature on September 30, 2038, and bear an annual interest rate of 7.5% until September 30, 2023, and 12.5% thereafter.  Interest is payable quarterly. Beginning September 30, 2021, the Company may redeem the Subordinated Notes, in whole or in part, or any quarter thereafter, for a call premium of $1.1 million.  The call premium escalates quarterly to $1.75 million on September 30, 2023, then steps up to $3.05 million on December 31, 2023, and increases quarterly at a 12.5% per annum rate thereafter.  The debt covenants are consistent with the existing Subordinated Note terms.  A $105,000 loan origination fee was paid on the effective date.
The carrying value of the Notes and Subordinated Notes are offset by $2.3 million of debt issuance costs that will be amortized through interest expense over the life of the loans. Refer to Note 7 ~ Debt of the Notes to the consolidated financial statements, for additional information regarding our outstanding debt.
On June 21, 2018, the Company entered into a $10.0 million line of credit. The agreement has a maturity date of June 21, 2019 and bears interest at the London Interbank rate ("LIBOR") plus 2.75% per annum, payable monthly. The agreement includes several covenants, including but not limited to a minimum tangible net worth, a minimum fixed-charge coverage ratio, and minimum statutory risk-based capital levels. As of December 31, 2018 , the Company has not drawn down on the line of credit and was in compliance with all of its debt financial covenants.

Contractual Obligations and Commitments
The following table is a summary of our contractual obligations and commitments as of December 31, 2018 (dollars in thousands):
 
Payments due by period
 
Total
 
Less than one year
 
One to three years
 
Three to five years
 
More than five years
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Senior unsecured notes
$
25,300

 
$

 
$

 
$
25,300

 
$

Interest on senior unsecured notes
8,112

 
1,708

 
3,415

 
2,989

 

Subordinated notes
10,500

 

 

 

 
10,500

Interest on subordinated notes
23,756

 
788

 
1,575

 
1,706

 
19,687

Operating Lease Obligations
5,302

 
1,103

 
2,070

 
1,636

 
493

Loss and loss adjustment expense (1)
92,807

 
30,035

 
39,561

 
18,001

 
5,210

Purchase Obligations (2)
1,350

 
360

 
720

 
270

 

Total
$
167,127

 
$
33,994

 
$
47,341

 
$
49,902

 
$
35,890


(1) The estimated unpaid loss and loss adjustment expense payments were made using estimates based on historical payment patterns. However, future payments may be different than historical payment patterns.
(2) Includes estimated future payments under the software license agreement relating to our policy issuance system. This agreement requires minimum monthly payments of $30,000, and is variable with premium volume. The future payment assumptions are based on the minimum monthly payments. The software license agreement expires on September 30, 2022.

54


Regulatory and Rating Issues
The NAIC has a RBC formula to be applied to all property and casualty insurance companies. The formula measures required capital and surplus based on an insurance company’s products and investment portfolio and is used as a tool to evaluate the capital adequacy of regulated companies. The RBC formula is used by state insurance regulators to monitor trends in statutory capital and surplus for the purpose of initiating regulatory action. In general, an insurance company must submit a calculation of its RBC formula to the insurance department of its state of domicile as of the end of the previous calendar year. These laws require increasing degrees of regulatory oversight and intervention as an insurance company’s RBC declines.
At December 31, 2018 , both of our Insurance Company Subsidiaries were in excess of any minimum threshold at which corrective action would be required.
Insurance operations are subject to various leverage tests (e.g., premium-to-statutory surplus ratios), which are evaluated by regulators and rating agencies. As of December 31, 2018 , on a trailing twelve-month statutory combined basis, the gross written and net written premium leverage ratios were 1.6 to 1.0 and 1.4 to 1.0, respectively.
The NAIC’s Insurance Regulatory Information System (“IRIS”) was developed to assist state insurance departments in executing their statutory mandates to oversee the financial condition of insurance companies operating in their respective states. IRIS identifies thirteen industry ratios and specifies “usual values” for each ratio. State insurance regulators review the IRIS ratio results to determine if an insurer is in need of further regulatory scrutiny or action. While the ratios, individually and collectively, are useful tools for identifying companies that may be experiencing financial difficulty, they are only a guide for regulators and should not be considered an absolute indicator of a Company's financial condition. While inquiries from regulators are not uncommon, our Insurance Company Subsidiaries have not experienced any regulatory actions due to their IRIS ratio results or otherwise.
    
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
Refer to Note 1 ~ Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Recently Issued Accounting Guidance of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for detailed information.

55


ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Market risk is the risk of loss arising from adverse changes in market rates and prices, such as interest rates, as well as, other relevant market rates or price changes. The volatility and liquidity in the markets in which the underlying assets are traded directly influence market risk. The following is a discussion of our primary risk exposures and how those exposures are currently managed as of December 31, 2018 . Our market risk sensitive instruments are primarily related to fixed income securities, which are available-for-sale and not held for trading purposes.
Interest Rate Risk
At December 31, 2018 and 2017 , the fair value of our investment portfolio, excluding cash and cash equivalents, was $140.1 million and $157.7 million , respectively. Our investment portfolio consists principally of investment-grade, fixed-income securities, classified as debt securities. Accordingly, the primary market risk exposure to our debt portfolio is interest rate risk. In general, the fair market value of a portfolio of fixed-income securities increases or decreases inversely with changes in market interest rates, while net investment income realized from future investments in fixed-income securities increases or decreases along with interest rates. We attempt to mitigate interest rate risks by investing in securities with varied maturity dates and by managing the duration of our investment portfolio to a defined range of three to four years. The duration-to-worst average of the debt securities portfolio was 3.1 and 3.2 years as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 , respectively.
The table below summarizes our interest rate risk. The table also illustrates the sensitivity of the fair value of our investments, classified as debt securities and short-term investments, to selected hypothetical changes in interest rates as of December 31, 2018 . The selected scenarios are not predictions of future events, but rather illustrate the effect that events may have on the fair value of the fixed-income portfolio and shareholders’ equity (dollars in thousands).
 
 
 
 
 
 
Hypothetical Percentage
Increase (Decrease) in
Hypothetical Change in Interest Rates
As of December 31, 2018
 
Estimated
Fair Value
 
Estimated
Change in
Fair Value
 
Fair Value
 
Shareholders'
Equity
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
200 basis point increase
 
$
121,991

 
$
(7,374
)
 
(5.7
)%
 
(17.5
)%
100 basis point increase
 
125,613

 
(3,752
)
 
(2.9
)%
 
(8.9
)%
No change
 
129,365

 

 
—%

 
 %
100 basis point decrease
 
132,858

 
3,493

 
2.7
 %
 
8.3
 %
200 basis point decrease
 
135,833

 
6,468

 
5.0
 %
 
15.3
 %
Credit Risk
An additional exposure to our debt securities portfolio is credit risk. We manage our credit risk by investing only in investment-grade securities. In addition, we comply with applicable statutory requirements which limit the portion of our total investment portfolio that we can invest in any one security.
We are subject to credit risks with respect to our reinsurers. Although a reinsurer is liable for losses to the extent of the coverage which it assumes, our reinsurance contracts do not discharge our insurance companies from primary liability to each policyholder for the full amount of the applicable policy, and consequently our insurance companies remain obligated to pay claims in accordance with the terms of the policies regardless of whether a reinsurer fulfills or defaults on its obligations under the related reinsurance agreement. To mitigate our credit risk to reinsurance companies, we attempt to select financially strong reinsurers with an A.M. Best rating of "A-" or better and continue to evaluate their financial condition throughout the duration of our agreements.
At December 31, 2018 and 2017 , the net amount due to the Company from reinsurers, including prepaid reinsurance, was $36.6 million and $25.6 million , respectively. We believe all amounts recorded as due from reinsurers are recoverable.
Effects of Inflation
We do not believe that inflation has a material effect on our results of operations, except for the effect that inflation may have on interest rates and claims costs. We consider the effects of inflation in pricing and estimating reserves for unpaid losses and LAE. The actual effects of inflation on our results are not known until claims are ultimately settled. In addition to general price inflation, we are exposed to a long-term upward trend in the cost of judicial awards for damages.

56


ITEM 8.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Refer to list of Financial Statement Schedules (including the Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm referenced therein) set forth in Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and Note 18 ~  Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

ITEM 9.  CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The Company’s management, including its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") as of December 31, 2018 . Based on such evaluations, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective in recording, processing, summarizing, and reporting, on a timely basis, information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act, and that information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
The Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). The Company’s management, with the participation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this evaluation, the Company’s management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2018 , the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
There was no change in internal controls over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 31, 2018 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially effect, our internal controls over financial reporting.
Attestation Report of the Registered Public Accounting Firm
This Annual Report does not include an attestation report of our registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting as required by Section 404(c) of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002. Because we qualify as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act, management's report was not subject to attestation by our independent registered public accounting firm.

ITEM 9B.  OTHER INFORMATION
None.


57


PART III
Certain information required by Part III is omitted from this Report in that the Registrant will file a definitive Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A (the “Proxy Statement”) not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this report and certain information included therein is incorporated herein by reference. Only those sections of the Proxy Statement that specifically address the items set forth herein are incorporated by reference.

ITEMS 10 to 14
Items 10 through 14 (inclusive) of this Part III are not included herein because the Company will file a definitive Proxy Statement with the SEC that will include the information required by such Items, and such information is incorporated herein by reference. The Company’s Proxy Statement will be filed with the SEC and delivered to stockholders in connection with the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 15, 2019 and the information under the following captions is included in such incorporation by reference:  “Information about the Nominees, the Incumbent Directors and Other Executive Officers,” “Corporate Governance,” “Code of Conduct,” “Report of the Audit Committee,” “Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance,” “Compensation of Executive Officers,” “Director Compensation,” “Report of the Compensation Committee of the Board on Executive Compensation,”   “Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation”, “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management”, Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions,”   “Independence Determination,” and “The Second Proposal on Which You are Voting on Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm." Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics can be found on our website www.cnfrh.com.

58


CONIFER HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

PART IV
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

The following documents are filed as part of this Report:
 
 
Page No.
1.
List of Financial Statements
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.
Financial Statement Schedules
 
 
Schedule I – Summary of Investments Other Than Investments in Related Parties – Omitted as information is included in the consolidated financial statements or notes thereto - See Note 2 ~  Investments
 
 
 
Schedule III – Supplementary Insurance Information – Omitted as information is included in the consolidated financial statements or notes thereto - See Note 17 ~  Segment Information
 
 
Schedule IV – Reinsurance – Omitted as information is included in the consolidated financial statements or notes thereto See Note 6 ~  Reinsurance
 
 
 
Schedule VI – Supplemental Information Concerning Property and Casualty Insurance Operations – Omitted as information is included in the consolidated financial statements or notes thereto
 
3.

59


REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of Conifer Holdings, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Conifer Holdings, Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), changes in shareholders' equity, and cash flows, for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018, and the related notes and the schedules listed in the Index at Item 15 (collectively referred to as the "financial statements"). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
Detroit, Michigan
March 13, 2019
We have served as the Company's auditor since 2010.




60


  CONIFER HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(dollars in thousands)  

 
December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
Assets
 
 
 
Investment securities:
 
 
 
Debt securities, at fair value (amortized cost of $122,678 and $137,004, respectively)
$
120,440

 
$
136,536

Equity securities, at fair value (cost of $9,559 and $8,629, respectively)
10,737

 
9,687

Short-term investments, at fair value
8,925

 
11,427

Total investments
140,102

 
157,650

 
 
 
 
Cash
10,792

 
11,868

Premiums and agents' balances receivable, net
21,247

 
22,845

Receivable from Affiliate
3,582

 
1,195

Reinsurance recoverables on unpaid losses
29,685

 
20,066

Reinsurance recoverables on paid losses
5,060

 
4,473

Prepaid reinsurance premiums
1,829

 
1,081

Deferred policy acquisition costs
12,011

 
12,781

Other assets
8,444

 
7,073

Total assets
$
232,752

 
$
239,032

 
 
 
 
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
 
 
 
Liabilities:
 
 
 
Unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses
$
92,807

 
$
87,896

Unearned premiums
52,852

 
57,672

Reinsurance premiums payable

 
3,299

Debt
33,502

 
29,027

Deferred gain on ADC
5,677

 

Accounts payable and accrued expenses
5,751

 
8,312

Total liabilities
190,589

 
186,206

 
 
 
 
Commitments and contingencies

 

 
 
 
 
Shareholders' equity:
 
 
 
Common stock, no par value (100,000,000 shares authorized; 8,478,202 and 8,520,328 issued and outstanding, respectively)
86,533

 
86,199

Accumulated deficit
(41,758
)
 
(33,010
)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
(2,612
)
 
(363
)
Total shareholders' equity
42,163

 
52,826

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity
$
232,752

 
$
239,032


The accompanying notes are an integral part of the Consolidated Financial Statements.



61


CONIFER HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(dollars in thousands, except per share data)
 
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
Revenue
 
 
 
 
 
Gross earned premiums
$
109,188

 
$
114,737

 
$
104,713

Ceded earned premiums
(15,377
)
 
(23,008
)
 
(15,086
)
Net earned premiums
93,811

 
91,729

 
89,627

Net investment income
3,336

 
2,728

 
2,173

Net realized investment gains
61

 
70

 
1,365

Change in fair value of equity securities
121

 

 

Other gains (losses)

 
750

 
(400
)
Other income
1,582

 
1,560

 
1,118

Total revenue
98,911

 
96,837

 
93,883

 
 
 
 
 
 
Expenses
 
 
 
 
 
Losses and loss adjustment expenses, net
62,515

 
73,917

 
59,003

Policy acquisition costs
25,534

 
26,245

 
25,280

Operating expenses
17,683

 
17,367

 
17,596

Interest expense
2,644

 
1,362

 
647

Total expenses
108,376

 
118,891

 
102,526

 
 
 
 
 
 
Income (loss) before income taxes
(9,465
)
 
(22,054
)
 
(8,643
)
Income tax expense (benefit)
52

 
(447
)
 
(77
)
Equity earnings (losses) in affiliates, net of tax
290

 
65

 
129

 
 
 
 
 
 
Net income (loss)
$
(9,227
)
 
$
(21,542
)
 
$
(8,437
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net income (loss) per share,   basic and diluted
$
(1.08
)
 
$
(2.74
)
 
$
(1.11
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Weighted average common shares outstanding,   basic and diluted
8,543,876

 
7,867,344

 
7,618,588

 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

62


CONIFER HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss)
(dollars in thousands)
  
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
Net income (loss)
$
(9,227
)
 
$
(21,542
)
 
$
(8,437
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
 
 
 
 
 
Unrealized investment gains (losses):
 
 
 
 
 
Unrealized investment gains (losses) during the period
(1,825
)
 
1,151

 
(2,139
)
Income tax expense (benefit)

 
356

 

Unrealized investment gains (losses), net of tax
(1,825
)
 
795

 
(2,139
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Less: reclassification adjustments to:
 
 
 
 
 
Net realized investment gains (losses) included in net income (loss)
(55
)
 
78

 
(877
)
Income tax expense (benefit)

 

 

Total reclassifications included in net income (loss), net of tax
(55
)
 
78

 
(877
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other comprehensive income (loss)
(1,770
)
 
717

 
(1,262
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total comprehensive income (loss)
$
(10,997
)
 
$
(20,825
)
 
$
(9,699
)
 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

63



CONIFER HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Shareholders' Equity
(dollars in thousands)
   
For the Years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016
 
 
No Par, Common Stock
 
Retained
Earnings
(Accumulated
deficit)
 
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
 
Total
Shareholders'
Equity
 
 
Shares
 
Amount
 
 
 
Balances at December 31, 2015
 
7,644,492

 
$
80,111

 
$
(3,031
)
 
$
182

 
$
77,262

Net loss
 

 

 
(8,437
)
 

 
(8,437
)
Repurchase of common stock
 
(88,650
)
 
(625
)
 

 

 
(625
)
Restricted stock unit expense, net
 
77,228

 
856

 

 

 
856

Other comprehensive loss
 

 

 

 
(1,262
)
 
(1,262
)
Balances at December 31, 2016
 
7,633,070

 
$
80,342

 
$
(11,468
)
 
$
(1,080
)
 
$
67,794

Net loss
 

 

 
(21,542
)
 

 
(21,542
)
Issuance of common stock in private placement
 
800,000

 
5,000

 

 

 
5,000

Common stock issuance costs
 
 
 
(38
)
 

 

 
(38
)
Restricted stock units expense, net
 
87,258

 
895

 

 

 
895

Other comprehensive income
 

 

 

 
717

 
717

Balances at December 31, 2017
 
8,520,328

 
$
86,199

 
$
(33,010
)
 
$
(363
)
 
$
52,826

Cumulative effect of adoption of ASU No. 2016-01, net of taxes
 

 

 
556

 
(556
)
 

Cumulative effect of adoption of ASU No. 2018-02, net of taxes
 

 

 
(77
)
 
77

 

Balances after cumulative effects
 
8,520,328

 
$
86,199

 
$
(32,531
)
 
$
(842
)
 
$
52,826

Net loss
 

 

 
(9,227
)
 

 
(9,227
)
Repurchase of common stock
 
(137,228
)
 
(636
)
 

 

 
(636
)
Restricted stock units expense
 
95,102

 
970

 

 

 
970

Other comprehensive loss
 

 

 

 
(1,770
)
 
(1,770
)
Balances at December 31, 2018
 
8,478,202

 
$
86,533

 
$
(41,758
)
 
$
(2,612
)
 
$
42,163

 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

64



CONIFER HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(dollars in thousands)
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
 
 
 
 
 
Net income (loss)
$
(9,227
)
 
$
(21,542
)
 
$
(8,437
)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash
provided by (used in) operating activities:
 
 
 
 
 
Depreciation and amortization
386

 
372

 
401

Amortization of bond premium and discount, net
455

 
532

 
589

Net realized investment gains
(61
)
 
(70
)
 
(1,365
)
Change in fair value of equity securities
(121
)
 

 

Restricted stock unit expenses
970

 
895

 
856

Other
(290
)
 
(484
)
 
123

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
 
 
 
 
 
(Increase) decrease in:
 
 
 
 
 
Premiums, agents' balances and other receivables
(789
)
 
2,249

 
(6,487
)
Reinsurance recoverables
(10,206
)
 
(17,041
)
 
(454
)
Prepaid reinsurance premiums
(748
)
 
3,039

 
(637
)
Deferred policy acquisition costs
770

 
509

 
(1,188
)
Other assets
(1,252
)
 
4,239

 
(7,139
)
Increase (decrease) in:
 
 
 
 
 
Unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses
4,911

 
33,245

 
19,229

Unearned premiums
(4,820
)
 
(454
)
 
10,210

Reinsurance premiums payable
(3,299
)
 
3,299

 
(1,069
)
Accounts payable and other liabilities
6,313

 
302

 
1,534

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
(17,008
)
 
9,090

 
6,166

Cash Flows From Investing Activities
 
 
 
 
 
Purchases of investments
(91,293
)
 
(218,492
)
 
(166,965
)
Proceeds from maturities and redemptions of investments
22,827

 
25,213

 
13,730

Proceeds from sales of investments
80,774

 
167,338

 
142,679

Purchases of property and equipment
(86
)
 
(13
)
 
(195
)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
12,222

 
(25,954
)
 
(10,751
)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities
 
 
 
 
 
Proceeds received from issuance of shares of common stock

 
5,000

 

Repurchase of common stock
(636
)
 

 
(625
)
Borrowings under debt arrangements
25,300

 
32,000

 
7,000

Repayment of borrowings under debt arrangements
(19,500
)
 
(19,750
)
 
(2,000
)
Stock and debt issuance costs
(1,454
)
 
(1,011
)
 

Net cash provided by financing activities
3,710

 
16,239

 
4,375

Net increase (decrease) in cash
(1,076
)
 
(625
)
 
(210
)
Cash at beginning of period
11,868

 
12,493

 
12,703

Cash at end of period
$
10,792

 
$
11,868

 
$
12,493

Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information:
 
 
 
 
 
Interest paid
$
3,116

 
$
876

 
$
641

Net income taxes paid (refunded)
(83
)
 

 

Increase (decrease) in net payable for securities
(3,642
)
 
2,691

 
486

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

65


CONIFER HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
 
1.       SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation and Management Representation
The consolidated financial statements include accounts, after elimination of intercompany accounts and transactions, of Conifer Holdings, Inc. (the “Company” or “Conifer”), its wholly owned subsidiaries Conifer Insurance Company ("CIC"), Red Cedar Insurance Company ("RCIC"), White Pine Insurance Company ("WPIC"), Sycamore Insurance Agency, Inc. ("SIA") and American Colonial Insurance Services, Inc. CIC, WPIC, and RCIC are collectively referred to as the "Insurance Company Subsidiaries." On a stand-alone basis Conifer Holdings, Inc is referred to as the "Parent Company." On December 30, 2016, the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, American Colonial Insurance Company ("ACIC") was merged into WPIC.
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), which differ from statutory accounting practices prescribed or permitted for insurance companies by regulatory authorities.
Business
The Company is engaged in the sale of property and casualty insurance products and has organized its principal operations into two types of insurance businesses: commercial lines and personal lines. The Company underwrites a variety of specialty insurance products, including property, general liability, commercial multi-peril, liquor liability, automobile, and homeowners and dwelling policies. The Company markets and sells its insurance products through a network of independent agents, including managing general agents, whereby policies are written in all 50 states in the United States (“U.S.”). The Company’s corporate headquarters are located in Birmingham, Michigan with additional office facilities in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.
Public Debt Offering
In September and October of 2018, the Company completed a public debt offering of $25.3 million of senior unsecured notes. Refer to Note 7 ~ Debt for further details.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. While management believes the amounts included in the consolidated financial statements reflect management's best estimates and assumptions, actual results may differ from these estimates.
Cash and Short-term Investments
Cash consists of cash deposits in banks, generally in operating accounts. Short-term investments, consisting of money-market funds, are classified as investments in the consolidated balance sheets as they relate principally to the Company’s investment activities. The Company maintains its cash deposits in major banks and invests short-term funds in institutional money-market funds and short-term financial instruments. These securities typically mature within three months or less.
Investment Securities
Debt securities are classified as available-for-sale and reported at fair value. The Company determines the fair value using the market approach, which uses quoted prices or other relevant data based on market transactions involving identical or comparable assets. The Company purchases the available-for-sale debt securities with the expectation that they will be held to maturity, however the Company may sell them if market conditions or credit‑related risk warrant earlier sales. The Company does not have any securities classified as held-to-maturity or trading.
The change in unrealized gain and loss on debt securities is recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of the related deferred tax effect, until realized.
The debt securities portfolio includes mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. The Company recognizes income from these securities using a constant effective yield based on anticipated prepayments and the estimated economic life of the securities. When actual prepayments differ significantly from anticipated prepayments, the estimated economic life is

66



recalculated and the remaining unamortized premium or discount is amortized prospectively over the remaining economic life. Premiums and discounts on mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities are amortized or accreted over the life of the related available‑for‑sale security as an adjustment to yield using the effective interest method. Such amortization and accretion is included in interest income in the consolidated statements of operations. Dividend and interest income are recognized when earned.
Realized gains and losses from the sale of available-for-sale securities are determined on a specific-identification basis and included in earnings on the trade date.
Equity securities that do not result in consolidation and are not accounted for under the equity method are measured at fair value and any changes in fair value are recognized in net income in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Mutual fund and similar investments are measured at their net asset value, which approximates fair value.  Any changes in the net asset value are recognized in net income in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
The Company carries other equity investments that do not have a readily determinable fair value at cost, less impairment and adjusted for observable price changes under the measurement alternative provided under GAAP. We review these investments for impairment during each reporting period. These investments are a component of Other Assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Other-than-Temporary Impairments
The Company reviews its impaired securities for possible other-than-temporary impairment ("OTTI") at each quarter-end. A security has an impairment loss when its fair value is less than its cost or amortized cost at the balance sheet date. The Company considers the following factors in performing its review: (i) the amount by which the security’s fair value is less than its cost, (ii) length of time the security has been impaired, (iii) whether management has the intent to sell the security, (iv) if it is more likely than not that management will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis, (v) whether the impairment is due to an issuer‑specific event, credit issues or change in market interest rates, (vi) the security’s credit rating and any recent downgrades or (vii) stress testing of expected cash flows under different scenarios. If the Company determines that a security has experienced an OTTI, the impairment is recognized as a realized investment loss in the consolidated statements of operations.
For each impaired security, the Company determines if: (i) it does not intend to sell the security and (ii) it is not "more likely than not" that the Company will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis. If the Company cannot assert these conditions, an OTTI loss is recorded through the consolidated statements of operations in the current period. For all other impaired securities, the Company will assess whether the net present value of the cash flows expected to be collected from the security is less than its amortized cost basis. Such a shortfall in cash flows is referred to as a “credit loss.” For any such security, the Company separates the impairment loss into: (i) the credit loss and (ii) the non-credit loss, which is the amount related to all other factors such as interest rate changes, fluctuations in exchange rates and market conditions. The credit loss charge is recorded to the current period statements of operations and the non-credit loss is recorded to accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), within shareholders’ equity, on an after-tax basis. A security’s cost basis is permanently reduced by the amount of a credit loss. Income is accreted over the remaining life of a security based on the interest rate necessary to discount the expected future cash flows to the new basis. If the security is non-income producing, any cash proceeds are applied as a reduction of principal when received.
Recognition of Premium Revenues
All of the property and casualty policies written by our insurance companies are considered short-duration contracts. These policy premiums are earned on a daily pro-rata basis, net of reinsurance, over the term of the policy, which are six or twelve months in duration. The portion of premiums written that relate to the unexpired terms of policies in force are deferred and reported as unearned premium at the balance sheet date.
Reinsurance
Reinsurance premiums, commissions, losses and loss adjustment expenses ("LAE") on reinsured business are accounted for on a basis consistent with that used in accounting for the original policies issued and the terms of the reinsurance contracts. The amounts reported as reinsurance recoverables include amounts billed to reinsurers on losses and LAE paid as well as estimates of amounts expected to be recovered from reinsurers on insurance liabilities that have not yet been paid. Reinsurance recoverables on unpaid losses and LAE are estimated based upon assumptions consistent with those used in establishing the gross liabilities as they are applied to the underlying reinsured contracts. The Company records an allowance for uncollectible reinsurance recoverables based on an assessment of the reinsurer’s creditworthiness and collectability of the

67



recorded amounts. Management believes an allowance for uncollectible recoverable from its reinsurers was not necessary for the periods presented.
The Company receives ceding commissions in connection with certain ceded reinsurance. The ceding commissions are recorded as a reduction of operating expenses.
In 2017, the Company entered into an adverse development cover reinsurance agreement (the "ADC"). The ADC is a retroactive reinsurance contract. If the cumulative claim and allocated claim adjustment expenses ceded under the ADC exceed the consideration paid, the resulting gain from such excess is deferred and amortized into earnings in future periods using the interest method. In any period in which there is a gain position and a revised estimate of claim and allocated claim adjustment expenses, a portion of the deferred gain is cumulatively recognized in earnings as if the revised estimate was available at the inception date of the ADC.
Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs
Costs incurred which are incremental and directly related to the successful acquisition of new or renewal insurance business is deferred. These deferred costs consist of commissions paid to agents, premium taxes, and underwriting costs, including compensation and payroll related benefits. Proceeds from reinsurance transactions that represent recovery of acquisition costs reduce applicable unamortized acquisition costs in such a manner that net acquisition costs are capitalized and charged to expense. Amortization of such policy acquisition costs is charged to expense in proportion to premium earned over the estimated policy term.
To the extent that unearned premiums on existing policies are not adequate to cover the sum of expected losses and LAE, unamortized acquisition costs and policy maintenance costs, unamortized deferred policy acquisition costs are charged to expense to the extent required to eliminate the premium deficiency. If the premium deficiency is greater than the unamortized policy acquisition costs, a liability is recorded for any such deficiency. The Company considers anticipated investment income in determining whether a premium deficiency exists. Management performs this evaluation at each insurance product line level.
Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses
The liability for unpaid losses and LAE in the consolidated balance sheets represents the Company’s estimate of the amount it expects to pay for the ultimate cost of all losses and LAE incurred that remain unpaid at the balance sheet date. The liability is recorded on an undiscounted basis, except for the liability for unpaid losses and LAE assumed related to acquired companies which are initially recorded at fair value. The process of estimating the liability for unpaid losses and LAE is a complex process that requires a high degree of judgment.
The liability for unpaid losses and LAE represent the accumulation of individual case estimates for reported losses and LAE, and actuarially determined estimates for incurred but not reported losses and LAE. The liability for unpaid losses and LAE is intended to include the ultimate net cost of all losses and LAE incurred but unpaid as of the balance sheet date. The liability is stated net of anticipated deductibles, salvage and subrogation, and gross of reinsurance ceded. The estimate of the unpaid losses and LAE liability is continually reviewed and updated. Although management believes the liability for losses and LAE is reasonable, the ultimate liability may be more or less than the current estimate.
The estimation of ultimate liability for unpaid losses and LAE is a complex, imprecise and inherently uncertain process, and therefore involves a considerable degree of judgment and expertise. The Company utilizes various actuarially‑accepted reserving methodologies in deriving the continuum of expected outcomes and ultimately determining its estimated liability amount. These methodologies utilize various inputs, including but not limited to written and earned premiums, paid and reported losses and LAE, expected initial loss and LAE ratio, which is the ratio of incurred losses and LAE to earned premiums, and expected claim reporting and payout patterns (including company-specific and industry data). The liability for unpaid loss and LAE does not represent an exact measurement of liability, but is an estimate that is not directly or precisely quantifiable, particularly on a prospective basis, and is subject to a significant degree of variability over time. In addition, the establishment of the liability for unpaid losses and LAE makes no provision for the broadening of coverage by legislative action or judicial interpretation or for the extraordinary future emergence of new types of losses not sufficiently represented in the Company’s historical experience or which cannot yet be quantified. As a result, an integral component of estimating the liability for unpaid losses and LAE is the use of informed subjective estimates and judgments about the ultimate exposure to unpaid losses and LAE. The effects of changes in the estimated liability are included in the results of operations in the period in which the estimates are revised.
The Company allocates the applicable portion of the unpaid losses and LAE to amounts recoverable from reinsurers under reinsurance contracts and reports those amounts separately as assets on the consolidated balance sheets.

68



Income Taxes
Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and tax-credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.
Deferred tax assets are recognized to the extent that there is sufficient positive evidence, as allowed under the Accounting Standard Codification ("ASC") 740, Income Taxes, to support the recoverability of those deferred tax assets. The Company establishes a valuation allowance to the extent that there is insufficient evidence to support the recoverability of the deferred tax asset under ASC 740. In making such a determination, management considers all available positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax‑planning strategies, and results of recent operations. If it is determined that the deferred tax assets would be realizable in the future in excess of their net recorded amount, an adjustment would be made to the deferred tax asset valuation allowance, which would reduce the provision for income taxes.
As of December 31, 2018 and 2017 , the Company did not have any unrecognized tax benefits and had no accrued interest or penalties related to uncertain tax positions.
Other Income
Other income consists primarily of fees charged to policyholders by the Company for services outside of the premium charge, such as installment billings or policy issuance costs. Commission income is also received by the Company’s insurance agencies for writing policies for third party insurance companies. The Company recognizes commission income on the later of the effective date of the policy, the date when the premium can be reasonably established, or the date when substantially all services related to the insurance placement have been rendered.
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses consist primarily of other underwriting, compensation and benefits, information technology, facility and other administrative expenses.
Recently Issued Accounting Guidance
Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted FASB Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments (Topic 825): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities . As a result of adoption of this ASU, equity instruments that do not result in consolidation and are not accounted for under the equity method are measured at fair value and any changes in fair value are recognized in net income. In addition, the Company's equity securities that do not have a readily determinable fair value are recorded at cost, less impairment and adjusted for observable price changes under the measurement alternative provided under GAAP. Previously, the Company’s equity securities were classified as available-for-sale and changes in fair value were recorded in other comprehensive income. Upon adoption of this ASU, cumulative net unrealized gains on equity securities of $1.1 million , net of deferred income taxes of $0.5 million , were reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income into accumulated deficit. Prior periods have not been recast to conform to the current presentation. See Note 2 ~ Investments for details regarding the change in net unrealized gains on equity securities included in net income for the year ended December 31, 2018 .
Effective January 1, 2018, the Company early adopted ASU No. 2018-02, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. The ASU provides an option to reclassify tax effects remaining in accumulated other comprehensive income as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) to retained earnings. Upon enactment of the TCJA, the U.S. corporate tax rate was reduced from 35% to 21% and the Company's U.S. deferred tax balances were remeasured to the lower enacted U.S. corporate tax rate. GAAP requires the effects of changes in tax rates and laws on deferred tax balances to be recorded as a component of income tax expense in the period of enactment, even if the assets and liabilities relate to items of accumulated other comprehensive income. As a result of adopting the ASU, the Company reclassified $77,000 of previously recognized deferred taxes from accumulated other comprehensive income into accumulated deficit as of January 1, 2018.

69



In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) , which addresses the financial reporting of leasing transactions. This update will require the recognition of a right-of-use asset and a corresponding lease liability, discounted to the present value, for all leases that extend beyond 12 months. For operating leases, the asset and liability will be expensed over the lease term on a straight-line basis, with all cash flows included in the operating section of the consolidated statement of cash flows. For finance leases, interest on the lease liability will be recognized separately from the amortization of the right-of-use asset in the consolidated statement of operations and the repayment of the principal portion of the lease liability will be classified as a financing activity while the interest component will be included in the operating section of the consolidated statement of cash flows. This ASU is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. We do not have any financing leases. If the standard were adopted as of December 31, 2018 , approximately $4.3 million of future lease liabilities would be added to our balance sheet with a corresponding right-of-use asset. We have approximately $1.2 million of operating lease expenses as of December 31, 2018 , and do not expect that there would be a materially different expense upon adoption.
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326), which amends the current methodology and timing for recognizing credit losses. This amendment will replace the current GAAP "incurred loss" methodology for credit losses with a methodology based on expected credit losses. The new guidance will also require expanded consideration of a broader range of reasonable and increased supportable information for the credit loss estimates. This ASU is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. Management is currently evaluating the impact of the guidance.
In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) : Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, or ASU 2016-15. This update addresses the presentation and classification on the statement of cash flows for eight specific items, with the objective of reducing existing diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified. The Company adopted ASU 2016-15 as of January 1, 2018. The adoption of the new guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) , which modifies the disclosure requirements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value. The requirements to disclose the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, the policy for timing of transfers between levels and the valuation processes for Level 3 fair value measurements have all been removed. However, the changes in unrealized gains and losses included in other comprehensive income for recurring Level 3 fair value measurements held at the end of the reporting period must be disclosed along with the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements (or other quantitative information if it is more reasonable). Finally, for investments measured at net asset value, the requirements have been modified so that the timing of liquidation and the date when restrictions from redemption might lapse are only disclosed if the investee has communicated the timing to the entity or announced the timing publicly. This ASU is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted upon the issuance of this update. Management is currently evaluating the impact of the guidance.

70



2.       Investments
The cost or amortized cost, gross unrealized gain or loss, and estimated fair value of the investments in securities classified as available-for-sale at December 31, 2018 and 2017 were as follows (dollars in thousands):
 
December 31, 2018
 
Cost or
Amortized
Cost
Gross Unrealized
Estimated
Fair Value 
 
 
Gains
 
Losses
Debt securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. Government
$
15,360

 
$
3

 
$
(178
)
 
$
15,185

State and local government
15,847

 
115

 
(174
)
 
15,788

Corporate debt
30,423

 
74

 
(651
)
 
29,846

Asset-backed securities
24,468

 
24

 
(208
)
 
24,284

Mortgage-backed securities
30,377

 
18

 
(1,155
)
 
29,240

Commercial mortgage-backed securities
4,025

 
5

 
(77
)
 
3,953

Collateralized mortgage obligations
2,178

 
9

 
(43
)
 
2,144

Total debt securities available for sale
$
122,678

 
$
248

 
$
(2,486
)
 
$
120,440

 
December 31, 2017
 
Cost or
Amortized
Cost
Gross Unrealized
Estimated
Fair Value 
 
Gains
 
Losses
Debt securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. Government
$
17,179

 
$
10

 
$
(99
)
 
$
17,090

State and local government
17,302

 
255

 
(54
)
 
17,503

Corporate debt
38,947

 
170

 
(209
)
 
38,908

Asset-backed securities
23,539

 
36

 
(35
)
 
23,540

Mortgage-backed securities
33,942

 
38

 
(522
)
 
33,458

Commercial mortgage-backed securities
3,532

 
3

 
(44
)
 
3,491

Collateralized mortgage obligations
2,563

 
19

 
(36
)
 
2,546

Total debt securities available for sale
137,004

 
531

 
(999
)
 
136,536

Equity Securities (1)
8,629

 
1,240

 
(182
)
 
9,687

Total securities available for sale
$
145,633

 
$
1,771

 
$
(1,181
)
 
$
146,223


(1) Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASU No. 2016-01. As a result, equity securities are no longer classified as available-for-sale. Prior periods have not been recast to conform to the current presentation. Refer to Note 1 ~ Summary of Significant Accounting Policies for further details.
The following table summarizes the aggregate fair value and gross unrealized losses, by security type, of the available-for-sale securities in unrealized loss positions. The table segregates the holdings based on the length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position (dollars in thousands):  

71



 
December 31, 2018
 
Less than 12 months
 
Greater than 12 months
 
Total
 
No.
of
Issues
Fair Value of
Investments
with
Unrealized
Losses
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
 
No.
of
Issues
Fair Value   of
Investments
with
Unrealized
Losses
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
 
No.
of
Issues
Fair Value of
Investments
with
Unrealized
Losses
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
Debt securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. Government
1

$
2,470

$
(24
)
 
16

$
11,725

$
(154
)
 
17

$
14,195

$
(178
)
State and local government
21

4,935

(40
)
 
16

4,273

(134
)
 
37

9,208

(174
)
Corporate debt
36

12,096

(140
)
 
25

11,993

(511
)
 
61

24,089

(651
)
Asset-backed securities
25

17,743

(148
)
 
9

4,166

(60
)
 
34

21,909

(208
)
Mortgage-backed securities
20

5,474

(138
)
 
30

21,715

(1,017
)
 
50

27,189

(1,155
)
Commercial mortgage-backed securities
4

1,082

(12
)
 
3

2,632

(65
)
 
7

3,714

(77
)
Collateralized mortgage obligations
4

116

(1
)
 
6

1,587

(42
)
 
10

1,703

(43
)
Total debt securities available for sale
111

$
43,916

$
(503
)
 
105

$
58,091

$
(1,983
)
 
216

$
102,007

$
(2,486
)
 
December 31, 2017
 
Less than 12 months
 
Greater than 12 months
 
Total
 
No.
of
Issues
Fair Value of
Investments with
Unrealized Losses
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
 
No.
of
Issues
Fair Value of
Investments with
Unrealized Losses
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
 
No.
of
Issues
Fair Value of
Investments with
Unrealized Losses
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
Debt securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. Government
12

$
11,555

$
(64
)
 
7

$
2,207

$
(35
)
 
19

$
13,762

$
(99
)
State and local government
10

3,511

(20
)
 
7

1,424

(34
)
 
17

4,935

(54
)
Corporate debt
38

15,236

(46
)
 
10

6,555

(163
)
 
48

21,791

(209
)
Asset-backed securities
20

13,948

(29
)
 
3

915

(6
)
 
23

14,863

(35
)
Mortgage-backed securities
6

4,935

(19
)
 
26

24,939

(503
)
 
32

29,874

(522
)
Commercial mortgage-backed securities
3

2,026

(12
)
 
2

722

(32
)
 
5

2,748

(44
)
Collateralized mortgage obligations
8

1,870

(36
)
 



 
8

1,870

(36
)
Total debt securities available for sale
97

53,081

(226
)
 
55

36,762

(773
)
 
152

89,843

(999
)
Equity Securities (1)
13

436

(75
)
 
4

266

(107
)
 
17

702

(182
)
Total securities
110

$
53,517

$
(301
)
 
59

$
37,028

$
(880
)
 
169

$
90,545

$
(1,181
)
  (1) Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASU No. 2016-01. As a result, equity securities are no longer classified as available-for-sale. Prior periods have not been recast to conform to the current presentation. Refer to Note 1 ~ Summary of Significant Accounting Policies for further details.
The Company analyzed its investment portfolio in accordance with its OTTI review procedures and determined the Company did not need to record a credit-related OTTI loss, nor recognize a non credit-related OTTI loss in other comprehensive income for the years ended December 31, 2018 , 2017 , and 2016.


72



The Company’s sources of net investment income are as follows (dollars in thousands):
 
 
 December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
Debt securities
$
3,419

 
$
2,757

 
$
2,370

Equity securities
129

 
124

 
98

Cash and short-term investments
85

 
122

 
21

Total investment income
3,633

 
3,003

 
2,489

Investment expenses
(297
)
 
(275
)
 
(316
)
Net investment income
$
3,336

 
$
2,728

 
$
2,173

The following table summarizes the gross realized gains and losses from sales or maturities of available-for-sale debt securities and equity securities, as follows (dollars in thousands):
 
 December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
Debt securities:
 
 
 
 
 
Gross realized gains
$
54

 
$
32

 
$
587

Gross realized losses
(256
)
 
(8
)
 
(24
)
Total debt securities
(202
)
 
24

 
563

Equity securities:
 
 
 
 
 
Gross realized gains
337

 
76

 
1,198

Gross realized losses
(74
)
 
(30
)
 
(396
)
Total equity securities
263

 
46

 
802

Total net investment realized gains
$
61

 
$
70

 
$
1,365

Proceeds from the sales of available-for-sale securities were $14.6 million , $1.8 million and $30.8 million for the year s ended December 31, 2018 , 2017 and 2016 , respectively.
Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASU No. 2016-01. As a result, equity securities are no longer classified as available-for-sale with unrealized gains and losses recognized in other comprehensive income; rather, all changes in fair value of equity securities are now recognized in net income. The change in fair value of equity securities included in net income as of December 31, 2018 was a $121,000 gain. Prior periods have not been recast for the adoption of this guidance.
The Company carries other equity investments that do not have a readily determinable fair value at cost, less impairment or observable changes in price. We review these investments for impairment during each reporting period. There was no impairment or observable changes in price recorded during 2018 related to the Company's equity securities without readily determinable fair value. These investments are a component of Other Assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets .

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The table below summarizes the amortized cost and fair value of available-for-sale debt securities by contractual maturity at December 31, 2018 . Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities because certain borrowers have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties (dollars in thousands):
 
Amortized
Cost
 
Estimated
Fair Value
Due in one year or less
$
9,206

 
$
9,153

Due after one year through five years
33,028

 
32,667

Due after five years through ten years
11,568

 
11,279

Due after ten years
7,828

 
7,720

Securities with contractual maturities
61,630

 
60,819

Asset-backed securities
24,468

 
24,284

Mortgage-backed securities
30,377

 
29,240

Commercial mortgage-backed securities
4,025

 
3,953

Collateralized mortgage obligations
2,178

 
2,144

Total debt securities
$
122,678

 
$
120,440

 At December 31, 2018 and 2017 , the Insurance Companies Subsidiaries had an aggregate of $8.5 million and $8.2 million , respectively, on deposit in trust accounts to meet the deposit requirements of various state insurance departments. At December 31, 2018 and 2017 , the Company had $45.4 million and $18.4 million held in trust accounts to meet collateral requirements with other third-party insurers, relating to various fronting arrangements. There are withdrawal and other restrictions on these deposits, including the type of investments that may be held, however, the Company may generally invest in high-grade bonds and short-term investments and earn interest on the funds.


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3.       Fair Value Measurements
The Company’s financial instruments include assets carried at fair value, as well as debt carried at face value, net of unamortized debt issuance costs, but disclosed at fair value in this note. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability in the principal most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. In determining fair value, the Company applies the market approach, which uses prices and other relevant data based on market transactions involving identical or comparable assets and liabilities. The inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value are prioritized into a three-level hierarchy. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices from sources independent of the reporting entity (“observable inputs”) and the lowest priority to prices determined by the reporting entity’s own assumptions about market participant assumptions developed based on the best information available in the circumstances (“unobservable inputs”). The fair value hierarchy is as follows:
Level 1 —Valuations that are based on quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2 —Valuations that are based on observable inputs (other than Level 1 prices) such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities at the measurement date; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.
Level 3 —Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity. The unobservable inputs represent the Company’s best assumption of how market participants would price the assets or liabilities.
NAV —The fair values of investment company limited partnership investments are based on the capital account balances reported by the investment funds subject to their management review and adjustment. These capital account balances reflect the fair value of the investment funds.

75



The following tables present the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value, classified by the valuation hierarchy as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 (dollars in thousands):
 
December 31, 2018
 
Fair Value Measurements Using
 
Total
 
Quoted Prices
in Active
Markets for
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
 
Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
 
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
Assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Debt Securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. Government
$
15,185

 
$

 
$
15,185

 
$

State and local government
15,788

 

 
15,788

 

Corporate debt
29,846

 

 
29,846

 

Asset-backed securities
24,284

 

 
24,284

 

Mortgage-backed securities
29,240

 

 
29,240

 

Commercial mortgage-backed securities
3,953

 

 
3,953

 

Collateralized mortgage obligations
2,144

 

 
2,144

 

Total debt securities
120,440

 

 
120,440

 

Equity Securities
6,587

 
6,323

 
264

 

Short-term investments
8,925

 
8,925

 


 

Total marketable investments measured at fair value
$
135,952

 
$
15,248

 
$
120,704

 
$

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Investments measured at NAV:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Investment in limited partnership
$
4,150

 
 
 
 
 
 
Total investments measured at NAV
$
4,150

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total assets measured at fair value
$
140,102

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Liabilities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Senior Unsecured Notes *
$
21,252

 
$

 
$
21,252

 
$

Subordinated Notes *
10,640

 

 

 
10,640

Total Liabilities measured at fair value
$
31,892

 
$

 
$
21,252

 
$
10,640

* Carried at face value of debt net of unamortized debt issuance costs on the consolidated balance sheet


76



 
December 31, 2017
 
Fair Value Measurements Using
 
Total
 
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
 
Significant Other Observable Inputs
(Level 2)
 
Significant Unobservable Inputs
(Level 3)
Assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Debt Securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. Government
$
17,090

 
$

 
$
17,090

 
$

State and local government
17,503

 

 
17,503

 

Corporate debt
38,908

 

 
38,908

 

Asset-backed securities
23,540

 

 
23,540

 

Mortgage-backed securities
33,458

 

 
33,458

 

Commercial mortgage-backed securities
3,491

 

 
3,491

 

Collateralized mortgage-backed securities
2,546

 

 
2,546

 

Total debt securities
136,536

 

 
136,536

 

Equity Securities
5,627

 
5,381

 
246

 

Short-term investments
11,427

 
8,429

 
2,998

 

Total investments measured at fair value
$
153,590

 
$
13,810

 
$
139,780

 
$

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Investments measured at NAV:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Investment in limited partnership
$
4,060

 
 
 
 
 
 
Total investments measured at NAV
$
4,060

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total assets measured at fair value
$
157,650

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Liabilities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Subordinated Notes *

$
29,888

 
$

 
$

 
$
29,888

Total Liabilities measured at fair value
$
29,888

 
$

 
$

 
$
29,888

* Carried at face value of debt net of unamortized debt issuance costs on the consolidated balance sheet
Level 1 investments consist of equity securities traded in an active exchange market. The Company uses unadjusted quoted prices for identical instruments to measure fair value. Level 1 also includes money market funds and other interest-bearing deposits at banks, which are reported as short-term investments. The fair value measurements that were based on Level 1 inputs comprise 10.8% of the fair value of the total investment portfolio as of December 31, 2018 .
Level 2 investments include debt securities, which consist of U.S. government agency securities, state and local municipal bonds (including those held as restricted securities), corporate debt securities, mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. The fair value of securities included in the Level 2 category were based on the market values obtained from a third party pricing service that were evaluated using pricing models that vary by asset class and incorporate available trade, bid and other observable market information. The third party pricing service monitors market indicators, as well as industry and economic events. The fair value measurements that were based on Level 2 inputs comprise 86.1% of the fair value of the total investment portfolio as of December 31, 2018 .

77



The Company obtains pricing for each security from independent pricing services, investment managers or consultants to assist in determining fair value for its Level 2 investments. To validate that these quoted prices are reasonable estimates of fair value, the Company performs various quantitative and qualitative procedures, such as (i) evaluation of the underlying methodologies, (ii) analysis of recent sales activity, (iii) analytical review of our fair values against current market prices and (iv) comparison of the pricing services’ fair value to other pricing services’ fair value for the same investment. No markets for the investments were determined to be inactive at period-ends. Based on these procedures, the Company did not adjust the prices or quotes provided from independent pricing services, investment managers or consultants.
As of December 31, 2018 , Level 3 liabilities are entirely comprised of the Company's subordinated debt. In determining the fair value of the subordinated debt outstanding at December 31, 2018 , the security attributes (issue date, maturity, coupon, calls, etc.) and market rates on September 24, 2018 (the date of the restated and amended agreement which was repriced at that time) were fed into a valuation model.  A lognormal trinomial interest rate lattice was created within the model to compute the option adjusted spread (“OAS”) which is the amount, in basis points, of interest rate required to be paid under the debt agreement over the risk-free U.S. Treasury rates.  The OAS was then fed back into the model along with the December 31, 2018 , U.S. Treasury rates.  A new lattice was generated and the fair value was computed from the OAS.  There were no changes in assumptions of credit risk from the issuance date.
As of December 31, 2017 , Level 3 liabilities are entirely comprised of the Company's subordinated debt. In determining the fair value of the subordinated debt outstanding at December 31, 2017, the security attributes (issue date, maturity, coupon, calls, etc.) and market rates on September 29, 2017 (the date of issuance) were fed into a valuation model.  A lognormal trinomial interest rate lattice was created within the model to compute the option adjusted spread (“OAS”) which is the amount, in basis points, of interest rate required to be paid under the debt agreement over the risk-free U.S. Treasury rates.  The OAS was then fed back into the model along with the December 31, 2017, U.S. Treasury rates.  A new lattice was generated and the fair value was computed from the OAS.  There were no changes in assumptions of credit risk from the issuance date.
The Company’s policy on recognizing transfers between hierarchy levels is applied at the end of each reporting period. There were no transfers between Levels 1, 2 and 3 for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 , respectively.

4. Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs
The Company defers costs incurred which are incremental and directly related to the successful acquisition of new or renewal insurance business, net of corresponding amounts of ceded reinsurance commissions. Net deferred policy acquisition costs are amortized and charged to expense in proportion to premium earned over the estimated policy term. The Company anticipates that its deferred policy acquisition costs will be fully recoverable and there were no premium deficiencies for the years December 31, 2018 , 2017 and 2016 . The activity in deferred policy acquisition costs, net of reinsurance transactions, is as follows (dollars in thousands):
 
December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
Balance at beginning of period
$
12,781

 
$
13,290

 
$
12,102

 


 
 
 
 
Deferred policy acquisition costs
24,764

 
25,736

 
26,468

Amortization of policy acquisition costs
(25,534
)
 
(26,245
)
 
(25,280
)
Net change
(770
)
 
(509
)
 
1,188

 
 
 
 
 
 
Balance at end of period
$
12,011

 
$
12,781

 
$
13,290

 

5.       Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses
The Company establishes reserves for unpaid losses and LAE which represent the estimated ultimate cost of all losses incurred that were both reported and unreported (i.e., incurred but not yet reported losses, or “IBNR”) and LAE incurred that remain unpaid at the balance sheet date. The Company’s reserving process takes into account known facts and interpretations of circumstances and factors including the Company’s experience with similar cases, actual claims paid, historical trends involving claim payment patterns and pending levels of unpaid claims, loss management programs, product mix and contractual terms, changes in law and regulation, judicial decisions, and economic conditions. In the normal course of business, the Company may also supplement its claims processes by utilizing third party adjusters, appraisers, engineers,

78



inspectors, and other professionals and information sources to assess and settle catastrophe and non-catastrophe related claims. The effects of inflation are implicitly considered in the reserving process.
Reserves are estimates of unpaid portions of losses that have occurred, including IBNR losses, therefore the establishment of appropriate reserves, is an inherently uncertain and complex process. The ultimate cost of losses may vary materially from recorded amounts, which are based on management’s best estimates. The highest degree of uncertainty is associated with reserves for losses incurred in the current reporting period as it contains the greatest proportion of losses that have not been reported or settled. The Company regularly updates its reserve estimates as new information becomes available and as events unfold that may affect the resolution of unsettled claims. Changes in prior year reserve estimates, which may be material, are reported in the results of operations in the period such changes are determined to be needed and recorded.
Management believes that the reserve for losses and LAE, net of reinsurance recoverables, is appropriately established in the aggregate and adequate to cover the ultimate net cost of reported and unreported claims arising from losses which had occurred by the date of the consolidated financial statements based on available facts and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
The table below provides the changes in the reserves for losses and LAE, net of recoverables from reinsurers, for the periods indicated (dollars in thousands):
 

December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
Gross reserves - beginning of period
$
87,896

 
$
54,651

 
$
35,422

Less: reinsurance recoverables on unpaid losses
20,066

 
6,658

 
5,405

Net reserves - beginning of period
67,830

 
47,993

 
30,017

 
 
 
 
 
 
Add: incurred losses and loss adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance
 
 
 
 
 
Current period
53,482

 
64,458

 
48,782

Prior period
9,033

 
9,459

 
10,221

Total net incurred losses and loss adjustment expenses
62,515

 
73,917

 
59,003

 
 
 
 
 
 
Deduct: loss and loss adjustment expense payments, net of reinsurance
 
 
 
 
 
Current period
17,025

 
24,547

 
20,828

Prior period
44,521

 
29,533

 
20,199

Total net loss and loss adjustment expense payments
61,546

 
54,080

 
41,027

 
 
 
 
 
 
Net reserves - end of period
68,799

 
67,830

 
47,993

Plus: reinsurance recoverables on unpaid losses
29,685

 
20,066

 
6,658

Less: deferred gain on ADC
(5,677
)
 

 

Gross reserves - end of period
$
92,807

 
$
87,896

 
$
54,651

There was $9.0 million , $9.5 million , and $10.2 million of adverse development on prior accident year reserves in 2018 , 2017 and 2016 , respectively. There were no significant changes in the key methods utilized in the analysis and calculations of the Company’s reserves during 2018 , 2017 or 2016 .
In 2018, the adverse development consisted of $6.2 million from commercial lines and $2.8 million from personal lines. Of the $6.2 million of adverse development in commercial lines, $4.2 million was related to the commercial liability business. Of the $2.8 million of adverse development in personal lines, $2.0 million and $727,000 were related to the Florida homeowners and Texas homeowners business, respectively. This included $960,000 of adverse development related to hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
In 2017, the adverse development consisted of $7.2 million from commercial lines and $2.3 million from personal lines and was mostly related to the 2016 and 2015 accident years. This development consisted of $5.1 million from the

79



commercial liability business, $1.6 million from commercial property, $1.7 million from Florida homeowners and $0.5 million from commercial auto business.
In 2016, there was $10.2 million of adverse development, which consisted of $4.1 million  in the commercial liability business,  $2.7 million  in the commercial auto business,  $2.7 million  in the wind-exposed homeowners' line and  $0.8 million  in the run-off personal auto business.
On September 28, 2017, the Company entered into an adverse development cover reinsurance agreement to cover loss development of up to  $17.5 million  in excess of stated reserves as of June 30, 2017, for accident years 2005 through 2016. The agreement attaches when net losses exceed $1.4 million of the $36.6 million carried reserves at June 30, 2017, and extends to $19.5 million in coverage up to $57.5 million . The company retains a 10% co-participation for any development in excess of the retention.
In 2018, the Company ceded $10.3 million of losses under the ADC. Of the $10.3 million , $4.6 million was recognized as a benefit, reducing losses and LAE expense, and $5.7 million was deferred (recorded as a liability on the balance sheet) and will be amortized into income as a benefit in future periods. As of December 31, 2018, the Company has ceded to the limit of the ADC. In 2017, $7.2 million of adverse development was ceded to the ADC. Discussion of adverse development is net of benefits recognized under the ADC in that period.
Incurred losses during 2018 also included  $583,000  in net catastrophe losses in the current calendar year related to Hurricane Harvey in Texas. Of the $583,000 in net catastrophe losses, personal lines accounted for $960,000 of the losses while commercial lines saw $377,000 of favorable development in calendar year 2018. Losses from Hurricane Irma were in excess of the Company’s $4.0 million retention on its catastrophe reinsurance treaty which resulted in $10.0 million of losses being ceded to the treaty during 2018. This also resulted in a $1.0 million charge for catastrophe reinstatement premiums which was recorded as ceded premiums in 2018.
In 2017, incurred losses included  $5.4 million  in net catastrophe losses related to Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Hurricane Irma in Florida. Approximately 34% of the losses were generated in Commercial Lines and 66% in Personal lines. Losses from Hurricane Irma were in excess of the Company’s $4.0 million retention on its catastrophe reinsurance treaty which resulted in $5.2 million of losses being ceded to the treaty as of December 31, 2017. This also resulted in a $806,000 charge for catastrophe reinstatement premiums which was recorded as ceded premiums in 2017.


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Loss Development Tables
The following tables represent cumulative incurred loss and allocated loss adjustment expenses ("ALAE"), net of reinsurance, by accident year and cumulative paid loss and ALAE, net of reinsurance, by accident year, for the years ended December 31, 2009 to 2018, as well as total IBNR and the cumulative number of reported claims for the year ended December 31, 2018, by reportable segment and accident year (dollars in thousands).
Commercial Lines

 
Incurred loss and allocated loss adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance
 
Total IBNR
Cumulative number of reported claims
Accident Year
 
2009*
2010*
2011*
2012*
2013*
2014*
2015*
2016
2017
2018
 
2018
2018
2009
$
11,400

$
12,066

$
10,312

$
8,943

$
8,232

$
8,403

$
8,359

$
8,414

$
8,442

$
8,441

 
$

877

2010
 
7,346

8,568

7,255

6,357

6,170

6,074

6,207

6,292

6,312

 

771

2011
 
 
6,753

5,758

5,326

5,049

4,932

4,903

4,935

4,933

 

590

2012
 
 
 
7,745

6,421

6,288

6,384

6,253

6,190

6,209

 

560

2013
 
 
 
 
10,018

9,435

9,893

10,237

11,252

11,218

 
50

605

2014
 
 
 
 
 
19,709

19,907

22,711

26,367

28,145

 
282

1,749

2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
22,442

26,633

31,861

34,478

 
612

2,346

2016
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
32,396

34,935

40,440

 
1,822

3,526

2017
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

44,251

44,495

 
9,145

5,686

2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
42,624

 
21,199

5,572

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total

$
227,295

 
$
33,110

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cumulative paid loss and allocated loss adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance
 
 
 
Accident Year
For the years ended December 31,
 
 
 
2009*
2010*
2011*
2012*
2013*
2014*
2015*
2016
2017
2018
 
 
 
2009
$
4,436

$
5,942

$
6,410

$
7,233

$
7,800

$
7,867

$
7,933

$
8,321

$
8,441

$
8,441

 
 
 
2010
 
3,066

4,488

5,219

5,910

6,040

6,065

6,166

6,258

6,312

 
 
 
2011
 
 
2,645

3,534

3,964

4,449

4,641

4,744

4,872

4,903

 
 
 
2012
 
 
 
2,325

3,703

4,696

5,558

5,994

6,065

6,209

 
 
 
2013
 
 
 
 
3,979

6,211

7,643

8,622

10,147

10,650

 
 
 
2014
 
 
 
 
 
8,715

13,977

17,458

22,446

25,609

 
 
 
2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
10,470

17,817

22,549

30,475

 
 
 
2016
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10,255

19,135

27,785

 
 
 
2017
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

12,448

23,020

 
 
 
2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10,375

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total
 
$
153,779

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unpaid losses and ALAE - years 2009 through 2018
 
$
73,516

 
 
 
Unpaid losses and ALAE - prior to 2009 (1)*
 
45

 
 
 
Unpaid ADC
 
(16,849
)
 
 
 
Unpaid losses and ALAE, net of reinsurance
 
$
56,712

 
 
 

* Presented as unaudited required supplementary information.
(1) The Company's formation was in 2009, however, as a result of the acquisition of WPIC in 2010, incurred losses prior to the 2009 accident year remain outstanding.

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Personal Lines
 
Incurred loss and allocated loss adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance
 
Total IBNR
Cumulative number of reported claims
Accident Year
For the years ended December 31,
2009*
2010*
2011*
2012*
2013*
2014*
2015*
2016
2017
2018
 
2018
2018
2009
$
667

$
639

$
634

$
634

$
634

$
634

$
634

$
634

$
634

$
634

 
$

65

2010
 
320

188

184

184

184

184

184

184

184

 

77

2011
 
 
1,678

1,758

1,981

2,031

2,030

2,045

2,027

2,024

 

717

2012
 
 
 
9,960

11,690

11,740

12,159

12,390

12,365

12,357

 

3,338

2013
 
 
 
 
18,034

17,996

18,925

19,138

19,167

19,202

 
4

5,195

2014
 
 
 
 
 
17,951

17,471

17,735

17,880

17,929

 
24

3,700

2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
10,877

13,445

14,721

15,285

 
12

2,128

2016
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
11,619

13,418

14,949

 

1,810

2017
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
14,058

13,550

 
48

2,769

2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5,893

 
584

741

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total

$
102,007

 
$
672

 
 
Cumulative paid loss and allocated loss adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance
 
 
 
Accident Year
For the years ended December 31,
 
 
 
2009*
2010*
2011*
2012*
2013*
2014*
2015*
2016
2017
2018
 
 
 
2009
$
537

$
634

$
634

$
634

$
634

$
634

$
634

$
634

$
634

$
634

 
 
 
2010
 
151

174

184

184

184

184

184

184

184

 
 
 
2011
 
 
787

1,292

1,633

1,859

1,983

2,021

2,024

2,024

 
 
 
2012
 
 
 
5,665

9,251

10,844

11,777

12,202

12,306

12,329

 
 
 
2013
 
 
 
 
9,955

15,883

18,052

18,600

19,014

19,174

 
 
 
2014
 
 
 
 
 
12,819

16,515

17,260

17,746

17,855

 
 
 
2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
7,771

11,873

13,844

15,159

 
 
 
2016
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7,119

11,238

14,442

 
 
 
2017
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8,320

12,944

 
 
 
2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4,296

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total
 
$
99,041

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unpaid losses and ALAE - years 2009 through 2018
 
$
2,966

 
 
 
Unpaid losses and ALAE - prior to 2009 (1)*
 

 
 
 
Unpaid ADC
 
(701
)
 
 
 
Unpaid losses and ALAE, net of reinsurance
 
$
2,265

 
 
 

* Presented as unaudited required supplementary information.



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Total Lines
 
Incurred loss and allocated loss adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance
 
Total IBNR
Cumulative number of reported claims
Accident Year
For the years ended December 31,
2009*
2010*
2011*
2012*
2013*
2014*
2015*
2016
2017
2018
 
2018
2018
2009
$12,066
$12,705
$10,946
$9,577
$8,866
$9,037
$8,993
$9,048
$9,076
$9,075
 

942

2010
 
7,666

8,756

7,439

6,541

6,354

6,258

6,391

6,476

6,496

 

848

2011
 
 
8,431

7,517

7,307

7,081

6,963

6,949

6,964

6,957

 

1,307

2012
 
 
 
17,705

18,111

18,028

18,544

18,642

18,554

18,566

 

3,898

2013
 
 
 
 
28,052

27,431

28,817

29,375

30,419

30,420

 
54

5,800

2014
 
 
 
 
 
37,660

37,378

40,446

44,247

46,074

 
306

5,449

2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
33,319

40,078

46,581

49,763

 
624

4,474

2016
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
44,015

48,353

55,389

 
1,822

5,336

2017
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
58,309

58,045

 
9,193

8,455

2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
48,517

 
21,783

6,313

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total

$329,302
 
$
33,782

 
 
Cumulative paid loss and allocated loss adjustment expenses, net of reinsurance
 
 
 
Accident Year
For the years ended December 31,
 
 
 
2009*
2010*
2011*
2012*
2013*
2014*
2015*
2016
2017
2018
 
 
 
2009
$4,973
$6,576
$7,043
$7,867
$8,434
$8,501
$8,567
$8,955
$9,075
$9,075
 
 
 
2010
 
3,217

4,662

5,403

6,094

6,223

6,248

6,350

6,442

6,496

 
 
 
2011
 
 
3,432

4,826

5,597

6,308

6,624

6,766

6,897

6,927

 
 
 
2012
 
 
 
7,990

12,954

15,540

17,335

18,195

18,369

18,538

 
 
 
2013
 
 
 
 
13,934

22,094

25,695

27,223

29,162

29,824

 
 
 
2014
 
 
 
 
 
21,534

30,492

34,718

40,192

43,464

 
 
 
2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
18,241

29,690

36,393

45,634

 
 
 
2016
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
17,374

30,373

42,227

 
 
 
2017
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
20,768

35,964

 
 
 
2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
14,671

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total

$
252,820

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unpaid losses and ALAE - years 2009 through 2018
 

$
76,482

 
 
 
Unpaid losses and ALAE - prior to 2009 (1)*
 

45

 
 
 
Unpaid ADC
 

(17,550
)
 
 
 
Unpaid losses and ALAE, net of reinsurance
 

$58,977
 
 
 

* Presented as unaudited required supplementary information.


83



The following table reconciles the claim development information to the consolidated balance sheet for the year ended December 31, 2018 , by reportable segment (dollars in thousands).
 
December 31, 2018
Net outstanding liabilities for unpaid claims and ALAE
 
Commercial Lines
$
56,712

Personal Lines
2,265

Liabilities for unpaid claims and ALAE, net of reinsurance
58,977

 
 
Reinsurance recoverable on unpaid claims
 
Commercial Lines
26,919

Personal Lines
2,766

Total reinsurance recoverable on unpaid claims
29,685

 
 
ULAE Expense
4,145

 
 
Total gross liability for unpaid claims and LAE
$
92,807

Loss Duration Disclosure (unaudited)
The following table represents the average annual percentage payout of incurred losses by age, net of reinsurance, for each reportable segment.
 
Average annual percentage payout of incurred losses by age, net of reinsurance
 
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Year 10+
Commercial Lines
30.5
%
24.0
%
19.4
%
13.5
%
6.7
%
3.0
%
1.5
%
0.8
%
0.5
%
0.1
%
Personal Lines
64.2
%
21.3
%
7.7
%
3.9
%
2.5
%
0.4
%
%
%
%
%
Total Lines
32.2
%
23.9
%
18.8
%
13.0
%
6.4
%
2.9
%
1.5
%
0.8
%
0.5
%
0.1
%


84



6.       Reinsurance
In the normal course of business, the Company participates in reinsurance agreements in order to limit losses that may arise from catastrophes or other individually severe events. The Company primarily ceded all specific commercial liability risks in excess of $500,000 in 2018 , 2017 , and 2016 , and ceded all specific commercial property risks in excess of $300,000 in 2018, and $500,000 in 2017 and 2016. The Company ceded homeowners specific risks in excess of $300,000 in 2018, 2017 and 2016. A "treaty" is a reinsurance agreement in which coverage is provided for a class of risks and does not require policy by policy underwriting of the reinsurer. "Facultative" reinsurance is where a reinsurer negotiates an individual reinsurance agreement for every policy it will reinsure on a policy by policy basis.
Reinsurance does not discharge the Company, as the direct insurer, from liability to its policyholders. Failure of reinsurers to honor their obligations could result in losses to the Company. The Company evaluates the financial condition of its reinsurers and monitors the concentration of credit risk arising from similar geographic regions, activities, or economic characteristics of the reinsurers to minimize its exposure to significant losses from reinsurer insolvencies. To date, the Company has not experienced any significant difficulties in collecting reinsurance recoverables. The Company's current reinsurance structure includes the following primary categories:
Casualty Clash
The Company is party to a workers' compensation and casualty clash reinsurance treaty with limits up to $18.0 million in excess of a $2.0 million retention. Clash coverage is a type of reinsurance that provides additional coverage in the event that one casualty loss event results in two or more claims and recovery under the reinsurance treaties may otherwise be limited due to the amount, type or number of claims. Clash reinsurance further protects the balance sheet as it reduces the potential maximum loss on either a single risk or a large number of risks.
Facultative
The Company has a facultative agreement with a large reinsurer for property risks with total insured values above the other reinsurance treaty limits.
Property
Effective November 1, 2014, the Company entered into an excess of loss reinsurance treaty for personal property coverage with limits up to $2.7 million in excess of $300,000 , for homeowners' and dwelling fire business. This treaty remained in effect through 2018 .
Effective January 1, 2018, the Company entered into an excess of loss reinsurance treaty for commercial property coverage with limits up to $200,000 in excess of $300,000 . This treaty remained in effect through 2018.
Effective July 1, 2015, the Company entered into an excess of loss treaty for commercial property coverage with limits up to $2.0 million in excess of $2.0 million . This treaty remained in effect throughout 2018 .
At December 31, 2018 , the Company is covered for property catastrophe losses up to $96.0 million in excess of a $4.0 million retention for the first event. The treaty renews June 1, 2019 .
Multiple Line
Effective January 1, 2015, the Company entered into an excess of loss multi-line treaty that covers commercial property and casualty losses up to $1.5 million in excess of a $500,000 retention. This treaty remained in effect through 2018 .
Quota Share
The Company has commercial umbrella treaties for commercial lines business in the form of a 90% to 100% quota share. A quota share agreement is an agreement between an insurer and a reinsurer whereby the reinsurer pays an agreed-upon percentage of all losses the insurer sustains. In turn, the insurer compensates the reinsurer for this agreement in the form of a percentage of the premiums for the applicable lines covered and reinsurance period.
Effective December 31, 2014, the Company entered into a 25% quota share arrangement with a reinsurer for coverage net of the other reinsurance arrangements and within the Company's retention of $500,000 for commercial lines and $300,000 for homeowners lines. The Company terminated the agreement on August 1, 2015. The purpose of the quota share arrangement was to reduce the capital requirements necessary to support premium growth initiatives. The IPO provided sufficient capital to support growth initiatives, and the quota share was no longer deemed necessary.

85



Adverse Development Cover
Effective September 28, 2017, the Company entered into an ADC to cover loss development of up to  $17.5 million  in excess of stated reserves as of June 30, 2017. The consideration for the ADC was $7.2 million , which resulted in a one-time charge to ceded premiums fully earned in the third quarter. The agreement provides up to  $17.5 million  of reinsurance for adverse net loss reserve development for accident years 2005 through 2016. The agreement attaches when net losses exceed  $1.4 million  of the  $36.6 million  carried reserves at June 30, 2017, and extends to  $19.5 million  in coverage up to  $57.5 million  (inclusive of a  10%  co-participation). As of December 31, 2018 , the Company has fully utilized the ADC. There is a 35% contingent recovery depending on the performance of the reserves over time. No contingent recovery is currently reflected in the financial statements.
Equipment Breakdown, Employment Practice Liability, and Data Compromise and Identity Recovery
The Company has a 100% quota share arrangement with a reinsurer for a small number of equipment breakdown, employment practices liability, and data compromise coverages that are occasionally bundled with other products.
The Company assumes written premiums under a few fronting arrangements. The fronting arrangements are with unaffiliated insurers who write on behalf of the Company in markets that require a higher A.M. Best rating than the Company’s rating, or where the policies are written in a state where the Company is not licensed or for other strategic reasons. Assumed premiums are comprised entirely of these arrangements other than where there are premiums assumed from Citizens Property and Casualty Corporation (“Citizens”).
The Company assumed $31.1 million , $28.0 million, and $25.0 million of written premiums under the insurance fronting arrangements for the years ended December 31, 2018 , 2017 , and 2016 , respectively.
The following table presents the effects of reinsurance and assumption transactions on written premiums, earned premiums and losses and LAE (dollars in thousands). The 2018 and 2017 ceded written and earned premium amounts include $1.0 million and $806,000 of reinsurance reinstatement costs relating to Hurricane Irma, respectively.
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
Written premiums:
 
 
 
 
 
Direct
$
73,290

 
$
86,251

 
$
89,915

Assumed
31,078

 
28,033

 
25,008

Ceded
(15,282
)
 
(23,044
)
 
(14,994
)
Net written premiums
$
89,086

 
$
91,240

 
$
99,929

 
 
 
 
 
 
Earned premiums:
 
 
 
 
 
Direct
$
80,691

 
$
87,656

 
$
90,660

Assumed
28,497

 
27,081

 
14,053

Ceded
(15,377
)
 
(23,008
)
 
(15,086
)
Net earned premiums
$
93,811

 
$
91,729

 
$
89,627

 
 
 
 
 
 
Loss and loss adjustment expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
Direct
$
65,284

 
$
79,035

 
$
59,940

Assumed
20,671

 
19,524

 
11,955

Ceded
(23,440
)
 
(24,642
)
 
(12,892
)
Net Loss and loss adjustment expenses
$
62,515

 
$
73,917

 
$
59,003

 
 
 
 
 
 
Percentage of Assumed Written Premiums to Net Written Premiums
34.9
%
 
30.7
%
 
25.0
%


86



7.       Debt
At December 31, 2018 the Company's debt was comprised of three instruments: $ 25.3 million of publicly traded senior unsecured notes which were issued in September and October of 2018, a $10.0 million line of credit which commenced in June 2018, and $10.5 million of privately placed subordinated notes (the “Subordinated Notes”). At December 31, 2017, the only debt was $30.0 million of Subordinated Notes. A summary of the Company's outstanding debt is as follows (dollars in thousands):
 
December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
Senior unsecured notes
$
24,018

 
$

Subordinated notes
9,484

 
29,027

Line of credit

 

Total
$
33,502

 
$
29,027

On September 24, 2018, the Company issued $22.0 million of public senior unsecured notes (the "Notes"). Maturing on September 30, 2023, the Notes bear interest at a rate of 6.75% per annum, payable quarterly at the end of March, June, September and December. The Company may redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, at face value at any time after September 30, 2021.
On October 12, 2018 the Company issued an additional $3.3 million of the Notes as the underwriters fully exercised their over-allotment option. The total aggregate principal amount of Notes sold by the Company in the public offering increased to $ 25.3 million . Proceeds from the Notes were primarily used to pay down $19.5 million of the Subordinated Notes.
Effective September 24, 2018, the Company amended the terms of the Subordinated Notes to reduce the principle value to $10.5 million , change the maturity to September 30, 2038 and modify the call provisions. The amended Subordinated Notes bear interest at a rate of 7.5% per annum until September 30, 2023, and 12.5% thereafter, and allow for four quarterly interest payment deferrals. Interest is payable quarterly at the end of March, June, September and December. Beginning September 30, 2021, the Company may redeem the Subordinated Notes, in whole or in part, for a call premium of $1.1 million . The call premium escalates each quarter to ultimately $1.75 million on September 30, 2023, then steps up to $3.05 million on December 31, 2023, and increases quarterly at a 12.5% per annum rate thereafter. The debt covenants are consistent with the original Subordinated Note terms. The Company paid a $105,000 loan origination fee on the effective date. The company recorded the Subordinated Notes amendment as a debt modification and retained the unamortized debt issuance costs from the original loan which will be amortized over the 20 -year life of the amended Subordinated Notes in conjunction with the $105,000 origination fee.
The carrying value of the Notes and Subordinated Notes are offset by $ 1.3 million and $ 1.0 million of debt issuance costs, respectively. The debt issuance costs will be amortized through interest expense over the life of the loans.
The Subordinated Notes contain various restrictive covenants that relate to the Company’s tangible net worth, fixed-charge coverage ratios, dividend paying capacity, reinsurance retentions, and risk-based capital ratios. At December 31, 2018 , the Company was in compliance with all of its debt financial covenants.
On June 21, 2018, the Company entered into a $10.0 million line of credit. The agreement has a maturity date of June 21, 2019 and bears interest at the London Interbank rate ("LIBOR") plus 2.75% per annum, payable monthly. The agreement includes several covenants, including but not limited to a minimum tangible net worth, a minimum fixed-charge coverage ratio, and minimum statutory risk-based capital levels. As of December 31, 2018 , the Company has not drawn down on the line of credit and was in compliance with all of its debt financial covenants.
On September 29, 2017, the Company executed 30.0 million of Subordinated Notes. These Subordinated Notes were amended as described, above. These Subordinated Notes had a maturity date of September 29, 2032, bore interest, payable quarterly at a fixed annual rate of 8.0% , and allowed for up to four quarterly interest deferrals. On the fifth and tenth anniversary of the notes, the interest rate reset to 1,250 basis points and 1,500 basis points, respectively, above the 5 -year mid-swap rate.

87



8. Income Taxes     
At December 31, 2018 and 2017 , the Company had current income taxes receivable of $79,000 and $214,000 , respectively, included in other assets in the consolidated balance sheets.
The income tax expense (benefit) is comprised of the following (dollars in thousands):
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
Current tax expense (benefit)
$
52

 
$
(28
)
 
$
70

Deferred tax expense (benefit)

 
(419
)
 
(147
)
Total income tax expense (benefit)
$
52

 
$
(447
)
 
$
(77
)
The income tax expense (benefit) differed from the amounts computed by applying the statutory U.S. federal income tax rate of 21% in 2018, and 34% in 2017 and 2016, to pretax income as a result of the following (dollars in thousands):
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
Income (loss) before income taxes
$
(9,465
)
 
$
(22,054
)
 
$
(8,643
)
Statutory U.S. federal income tax rate
(1,988
)
 
(7,498
)
 
(2,939
)
State income taxes, net of federal benefit
(156
)
 
(106
)
 
(3
)
Tax‑exempt investment income and dividend received deduction
(70
)
 
(123
)
 
(106
)
Nondeductible meals and entertainment
38

 
54

 
61

Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets
2,331

 
1,515

 
2,808

Change in federal tax rate

 
5,612

 

Other
(103
)
 
99

 
102

Income tax expense (benefit)
$
52

 
$
(447
)
 
$
(77
)
Effective tax rate
(0.5
)%
 
2.0
%
 
0.9
%

On December 22, 2017, the U.S. federal government enacted H.R. 1, “An Act to Provide for Reconciliation Pursuant to Titles II and V of the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2018” (the “Act”). The Act provided for significant changes to corporate taxation including the decrease of the corporate tax rate from 34% to 21%. In 2017, the Company completed an analysis of the impact of the Act and followed the additional guidance provided by the Security and Exchange Commission’s Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (“SAB 118”). There were no material provisional balances as of December 31, 2017.
In 2018, the Company recognized a measurement period adjustment of $42,735 related to loss reserve discounting, which reduced deferred tax expense. The Company also recognized a measurement period adjustment of $42,735 related to the loss reserve discounting transitional adjustment, which increased deferred tax expense. The measurement period adjustments were based upon obtaining additional information about facts and circumstances that existed as of the enactment date that, if known, would have affected the income tax effects initially reported as provisional amounts under the Act. The measurement period adjustments had no effect on the effective tax rate for the year ending December 31, 2018. The accounting for the income tax effects of the Act pursuant to SAB 118 has been completed as of the end of the December 22, 2018, measurement period and for the year ending December 31, 2018.


88



The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to significant portions of the deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are presented below (dollars in thousands):
 
December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
Deferred tax assets:
 
 
 
Discounted unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses
$
937

 
$
1,026

Unearned premiums
2,329

 
2,576

Net operating loss carryforwards
10,144

 
9,147

Net unrealized losses on investments
222

 

State net operating loss carryforwards
567

 
385

Deferred gain from ADC
1,254

 

Other
123

 
135

Gross deferred tax assets
15,576

 
13,269

Less valuation allowance
(12,606
)
 
(9,904
)
Total deferred tax assets, net of allowance
2,970

 
3,365

Deferred tax liabilities:
 
 
 
Investment basis difference
22

 
19

Net unrealized gains on investments

 
124

Deferred policy acquisition costs
2,522

 
2,684

Intangible assets
112

 
107

Property and equipment
63

 
85

Other
366

 
461

Total deferred tax liabilities
3,085

 
3,480

Net deferred tax liability
$
(115
)
 
$
(115
)
The net deferred tax liability is recorded in Accounts payable and accrued expenses in the consolidated balance sheets.
As of December 31, 2018 , the Company has net operating loss carryforwards for federal income tax purposes of $48.3 million , of which $43.3 million expire in tax years 2019 through 2038 and $5 million never expire. Of this amount, $14.1 million are limited in the amount that can be utilized in any one year and may expire before they are realized under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. The Company has state net operating loss carryforwards of $11.9 million , which expire in tax years 2021 through 2038.
Management assesses the available positive and negative evidence to estimate whether sufficient future taxable income will be generated to permit the use of the existing deferred tax assets under the guidance of ASC 740. A significant piece of objective negative evidence evaluated was the cumulative loss incurred over the three‑year period ended December 31, 2018 . Such objective evidence limits the Company's ability to consider other subjective evidence, such as management's projections for future growth.
Based on its evaluation, the Company has recorded a valuation allowance of $12.6 million and $9.9 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017 , respectively, to reduce the deferred tax assets to an amount that is more likely than not to be realized based on the provisions in ASC 740. The amount of the deferred tax assets considered realizable, however, could be adjusted if estimates of future taxable income during the carryforward period are reduced or if objective negative evidence in the form of cumulative losses is no longer present, and additional weight may be given to subjective evidence, such as the Company’s projections for growth.
The Company files consolidated federal income tax returns. For the years before 2015 , the Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal examinations; however, the Internal Revenue Service has the ability to review years prior to 2015 to the extent the Company utilized tax attributes carried forward from those prior years. The statute of limitations on state filings is generally three to four years.

89



9. Statutory Financial Data, Risk-Based Capital and Dividend Restrictions
U.S. state insurance laws and regulations prescribe accounting practices for determining statutory net income and capital and surplus for insurance companies. In addition, state regulators may permit statutory accounting practices that differ from prescribed practices. Statutory accounting practices prescribed or permitted by regulatory authorities for the Company’s Insurance Company Subsidiaries differ from GAAP. The principal differences between statutory accounting practices ("SAP") and GAAP as they relate to the financial statements of the Company’s Insurance Company Subsidiaries are (i) policy acquisition costs are expensed as incurred under SAP, whereas they are deferred and amortized under GAAP, (ii) deferred tax assets are subject to more limitations regarding what amounts can be recorded under SAP and (iii) bonds are recorded at amortized cost under SAP and fair value under GAAP.
Risk-Based Capital ("RBC") requirements as promulgated by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (‘‘NAIC’’) require property and casualty insurers to maintain minimum capitalization levels determined based on formulas incorporating various business risks (e.g., investment risk, underwriting profitability, etc.) of the Insurance Company Subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2018 , 2017 and 2016 , the Insurance Company Subsidiaries’ adjusted capital and surplus exceeded their authorized control level as determined by the NAIC’s risk-based capital models.
Summarized 2018 , 2017 and 2016 statutory basis information for the non-captive Insurance Company Subsidiaries, which differs from generally accepted accounting principles, is as follows (dollars in thousands).
 
CIC
 
WPIC
2018
 
 
 
Statutory capital and surplus
$
47,121

 
$
26,588

RBC authorized control level
11,901

 
4,682

Statutory net income (loss)
1,244

 
834

RBC %
396
%
 
568
%

CIC
 
WPIC
2017
 
 
 
Statutory capital and surplus
$
35,848

 
$
26,075

RBC authorized control level
8,873

 
6,224

Statutory net income (loss)
(6,993
)
 
(13,737
)
RBC %
404
%
 
419
%
 
CIC
 
WPIC
2016
 
 
 
Statutory capital and surplus
$
29,539

 
$
32,391

RBC authorized control level
6,676

 
6,583

Statutory net income (loss)
(2,782
)
 
(1,209
)
RBC %
442
%
 
492
%
Dividend Restrictions
The state insurance statutes in which the Insurance Company Subsidiaries are domiciled limit the amount of dividends that they may pay annually without first obtaining regulatory approval. Generally, the limitations are based on the greater of statutory net income for the preceding year or 10% of statutory surplus at the end of the preceding year. The Company must receive regulatory approval in order to pay dividends to the Parent Company from its Insurance Company Subsidiaries in 2018 .

90



10.       Shareholders’ Equity
Common Stock
On December 5, 2018, the Company's Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase program, under which the Company may repurchase up to one million shares of the Company's common stock. Shares may be purchased in the open market or through negotiated transactions. The program may be terminated or suspended at any time, at the discretion of the Company. The Company may in the future enter into a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan to effect a portion of the authorized purchases, if criteria set forth in the plan are met. Such a plan would enable the Company to repurchase its shares during periods outside of its normal trading windows, when the Company typically would not be active in the market. The timing of purchases, and the exact number of any shares to be purchased, will depend on market conditions. The repurchase program does not include specific price targets or timetables. For the year ended December 31, 2018 the Company had repurchased 129,175 shares of stock valued at approximately $584,000 related to the stock repurchase program.  The Company also repurchased 8,053 shares of stock valued at approximately $52,000 related to the vesting of the Company’s restricted stock unit s. Upon the repurchase of the Company's shares, the shares remain authorized, but not issued or outstanding.
In September 2017, the Company issued $5.0 million of common equity through a private placement for 800,000 shares priced at $6.25 . The participants in the private placement consisted mainly of members of the Company’s management team and insiders, including Chairman and CEO James Petcoff. The Company used the proceeds to strengthen its balance sheet through contributions to the Insurance Company Subsidiaries to support their future growth, and to cover the cost of the ADC and reserve strengthening.
On February 25, 2016, the Company's Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase program, under which the Company may repurchase up to $2.1 million of its outstanding common stock. Under this program, management is authorized to repurchase shares at prevailing market prices through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions, block purchases or otherwise in accordance with applicable federal securities laws, including Rule 10b5-1 and 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The actual timing, number and value of shares repurchased under the program was determined by management in its discretion and depended on a number of factors, including the market price of the Company’s stock, general market conditions, and other factors. For the year ended December 31, 2017 , the Company had not repurchased any shares of stock. For the year ended December 31, 2016 , the Company had repurchased and retired 88,650 shares of stock valued at approximately $625,000 . Repurchased shares remain authorized but not issued or outstanding, and are available to be reissued in the future.
As of December 31, 2018 , 2017 and 2016 the Company had 8,478,202 , 8,520,328 , and 7,633,070 issued and outstanding shares of common stock, respectively.
Holders of common stock are entitled to one vote per share and to receive dividends only when and if declared by the board of directors. The holders have no preemptive, conversion or subscription rights.



91



11. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
The following table presents changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities (in thousands):
 
Year Ended
December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
Balance at beginning of period
$
(363
)
 
$
(1,080
)
Cumulative effect of adoption of ASU No. 2016-01, net of taxes
(556
)
 

Cumulative effect of adoption of ASU No. 2018-02, net of taxes
77

 

Balance after cumulative effects
(842
)
 
(1,080
)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications
(1,825
)
 
795

Less: amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
(55
)
 
78

Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)
(1,770
)
 
717

Balance at end of period
$
(2,612
)
 
$
(363
)

12. Earnings Per Share
Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share are computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. The following table presents the calculation of basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share, as follows (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
 
Year Ended
December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
Net income (loss)
$
(9,227
)
 
$
(21,542
)
 
$
(8,437
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Weighted average common shares, basic and diluted*
8,543,876

 
7,867,344

 
7,618,588

 
 
 
 
 
 
Earnings (loss) per share, basic and diluted
$
(1.08
)
 
$
(2.74
)
 
$
(1.11
)
* The non-vested shares of the restricted stock units were anti-dilutive as of December 31, 2018 , 2017 , and 2016 . Therefore, the basic and diluted weighted average common shares are equal as of December 31, 2018 , 2017 , and 2016 .  

13.       Stock-based Compensation
In 2015, the Company established the Conifer Holdings, Inc. 2015 Omnibus Incentive Plan (“2015 Plan”), which permits the granting of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock units ("RSU") and other stock-based awards. The 2015 Plan authorizes up to 1,377,000 shares of common stock for awards to be issued to employees, directors or consultants of the Company. The RSUs are issued at no less than the market price on the date the awards are granted. The awards vest in five annual installments, commencing on the first anniversary from the date of grant. The Company will expense the grant date fair value of the RSUs as compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. Upon vesting, each RSU will convert into one share of common stock. The unvested RSUs are subject to forfeiture in the event the employee is involuntarily or voluntarily terminated. If the employee is terminated by the Company for cause, the Company has the option to forfeit the terminated employees’ vested shares for no consideration and to cause the employee to have no further rights or interest in the vested RSUs.

92



The following summarizes our RSU activity (units in thousands):
 
Number of Units
 
Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value
Outstanding at August 12, 2015 (IPO)

 
$

Units granted
390

 
10.48

Outstanding at December 31, 2015
390

 
$
10.48

Units granted
111

 
8.17

Units vested
(77
)
 
10.48

Units forfeited
(8
)
 
9.95

Outstanding at December 31, 2016
416

 
$
9.87

Units granted

 

Units vested
(95
)
 
9.97

Units forfeited
(14
)
 
9.94

Outstanding at December 31, 2017
307

 
$
9.84

Units granted
70

 
5.76

Units vested
(95
)
 
9.84

Units forfeited
(18
)
 
8.96

Outstanding at December 31, 2018
264

 
$
8.91

The scheduled vesting for the restricted stock units at December 31, 2018 was as follows (in thousands):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2019
 
2020
 
2021
 
2022
 
2023
 
Total
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Scheduled vesting - RSUs
104

 
104

 
32

 
14

 
10

 
264

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In 2015, the Company issued 390,352 RSUs to executive officers and other employees to be settled in shares of common stock. The total RSUs were valued at $4.1 million on the date of grant. In 2016, the Company issued 111,281 RSUs to executive officers and other employees valued at $909,000 on the date of grant. In 2018, the Company issued 70,000 RSUs to executive officers and other employees valued at $404,000 on the dates of grant.
 
The Company recorded $970,000 , $948,000 and $856,000 of compensation expense related to the RSUs for the years ended December 31, 2018 , 2017 and 2016 , respectively. The total compensation cost related to the non-vested portion of the restricted stock units which has not been recognized as of December 31, 2018 was $2.4 million .

14.       Related Party Transactions
The Company employs B. Matthew Petcoff as Vice President of SIA. B. Matthew Petcoff is the brother of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, James G. Petcoff.
The Company employs Nicholas J. Petcoff as its Executive Vice President and a director, Andrew D. Petcoff as its Senior Vice President of Personal Lines, and Hilary Petcoff as its Vice President of Enterprise Risk Management. Nicholas J. Petcoff and Andrew D. Petcoff have been employed with the Company since 2009. They are the sons of the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, James G. Petcoff. Hilary Petcoff has been employed with the Company since 2009 and was appointed as its Vice President of Enterprise Risk Management in May 2018. Ms. Petcoff is the daughter of the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, James G. Petcoff.

93




15. Employee Benefit Plans
The Company maintains a retirement savings plan under section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Plan”) for certain eligible employees. Eligible employees electing to participate in the 401(k) plan may defer and contribute from 1% to 100% of their compensation on a pre‑tax basis, subject to statutory limits. The Company will match the employees’ contributions up to the first 4% of their compensation. The Company’s Plan expense amounted to $479,000 , $432,000 and $405,000 for the years ended December 31, 2018 , 2017 and 2016 , respectively.

16.       Commitments and Contingencies
Legal proceedings
The Company and its subsidiaries are subject at times to various claims, lawsuits and proceedings relating principally to alleged errors or omissions in the placement of insurance, claims administration, and other business transactions arising in the ordinary course of business. Where appropriate, the Company vigorously defends such claims, lawsuits and proceedings. Some of these claims, lawsuits and proceedings seek damages, including consequential, exemplary or punitive damages, in amounts that could, if awarded, be significant. Most of the claims, lawsuits and proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business are covered by the insurance policy at issue. We account for such activity through the establishment of unpaid losses and LAE reserves. In accordance with accounting guidance, if it is probable that a liability has been incurred as of the date of the financial statements and the amount of loss is reasonably estimable; then an accrual for the costs to resolve these claims is recorded by the Company in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Periodic expenses related to the defense of such claims are included in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. On the basis of current information, the Company does not believe that there is a reasonable possibility that any material loss exceeding amounts already accrued, if any, will result from any of the claims, lawsuits and proceedings to which the Company is subject to, either individually, or in the aggregate.
Commitments
The Company is party to an agreement with an unaffiliated company to provide a policy administration, billing, and claims system for the Company. The scope of work and fee structure has changed over time. Currently, the agreement requires a minimum monthly payment of $30,000 with a fee schedule that is scalable with the premium volume, and expires on September 30, 2022.
Operating leases
The Company leases administrative office facilities, including its corporate headquarters, and office equipment under operating leases that expire at various dates through 2024. The Company has the option to extend its corporate headquarters lease for two additional five ‑year periods. The Company recognizes rent expense on a straight‑line basis over the term of the lease. Rent expense under the operating leases totaled $1.0 million in 2018 , $961,000 in 2017 , and $915,000 in 2016 .
The future minimum rental payments under non-cancelable operating leases as of December 31, 2018 , are as follows (in thousands):
Years Ending December 31,
Amount
2019
$
1,142

2020
1,116

2021
962

2022
829

2023
728

2024 and thereafter
451

Total future minimum rental payments
$
5,228


94



17.       Segment Information
The Company is engaged in the sale of property and casualty insurance products and has organized its principal operations into two types of insurance businesses: commercial lines and personal lines. Within these two insurance businesses, the Company offers various insurance products. Such insurance businesses are engaged in underwriting and marketing insurance coverages, and administering claims processing for such policies.
The Company defines its operating segments as components of the business where separate financial information is available and used by the chief operating decision maker in deciding how to allocate resources to its segments and in assessing its performance. In assessing performance of its operating segments, the Company’s chief operating decision maker, the Chief Executive Officer, reviews a number of financial measures including gross written premiums, net earned premiums and losses and LAE, net of reinsurance recoveries. The primary measure used for making decisions about resources to be allocated to an operating segment and assessing its performance is segment underwriting gain or loss which is defined as segment revenues, consisting of net earned premiums and other income, less segment expenses, consisting of losses and LAE, policy acquisition costs and operating expenses of the operating segments. Operating expenses primarily include compensation and related benefits for underwriting personnel, policy issuance and claims systems, rent and utilities. The Company markets, distributes and sells its insurance products through its own insurance agencies and a network of independent agents. All of the Company’s insurance activities are conducted in the United States with a concentration of activity in Florida, Michigan, Texas and Pennsylvania. For the years ended December 31, 2018 , 2017 and 2016 , gross written premiums attributable to these four states were 53.9% , 60.8% , and 56.7% respectively, of the Company’s total gross written premiums.
The following table summarizes our net earned premiums:
 
Net Earned Premium
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
Commercial
89
%
 
84
%
 
77
%
Personal
11
%
 
16
%
 
23
%
Total
100
%
 
100
%
 
100
%
The following provides a description of the Company’s two insurance businesses and product offerings within these businesses:
Commercial lines—offers coverage for property, liability, automobile and other miscellaneous coverage primarily to owner-operated small and mid-sized businesses, professional organizations and hospitality businesses such as restaurants, bars and taverns.
Personal lines—offers coverage for low-value dwelling, and wind-exposed homeowners.
In addition to the reportable segments, the Company maintains a Corporate and Other category to reconcile segment results to the consolidated totals. The Corporate and Other category includes: (i) corporate operating expenses such as salaries and related benefits of the Company’s executive management team and finance and information technology personnel, and other corporate headquarters expenses, (ii) interest expense on the Company’s debt obligations; (iii) depreciation and amortization on property and equipment, and (iv) all investment income activity.

95



The following tables present information by reportable segment (dollars in thousands):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Year Ended December 31, 2018
 
Commercial Lines
 
Personal Lines
 
Corporate
& Other
 
Total
Gross written premiums
 
$
97,694

 
$
6,674

 
$

 
$
104,368

Net written premiums
 
$
87,038

 
$
2,048

 
$

 
$
89,086

Net earned premiums
 
$
83,352

 
$
10,459

 
$

 
$
93,811

Other income
 
594

 
769

 
219

 
1,582

Segment revenue
 
83,946

 
11,228

 
219

 
95,393

Loss and loss adjustment expenses, net
 
53,065

 
9,450

 

 
62,515

Policy acquisition costs
 
21,474

 
4,060

 

 
25,534

Operating expenses
 
15,067

 
1,455

 
1,161

 
17,683

Segment expenses
 
89,606

 
14,965

 
1,161

 
105,732

Segment underwriting   gain (loss)
 
$
(5,660
)
 
$
(3,737
)
 
$
(942
)
 
$
(10,339
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Investment income
 
 

 
 

 
3,336

 
3,336

Net realized investment gains
 
 

 
 

 
61

 
61

Change in fair value of equity securities
 
 

 
 

 
121

 
121

Interest expense
 
 

 
 

 
(2,644
)
 
(2,644
)
Income (loss) before income taxes
 
 

 
 

 
$
(68
)
 
$
(9,465
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Selected Balance Sheet Data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Deferred policy acquisition costs
 
$
11,257

 
$
754

 
$

 
$
12,011

Unearned premiums
 
49,549

 
3,303

 

 
52,852

Loss and loss adjustment expense reserves
 
87,643

 
5,164

 

 
92,807


96



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Year Ended December 31, 2017
 
Commercial Lines
 
Personal Lines
 
Corporate
& Other
 
Total
Gross written premiums
 
$
92,112

 
$
22,172

 
$

 
$
114,284

Net written premiums
 
$
78,217

 
$
13,023

 
$

 
$
91,240

Net earned premiums
 
$
76,786

 
$
14,943

 
$

 
$
91,729

Other income
 
628

 
780

 
152

 
1,560

Segment revenue
 
77,414

 
15,723

 
152

 
93,289

Loss and loss adjustment expenses, net
 
55,701

 
18,216

 

 
73,917

Policy acquisition costs
 
20,470

 
5,775

 

 
26,245

Operating expenses
 
11,339

 
2,570

 
3,458

 
17,367

Segment expenses
 
87,510

 
26,561

 
3,458

 
117,529

Segment underwriting   gain (loss)
 
$
(10,096
)
 
$
(10,838
)
 
$
(3,306
)
 
$
(24,240
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Investment income
 
 

 
 

 
2,728

 
2,728

Net realized investment gains
 
 

 
 

 
70

 
70

Other gains (losses)
 
 

 
 

 
750

 
750

Interest expense
 
 

 
 

 
(1,362
)
 
(1,362
)
Income (loss) before   income taxes
 
 

 
 

 
$
(1,120
)
 
$
(22,054
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Selected Balance Sheet Data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Deferred policy acquisition costs
 
$
10,116

 
$
2,665

 
$

 
$
12,781

Unearned premiums
 
45,951

 
11,721

 

 
57,672

Loss and loss adjustment expense reserves
 
76,586

 
11,310

 

 
87,896


97



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Year Ended December 31, 2016
 
Commercial Lines
 
Personal Lines
 
Corporate
& Other
 
Total
Gross written premiums
 
$
88,242

 
$
26,681

 
$

 
$
114,923

Net written premiums
 
$
78,439

 
$
21,490

 
$

 
$
99,929

Net earned premiums
 
$
68,921

 
$
20,706

 
$

 
$
89,627

Other income
 
378

 
558

 
182

 
1,118

Segment revenue
 
69,299

 
21,264

 
182

 
90,745

Loss and loss adjustment expenses, net
 
42,441

 
16,562

 

 
59,003

Policy acquisition costs
 
18,560

 
6,720

 

 
25,280

Operating expenses
 
6,767

 
2,911

 
7,918

 
17,596

Segment expenses
 
67,768

 
26,193

 
7,918

 
101,879

Segment underwriting   gain (loss)
 
$
1,531

 
$
(4,929
)
 
$
(7,736
)
 
$
(11,134
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Investment income
 
 

 
 

 
2,173

 
2,173

Net realized investment gains
 
 

 
 

 
1,365

 
1,365

Other gains (losses)
 
 

 
 

 
(400
)
 
(400
)
Interest expense
 
 

 
 

 
(647
)
 
(647
)
Income (loss) before   income taxes
 
 

 
 

 
$
(5,245
)
 
$
(8,643
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Selected Balance Sheet Data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Deferred policy acquisition costs
 
$
10,156

 
$
3,134

 
$

 
$
13,290

Unearned premiums
 
44,484

 
13,642

 

 
58,126

Loss and loss adjustment expense reserves
 
46,917

 
7,734

 

 
54,651


98



18. Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)
The following is a summary of quarterly results of operations for 2018 and 2017 (in thousands, except per share and ratio data). The fluctuations between periods and changes in reserves, as disclosed in Note 5, are due to the normal fluctuations in operations from quarter to quarter.
 
1st Quarter
 
2nd Quarter
 
3rd Quarter
 
4th Quarter
2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gross written premiums
$
23,737

 
$
26,562

 
$
26,629

 
$
27,440

Net written premiums
$
19,845

 
$
22,595

 
$
22,846

 
$
23,800

Net earned premiums
$
23,800

 
$
23,938

 
$
23,450

 
$
22,623

Net investment income
802

 
837

 
786

 
911

Net realized gains (losses)
161

 
12

 
(21
)
 
(91
)
Change in fair value of equity securities (1)
(297
)
 
29

 
152

 
237

Other income
357

 
450

 
405

 
370

Losses and loss adjustment expenses, net
13,328

 
15,068

 
16,554

 
17,565

Policy acquisition costs
6,513

 
6,472

 
6,452

 
6,097

Operating expenses
4,187

 
4,303

 
4,786

 
4,407

Interest expense
619

 
617

 
598

 
810

Income tax expense (benefit)
18

 
10

 
24

 

Equity earnings (losses) in affiliates, net of tax
55

 
89

 
93

 
53

Net income (loss)
$
213

 
$
(1,113
)
 
$
(3,551
)
 
$
(4,776
)
Diluted earnings (loss) per common share (2)
$
0.02

 
$
(0.13
)
 
$
(0.42
)
 
$
(0.56
)
Combined ratio
99.5
%
 
106.0
%
 
116.5
%
 
122.1
%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2017
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gross written premiums
$
26,474

 
$
26,981

 
$
29,581

 
$
31,247

Net written premiums
$
22,324

 
$
23,082

 
$
18,395

 
$
27,439

Net earned premiums
$
24,140

 
$
24,497

 
$
17,659

 
$
25,433

Net investment income
577

 
663

 
768

 
720

Net realized gains (losses)
(8
)
 

 
39

 
39

Other gains (losses)

 
750

 

 

Other income
354

 
372

 
477

 
357

Losses and loss adjustment expenses, net
15,733

 
16,674

 
26,468

 
15,042

Policy acquisition costs
6,472

 
6,428

 
6,655

 
6,690

Operating expenses
4,530

 
4,370

 
4,474

 
3,993

Interest expense
224

 
219

 
303

 
616

Income tax (benefit) expense
6

 
(282
)
 
(135
)
 
(36
)
Equity earnings (losses) in affiliates, net of tax
104

 
60

 
(76
)
 
(23
)
Net income (loss)
$
(1,798
)
 
$
(1,067
)
 
$
(18,898
)
 
$
221

Diluted earnings (loss) per common share (2)
$
(0.24
)
 
$
(0.14
)
 
$
(2.46
)
 
$
0.03

Combined ratio
109.1
%
 
110.4
%
 
207.3
%
 
99.7
%
(1) Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASU No. 2016-01. As a result, equity securities are no longer classified as available-for-sale. Prior periods have not been recast to conform to the current presentation. Refer to Note 1 ~ Summary of
Significant Accounting Policies for further details.

99




(2) Due to the changes in the equity structure of the Company (Note ~ 10 Shareholders' Equity) the weighted average common shares outstanding has fluctuated over the past two years and therefore the quarterly diluted earnings (loss) per common share does not total the full-year earnings (loss) per common share stated on the face of the Consolidated Statements of Operations.


100



19. Subsequent Events

On March 13, 2019 the Company repurchased 119,605 shares of the Company's stock at $4.00 per share. This transaction was completed as part of the Company's stock repurchase program that began on December 5, 2018. Refer to Note 10 ~ Shareholders' Equity for further details. As of March 13, 2019, the Company has repurchased 250,260 shares of stock valued at approximately $1.1 million related to the stock repurchase program.


101


Schedule II
Conifer Holdings, Inc.
Condensed Financial Information of Registrant
Balance Sheets – Parent Company Only
(dollars in thousands)  

 
December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
 
 
 
 
Assets
 
 
 
Investment in subsidiaries
$
72,419

 
$
77,657

Equity securities

 
400

Cash
1,133

 
2,583

Due from subsidiaries
403

 
513

Due from affiliate
445

 
348

Other assets
1,822

 
1,271

Total assets
$
76,222

 
$
82,772

 
 
 
 
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
 
 
 
Liabilities:
 
 
 
Debt
$
33,502

 
$
29,027

Other liabilities
557

 
919

Total liabilities
34,059

 
29,946

 
 
 
 
Shareholders' equity:
 
 
 
Common stock, no par value (100,000,000 shares authorized; 8,478,202 and 8,520,328 issued and outstanding, respectively)
86,533

 
86,199

Accumulated deficit
(41,758
)
 
(33,010
)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
(2,612
)
 
(363
)
Total shareholders' equity
42,163

 
52,826

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity
$
76,222

 
$
82,772


Schedule II
Conifer Holdings, Inc.
Condensed Financial Information of Registrant
Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) – Parent Company Only
(dollars in thousands)  
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
Revenue
 
 
 
 
 
Management fees from subsidiaries
$
13,567

 
$
15,905

 
$
9,911

Other income
73

 
826

 
51

Total revenue
13,640

 
16,731

 
9,962

 
 
 
 
 
 
Expenses
 
 
 
 
 
Operating expenses
17,336

 
13,496

 
16,995

Interest expense
2,644

 
1,362

 
647

Total expenses
19,980

 
14,858

 
17,642

 
 
 
 
 
 
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses)
of subsidiaries and income tax expense (benefit)
(6,340
)
 
1,873

 
(7,680
)
Income tax expense (benefit)
(581
)
 
859

 
(864
)
Income (loss) before equity earnings (losses) of subsidiaries
(5,759
)
 
1,014

 
(6,816
)
Equity earnings (losses) in subsidiaries
(3,468
)
 
(22,556
)
 
(1,621
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net income (loss)
(9,227
)
 
(21,542
)
 
(8,437
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other Comprehensive Income
 
 
 
 
 
Equity in other comprehensive income (loss) of subsidiaries
(1,770
)
 
717

 
(1,262
)
Total Comprehensive income (loss)
$
(10,997
)
 
$
(20,825
)
 
$
(9,699
)



102


Schedule II
Conifer Holdings, Inc.
Condensed Financial Information of Registrant
Statement of Cash Flows – Parent Company Only
(dollars in thousands)  
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2018
 
2017
 
2016
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
 
 
 
 
 
Net income (loss)
$
(9,227
)
 
$
(21,542
)
 
$
(8,437
)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash used in operating activities:
 
 
 
 
 
Depreciation and amortization
379

 
347

 
364

Equity in undistributed (income) loss of subsidiaries
3,468

 
22,556

 
1,621

Incentive awards expenses - vesting of RSUs
970

 
895

 
856

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
 
 
 
 
 
Due from subsidiaries
110

 
(513
)
 
150

Due from affiliates
(97
)
 
598

 

Current income tax recoverable
(488
)
 
(485
)
 
288

Other assets
(229
)
 
532

 
(270
)
Other liabilities
(360
)
 
590

 
5

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
(5,474
)
 
2,978

 
(5,423
)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
 
 
 
 
 
Contributions to subsidiaries

 
(20,860
)
 
(2,100
)
Dividends received from subsidiaries

 

 
5,450

Purchases of investments
400

 
(400
)
 

Purchases of property and equipment
(86
)
 
(13
)
 
(192
)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
314

 
(21,273
)
 
3,158

Cash Flows From Financing Activities
 
 
 
 
 
Proceeds received from issuance of shares of common stock

 
5,000

 

Repurchase of common stock
(636
)
 

 
(625
)
Borrowings under debt arrangements
25,300

 
32,000

 
7,000

Repayment of borrowings under debt arrangements
(19,500
)
 
(19,750
)
 
(2,000
)
Stock and debt issuance costs
(1,454
)
 
(1,011
)
 

Net cash provided by financing activities
3,710

 
16,239

 
4,375

Net increase (decrease) in cash
(1,450
)
 
(2,056
)
 
2,110

Cash at beginning of period
2,583

 
4,639

 
2,529

Cash at end of period
$
1,133

 
$
2,583

 
$
4,639

 
 
 
 
 
 
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information:
 
 
 
 
 
Interest paid
$
3,116

 
$
876

 
$
641




103


Conifer Holding, Inc.
Condensed Financial Information of Registrant
Parent Company Only
Notes to Condensed Financial Statements

1. Accounting Policies
Organization
Conifer Holdings, Inc. (the “Parent”) is a Michigan‑domiciled holding company organized for the purpose of managing its insurance entities. The Parent conducts its principal operations through these entities.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying condensed financial information should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and related Notes of Conifer Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiaries. Investments in subsidiaries are accounted for using the equity method. Under the equity method, the investment in subsidiaries is stated at cost plus contributions and equity in undistributed income (loss) of consolidated subsidiaries less dividends received since the date of acquisition.
The Parent’s operations consist of income earned from management and administrative services performed for the insurance entities pursuant to intercompany services agreements. These management and administrative services include providing management, marketing, offices and equipment, and premium collection, for which the insurance companies pay fees based on a percentage of gross premiums written. Also, the Parent receives commission income for performing agency services. The primary operating costs of the Parent are salaries and related costs of personnel, information technology, administrative expenses, and professional fees. The income received from the management and administrative services is used to cover operating costs, meet debt service requirements and cover other holding company obligations.
Estimates and Assumptions
Preparation of the condensed financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the condensed financial statements and accompanying disclosures. Those estimates are inherently subject to change, and actual results may ultimately differ from those estimates.
Dividends
The Parent received no cash dividends from its subsidiaries in 2018 or 2017 and $5.5 million in 2016.

2. Guarantees
The Parent has guaranteed the principal and interest obligations of a $10 million surplus note issued by Conifer Insurance Company to White Pine Insurance Company (both wholly owned subsidiaries).  The note pays interest annually at a per annum rate of 4% and has no maturity. 



104


Schedule V
Conifer Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts
For the Years Ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016
(dollars in thousands)


 
Balance at Beginning of Period
 
Charged to Expense
 
Decrease to Other Comprehensive Income
 
Deductions from Allowance Account
 
Balance at End of Period
Valuation for Deferred Tax Assets
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2018
$
9,904

 
$
2,331

 
$
371

 
$

 
$
12,606

2017
8,389

 
1,515

 

 

 
9,904

2016
5,160

 
2,808

 
421

 

 
8,389




105


CONIFER HOLDINGS, INC.
Exhibit Index
 
 
 
 
Incorporated by Reference
 
Exhibit
Number
 
Exhibit Description
 
Form
 
Period
Ending
 
Exhibit /
Appendix
Number
 
Filing Date
Filed / Furnished Herewith
3.1
 
 
8-K
 
September 30, 2015
 
3.1
 
August 28, 2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3.4
 
 
S-1A
 
September 30, 2015
 
3.4
 
July 30, 2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.6
 
 
S-1
 
 
 
10.2
 
July 2, 2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.7
 
 
S-1
 
 
 
10.3
 
July 2, 2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.13
 
 
10-K
 
December 31, 2016
 
10.13
 
March 15, 2017
*
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.14
 
 
10-Q
 
September 30, 2017
 
10.14
 
November 11, 2017
*
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.15
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.16
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.17
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.18
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.19
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.20
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
21.1
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

106


23.1
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
31.1
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
31.2
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
32.1*
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
32.2*
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
101.INS
 
XBRL Instance Document
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
101.SCH
 
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
101.CAL
 
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
101.DEF
 
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
101.LAB
 
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
101.PRE
 
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
* This certification is deemed not filed for purposes of section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liability of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.


107


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
 
CONIFER HOLDINGS, INC.
 
 
 
 
By:
/s/ James G. Petcoff
 
 
James G. Petcoff
 
 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
 
 
(Principal Executive Officer)
 
 
 
 
By:
/s/ Harold J. Meloche
 
 
Harold J. Meloche
 
 
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
 
 
(Principal Accounting and Financial Officer)
Dated: March 13, 2019

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
 
Title
 
Date
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ James G. Petcoff
 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
 
March 13, 2019
James G. Petcoff
 
(Principal Executive Officer)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Harold J. Meloche
 
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
 
March 13, 2019
Harold J. Meloche
 
(Principal Accounting and Financial Officer)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Jeffrey Hakala
 
Director
 
March 13, 2019
Jeffrey Hakala
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Nicholas J. Petcoff
 
Director
 
March 13, 2019
Nicholas J. Petcoff
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Jorge Morales
 
Director
 
March 13, 2019
Jorge Morales
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Richard J. Williams, Jr.
 
Director
 
March 13, 2019
Richard J. Williams, Jr.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Joseph D. Sarafa
 
Director
 
March 13, 2019
Joseph D. Sarafa
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Isolde O'Hanlon
 
Director
 
March 13, 2019
Isolde O'Hanlon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


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CONIFER HOLDINGS, INC. ___________________________________ FIRST AMENDMENT Dated as of June 21, 2018 to the NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT Dated as of September 29, 2017 ___________________________________ RE: $30,000,000 8% Subordinated Notes due 2032


 
FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT This First Amendment dated as of June 21, 2018 (the or this “First Amendment”) to the Note Purchase Agreement dated as of September 29, 2017, is between Conifer Holdings, Inc., a Michigan corporation (the “Company”), and each of the institutions which is a signatory to this First Amendment (collectively, the “Noteholders”). R ECITALS: A. The Company and each of the Purchasers listed on Schedule A to the Note Purchase Agreement (defined below) have heretofore entered into the Note Purchase Agreement dated as of September 29, 2017 (the “Note Purchase Agreement”). The Company has heretofore issued $30,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 8% Subordinated Notes due September 29, 2032 (the “Notes”) pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement. The Noteholders constitute the Required Holders as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement. B. The Company and the Noteholders now desire to amend the Note Purchase Agreement in the respects, but only in the respects, hereinafter set forth. C. Capitalized terms used herein shall have the respective meanings ascribed thereto in the Note Purchase Agreement unless herein defined or the context shall otherwise require. NOW, THEREFORE, upon the full and complete satisfaction of the conditions precedent to the effectiveness of this First Amendment set forth in Section 3.1 hereof, and in consideration of good and valuable consideration the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Noteholders do hereby agree as follows: SECTION 1. AMENDMENTS. Section 1.1. The following definitions set forth in Schedule B of the Note Purchase Agreement are amended and restated in their entireties to read as follows: “Indebtedness” means, with respect to any Person, (a) all indebtedness for borrowed money (excluding trade liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business and payable in accordance with customary practices) which is evidenced by a note, bond, debenture or similar instrument, (b) all obligations under Capital Leases, (c) all obligations in respect of letters of credit, acceptances or similar obligations issued or created for the account of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries as of such date, other than insurance contracts issued by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business, (d) net obligations in respect of interest rate or currency obligation swaps, hedges or similar arrangements (the amount of any such obligation to be equal at any time to the termination value of such agreement or arrangement giving rise to such obligation that would be payable by such Person at such time), (e) amounts owed as deferred purchase price for the purchase of any property or services (other than trade payables incurred in the ordinary course of business), (f) all indebtedness of others secured by any Lien on property owned or acquired by such Person, whether or not the


 
indebtedness secured thereby has been assumed, (g) all liabilities of Company or any Subsidiary under any securitization, any so-called “synthetic lease” or “tax ownership operating lease” or any other off balance sheet transaction which is the functional equivalent of or takes the place of borrowing but which does not constitute a liability on a balance sheet of such Person, based on the outstanding amount of such liability if it had been structured as a financing on the balance sheet of such Person, (h) all obligations of such Person to purchase, redeem, retire, void or otherwise make any payment in respect of any mandatorily redeemable capital stock, and (i) obligations to guarantee any of the foregoing obligations on behalf of any Person other than the Company and its Subsidiaries; provided that standard trust accounts, deposit requirements or obligations of regulatory agencies and any collateral requirements or obligations of other insurance business partners in the normal course of business shall not constitute Indebtedness. “Insurance Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Company, the ability of which to pay dividends is regulated by an Insurance Regulatory Authority or that is otherwise required to be regulated thereby in accordance with the applicable insurance rules and regulations of its state of domicile. “Permitted Liens” means, with respect to any Person, (A) to the extent incurred in the normal course of business (i) rights of third parties with respect to standard trust accounts, (ii) deposit requirements or similar obligations of regulatory agencies, and (iii) any collateral requirements or obligations of other insurance business partners including the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indiana relating to loans issued to the Insurance Subsidiaries, (B) Liens securing Indebtedness permitted in Section 10.2(b), Section 10.2(c) or Section 10.2(e), (C) Liens for taxes, fees, assessments or other governmental charges which are not past due or remain payable without penalty or which are disputed in good faith and in appropriate proceedings, and for which the Company or a Subsidiary has established adequate reserves therefor in accordance with GAAP on the books of the Company or such Subsidiary, (D) mechanics’, materialmen’s, banker’s, carriers’, warehousemen’s and similar liens and encumbrances arising in the ordinary course of business and securing obligations of such Person that are not overdue for a period of more than sixty (60) days or are disputed in good faith by appropriate proceedings, provided that in the case of any such dispute (i) any proceedings commenced for the enforcement of such liens and encumbrances shall have been duly suspended and (ii) such provision for the payment of such liens and encumbrances has been made in accordance with GAAP on the books of such Person, (E) liens arising in connection with worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance, old age pensions and social security benefits and similar statutory obligations which are not overdue or are disputed in good faith by appropriate proceedings, provided that in the case of any such dispute (i) any proceedings commenced for the enforcement of such liens shall have been duly suspended and (ii) such provision for the payment of such liens has been made in accordance with GAAP on the books of such Person, (F)(i) liens incurred in the ordinary course of business to secure the performance of statutory obligations arising in connection with progress payments or advance payments due under contracts with the United States government or any agency thereof entered into in the ordinary course of business and (ii) liens incurred or deposits made in the ordinary course of business to secure the performance of statutory obligations, bids, leases, fee and expense arrangements with trustees and fiscal agents and other similar obligations (exclusive of obligations incurred in connection with the borrowing of money, any lease-purchase arrangements or the payment of the deferred purchase price of property), provided that full provision for the payment of all such 2


 
obligations set forth in clauses (i) and (ii) has been made in accordance with GAAP on the books of such Person, (G) minor survey exceptions or minor encumbrances, easements or reservations, or rights of others for rights-of-way, utilities and other similar purposes, or zoning or other restrictions as to the use of real properties, which to not materially interfere with the business of such Person, (H) liens in respect of judgments that do not constitute an Event of Default under clause (i) of Section 12 and (I) other Liens incurred in the ordinary course or which are not material in amount or nature and which do not secure Indebtedness. “Tangible Net Worth” means as of any date Net Worth less the Intangible Assets of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries, excluding the cumulative impact to Tangible Net Worth from changes in net unrealized gains or losses from investments since December 31, 2017, and plus the amount of liabilities recorded on the balance sheet attributable to deferred gains from the Adverse Development Cover, all determined as of such date. For purposes of this Agreement, “Intangible Assets” means the amount (to the extent reflected in determining such Net Worth) of goodwill, patents, trademarks, service marks, trade names, customer lists, renewal rights, copyrights, organization, and research and/or development expenses. For purposes of this definition, net unrealized gains or losses shall have the meaning as applied in GAAP without giving effect to the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments (Topic 825): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. Section 1.2. The following shall be added as new definitions in alphabetical order to Schedule B of the Note Purchase Agreement: “Adverse Development Cover” means the Swiss Re Adverse Development Cover as described in the document “ADC Binding Quote Conifer 2017 08 31.” “Hedging Contract” means any foreign exchange contract, currency swap agreement, futures contract, commodities hedge agreement, interest rate protection agreement, interest rate future agreement, interest rate swap agreement, interest rate cap agreement, interest rate collar agreement, option agreement or any other similar hedging agreement or arrangement entered into by a Person in the ordinary course of business. “Senior Loan Agreement” means that certain Credit Agreement dated as of June 21, 2018, between the Company and The Huntington National Bank, as the same may be amended or modified from time to time. Section 1.3. Section 10.2 of the Note Purchase Agreement is amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows: 10.2 Indebtedness. The Company will not, and will not permit its Subsidiaries to, become or remain obligated for any Indebtedness, except: (a) Indebtedness to each holder of a Note; 3


 
(b) Indebtedness of the Company under Capital Leases for office machinery in existence as of the Closing Date not to exceed in the aggregate $100,000; (c) Indebtedness of the Company arising under the Senior Loan Agreement or any replacement or refinancing thereof in a principal amount not to exceed $10,000,000 in the aggregate; (d) Indebtedness existing as of the Closing Date and listed on Schedule 10.2; (e) Indebtedness (including purchase money indebtedness) incurred in connection with the acquisition, construction or improvement of fixed or capital assets (whether pursuant to a loan or a Capital Lease) in an aggregate amount not exceeding $1,000,000 during any single fiscal year of the Company and $3,000,000 in the aggregate during the term of this Agreement at any time outstanding, and any renewals or refinancing of such Indebtedness, on substantially the same terms or terms that are not more burdensome on the Company as in effect on the date of incurrence of such Indebtedness and otherwise in compliance with this Agreement, provided that no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, both before and after giving effect to the incurrence, renewal or refinancing thereof; provided, further, that the principal amount of such renewed or refinanced Indebtedness shall not exceed the principal amount of the Indebtedness so renewed or refinanced and shall in no event exceed the caps set forth above: (f) Indebtedness in respect of Hedging Contracts authorized as required under Section 8.9 of the Senior Loan Agreement and Hedging Contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business related loans from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indiana for interest rate management and not for speculative purposes. (g) Guaranty Obligations to the extent permitted under Section 10.7; (h) Indebtedness incurred in the ordinary course of business with respect to surety and appeal bonds, performance and return-of-money bonds and other similar obligations or to or for the benefit of any Person providing workers’ compensation, health, disability or other employee benefits or property, casualty or liability insurance, all in the ordinary course of business in accordance with customary industry practices, in amounts and for the purposes customary in the Company’s industry; (i) additional unsecured Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries not otherwise described above, not in excess of $1,500,000 in aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding, provided that no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of incurring such Indebtedness or shall result from the incurrence of such Indebtedness; and (j) Loans from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indiana issued or created for the account of the Insurance Subsidiaries. 4


 
Section 1.4. Section 10.7 of the Note Purchase Agreement is amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows: 10.7 Restriction on Guarantees. The Company will not, and will not permit its Subsidiaries to, enter into any Guaranty of any Indebtedness of any other Person, except (i) by endorsement for deposit in the ordinary course of business, (ii) guarantees of Indebtedness otherwise permitted pursuant to Section 10.2, (iii) any guarantees required by regulatory authorities and (iv) guarantees of Indebtedness of other Persons (including joint ventures) to the extent such indebtedness is permitted hereunder and under the Senior Loan Agreement and such guarantees constitute investments permitted under Section 9.10 of the Senior Loan Agreement. Section 1.5. Section 11.1 of the Note Purchase Agreement is amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows: 11.1 Tangible Net Worth. Maintain as of the end of each fiscal quarter of the Company a Tangible Net Worth of not less than $45,000,000 as of June 30, 2018 and each fiscal quarter thereafter. Section 1.6. The section heading of Section 11.6 of the Note Purchase Agreement is amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows: “Consolidated Debt to Capital.” Section 1.7. Section 11.6 of the Note Purchase Agreement is amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows: Commencing with the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2018, not permit the ratio of the total Consolidated Indebtedness (excluding from the calculation of Consolidated Indebtedness any loans from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indiana the proceeds of which were used solely to make investments as permitted under Section 9.10(a) of the Senior Loan Agreement and Indebtedness under Hedging Contracts related to such Indebtedness) to the Total Capital to exceed 0.45 to 1.00. For purposes of the foregoing calculation, solely with respect to any revolving credit facility of the Company permitted to be incurred hereunder, only amounts drawn or otherwise outstanding thereunder shall be considered Indebtedness. SECTION 2. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY. Section 2.1. To induce the Noteholders to execute and deliver this First Amendment (which representations shall survive the execution and delivery of this First Amendment), the Company represents and warrants to the Noteholders that: (a) this First Amendment has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and this First Amendment constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation, contract and agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement may be limited by bankruptcy, 5


 
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws or equitable principles relating to or limiting creditors’ rights generally; (b) the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this First Amendment (i) have been duly authorized by all requisite corporate action and, if required, shareholder action and (ii) do not require the consent or approval of any governmental or regulatory body or agency; and (c) as of the date hereof and after giving effect to this First Amendment, no Default or Event of Default has occurred which is continuing. SECTION 3. CONDITIONS TO EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS FIRST AMENDMENT. Section 3.1. This First Amendment shall not become effective until, and shall become effective when, each and every one of the following conditions shall have been satisfied: (a) executed counterparts of this First Amendment, duly executed by the Company and the holders of at least 50% of the outstanding principal of the Notes, shall have been delivered to the holders of Notes; (b) the holders of Notes shall have received evidence satisfactory to them that the Company has entered into the Senior Loan Agreement; and (c) the recitals set forth above and the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in Section 2 hereof are true and correct on and with respect to the date hereof; and (d) the Noteholders shall have been reimbursed for all reasonable and documented expenses incurred relating to this First Amendment. Upon receipt of all of the foregoing, this First Amendment shall become effective. SECTION 4. MISCELLANEOUS. Section 4.1. This First Amendment shall be construed in connection with and as part of the Note Purchase Agreement, and except as modified and expressly amended by this First Amendment, all terms, conditions and covenants contained in the Note Purchase Agreement and the Notes are hereby ratified and shall be and remain in full force and effect. Section 4.2. Any and all notices, requests, certificates and other instruments executed and delivered after the execution and delivery of this First Amendment may refer to the Note Purchase Agreement without making specific reference to this First Amendment but nevertheless all such references shall include this First Amendment unless the context otherwise requires. 6


 
Section 4.3. The descriptive headings of the various Sections or parts of this First Amendment are for convenience only and shall not affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof. Section 4.4. This First Amendment shall be governed by and construed in accordance with New York law, excluding choice-of-law principles of the law of such State that would permit the application of the laws of a jurisdiction other than such State. Section 4.5. The execution hereof by you shall constitute a contract between us for the uses and purposes hereinabove set forth, and this First Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts, each executed counterpart constituting an original, but all together only one agreement. [Signature Pages to Follow] 7


 


 
Accepted and agreed to on the date first written above: ELANUS CAPITAL INVESTMENTS MASTER SP SERIES 3 By ____________________________________ Matthew Moniot Its: Sole Director [Signature Page to First Amendment]


 
Execution Version Conifer Holdings, Inc. $10,500,000 7.5%/12.5% Subordinated Notes due September 30, 2038 ______________ AMENDED AND RESTATED NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT ______________ Dated as of September 25, 2018 25598028


 
TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page 1.AUTHORIZATION OF THE NOTES ................................................................................. 1 2.SALE AND PURCHASE OF THE NOTES ........................................................................ 2 3.CLOSING ............................................................................................................................... 2 4.CONDITIONS TO CLOSING .............................................................................................. 2 4.1. Representations and Warranties ....................................................................... 2 4.2. Performance; No Default ................................................................................. 3 4.3. Compliance Certificates ................................................................................... 3 4.4. Purchase Permitted By Applicable Law, etc. .................................................. 3 4.5. Payment of Fees ............................................................................................... 3 4.6. Opinion of Counsel .......................................................................................... 3 4.7. Proceedings and Documents ............................................................................ 3 5.REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY ................................ 4 5.1. Organization; Power and Authority ................................................................. 4 5.2. Authorization, etc. ............................................................................................ 4 5.3. Disclosure ......................................................................................................... 4 5.4. No Conflict ....................................................................................................... 5 5.5. Organization and Ownership of Shares of Subsidiaries; Affiliates ................ 5 5.6. Financial Statements; Material Liabilities ....................................................... 6 5.7. Governmental Authorizations, etc. .................................................................. 6 5.8. Litigation; Observance of Agreements, Statutes and Orders .......................... 6 5.9. Taxes................................................................................................................. 7 5.10. Title to Property; Leases .................................................................................. 7 5.11. Intellectual Property ......................................................................................... 7 5.12. Private Offering by the Company .................................................................... 8 5.13. ERISA............................................................................................................... 8 5.14. Use of Proceeds; Margin Regulations ............................................................. 8 5.15. Existing Indebtedness; Future Liens ................................................................ 8 5.16. Investment Company Act ................................................................................. 9 5.17. Solvency ........................................................................................................... 9 5.18. Foreign Assets Control Regulations, Etc. ........................................................ 9 6.REPRESENTATIONS OF THE PURCHASER ................................................................ 10 25598028


 
6.1. Purchase for Investment ................................................................................. 10 6.2. Tax Matters .................................................................................................... 10 7.INFORMATION AS TO COMPANY................................................................................ 10 7.1. Financial and Business Information............................................................... 10 7.2. Officer’s Certificate ........................................................................................ 12 7.3. Inspection ....................................................................................................... 13 8.PREPAYMENT OF THE NOTES ..................................................................................... 14 8.1. Optional Prepayments with Premium ............................................................ 14 8.2. Surrender, etc. ................................................................................................. 15 9.AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS ......................................................................................... 15 9.1. Compliance with Law .................................................................................... 15 9.2. Insurance ......................................................................................................... 15 9.3. Payment of Taxes and Claims........................................................................ 15 9.4. Corporate Existence, etc. ............................................................................... 16 9.5. [Reserved] ...................................................................................................... 16 9.6. ERISA............................................................................................................. 16 10.NEGATIVE COVENANTS .............................................................................................. 16 10.1. Merger, Consolidation, etc ............................................................................. 16 10.2. Indebtedness ................................................................................................... 17 10.3. Acquisitions .................................................................................................... 19 10.4. Restricted Payments ....................................................................................... 19 10.5. Sale-Leaseback Transactions ......................................................................... 19 10.6. Change in Existing Investment Policies ........................................................ 19 10.7. Restriction on Guarantees .............................................................................. 19 10.8. Economic Sanctions, etc. ............................................................................... 20 11.FINANCIAL COVENANTS ............................................................................................. 20 11.1. Tangible Net Worth........................................................................................ 20 11.2. Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio ........................................................................ 20 11.3. Dividend Paying Capacity .............................................................................. 20 11.4. Net Uncollateralized Reinsurance Recoverables ........................................... 20 11.5. Risk-Based Capital ......................................................................................... 20 11.6. Consolidated Debt to Capital ......................................................................... 21 12.EVENTS OF DEFAULT ................................................................................................... 21 13.REMEDIES ON DEFAULT. ............................................................................................ 23 ii 25598028


 
13.1. Acceleration .................................................................................................... 23 13.2. Other Remedies .............................................................................................. 23 13.3. Rescission ....................................................................................................... 24 13.4. No Waivers or Election of Remedies, Expenses, etc. ................................... 24 14.REGISTRATION; EXCHANGE; SUBSTITUTION OF NOTES .................................. 24 14.1. Registration of Notes ...................................................................................... 24 14.2. Transfer and Exchange of Notes .................................................................... 25 14.3. Replacement of Notes .................................................................................... 25 15.SURVIVAL OF REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES; ENTIRE AGREEMENT 25 16.PAYMENTS ON THE NOTES ........................................................................................ 26 16.1. Place of Payment ............................................................................................ 26 16.2. Interest ............................................................................................................ 26 16.3. Deferral of Interest ......................................................................................... 26 17.SUBORDINATION OF THE NOTES ............................................................................. 27 17.1. Note Subordinate to Senior Debt ................................................................... 27 17.2. No Payment When Senior Debt in Default; Payment Over of Proceeds Upon Dissolution, Etc. ................................................................... 28 17.3. Payment Permitted If No Default................................................................... 29 17.4. Subrogation to Rights of Holders of Senior Debt ......................................... 29 17.5. Provisions Solely to Define Relative Rights ................................................. 30 17.6. No Waiver of Subordination Provisions ........................................................ 30 17.7. Notice to Holders ........................................................................................... 30 17.8. Reliance on Judicial Order or Certificate of Liquidating Agent ................... 31 18.EXPENSES, ETC .............................................................................................................. 31 18.1. Transaction Expenses ..................................................................................... 31 18.2. Certain Taxes .................................................................................................. 32 18.3. Other Taxes .................................................................................................... 32 18.4. Tax Treatment ................................................................................................ 32 18.5. Survival .......................................................................................................... 33 19.AMENDMENT AND WAIVER ...................................................................................... 33 19.1. Requirements .................................................................................................. 33 19.2. Binding Effect, etc. ......................................................................................... 33 20.NOTICES ........................................................................................................................... 33 iii 25598028


 
21.CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION ................................................................................. 34 22.MISCELLANEOUS .......................................................................................................... 34 22.1. Successors and Assigns .................................................................................. 34 22.2. Accounting Terms .......................................................................................... 35 22.3. Payments Due on Non-Business Days ........................................................... 35 22.4. Severability ..................................................................................................... 35 22.5. Construction ................................................................................................... 35 22.6. Counterparts ................................................................................................... 36 22.7. Governing Law ............................................................................................... 36 22.8. Jurisdiction and Process; Waiver of Jury Trial .............................................. 36 22.9. No Recourse Against Others .......................................................................... 37 SCHEDULE A -- INFORMATION RELATING TO PURCHASERS SCHEDULE B -- DEFINED TERMS SCHEDULE 5.3 -- Other Documents SCHEDULE 5.5 -- Subsidiaries of the Company and Ownership of Subsidiary Stock SCHEDULE 5.6 -- Financial Statements SCHEDULE 5.15 -- Permitted Liens SCHEDULE 10.2 -- Existing Indebtedness EXHIBIT 1 -- Form of 7.5%/12.5% Subordinated Note due September 30, 2038 iv 25598028


 
Conifer Holdings, Inc. 550 West Merrill Street, Suite 200 Birmingham, MI 48009 7.5%/12.5% Subordinated Notes due September 30, 2038 As of September 25, 2018 TO EACH OF THE PURCHASERS LISTED IN THE ATTACHED SCHEDULE A: Ladies and Gentlemen: Conifer Holdings, Inc., a Michigan corporation (the “Company”), agrees with each of the Purchasers to amend and restate the Note Purchase Agreement dated as of September 29, 2017, as amended by the First Amendment dated as of June 21, 2018 (as so amended and as otherwise amended, restated, supplemented or modified from time to time, the “Existing Note Purchase Agreement”), as follows: 1. AUTHORIZATION OF THE NOTES. (a) On September 29, 2017, the Company issued and sold to Elanus Capital Investments Master SP Series 3 (“Elanus”) $30,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 8% Subordinated Notes due September 29, 2032 (the “Existing Notes”). (b) On September 24, 2018, the Company consummated an offering of 6.75% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2023 in the aggregate principal amount of $22,000,000 (the “Senior Notes”). (c) In connection with the foregoing offering by the Company, Elanus and the Company entered into the Subordinated Notes Amendment Agreement dated as of September 24, 2018 (the “Amendment Agreement”), pursuant to which (i) a portion of the net proceeds of such offering were used to prepay $15,000,000 of the Existing Notes, plus accrued interest thereon, and (ii) Elanus agreed to apply $5,000,000 of the Existing Notes for the purchase of $5,000,000 of the Senior Notes, which application constituted an additional prepayment of the Existing Notes. After giving effect to the foregoing prepayments of the Existing Notes, $10,000,000 of the Existing Notes remained outstanding. (d) As of the date hereof, the Company will authorize the issue and sale of $10,500,000 aggregate principal amount of its 7.5%/12.5% Subordinated Notes due September 30, 2038 (the “Notes”), of which $10,000,000 of the Notes will be deemed issued in exchange for the outstanding Existing Notes and an additional $500,000 of the 25598028


 
Notes will be deemed issued and sold to the Purchaser. Each Note shall be substantially in the form set out in Exhibit 1, with such changes therefrom, if any, as may be approved by each Purchaser and the Company. Certain capitalized terms used in this Agreement are defined in Schedule B; references to a “Schedule” or an “Exhibit” are, unless otherwise specified, to a Schedule or an Exhibit attached to this Agreement. 2. SALE AND PURCHASE OF THE NOTES. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company will issue and sell to each Purchaser and each Purchaser will purchase from the Company, as of the Closing provided for in Section 3, each Note in the principal amount specified opposite each Purchaser’s name in Schedule A at the purchase price of 100% of the principal amount thereof. 3. CLOSING. The sale and purchase of each Note to be purchased by each Purchaser shall occur at the offices of the Company, 550 W. Merrill Street, Suite 200, Birmingham, Michigan 48009, at 2:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, as of a closing (the “Closing”) on September 25, 2018 (the “Closing Date”), or on such other Business Day thereafter as may be agreed upon by the Company and each Purchaser. As of the Closing the Company will deliver to each Purchaser a Note to be purchased by each such Purchaser dated the date of the Closing and registered in such Purchaser’s name (or in the name of its nominee), against delivery to the Company of cash in the aggregate amount of $500,000 by wire transfer of immediately available funds for the account of the Company to account number 01382306748 at Huntington National Bank, Columbus, Ohio, (Wire Instructions: ABA 072403473, Account 01382306748, For the benefit of: Conifer Holdings, Inc., 550 W. Merrill Street, Suite 200, PO BOX 3003, Birmingham, MI 48009). Upon each Purchaser’s receipt of the Notes, such Purchaser will return to the Company the Existing Notes in its possession for cancellation by the Company. If at the Closing the Company shall fail to tender a Note to a Purchaser as provided above in this Section 3, or any of the conditions specified in Section 4 shall not have been fulfilled to each Purchaser’s satisfaction, each Purchaser shall, at its election, be relieved of all further obligations under this Agreement, without thereby waiving any rights it may have by reason of such failure by the Company to tender such Note or any of the conditions specified in Section 4 not having been fulfilled to its satisfaction. 4. CONDITIONS TO CLOSING. Each Purchaser’s obligation to purchase and pay for a Note to be sold to such Purchaser as of the Closing is subject to the fulfillment to its satisfaction, prior to or as of the Closing, of the following conditions: 4.1. Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement shall be correct when made and as of the time of the Closing. 2


 
4.2. Performance; No Default. The Company shall have performed and complied with all agreements and conditions contained in this Agreement required to be performed or complied with by it prior to or as of the Closing and after giving effect to the issue and sale of each Note (and the application of the proceeds thereof) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing. 4.3. Compliance Certificates. (a) Officer’s Certificate. The Company shall have delivered to such Purchaser an Officer’s Certificate, dated as of the Closing, certifying that the conditions specified in Sections 4.1 and 4.2 have been fulfilled. (b) Secretary’s Certificate. The Company shall have delivered to such Purchaser a certificate certifying as to the resolutions attached thereto and other corporate proceedings relating to the authorization, execution and delivery of each Note and the Agreements and the Company’s organizational documents as then in effect. 4.4. Purchase Permitted By Applicable Law, etc. As of the date of the Closing such Purchaser’s purchase of a Note shall (i) be permitted by the laws and regulations of each jurisdiction to which such Purchaser is subject, (ii) not violate any applicable law or regulation (including, without limitation, Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System) and (iii) not subject such Purchaser to any tax, penalty or liability under or pursuant to any applicable law or regulation, which law or regulation was not in effect as of the date hereof. 4.5. Payment of Fees. (a) The Company shall have paid the out-of-pocket and documented fees, charges and disbursements of such Purchaser and its counsel, Clifford Chance US LLP in an aggregate amount not to exceed $42,000. (b) The Company paid to the Purchasers on September 24, 2018, a loan origination fee with respect to the issuance of the Notes in the amount of $105,000. 4.6. Opinion of Counsel. Such Purchaser shall have received an opinion in form and substance satisfactory to such Purchaser from counsel for the Company, covering the matters incident to the transactions contemplated hereby as such Purchaser or its counsel may reasonably request. 4.7. Proceedings and Documents. All corporate and other proceedings in connection with the transactions 3


 
contemplated by this Agreement and all documents and instruments incident to such transactions shall be satisfactory to such Purchaser and its counsel, and such Purchaser and its counsel shall have received all such counterpart originals or certified or other copies of such documents as such Purchaser or its counsel may reasonably request. 5. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY. The Company represents and warrants to each Purchaser that: 5.1. Organization; Power and Authority. The Company is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation, and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required by law, other than those jurisdictions as to which the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has the corporate power and authority to own or hold under lease the properties it purports to own or hold under lease, to transact the business it transacts and proposes to transact, to execute and deliver this Agreement and each Note and to perform the provisions hereof and thereof. 5.2. Authorization, etc. This Agreement and each Note have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, and this Agreement constitutes, and upon execution and delivery thereof each Note will constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and (ii) general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law). 5.3. Disclosure. This Agreement, the financial statements listed in Schedule 5.6 and the documents, certificates or other writings delivered to such Purchaser by or on behalf of the Company prior to the Closing Date in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and identified in Schedule 5.3 (this Agreement and such documents, certificates or other writings and such financial statements delivered to such Purchaser being referred to, collectively, as the “Disclosure Documents”), taken as a whole, do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances under which they were made. Except as disclosed in the Disclosure Documents, since December 31, 2017 there has been no change in the financial condition, operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company or any Subsidiary except changes described in the Registration Statement or that could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There is no fact known to the Company that could 4


 
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect that has not been set forth herein, in the Disclosure Documents or the Registration Statement. 5.4. No Conflict. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and each Note will not (i) contravene, result in any breach of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation of any Lien in respect of any property of the Company or any Subsidiary under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan, purchase or credit agreement, lease, corporate charter or by-laws, or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or by which the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties may be bound or affected, (ii) conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any order, judgment, decree, or ruling of any court, arbitrator or Governmental Authority applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary or (iii) violate any provision of any statute or other rule or regulation of any Governmental Authority applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary. 5.5. Organization and Ownership of Shares of Subsidiaries; Affiliates. (a) Schedule 5.5 contains complete and correct lists (i) of the Company’s Subsidiaries, showing, as to each Subsidiary, the correct name thereof, the jurisdiction of its organization, and the percentage of shares of each class of its capital stock or similar equity interests outstanding owned by the Company and each other Subsidiary, (ii) of the Company’s Affiliates, other than Subsidiaries, and (iii) of the Company’s directors and senior officers. (b) All of the outstanding shares of capital stock or similar equity interests of each Subsidiary shown in Schedule 5.5 as being owned by the Company and its Subsid- iaries have been validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and are owned by the Company or another Subsidiary free and clear of any Lien (except as otherwise disclosed in Schedule 5.5). (c) Each Subsidiary identified in Schedule 5.5 is a corporation or other legal entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation or other legal entity and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required by law, other than those jurisdictions as to which the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Each such Subsidiary has the corporate or other power and authority to own or hold under lease the properties it purports to own or hold under lease and to transact the business it transacts and proposes to transact. (d) No Subsidiary is a party to, or otherwise subject to any legal restriction or any agreement (other than this Agreement, the agreements listed on Schedule 5.5 and customary limitations imposed by corporate law statutes) restricting the ability of such Subsidiary to pay dividends out of profits (subject to standard insurance regulations) or make any other similar distributions of profits to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that 5


 
owns outstanding shares of capital stock or similar equity interests of such Subsidiary. 5.6. Financial Statements; Material Liabilities. The Company has delivered to the holder of each Note copies of the financial state- ments of the Company and its Subsidiaries listed on Schedule 5.6. All of said financial statements (including in each case the related schedules and notes) fairly present in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the respective dates specified in such Schedule and the consolidated results of their operations and cash flows for the respective periods so specified and have been prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the periods involved except as set forth in the notes thereto (subject, in the case of any interim financial statements, to normal year-end adjustments). The Company and its Subsidiaries do not have any Material liabilities that are not disclosed in the Disclosure Documents or the Registration Statement. 5.7. Governmental Authorizations, etc. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries holds all necessary permits, approvals, authorizations, orders, licenses, consents, registrations, qualifications, certificates and permits including, without limitation, insurance licenses from the insurance departments of the various states and jurisdictions where the Insurance Subsidiaries write insurance business or otherwise conduct insurance or reinsurance business, (collectively, the “Insurance Licenses”) as the case may be, or as may be required by any applicable insurance statutes of such states or other jurisdictions of and from Governmental Authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses as now being conducted, (collectively, including the Insurance Licenses, the “Governmental Licenses”) and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental License, except where the failure to hold such Governmental Licenses or the receipt of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding in respect of any such proceeding, would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except where the invalidity or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and the Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, judgments, orders, decrees and consents, except where the failure to be in such compliance would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. 5.8. Litigation; Observance of Agreements, Statutes and Orders. (a) There are no actions, suits or proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company or any Subsidiary or any property of the Company or any Subsidiary in any court or before any arbitrator of any kind or before or by any Governmental Authority that, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. (b) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default under any term of any agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound, or any order, 6


 
judgment, decree or ruling of any court, arbitrator or Governmental Authority or is in viola- tion of any applicable law, ordinance, rule or regulation of any Governmental Authority, which default or violation, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. 5.9. Taxes. The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed all income and other material tax returns that are required to have been filed in any jurisdiction, and have paid all taxes shown to be due and payable on such returns and all other taxes and assessments levied upon them or their properties, assets, income or franchises, to the extent such taxes and assessments have become due and payable and before they have become delinquent, except for any taxes and assessments (i) the amount of which is not individually or in the aggregate Material or (ii) the amount, applicability or validity of which is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and with respect to which the Company or a Subsidiary, as the case may be, has established adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP on the financial statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries listed on Schedule 5.6. The Company knows of no basis for any other tax or assessment that could, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company and its Subsidiaries in respect of Federal, state or other taxes for all fiscal periods are adequate. The Federal income tax liabilities of the Company and its Subsidiaries have been paid for all fiscal years up to and including the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017. 5.10. Title to Property; Leases. The Company and its Subsidiaries have good and sufficient title to their respective properties that individually or in the aggregate are Material, in each case free and clear of any Lien other than Permitted Liens. All leases that individually or in the aggregate are Material are valid and subsisting and are in full force and effect in all material respects. 5.11. Intellectual Property. (a) the Company and its Subsidiaries own or possess all licenses, patents, copyrights, service marks, trademarks and trade names, or rights thereto, that individually or in the aggregate are Material, without known conflict with the rights of others; (b) to the knowledge of the Company, no product of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries infringes in any material respect any license, patent, copyright, service mark, trademark, trade name or other right owned by any other Person; and (c) to the knowledge of the Company, there is no Material violation by any Person of any right of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to any license, patent, copyright, service mark, trademark, trade name or other right owned or used by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. 7


 
5.12. Private Offering by the Company. Neither the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has offered the Notes or any similar securities for sale to, or solicited any offer to buy any of the same from, or otherwise approached or negotiated in respect thereof with, any Person other than the Purchasers. Neither the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has taken, or will take, any action that would subject the issuance or sale of the Notes to the registration requirements of Section 5 of the Securities Act or to the registration requirements of any securities or blue sky laws of any applicable jurisdiction. 5.13. ERISA. Neither Company nor any ERISA Affiliate maintains or contributes or has any direct or indirect, actual or contingent liability, or has, at any time within the past six years, maintained, contributed to or had any direct or indirect, actual or contingent liability, with respect to any Plan. There was no unfunded past service liability of any pension plan maintained by the Company or an ERISA Affiliate as of the Closing Date, and there is no failure to satisfy the minimum funding standards of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, or any existing material liability with respect to any Plan owed to the PBGC or any successor thereto. 5.14. Use of Proceeds; Margin Regulations. The Company will apply the proceeds of the sale of the Notes hereunder to refinance the outstanding balance of the Existing Notes, including accrued interest thereon, and for working capital purposes. The Company is not engaged principally, or as one of its important activities, directly or indirectly, in the business of extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stock, and none of the proceeds of the Notes will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of buying or carrying any “margin stock” within the meaning of, or otherwise for any purpose which would violate the provisions of, Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Terms for which meanings are provided in Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any regulations substituted therefor, as from time to time in effect, are used in this paragraph with such meanings. 5.15. Existing Indebtedness; Future Liens. (a) Schedule 10.2 sets forth a complete and correct list of all outstanding Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the Closing Date. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default and no waiver of default is currently in effect, in the payment of any principal or interest on any Indebtedness of the Company or such Subsidiary and no event or condition exists with respect to any Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary that would permit (or that with notice or the lapse of time, or both, would permit) one or more Persons to cause such Indebtedness to become due and payable before its stated maturity or before its regularly scheduled dates of payment. (b) Except as disclosed in Schedule 5.15 and for Permitted Liens, neither 8


 
the Company nor any Subsidiary has agreed or consented to cause or permit in the future (upon the happening of a contingency or otherwise) any of its property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, to be subject to a Lien. (c) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is a party to, or otherwise subject to any provision contained in, any instrument evidencing Indebtedness of the Company or such Subsidiary, any agreement relating thereto or any other agreement (including its charter or any other organizational document) which limits the amount of, or otherwise imposes restrictions on the incurring of, Indebtedness of the Company. 5.16. Investment Company Act. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940. 5.17. Solvency. As of the Closing Date and immediately after the consummation of the transactions to occur pursuant to this Agreement, the Company and its Subsidiaries will be, taken as a whole, Solvent. 5.18. Foreign Assets Control Regulations, Etc. (a) Neither the Company nor any Controlled Entity (i) is a Blocked Person, (ii) has been notified that its name appears or may in the future appear on a State Sanctions List or (iii) is a target of sanctions that have been imposed by the United Nations or the European Union. (b) Neither the Company nor any Controlled Entity (i) has violated, been found in violation of, or been charged or convicted under, any applicable U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws, Anti-Money Laundering Laws or Anti-Corruption Laws or (ii) to the Company’s knowledge, is under investigation by any Governmental Authority for possible violation of any U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws, Anti-Money Laundering Laws or Anti-Corruption Laws. (c) No part of the proceeds from the sale of the Notes hereunder: (i) constitutes or will constitute funds obtained on behalf of any Blocked Person or will otherwise be used by the Company or any Controlled Entity, directly or indirectly, (A) in connection with any investment in, or any transactions or dealings with, any Blocked Person, (B) for any purpose that would cause any Purchaser to be in violation of any U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws or (C) otherwise in violation of any U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws; (ii) will be used, directly or indirectly, in violation of, or cause any Purchaser to be in violation of, any applicable Anti-Money Laundering Laws; or 9


 
(iii) will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of making any improper payments, including bribes, to any Governmental Official or commercial counterparty in order to obtain, retain or direct business or obtain any improper advantage, in each case which would be in violation of, or cause any Purchaser to be in violation of, any applicable Anti-Corruption Laws. (d) The Company has established procedures and controls which it reasonably believes are adequate (and otherwise comply with applicable law) to ensure that the Company and each Controlled Entity is and will continue to be in compliance with all applicable U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws, Anti-Money Laundering Laws and Anti- Corruption Laws. 6. REPRESENTATIONS OF THE PURCHASER. 6.1. Purchase for Investment. Each Purchaser represents that it is purchasing each Note for its own account or for one or more separate accounts maintained by it or for the account of one or more pension or trust funds and not with a view to the distribution thereof, provided that the disposition of its or their property shall at all times be within its or their control. Each Purchaser understands that each Note has not been registered under the Securities Act and may be resold only if registered pursuant to the provisions of the Securities Act or if an exemption from registration is available, except under circumstances where neither such registration nor such an exemption is required by law, and that the Company is not required to register any Note. 6.2. Tax Matters. Each Purchaser represents that it and each of its beneficial owners is either: (1) a United States person (within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code), or (2) not a “bank” described in Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, a “10 percent shareholder” of the Company within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, or a “controlled foreign corporation” described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code. Each Purchaser shall deliver to the Company on or prior to the date it acquires a Note and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Company (or the expiration, obsolescence or material inaccuracy of any form previously delivered) an executed original of, as applicable, (a) Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E, or other appropriate W-8, or (b) Internal Revenue Service Form W-9. 7. INFORMATION AS TO COMPANY. 7.1. Financial and Business Information. The Company shall deliver to the holder of each Note: (a) Quarterly Statements – as soon as available, but in any event not 10


 
later than 60 days after the end of each fiscal quarter (excluding the fourth fiscal quarter of each fiscal year) commencing with the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2018), (i) copies of the Company’s quarterly report filed on Form 10-Q promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 prepared in compliance with the requirements therefor and filed or required to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and (ii) a copy of each Insurance Subsidiary’s financial statements for such fiscal quarter, including a balance sheet as of the end of such fiscal quarter and the related statements of income and retained earnings for such fiscal quarter, each prepared in accordance with SAP and certified by an officer of the applicable Insurance Subsidiary; (b) Annual Statements – as soon as available, but in any event not later than 100 days after and as of the end of each fiscal year of the Company (i) a copy of the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for such fiscal year prepared in accordance with the requirements therefor and filed or required to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and (ii) a copy of each Insurance Subsidiary’s financial statements for such fiscal year, including a balance sheet as of the end of such fiscal year and the related statements of income and retained earnings for such fiscal year, each prepared in accordance with SAP (commonly referred to as the “Yellow Book” statements) and certified by an officer of the applicable Insurance Subsidiary; (c) SEC and Other Reports -- promptly upon their becoming available, one copy of (i) each financial statement, report, notice or proxy statement sent by the Company or any Subsidiary (x) to any holders of Senior Debt or any Indebtedness incurred pursuant to Section 10.2(e) hereunder or (y) to its public securities holders generally, (ii) each regular or periodic report, each registration statement (without exhibits except as expressly requested by such holder), and each prospectus and all amendments thereto filed by the Company or any Subsidiary with the Securities and Exchange Commission and of all press releases and other statements made available generally by the Company or any Subsidiary to the public concerning developments that are Material and (iii) all significant reports and financial statements related to Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries filed with any Regulatory Agency; (d) Notice of Default or Event of Default -- promptly, and in any event within five (5) Business Days after a Responsible Officer becoming aware of the existence of any Default or Event of Default or that any Person has given any notice or taken any action with respect to a claimed default hereunder or that any Person has given any notice or taken any action with respect to a claimed default of the type referred to in Section 12(g), a written notice specifying the nature and period of existence thereof and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto; (e) Proceedings – promptly, and in any event within five (5) Business Days of receipt thereof, copies of any notice of the commencement of (i) any action, suit or proceeding against or affecting the Company or any Subsidiary in any court or before any arbitrator of any kind or before or by any Governmental Authority 11


 
relating to any license or licenses of any Insurance Subsidiaries (representing singularly or in the aggregate 10% or more of gross written premiums of the Company and its Subsidiaries) that may be revoked, not renewed or otherwise impaired, or (ii) any other action, suit or proceeding that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. (f) Notices from Governmental Authority -- promptly, and in any event within five (5) Business Days of receipt thereof, copies of (i) any notice to the Company or any Subsidiary from an Insurance Regulatory Authority to the effect that any license or licenses of any Insurance Subsidiaries (representing singularly or in the aggregate 10% or more of gross written premiums of the Company and its Subsidiaries) will be revoked, not renewed or otherwise impaired, or (ii) any other notice from any Federal or state Governmental Authority relating to any order, ruling, statute or other law or regulation that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (g) Requested Information -- with reasonable promptness, such other data and information relating to the business, operations, affairs, financial condition, assets or properties of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or relating to the ability of the Company to perform its obligations hereunder and under each Note as from time to time may be reasonably requested by any such holder of a Note. 7.2. Officer’s Certificate. Each set of financial statements delivered to the holder of a Note pursuant to Section 7.1(a) or Section 7.1(b) hereof shall be accompanied by a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer setting forth: (a) Covenant Compliance -- the information (including detailed calculations) required in order to establish whether the Company was in compliance with the covenants set forth in Section 11 hereof, inclusive, during the quarterly or annual period covered by the statements then being furnished (including with respect to each such Section, where applicable, the calculations of the maximum or minimum amount, ratio or percentage, as the case may be, permissible under the terms of such Sections, and the calculation of the amount, ratio or percentage then in existence); and (b) Event of Default -- a statement that such officer has reviewed the relevant terms hereof and has made, or caused to be made, under his or her supervi- sion, a review of the transactions and conditions of the Company and its Sub- sidiaries from the beginning of the quarterly or annual period covered by the state- ments then being furnished to the date of the certificate and that such review shall not have disclosed the existence during such period of any condition or event that constitutes a Default or an Event of Default or, if any such condition or event existed or exists, specifying the nature and period of existence thereof and what action the Company shall have taken or proposes to take with respect thereto. 12


 
7.3. Inspection. The Company shall permit the representatives of the holder of a Note: (a) No Default -- if no Default or Event of Default then exists, at the expense of such holder and upon reasonable prior notice to the Company, to visit the principal executive office of the Company, to examine all of its books of account, records, reports and other papers, and to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Company and its Subsidiaries with the Company’s officers, and (with the consent of the Company, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld) to visit the other offices and properties of the Company and each Subsidiary, all at such reasonable times and as often as may be reasonably requested in writing; and (b) Default -- if a Default or Event of Default then exists, at the expense of the Company to visit and inspect any of the offices or properties of the Company or any Subsidiary, to examine all their respective books of account, records, reports and other papers, and to discuss their respective affairs, finances and accounts with their respective officers and independent public accountants (and by this provision the Company authorizes said accountants to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Company and its Subsidiaries), all at such times and as often as may be requested. 13


 
8. PREPAYMENT OF THE NOTES. 8.1. Optional Prepayments with Premium. (a) The Company shall not have the right to prepay the Notes prior to September 30, 2021. On the last day of any calendar quarter ending on or after September 30, 2021, the Company may, at its option, upon notice as provided in clause (b) below, prepay all or a portion of the Notes, including principal and accrued but unpaid interest accrued to but excluding the date of payment, subject to the Company’s payment of the applicable call premium set forth in the table below: Quarter ending Call Premium September 30, 2021 $1,100,000 December 31, 2021 $1,150,000 March 31, 2022 $1,200,000 June 30, 2022 $1,250,000 September 30, 2022 $1,300,000 December 31, 2022 $1,412,500 March 31, 2023 $1,525,000 June 30, 2023 $1,637,500 September 30, 2023 $1,750,000 December 31, 2023 $3,050,000 An amount equal to the From each calendar product of (x) the prior quarter ending after quarter’s call premium and December 31, 2023 (y) 1.125^(0.25) [1.03] provided that if the Company elects to prepay an amount that is less than the entire outstanding balance of the Notes pursuant to this Section 8.1(a), the applicable call premium shall be proportionally reduced based on the amount of the Notes so prepaid. Any repayment, prepayment or redemption of the Notes made on or after September 30, 2021, in each case whether or not as a result of any Event of Default, any voluntary, involuntary or automatic acceleration of the Notes and/or the exercise of remedies by any holder of a Note, shall be at 100% of the principal amount outstanding, plus accrued but unpaid interest to but excluding the date of repayment, prepayment or redemption, subject to the Company’s payment of the applicable call premium set forth in the table above. (b) The Company will give the holder of a Note written notice of each optional prepayment under this Section 8.1 not less than 30 days prior to the date fixed for such prepayment under Section 8.1(a). Each such notice shall specify such date and the aggregate principal amount of the Notes outstanding and to be prepaid on such date, and the interest (and premium) to be paid on the prepayment date with respect to such principal (and premium) amount being prepaid. Prepayment notice provided by the Company does not accelerate the Company’s obligation to pay any portion of the Notes and any such 14


 
prepayment notice may be conditioned upon the completion of any financing for such prepayment. From and after the date fixed for such prepayment, unless the Company shall fail to pay such principal amount when so due and payable, interest on such principal amount shall cease to accrue. 8.2. Surrender, etc. Upon payment or prepayment of each Note in full, such Note shall be surrendered to the Company and cancelled and shall not be reissued, and no Note shall be issued in lieu of any prepaid principal amount. 9. AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS. The Company covenants that so long as the Notes are outstanding: 9.1. Compliance with Law. The Company will and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to comply with all laws, ordinances or governmental rules or regulations to which each of them is subject, and will obtain and maintain in effect all licenses, certificates, permits, franchises and other governmental authorizations necessary to the ownership of their respective properties or to the conduct of their respective businesses, in each case to the extent necessary to ensure that non-compliance with such laws, ordinances or governmental rules or regulations or failures to obtain or maintain in effect such licenses, certificates, permits, franchises and other governmental authorizations would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. 9.2. Insurance. The Company will and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to maintain, with financially sound and reputable insurers, insurance with respect to their respective proper- ties and businesses against such casualties and contingencies, of such types, on such terms and in such amounts (including deductibles, co-insurance and self-insurance, if adequate reserves are maintained with respect thereto) as is customary in the case of entities of established reputations engaged in the same or a similar business and similarly situated. 9.3. Payment of Taxes and Claims. The Company will and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to file all income and other material Tax returns required to be filed in any jurisdiction and to pay and discharge all Taxes shown to be due and payable on such returns and all other Taxes imposed on them or any of their properties, assets, income or franchises, to the extent such Taxes have become due and payable and before they have become delinquent and all claims for which sums have become due and payable that have or might become a Lien on properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, provided that neither the Company nor any Subsidiary need pay any such Tax if (i) the amount, applicability or validity thereof is contested by the Company or such Subsidiary on a timely basis in good faith and in 15


 
appropriate proceedings, and the Company or a Subsidiary has established adequate reserves therefor in accordance with GAAP on the books of the Company or such Subsidiary or (ii) the nonpayment of all such Taxes in the aggregate would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. 9.4. Corporate Existence, etc. The Company will at all times preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence. Except as otherwise permitted in this Agreement, the Company will at all times preserve and keep in full force and effect the corporate existence of each of its Subsidiaries (unless merged into the Company or a Subsidiary) and all rights and franchises of the Company and its Subsidiaries unless, in the good faith judgment of the Company, the termination of or failure to preserve and keep in full force and effect such corporate existence, right or franchise would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Ad- verse Effect. 9.5. [Reserved]. 9.6. ERISA. None of the Company nor any of its ERISA Affiliates shall maintain, contribute to or have any actual or contingent, direct or indirect obligation to maintain or contribute to, any employee benefit plan that is subject to Title I or Title IV of ERISA or section 4975 of the Code. 10. NEGATIVE COVENANTS. The Company covenants that so long as the Notes are outstanding: 10.1. Merger, Consolidation, Disposition of Assets, etc. The Company shall not consolidate with or merge with any other Person, liquidate, wind-up or dissolve itself, or convey, dispose, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its assets in a single transaction or series of transactions to any Person, outside the ordinary course of its business, unless: (a) the successor formed by such consolidation or the survivor of such merger or the Person that acquires by conveyance, disposition, transfer or lease all or substantially all of the assets of the Company as an entirety, as the case may be, shall be a solvent corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United States or any State thereof (including the District of Columbia), and, if the Company is not such corporation, (i) such corporation shall have executed and delivered to each holder of any Note its assumption of the due and punctual performance and observance of each covenant and condition of this Agreement and each Note and (ii) shall have caused to be delivered to the Required Holders an opinion of nationally recognized independent counsel, or other independent counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Required Holders, to the effect that all agreements or instruments 16


 
effecting such assumption are enforceable in accordance with their terms and comply with the terms hereof; (b) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would result therefrom; (c) immediately after giving pro forma effect to such transaction, the successor, survivor or transferee Person shall be in compliance with the financial covenants set forth in Section 11 hereof; (d) the successor, survivor or transferee Person and its Subsidiaries shall be engaged primarily in the business engaged in by the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the Closing Date; and (e) contemporaneously with the closing of such transaction, the Company shall have delivered to the holder of each Note an officers’ certificate stating that such transaction and the requirements of this Section 10.1 have been satisfied. No such transaction or conveyance, disposition, transfer or lease of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company shall have the effect of releasing the Company or any successor corporation that shall theretofore have become such in the manner prescribed in this Section 10.1 from its liability under this Agreement or the Notes. 10.2. Indebtedness. The Company will not, and will not permit its Subsidiaries to, become or remain obligated for any Indebtedness, except: (a) Indebtedness to each holder of a Note; (b) Indebtedness of the Company under Capital Leases for office machinery in existence as of the Closing Date not to exceed in the aggregate $100,000; (c) Indebtedness of the Company arising under the Senior Loan Agreement or any replacement or refinancing thereof in a principal amount not to exceed $10,000,000 in the aggregate; (d) Indebtedness of the Company arising under the Senior Notes; (e) Indebtedness existing as of the Closing Date and listed on Schedule 10.2; (f) Indebtedness (including purchase money indebtedness) incurred in connection with the acquisition, construction or improvement of fixed or capital assets (whether pursuant to a loan or a Capital Lease) in an aggregate amount not 17


 
exceeding $1,000,000 during any single fiscal year of the Company and $3,000,000 in the aggregate during the term of this Agreement at any time outstanding, and any renewals or refinancing of such Indebtedness, on substantially the same terms or terms that are not more burdensome on the Company as in effect on the date of incurrence of such Indebtedness and otherwise in compliance with this Agreement, provided that no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, both before and after giving effect to the incurrence, renewal or refinancing thereof; provided, further, that the principal amount of such renewed or refinanced Indebtedness shall not exceed the principal amount of the Indebtedness so renewed or refinanced and shall in no event exceed the caps set forth above; (g) Indebtedness in respect of Hedging Contracts authorized as required under Section 8.9 of the Senior Loan Agreement and Hedging Contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business related loans from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indiana for interest rate management and not for speculative purposes; (h) Guaranty Obligations to the extent permitted under Section 10.7; (i) Indebtedness incurred in the ordinary course of business with respect to surety and appeal bonds, performance and return-of-money bonds and other similar obligations or to or for the benefit of any Person providing workers’ compensation, health, disability or other employee benefits or property, casualty or liability insurance, all in the ordinary course of business in accordance with customary industry practices, in amounts and for the purposes customary in the Company’s industry; (j) additional unsecured Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries not otherwise described above, not in excess of $1,500,000 in aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding, provided that no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of incurring such Indebtedness or shall result from the incurrence of such Indebtedness; and (k) Loans from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indiana issued or created for the account of the Insurance Subsidiaries. 18


 
10.3. Acquisitions. The Company shall not, and shall cause its Subsidiaries to not, purchase or otherwise acquire, or become obligated for the purchase of all or substantially all of the assets or business interests of any Person, firm or corporation or any shares of stock of any corporation, trusteeship or association or in any other manner effectuate or attempt to effectuate an expansion of present business by acquisition with a purchase price or consideration in excess of $10,000,000; provided, further, that, immediately before and after giving effect to such transaction, (a) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would result therefrom and (b) the Company shall be in pro forma compliance with the financial covenants set forth in Section 11 hereof. 10.4. Restricted Payments. The Company shall not declare or pay any dividends or make any other distribution upon its equity interests if at the time declared or paid or if after giving effect thereto (a) a Default or Event of Default (or event which with the giving of notice or the passage of time or both would constitute an Event of Default) shall have occurred and be continuing or would result therefrom or (b) the Company shall not be in pro forma compliance with the financial covenants set forth in Section 11 hereof. 10.5. Sale-Leaseback Transactions. The Company will not, and will not permit its Subsidiaries to, engage in a sale leaseback, synthetic lease or similar transaction involving any of its assets, in excess of $1,500,000 in the aggregate at any time through the Maturity Date. 10.6. Change in Existing Investment Policies. The Company will not, and will not permit its Subsidiaries to, permit or suffer any material adverse change in its investment policies with respect to cash and marketable securities that would have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company or its Subsidiaries. 10.7. Restriction on Guarantees. The Company will not, and will not permit its Subsidiaries to, enter into any Guaranty of any Indebtedness of any other Person, except (i) by endorsement for deposit in the ordinary course of business, (ii) guarantees of Indebtedness otherwise permitted pursuant to Section 10.2, (iii) any guarantees required by regulatory authorities and (iv) guarantees of Indebtedness of other Persons (including joint ventures) to the extent such indebtedness is permitted hereunder and under the Senior Loan Agreement and such guarantees constitute investments permitted under Section 9.10 of the Senior Loan Agreement. 19


 
10.8. Economic Sanctions, etc. The Company will not, and will not permit any Controlled Entity to (a) become (including by virtue of being owned or controlled by a Blocked Person), own or control a Blocked Person or (b) directly or indirectly have any investment in or engage in any dealing or transaction (including any investment, dealing or transaction involving the proceeds of the Notes) with any Person if such investment, dealing or transaction (i) would cause any holder or any affiliate of such holder to be in violation of, or subject to sanctions under, any law or regulation applicable to such holder, or (ii) is prohibited by or subject to sanctions under any U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws. 11. FINANCIAL COVENANTS. The Company covenants that so long as the Notes are outstanding it will, and will to the extent applicable cause its Subsidiaries to: 11.1. Tangible Net Worth. Maintain as of the end of each fiscal quarter of the Company a Tangible Net Worth of not less than $45,000,000 as of September 30, 2018 and each fiscal quarter thereafter. 11.2. Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio. Commencing with the fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2018, maintain as of the end of each fiscal quarter of the Company a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of not less than 1.25 to 1.0. 11.3. Dividend Paying Capacity. Not permit the Dividend Paying Capacity of any Insurance Subsidiary for any fiscal year to be less than $1,000,000. This Section does not apply to Red Cedar Insurance Company. 11.4. Reinsurance Retentions. Not permit reinsurance contracts to have a greater retention (or deductible) than those in place as of July 1, 2017. 11.5. Risk-Based Capital. Not permit “total adjusted capital” (within the meaning of the Risk-Based Capital for Insurers Model Act as promulgated by the NAIC as of the date of this Agreement (the “Model Act”)) of any of its Insurance Subsidiaries as of the last day of each fiscal year to be less than 300% of the applicable “authorized control level of risk-based capital” (within the meaning of the Model Act) for such Insurance Subsidiary. This Section does not apply to Red Cedar Insurance Company. 20


 
11.6. Consolidated Debt to Capital. Commencing with the fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2018, not permit the ratio of the total Consolidated Indebtedness (excluding from the calculation of Consolidated Indebtedness any loans from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indiana the proceeds of which were used solely to make investments as permitted under Section 9.10(a) of the Senior Loan Agreement and Indebtedness under Hedging Contracts related to such Indebtedness) to the Total Capital to exceed 0.45 to 1.00. For purposes of the foregoing calculation, solely with respect to any revolving credit facility of the Company permitted to be incurred hereunder, only amounts drawn or otherwise outstanding thereunder shall be considered Indebtedness. 12. EVENTS OF DEFAULT. An “Event of Default” shall exist if any of the following conditions or events shall occur and be continuing: (a) the Company defaults in the payment of any principal (or premium, as applicable) on any Note when the same becomes due and payable, whether at maturity or at a date fixed for prepayment or by declaration or otherwise; or (b) the Company defaults in the payment of any interest on any Note for more than five Business Days after the same becomes due and payable; or (c) the Company defaults in the performance of or compliance with any term contained in Section 7.1(d), (e) or (f), Section 9.4, Section 9.5, Section 10, Section 11 or Section 17.7; or (d) the Company defaults in the performance of or compliance with any term contained herein (other than those referred to in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Section 12) and such default is not remedied within 30 days after the earlier of (i) a Responsible Officer obtaining actual knowledge of such default and (ii) the Company receiving written notice of such default from the holder of a Note (any such written notice to be identified as a “notice of default” and to refer specifically to this paragraph (d) of Section 12); or (e) any representation or warranty made in writing by or on behalf of the Company or by any officer of the Company in this Agreement or in any writing fur- nished in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby proves to have been false or incorrect in any material respect on the date as of which made; or (f) (i) the Company or any Subsidiary is in default (as principal or as guarantor or other surety) in the payment of any principal of or premium or make- whole amount or interest on any Indebtedness that is outstanding in an aggregate principal amount of at least $1,500,000 beyond any period of grace provided with respect thereto, or (ii) the Company or any Subsidiary is in default in the per- 21


 
formance of or compliance with any term of any evidence of any Indebtedness in an aggregate outstanding principal amount of at least $1,500,000 or of any mortgage, indenture or other agreement relating thereto or any other condition exists, and as a consequence of such default or condition such Indebtedness has become, or has been declared (or one or more Persons are entitled to declare such Indebtedness to be), due and payable before its stated maturity or before its regularly scheduled dates of payment, or (iii) as a consequence of the occurrence or continuation of any event or condition (other than the passage of time or the right of the holder of Indebtedness to convert such Indebtedness into equity interests) the Company or any Subsidiary has become obligated to purchase or repay Indebtedness before its regular maturity or before its regularly scheduled dates of payment in an aggregate outstanding principal amount of at least $1,500,000 (or its equivalent in the relevant currency of payment); or (g) the Company or any Subsidiary (i) is generally not paying, or admits in writing its inability to pay, its debts as they become due, (ii) files, or consents by answer or otherwise to the filing of a petition against it for relief or reorganization or rehabilitation, conservation, supervision, arrangement, adjustment, winding-up, liquidation, dissolution, composition or other relief with respect to it or its debts or any other petition in bankruptcy, for liquidation or to take advantage of any bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, rehabilitation, moratorium or other similar law of any jurisdiction, (iii) makes an assignment for the benefit of its creditors, (iv) consents to the appointment of a custodian, receiver, trustee or other officer with similar powers with respect to it or with respect to any substantial part of its property, (v) is adjudicated as insolvent or to be liquidated, or (vi) takes corporate action for the purpose of any of the foregoing; or (h) a court of competent jurisdiction or Governmental Authority enters an order appointing, without consent by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, a custodian, receiver, rehabilitator, supervisor, trustee or other officer with similar powers with respect to it or with respect to any substantial part of its property, or constituting an order for relief or approving a petition for relief or reorganization, rehabilitation, conservation, supervision, arrangement, adjustment, winding-up, liquidation, dissolution, composition or other relief with respect to it or its debts or any other petition in bankruptcy or for liquidation or to take advantage of any bankruptcy or insolvency law of any jurisdiction, or ordering the dissolution, winding-up, rehabilitation, liquidation or any similar relief of or with respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any such petition shall be filed against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and such petition shall not be dismissed within 60 days; or (i) a final order, orders, judgment or judgments for the payment of money aggregating in excess of $1,000,000 are rendered against one or more of the Company and its Subsidiaries and which judgments are not, within 30 days after entry thereof, bonded, discharged or stayed pending appeal, or are not discharged within 30 days after the expiration of such stay; 22


 
(j) if any of the Insurance Subsidiaries shall be prohibited by any Regulatory Agency from issuing new insurance policies in any jurisdiction and such prohibition shall have a Material Adverse Effect on such Insurance Subsidiary’s business; or (k) if the operation of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries shall become subject to the control of any Regulatory Agency, other than in the normal course of business. 13. REMEDIES ON DEFAULT. 13.1. Acceleration. (a) If an Event of Default with respect to the Company described in paragraph (g) or (h) of Section 12 (other than an Event of Default described in clause (i) of paragraph (g) or described in clause (vi) of paragraph (g) by virtue of the fact that such clause encompasses clause (i) of paragraph (g)) has occurred, the Notes then outstanding shall automatically become immediately due and payable. (b) If any other Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Required Holders, by notice, may declare the Notes to be immediately due and payable. Upon the Notes becoming due and payable under this Section 13.1, whether automatically or by declaration, the Notes will forthwith mature and the entire unpaid principal amount of the Notes, including any applicable premium, plus all accrued and unpaid interest thereon (including interest accrued thereon at the Default Rate), shall all be immediately due and payable, in each and every case without presentment, demand, protest or further notice, all of which are hereby waived; provided, that for the avoidance of doubt, the amounts contemplated by Section 8.1(a) shall be payable in each case whether or not any payment, prepayment or redemption of the Notes is as a result of any Event of Default, any voluntary, involuntary or automatic acceleration of the Notes and/or the exercise of remedies by any holder thereof; provided, further, such contemplated amount payable shall be presumed to be liquidated damages sustained by each holder of a Note as the result of the early payment and termination and the Company agrees that it is reasonable under the circumstances. 13.2. Other Remedies. If any Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, and irrespective of whether the Notes has become or have been declared immediately due and payable under Section 13.1, each holder of a Note at the time outstanding may proceed to protect and enforce the rights of the holder by an action at law, suit in equity or other appropriate proceeding, whether for the specific performance of any agreement contained herein or in any Note, or for an injunction against a violation of any of the terms hereof or thereof, or in aid of the exercise of any power granted hereby or thereby or by law or otherwise. 23


 
13.3. Rescission. At any time after any Note has been declared due and payable pursuant to Section 13.1, the holder of such Note then outstanding, by written notice to the Company, may rescind and annul any such declaration and its consequences (and such rescission and annulment shall be deemed to occur if such action is approved by the Required Holders) if (a) the Company has paid all overdue interest on such Note and all principal (and premium, as applicable) on such Note that are due and payable and are unpaid other than by reason of such declaration, and all interest on such overdue principal (and premium, as applicable) and (to the extent permitted by applicable law) any overdue interest in respect of such Note, at the Default Rate, (b) all Events of Default and Defaults, other than non-payment of amounts that have become due solely by reason of such declaration, have been cured or have been waived pursuant to Section 19, and (c) no judgment or decree has been entered for the payment of any monies due pursuant hereto or to such Note. No rescission and annulment under this Section 13.3 will extend to or affect any subsequent Event of Default or Default or impair any right consequent thereon. 13.4. No Waivers or Election of Remedies, Expenses, etc. No course of dealing and no delay on the part of the holder of any Note in exercising any right, power or remedy shall operate as a waiver thereof or otherwise prejudice such holder’s rights, powers or remedies. No right, power or remedy conferred by this Agreement or by any Note upon the holder thereof shall be exclusive of any other right, power or remedy referred to herein or therein or now or hereafter available at law, in equity, by statute or otherwise. The Company will pay to the holder of any Note on demand such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover all costs and expenses of the holder incurred in any enforcement or collection under this Section 13, including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees, expenses and disbursements. 14. REGISTRATION; EXCHANGE; SUBSTITUTION OF NOTES. 14.1. Registration of Notes. The Company shall keep at its principal executive office a register for the registration and registration of transfers of Notes. The name and address of each holder of one or more Notes, each transfer thereof and the name and address of each transferee of one or more Notes shall be registered in such register. If any holder of one or more Notes is a nominee, then (a) the name and address of the beneficial owner of such Note or Notes shall also be registered in such register as an owner and holder thereof and (b) at any such beneficial owner’s option, either such beneficial owner or its nominee may execute any amendment, waiver or consent pursuant to this Agreement. Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer, the Person in whose name any Note shall be registered shall be deemed and treated as the owner and holder thereof for all purposes hereof, and the Company shall not be affected by any notice or knowledge to the contrary. The Company shall give to any holder of a Note promptly upon request therefor, a complete and correct copy of the names and addresses of all registered holders of Notes. 24


 
14.2. Transfer and Exchange of Notes. Upon surrender of any Note to the Company at the address and to the attention of the designated officer (all as specified in Section 14.1), for registration of transfer or exchange (and in the case of a surrender for registration of transfer accompanied by a written instrument of transfer duly executed by the registered holder of such Note or such holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing and accompanied by the relevant name, address and other information for notices of each transferee of such Note or part thereof), within 10 Business Days thereafter, the Company shall execute and deliver, at the Company’s expense (except as provided below), one or more new Notes (as requested by the holder thereof) in exchange therefor, in an aggregate principal amount equal to the unpaid principal amount of the surrendered Note. Each such new Note shall be payable to such Person as such holder may request and shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit 1. Each such new Note shall be dated and bear interest from the date to which interest shall have been paid on the surrendered Note or dated the date of the surrendered Note if no interest shall have been paid thereon. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any stamp tax or governmental charge imposed in respect of any such transfer of Notes. Any transferee, by its acceptance of a Note registered in its name (or the name of its nominee), shall be deemed to have made the representation set forth in Section 6.1. 14.3. Replacement of Notes. Upon receipt by the Company at the address and to the attention of the designated officer (all as specified in Section 14.1) of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the ownership of and the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of any Note, the Company at its own expense shall execute and deliver, in lieu thereof, a new Note, dated and bearing interest from the date to which interest shall have been paid on such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Note or dated the date of such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Note if no interest shall have been paid thereon. 15. SURVIVAL OF REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES; ENTIRE AGREEMENT. All representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and each Note, the purchase and the payment of any Note. All statements contained in any certificate or other instrument delivered by or on behalf of the Company pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed representations and warranties of the Company under this Agreement. Subject to the preceding sentence, this Agreement and each Note embodies the entire agreement and understanding between each Purchaser and the Company and supersede all prior agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof. 25


 
16. PAYMENTS ON THE NOTES. 16.1. Place of Payment. Subject to Section 16.2 and the Schedules hereto, payments of principal and interest becoming due and payable on each Note shall be made by the Company to each Purchaser or holder of a Note as set forth on Schedule A hereto or otherwise designated by such Purchaser or holder in writing. 16.2. Interest. Each Note shall bear interest on its principal amount at a rate of 7.5% per annum through and including September 30, 2023, and thereafter shall bear interest on its principal amount at a rate of 12.5% per annum until the Maturity Date. Interest on each Note will be payable quarterly in arrears on the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December of each year, commencing on the last Business Day of December 2018 (each such date, an “Interest Payment Date”), to the holder of each Note at the close of business on such day (whether or not a Business Day), as the case may be. Interest shall at all times be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. 16.3. Deferral of Interest. So long as no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Company shall have the right, at any time and from time to time to defer the payment of interest of each Note for a period of up to four consecutive quarterly interest payment periods (any such quarterly interest period, an “Interest Deferral Period”), during which Interest Deferral Period(s), the Company shall have the right to make no payments or partial payments of interest on any Interest Payment Date. No Interest Deferral Period shall end on a date other than an Interest Payment Date and no Interest Deferral Period shall extend beyond the stated maturity of the principal of the Notes or if such extension would cause the Interest Deferral Period to exceed four fiscal quarters in the aggregate through the Maturity Date. No interest shall be due and payable during an Interest Deferral Period (and during such period the interest otherwise payable shall cease), except at the end thereof. At the end of any such Interest Deferral Period, the Company shall pay all interest then accrued and unpaid on each Note, including during the applicable Interest Deferral Periods. Prior to the termination of any quarterly interest payment period within an Interest Deferral Period, the Company may extend such Interest Deferral Period and further defer the payment of interest through the next quarterly interest payment period; provided that (i) all such previous and further extensions comprising such Interest Deferral Period do not exceed four quarterly interest payment periods in the aggregate through the Maturity Date, (ii) no Interest Deferral Period shall end on a date other than an Interest Payment Date, (iii) no Interest Deferral Period shall extend beyond the stated maturity of the principal of the Notes or if such extension would cause the Interest Deferral Period to exceed four fiscal quarters in the aggregate through the Maturity Date and (iv) no Default or Event of Default has occurred 26


 
and is continuing. Upon the termination of any such Interest Deferral Period and upon the payment of all accrued and unpaid interest then due on any Interest Payment Date, including during the applicable Interest Deferral Periods, the Company may elect to begin a new Interest Deferral Period; provided, that (i) such Interest Deferral Period does not exceed four quarterly interest payment periods in the aggregate through the Maturity Date, (ii) no Interest Deferral Period shall end on a date other than an Interest Payment Date, (iii) no Interest Deferral Period shall extend beyond the stated maturity of the principal of the Notes or if such extension would cause the Interest Deferral Period to exceed four fiscal quarters in the aggregate through the Maturity Date, and (iv) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing. The Company shall notify the holder of each Note to begin any such Interest Deferral Period no later than 10 days prior to the commencement or extension thereof. 17. SUBORDINATION OF THE NOTES. 17.1. Notes Subordinate to Senior Debt. The Company covenants and agrees, and each holder of a Note, by its acceptance thereof, likewise covenants and agrees, that, to the extent and in the manner hereinafter set forth, the payment of the principal of and any premium and interest on each and all of the Notes are hereby expressly made subordinate and subject in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all Senior Debt. “Senior Debt” means (i) the Indebtedness under the Senior Loan Agreement and any amendment, restatement or refinancing thereof, (ii) the Senior Notes and (iii) the principal of and any premium and interest on (including interest accruing on or after the filing of any petition in bankruptcy or for reorganization relating to the Company, whether or not such claim for post-petition interest is allowed in such proceeding) all Indebtedness of the Company, incurred on or after the date of this Agreement and permitted to be incurred hereunder, unless it is provided in the instrument creating or evidencing the same or pursuant to which the same is outstanding that the obligations under such instrument are not superior in right of payment to the Notes issued under this Agreement; provided, however, that the aggregate amount of all Senior Debt under clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) above shall in no event exceed $42,000,000; provided, further, that Senior Debt shall not include: (a) any obligation of the Company to any Subsidiary or any obligation of a Subsidiary to the Company or another Subsidiary; (b) any liability for Federal, state, foreign, local or other taxes owed or owing by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (c) any accounts payable or other liability to trade creditors arising in the ordinary course of business (including guarantees thereof or instruments evidencing such liabilities); (d) Indebtedness to, or guaranteed on behalf of, any director, officer or employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (including amounts owed for compensation); (e) any capital stock or redeemable stock of the Company or its Subsidiaries; (f) any Indebtedness that is expressly subordinate or junior in right of payment to the Notes; or (g) any Indebtedness incurred in violation of this Agreement. Only Indebtedness of the Company that is Senior Debt shall rank senior to the Notes. Each holder of a Note agrees, if requested by the Senior Lender to execute a Subordination Agreement for the benefit of the Senior Lender consistent with the provisions of this Section 17.1. 27


 
17.2. No Payment When Senior Debt in Default; Payment Over of Proceeds Upon Dissolution, Etc. (a) In the event and during the continuation of any default by the Company in the payment of any principal of or any premium or interest on any Senior Debt (following any grace period, if applicable) when the same becomes due and payable, whether at maturity or at a date fixed for redemption or by declaration of acceleration or otherwise, then, upon written notice of such default to the Company and each holder of a Note by the holders of such Senior Debt therefor, unless and until such default shall have been cured or waived or shall have ceased to exist, no direct or indirect payment (in case, property, securities, by set-off or otherwise) shall be made or agreed to be made on account of the principal of or any premium or interest on a Note, or in respect of any redemption, repayment, retirement, purchase or other acquisition of a Note. (b) In the event of a bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar proceeding described in the definition of Event of Default (each such event, if any, herein sometimes referred to as a “Proceeding”), all Senior Debt (including any interest thereon accruing after the commencement of any such proceedings) shall first be paid in full before any payment or distribution, whether in cash, securities or other property, shall be made to any holder of a Note on account thereof. Any payment or distribution, whether in cash, securities or other property (other than securities of the Company or any other entity provided for by a plan of reorganization or readjustment the payment of which is subordinate, at least to the extent provided in these subordination provisions with respect to the Indebtedness evidenced by the Notes, to the payment of all Senior Debt at the time outstanding and to any securities issued in respect thereof under any such plan of reorganization or readjustment), which would otherwise (but for these subordination provisions) be payable or deliverable in respect of the Notes shall be paid or delivered directly to the holders of Senior Debt in accordance with the priorities then existing among such holders until all Senior Debt (including any interest thereon accruing after the commencement of any Proceeding) shall have been paid in full. In the event of any Proceeding, after payment in full of all sums owing with respect to Senior Debt, each holder of a Note, together with the holders of any obligations of the Company ranking on a parity with the Notes, shall be entitled to be paid from the remaining assets of the Company the amounts at the time due and owing on account of unpaid principal of and any premium and interest on the Notes and such other obligations before any payment or other distribution, whether in cash, property or otherwise, shall be made on account of any capital stock or any obligations of the Company ranking junior to the Notes and such other obligations. (c) If, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment or distribution of any character or any security, whether in cash, securities or other property (other than securities of the Company or any other entity provided for by a plan of reorganization or readjustment the payment of which is subordinate, at least to the extent provided in these subordination provisions with respect to the Indebtedness evidenced by the Notes, to the payment of all Senior Debt at the time outstanding and to any securities issued in respect thereof under any such plan of reorganization or readjustment) shall be received by the holder in contravention of any of the terms hereof and before all Senior Debt shall have been paid in full, such 28


 
payment or distribution or security shall be received in trust for the benefit of, and shall be paid over or delivered and transferred to, the holders of the Senior Debt at the time outstanding in accordance with the priorities then existing among such holders for application to the payment of all Senior Debt remaining unpaid, to the extent necessary to pay all such Senior Debt (including any interest thereon accruing after the commencement of any Proceeding) in full. In the event of the failure of the holder of a Note to endorse or assign any such payment, distribution or security, each holder of Senior Debt is hereby irrevocably authorized to endorse or assign the same. (d) Each holder of a Note, at the expense of the Company, shall take such reasonable action (including the delivery of this Agreement to an agent for any holders of Senior Debt or consent to the filing of a financing statement with respect hereto) as may, in the opinion of counsel designated by the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Senior Debt at the time outstanding, be necessary or appropriate to assure the effectiveness of the subordination effected by these provisions, including the execution of a standalone Subordination Agreement. 17.3. Payment Permitted If No Default. Nothing contained herein or elsewhere in this Agreement or in the Notes shall prevent the Company, at any time, except during the pendency of the conditions described above or of any Proceeding, from making payments at any time of principal of and any premium and interest on the Notes. 17.4. Subrogation to Rights of Holders of Senior Debt. Subject to the payment in full of all amounts due or to become due on all Senior Debt, whether in cash, securities or other property, each holder of a Note shall be subrogated to the extent of the payments or distributions made to the holders of such Senior Debt pursuant to the provisions hereof (equally and ratably with the holders of all Indebtedness of the Company that by its express terms is subordinated to Senior Debt of the Company to substantially the same extent as each Note is subordinated to the Senior Debt and is entitled to like rights of subrogation by reason of any payments or distributions made to holders of such Senior Debt) to the rights of the holders of such Senior Debt to receive payments and distributions of cash, property and securities applicable to the Senior Debt until the principal of and any premium and interest on the Notes shall be paid in full. For purposes of such subrogation, no payments or distributions to the holders of the Senior Debt of any cash, property or securities to which each holder of a Note would be entitled except for these subordination provisions, and no payments made pursuant to these subordination provisions to the holders of Senior Debt by the holder of a Note, shall, as among the Company, its creditors other than holders of Senior Debt, and the holder of a Note, be deemed to be a payment or distribution by the Company to or on account of the Senior Debt. 29


 
17.5. Provisions Solely to Define Relative Rights. These subordination provisions are and are intended solely for the purpose of defining the relative rights of each holder of a Note on the one hand and the holders of Senior Debt on the other hand. Nothing contained herein or elsewhere in this Agreement or in the Notes is intended to or shall (a) impair, as between the Company and each holder of a Note, the obligations of the Company, which are absolute and unconditional, to pay to each holder of a Note the principal of and any premium and interest on the Notes as and when the same shall become due and payable in accordance with their terms, (b) affect the relative rights against the Company and each holder of a Note and creditors of the Company other than their rights in relation to the holders of Senior Debt or (c) prevent the holder of a Note from exercising all remedies otherwise permitted by applicable law upon default under this Agreement, including filing and voting claims in any Proceeding, subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of Senior Debt to receive cash, property and securities otherwise payable or deliverable to the holder. 17.6. No Waiver of Subordination Provisions. No right of any present or future holder of any Senior Debt to enforce subordination as herein provided shall at any time in any way be prejudiced or impaired by any act or failure to act on the part of the Company or by any act or failure to act, in good faith, by any such holder, or by any noncompliance by the Company with the terms, provisions and covenants of this Agreement, regardless of any knowledge thereof that the holder may have or be otherwise charged with. Without in any way limiting the generality of the foregoing sentence, the holders of Senior Debt may, at any time and form time to time, without the consent of or notice to the holder of a Note, without incurring responsibility to such holder of a Note and without impairing or releasing the subordination providing herein or the obligations hereunder of the holder of a Note to the holders of Senior Debt, do any one or more of the following (unless in violation of this Agreement): (i) change the manner, place or terms of payment or extend the time of payment of, or renew or alter, Senior Debt, or otherwise amend or supplement in any manner Senior Debt or any instrument evidencing the same or any agreement under which Senior Debt is outstanding, (ii) sell, exchange, release or otherwise deal with any property pledged, mortgaged or otherwise securing Senior Debt, (iii) release any Person liable in any manner for the payment of Senior Debt and (iv) exercise or refrain from exercising any rights against the Company and any other Person. 17.7. Notice to Holders. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the holder of a Note of any fact known to the Company that would prohibit the making of any payment in respect of the Notes. 30


 
17.8. Reliance on Judicial Order or Certificate of Liquidating Agent. Upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Company, each holder of a Note shall be entitled to conclusively rely upon any order or decree entered by any court of competent jurisdiction in which such Proceeding is pending, or a certificate of the trustee in bankruptcy, receiver, liquidating trustee, custodian, assignee for the benefit of creditors, agent or other Person making such payment or distribution, delivered to the holders of the Notes, for the purpose of ascertaining the Persons entitled to participate in such payment or distribution, the holders of the Senior Debt and other Indebtedness of the Company, the amount thereof or payable thereon, the amount or amounts paid or distributed thereon and all other facts pertinent thereto. 18. EXPENSES, ETC. 18.1. Transaction Expenses. Except as otherwise provided herein, each party hereto shall pay its own fees, costs and expenses incurred in connection herewith and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the fees, costs and expenses of its financial advisors, accountants and legal counsel. The Company will pay all reasonable and documented costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees of a single counsel) incurred by the Purchasers and each other holder of a Note in connection with such transactions and in connection with any amendments, waivers or consents under or in respect of this Agreement or the Notes, including, without limitation: (a) the costs and expenses incurred in enforcing or defending (or determining whether or how to enforce or defend) any rights under this Agreement or the Notes or in responding to any subpoena or other legal process or informal investigative demand issued in connection with this Agreement or the Notes, or by reason of being a holder of any Note, (b) the costs and expenses, including financial advisors’ fees, incurred in connection with the insolvency or bankruptcy of the Company or any Subsidiary or in connection with any work-out or restructuring of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Notes and (c) the costs and expenses incurred in connection with the initial filing of this Agreement and all related documents and financial information with a Regulatory Agency provided, that such costs and expenses under this clause (c) shall not exceed $3,000 for each series of Notes and provided further that the reasonable costs and expenses incurred in the diligence, negotiation and execution of this Agreement shall not exceed $50,000. If required by the NAIC, the Company shall obtain and maintain at its own cost and expense a Legal Entity Identifier (LEI). The Company will pay, and will save each Purchaser and each other holder of a Note harmless from, (i) all claims in respect of any fees, costs or expenses, if any, of brokers and finders (other than those, if any, retained by a Purchaser or other holder in connection with its purchase of the Notes) and (ii) any judgment, liability, claim, order, decree, fine, penalty, cost, fee, expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) or obligation resulting from the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any 31


 
Purchaser or holder of Note, be available to the extent that such judgments, liabilities, claims, orders, decrees, fines, penalties, costs, fees, expenses or obligations (x) are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from (i) the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Purchaser or holder of a Note or (ii) a material breach by such Purchaser or holder of a Note of its express obligations under this Agreement or (y) result from claims of any Purchaser or holder of a Note solely against one or more other Purchasers or holders of a Note. 18.2. Certain Taxes. Any and all payments by the Company or on account of the Note shall be made without deduction or withholding for any Taxes, except as required by applicable law. If any applicable law requires (in the good faith determination of the Company) the deduction or withholding of any Taxes from any such payment, then the Company shall (i) make such deduction or withholding, (ii) timely pay the full amount deducted or withheld to the appropriate Governmental Authority, and (iii) if such Taxes are Indemnified Taxes, pay an additional amount so that the total sum each Purchaser receives net of such deduction or withholding (including any deduction or withholding required with respect to additional amounts) equals the sum that Purchaser would have received had no such deduction or withholding been made. Each Purchaser will use commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with the Company to reduce any Taxes required to be deducted or withheld from payments by the Company or on account of the Note. The Company and the Subsidiaries shall jointly and severally indemnify each Purchaser, within 10 days of written demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes paid by such Purchaser on account of the Note or payments thereunder, whether or not such Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. 18.3. Other Taxes. The Company agrees to pay all stamp, documentary or similar Taxes or fees which may be payable in respect of the execution and delivery or the enforcement of this Agreement or the execution and delivery (but not the transfer) or the enforcement of any of the Notes in the United States or any other jurisdiction where the Company has assets or of any amendment of, or waiver or consent under or with respect to, this Agreement or of any of the Notes, and to pay any value added Tax due and payable in respect of reimbursement of costs and expenses by the Company pursuant to this Section 18, and will save each holder of a Note to the extent permitted by applicable law harmless against any loss or liability resulting from nonpayment or delay in payment of any such Tax or fee required to be paid by the Company hereunder. 18.4. Tax Treatment. The parties agree to treat the Note for all U.S. federal income and Code Chapter 3 and 4 purposes as indebtedness. 32


 
18.5. Survival. The obligations of the parties under this Section 18 will survive the payment or transfer of any Note, the enforcement, amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or the Notes, and the termination of this Agreement. 19. AMENDMENT AND WAIVER. 19.1. Requirements. This Agreement and the Notes may be amended, and the observance of any term hereof or of the Notes may be waived (either retroactively or prospectively), with (and only with) the written consent of the Company and the Required Holders. 19.2. Binding Effect, etc. Any amendment or waiver consented to as provided in this Section 19 applies the holders of Notes and is binding upon the holders and upon the Company without regard to whether each such Note has been marked to indicate such amendment or waiver. No such amendment or waiver will extend to or affect any obligation, covenant, agreement, Default or Event of Default not expressly amended or waived or impair any right consequent thereon. No course of dealing between the Company and the holders of the Notes nor any delay in exercising any rights hereunder or under the Notes shall operate as a waiver of any rights of the holders of such Notes. As used herein, the term “this Agreement” and references thereto shall mean this Agreement as it may from time to time be amended or supplemented. 20. NOTICES. All notices and communications provided for hereunder shall be in writing and sent (a) by telecopy if the sender on the same day sends a confirming copy of such notice by a recognized overnight delivery service (charges prepaid), or (b) by registered or certified mail with return receipt requested (postage prepaid), or (c) by a recognized overnight delivery service (with charges prepaid). Any such notice must be sent: (i) if to a Purchaser or its nominee, to such Purchaser or it at the address specified for such communications in Schedule A, or at such other address as such Purchaser or it shall have specified to the Company in writing, (ii) if to the Company, to the Company at its address set forth at the beginning hereof to the attention of Brian Roney, President, or at such other address as the Company shall have specified to the holder of each Note in writing. Notices under this Section 20 will be deemed given only when actually received. 33


 
21. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. For the purposes of this Section 21, “Confidential Information” means in- formation delivered to a Purchaser by or on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary in connection with the transactions contemplated by or otherwise pursuant to this Agreement that is proprietary in nature and that was clearly marked or labeled or otherwise adequately identified when received by a Purchaser as being confidential information of the Company or such Subsidiary, provided that such term does not include information that (a) was publicly known or otherwise known to a Purchaser prior to the time of such disclosure, (b) subsequently becomes publicly known through no act or omission by a Purchaser or any person acting on its behalf, (c) otherwise becomes known to a Purchaser other than through disclosure by the Company or any Subsidiary or (d) constitutes financial statements delivered to a Purchaser under Section 7.1 that are otherwise publicly available. Each Purchaser and each holder will maintain the confidentiality of such Confidential Information in accordance with procedures adopted by a Purchaser in good faith to protect confidential information of third parties delivered to such Purchaser, provided that each Purchaser and each holder may deliver or disclose Confidential Information to (i) its directors, officers, employees, agents, attorneys and affiliates (to the extent such disclosure reasonably relates to the administration of the investment represented by its Note), (ii) its financial advisors and other professional advisors who agree to hold confidential the Confidential Information substantially in accordance with the terms of this Section 21, (iii) any other holder of any Note, (iv) any Institutional Investor to which it may sell or offer to sell such Note or any part thereof or any participation therein (if such Person has agreed in writing prior to its receipt of such Confidential Information to be bound by the provisions of this Section 21), (v) any Person from which it may offer to purchase any security of the Company (if such Person has agreed in writing prior to its receipt of such Confidential Information to be bound by the provisions of this Section 21), (vi) any federal or state regulatory authority having jurisdiction over it, (vii) the NAIC or any similar organization, or any nationally recognized rating agency that requires access to information about its investment portfolio or (viii) any other Person to which such delivery or disclosure may be necessary or appropriate (w) to effect compliance with any law, rule, regulation or order applicable to it, (x) in response to any subpoena or other legal process, (y) in connection with any litigation to which it is a party or (z) if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, to the extent it may reasonably determine such delivery and disclosure to be necessary or appropriate in the enforcement or for the protection of the rights and remedies under its Note and this Agreement. 22. MISCELLANEOUS. 22.1. Successors and Assigns. All covenants and other agreements contained in this Agreement by or on behalf of any of the parties hereto bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns (including, without limitation, any subsequent holder of a Note) whether so expressed or not, except that (x) subject to Section 10.1, the Company may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder or under the Notes without the 34


 
prior written consent of each holder and (y) in the absence of the existence and the continuation of an Event of Default, no Purchaser may assign any of its right, title or interest in and to any Note without the consent of the Company (not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed). Any assignee of the Purchaser or any other holder shall execute a joinder to this Agreement. 22.2. Accounting Terms. All accounting terms used herein which are not expressly defined in this Agreement have the meanings respectively given to them in accordance with GAAP. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, (i) all computations made pursuant to this Agreement shall be made in accordance with GAAP, and (ii) all financial statements shall be prepared in accordance with GAAP. For purposes of determining compliance with this Agreement (including Section 9, Section 10, Section 11 and the definition of “Indebtedness”), any election by the Company to measure any financial liability using fair value (as permitted by Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic No. 825-10-25 – Fair Value Option, International Accounting Standard 39 – Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement or any similar accounting standard) shall be disregarded and such determination shall be made as if such election had not been made. 22.3. Payments Due on Non-Business Days. Anything in this Agreement or the Notes to the contrary notwithstanding, any payment of principal of or interest on the Notes that is due on a date other than a Business Day shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day without including the additional days elapsed in the computation of the interest payable on such next succeeding Business Day. 22.4. Severability. Any provision of this Agreement that is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall (to the full extent permitted by law) not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. 22.5. Construction. Each covenant contained herein shall be construed (absent express provision to the contrary) as being independent of each other covenant contained herein, so that compliance with any one covenant shall not (absent such an express contrary provision) be deemed to excuse compliance with any other covenant. Where any provision herein refers to action to be taken by any Person, or which such Person is prohibited from taking, such provision shall be applicable whether such action is taken directly or indirectly by such Person. Defined terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the 35


 
terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words “include,” “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation.” The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall.” Unless the context requires otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein), (b) subject to Section 22.1, any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns, (c) the words “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder,” and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof, (d) all references herein to Sections and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Sections of, and Schedules to, this Agreement, and (e) any reference to any law or regulation herein shall, unless otherwise specified, refer to such law or regulation as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time. 22.6. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original but all of which together shall constitute one instrument. Each counterpart may consist of a number of copies hereof, each signed by less than all, but together signed by all, of the parties hereto. 22.7. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the rights of the parties shall be governed by, the law of the State of New York excluding choice-of-law principles of the law of such State that would permit or require the application of the laws of a jurisdiction other than such State. 22.8. Jurisdiction and Process; Waiver of Jury Trial. (a) The Company irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of any New York State or federal court sitting in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, over any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the Notes. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Company irrevocably waives and agrees not to assert, by way of motion, as a defense or otherwise, any claim that it is not subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the laying of the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court and any claim that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. (b) The Company agrees, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, that a final judgment in any suit, action or proceeding of the nature referred to in Section 22.8(a) brought in any such court shall be conclusive and binding upon it subject to rights of appeal, as the case may be, and may be enforced in the courts of the United States of America or the State of New York (or any other courts to the jurisdiction of which it or 36


 
any of its assets is or may be subject) by a suit upon such judgment. (c) The Company consents to process being served by or on behalf of any holder of a Note in any suit, action or proceeding of the nature referred to in Section 22.8(a) by mailing a copy thereof by registered, certified, priority or express mail (or any substantially similar form of mail), postage prepaid, return receipt or delivery confirmation requested, to it at its address specified in Section 20 or at such other address of which such holder shall then have been notified pursuant to said Section. The Company agrees that such service upon receipt (i) shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon it in any such suit, action or proceeding and (ii) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be taken and held to be valid personal service upon and personal delivery to it. Notices hereunder shall be conclusively presumed received as evidenced by a delivery receipt furnished by the United States Postal Service or any reputable commercial delivery service. (d) Nothing in this Section 22.8 shall affect the right of any holder of a Note to serve process in any manner permitted by law, or limit any right that the holder of such Note may have to bring proceedings against the Company in the courts of any appropriate jurisdiction or to enforce in any lawful manner a judgment obtained in one jurisdiction in any other jurisdiction. (e) THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY WAIVE TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION BROUGHT ON OR WITH RESPECT TO THIS AGREEMENT, THE NOTES OR ANY OTHER DOCUMENT EXECUTED IN CONNECTION HEREWITH OR THEREWITH. 22.9. No Recourse Against Others. This Agreement, the Notes and the obligations hereunder and thereunder are fully recourse to the Company. No director, officer, employee, incorporator, Affiliate or stockholder of the Company shall have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Notes or this Agreement or for a claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each holder of a Note, by accepting such Note, waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issuance of the Notes. * * * * * 37


 


 
The foregoing is hereby agreed to as of the date hereof. ELANUS CAPITAL INVESTMENTS MASTER SP SERIES 3 By Matthew Moniot Its: Sole Director 38


 
SCHEDULE A INFORMATION RELATING TO PURCHASERS Principal Amount of Name and Address of Purchasers Note to be Purchased Elanus Capital Investments Master SP Series 3 $10,500,000 (1) All payments by wire transfer of immediately available funds to: The Bank of New York Mellon ABA #: 021000018 Account Number 9932228400 Account Name: ELANUS CAP INVS MSTR SP SER 3 with sufficient information to identify the source and application of such funds. (2) All notices of payments and written confirmations of such wire transfers: Address: c/o Elanus Capital Management LLC (the manager) 180 Varick Street Suite 416 New York, NY 10014 Fax: 917-398-5790 Contacts: Matthew Moniot, David Michael and Ling Marquardt Email: mmoniot@elanuscapital.com; dmichael@elanuscapital.com; and lmarquardt@elanuscapital.com (3) All other communications: Address: c/o Elanus Capital Management LLC (the manager) 180 Varick Street Suite 416 New York, NY 10014 Fax: 917-398-5790 Contacts: Matthew Moniot, David Michael and Ling Marquardt Email: mmoniot@elanuscapital.com; dmichael@elanuscapital.com; and lmarquardt@elanuscapital.com 1 Schedule A 25598028


 
SCHEDULE A With a copy to: Andrew J. Young CLIFFORD CHANCE US LLP 31 West 52nd Street New York, NY 10019 Fax: 212-878-8375 Email: andrew.young@cliffordchance.com 2 Schedule A 25598028


 
SCHEDULE B DEFINED TERMS As used herein, the following terms have the respective meanings set forth below or set forth in the Section hereof following such term: “Adverse Development Cover” means the Swiss Re Adverse Development Cover as described in the document “ADC Binding Quote Conifer 2017 08 31. “Affiliate” means, at any time, and with respect to any Person, (a) any other Person that at such time directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries Controls, or is Controlled by, or is under common Control with, such first Person, and (b) any Person beneficially owning or holding, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of any class of voting or equity interests of the Company or any Subsidiary or any Person of which the Company and its Subsidiaries beneficially own or hold, in the aggregate, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of any class of voting or equity interests. As used in this definition, “Control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise. Unless the context otherwise clearly requires, any reference to an “Affiliate” is a reference to an Affiliate of the Company. “Agreement” means this Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement, including all Schedules attached to this Agreement. “Amendment Agreement” is defined in Section 1(c). “Anti-Corruption Laws” means any law or regulation in a U.S. or any non-U.S. jurisdiction regarding bribery or any other corrupt activity, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the U.K. Bribery Act 2010. “Anti-Money Laundering Laws” means any law or regulation in a U.S. or any non-U.S. jurisdiction regarding money laundering, drug trafficking, terrorist- related activities or other money laundering predicate crimes, including the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970 (otherwise known as the Bank Secrecy Act) and the USA PATRIOT Act. “Blocked Person” means (a) a Person whose name appears on the list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons published by OFAC, (b) a Person, entity, organization, country or regime that is blocked or a target of sanctions that have been imposed under U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws or (c) a Person that is an agent, department or instrumentality of, or is otherwise beneficially owned by, controlled by or acting on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any Person, entity, organization, country or regime described in clause (a) or (b). 1 Schedule B 25598028


 
“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which commercial banks in New York City or Detroit, Michigan are required or authorized to be closed. “Capital Lease” means, at any time, a lease with respect to which the lessee is or is required concurrently to recognize the acquisition of an asset and the incurrence of a liability in accordance with GAAP as in effect on the effective date of this Agreement. “Closing” is defined in Section 3. “Closing Date” is defined in Section 3. “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time. “Company” means Conifer Holdings, Inc., a Michigan corporation. “Consolidated Indebtedness” means, as at any date of determination, the aggregate amount of all Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries. “Confidential Information” is defined in Section 21. “Consolidated Net Income” means the net income (or loss) of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries for such period, all as determined in accordance with GAAP. “Controlled Entity” means (a) any of the Subsidiaries of the Company and any of their or the Company’s respective Controlled Affiliates and (b) if the Company has a parent company, such parent company and its Controlled Affiliates. “Default” means an event or condition the occurrence or existence of which would, with the lapse of time or the giving of notice or both, become an Event of Default. “Default Rate” means that rate of interest that is 2% per annum above the rate of interest stated in clause (a) of the first paragraph of each Note. “Disclosure Documents” is defined in Section 5.3. “Dividend Paying Capacity” means for any Insurance Subsidiary for any fiscal quarter end, the greater of (i) net income of such Insurance Subsidiary for the most recent year end or (ii) 10% of Statutory Surplus for such Insurance Subsidiary as of the last day of the most recent quarter end, all as determined in accordance with GAAP or SAP. “Elanus” is defined in Section 1(a). 2 Schedule B 25598028


 
“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time in effect. “ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incor- porated) that is treated as a single employer together with the Company under section 414 of the Code. “Event of Default” is defined in Section 12. “Excluded Taxes” means any of the following Taxes imposed on or with respect to Purchaser or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to Purchaser, (a) Taxes imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated), franchise Taxes, and branch profits Taxes, in each case, (i) imposed as a result of such Purchaser being organized under the laws of, or having its principal office in, the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (or any political subdivision thereof) or (ii) that are Taxes imposed as a result of a present or former connection between Purchaser and the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (other than connections arising from the Purchaser having executed, delivered, become a party to, performed its obligations under, received payments under, received or perfected a security interest under, engaged in any other transaction pursuant to or enforced this Agreement, or sold or assigned an interest in the Note or this Agreement), (b) U.S. federal withholding Taxes imposed on amounts payable to or for the account of Purchaser pursuant to a law in effect on the date on which Purchaser acquires a Note except to the extent that, pursuant to Section 18, amounts with respect to such Taxes were payable to such Purchaser’s assignor immediately before such assignee became a party hereto, (c) Taxes attributable to Purchaser’s failure to provide the Company appropriate Tax forms pursuant to Section 6.2, and (d) any U.S. federal withholding Taxes imposed under FATCA. “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. “Existing Note Purchase Agreement” is defined in the Preamble. “Existing Notes” is defined in Section 1(a). “FATCA” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version), current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof and any agreements entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Code, other official administrative guidance promulgated thereunder, any intergovernmental agreements entered into by the United States in connection with the implementation thereof, and any fiscal or regulatory legislation, rules or official guidance adopted pursuant to such intergovernmental agreement. 3 Schedule B 25598028


 
“Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio” means, as of any date of determination, a ratio, the numerator of which is Consolidated Net Income of the Company less net income from Subsidiaries (to the extent included in Consolidated Net Income when applying the equity basis of accounting, in accordance with GAAP) for the four preceding fiscal quarters ending on such date, plus to the extent deducted in determining Consolidated Net Income, interest expense, depreciation and amortization expenses (only to the extent directly recorded by the Company) for such period, plus the Dividend Paying Capacity of all Insurance Subsidiaries plus dividends received in cash by the Company from its Subsidiaries during such period and the denominator of which is the sum of (A) the amount of all dividends paid by the Company to its shareholders during such period, (B) all scheduled principal and interest payments with respect to the Consolidated Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries during such period and (C) all payments by the Company with respect to Capital Leases during such period; provided that during an Interest Deferral Period, the amount included in clause (B) shall exclude the amount of all deferred interest permitted to be deferred hereunder. “GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles as in effect from time to time in the United States of America. “Governmental Authority” means (a) the government of (i) the United States of America or any State or other political subdivision thereof, or (ii) any jurisdiction in which the Company or any Subsidiary conducts all or any part of its business, or which asserts jurisdiction over any properties of the Company or any Subsidiary, or (b) any entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of, or pertaining to, any such government, including any securities exchange and any self-regulatory organization (including the NAIC). “Governmental Licenses” is defined in Section 5.7 “Guaranty” means, with respect to any Person, any obligation (except the endorsement in the ordinary course of business of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection) of such Person guaranteeing or in effect guaranteeing any indebtedness, dividend or other obligation of any other Person in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, in- cluding (without limitation) obligations incurred through an agreement, contingent or other- wise, by such Person. “Hedging Contract” means any foreign exchange contract, currency swap 4 Schedule B 25598028


 
agreement, futures contract, commodities hedge agreement, interest rate protection agreement, interest rate future agreement, interest rate swap agreement, interest rate cap agreement, interest rate collar agreement, option agreement or any other similar hedging agreement or arrangement entered into by a Person in the ordinary course of business. “Holder” or “holder” means, with respect to each Note, the Person in whose name the Note is registered in the register maintained by the Company pursuant to Section 14.1. “Indebtedness” means, with respect to any Person, (a) all indebtedness for borrowed money (excluding trade liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business and payable in accordance with customary practices) which is evidenced by a note, bond, debenture or similar instrument, (b) all obligations under Capital Leases, (c) all obligations in respect of letters of credit, acceptances or similar obligations issued or created for the account of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries as of such date, other than insurance contracts issued by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business, (d) net obligations in respect of interest rate or currency obligation swaps, hedges or similar arrangements (the amount of any such obligation to be equal at any time to the termination value of such agreement or arrangement giving rise to such obligation that would be payable by such Person at such time), (e) amounts owed as deferred purchase price for the purchase of any property or services (other than trade payables incurred in the ordinary course of business), (f) all indebtedness of others secured by any Lien on property owned or acquired by such Person, whether or not the indebtedness secured thereby has been assumed, (g) all liabilities of Company or any Subsidiary under any securitization, any so-called “synthetic lease” or “tax ownership operating lease” or any other off balance sheet transaction which is the functional equivalent of or takes the place of borrowing but which does not constitute a liability on a balance sheet of such Person, based on the outstanding amount of such liability if it had been structured as a financing on the balance sheet of such Person, (h) all obligations of such Person to purchase, redeem, retire, void or otherwise make any payment in respect of any mandatorily redeemable capital stock, and (i) obligations to guarantee any of the foregoing obligations on behalf of any Person other than the Company and its Subsidiaries; provided that standard trust accounts, deposit requirements or obligations of regulatory agencies and any collateral requirements or obligations of other insurance business partners in the normal course of business shall not constitute Indebtedness. “Indemnified Taxes” means Taxes, other than Excluded Taxes, imposed on or with respect to any payment made by or on account of any obligation of the Company or its Subsidiaries under this Agreement and the Note. “Insurance Licenses” is defined in Section 5.7. “Insurance Regulatory Authority” means, with respect to any Insurance Subsidiary, the insurance department or similar governmental authority charged with 5 Schedule B 25598028


 
regulating insurance companies or insurance holding companies, in its state of domicile and, to the extent that it has regulatory authority over such Insurance Subsidiary, in each other jurisdiction in which such Insurance Subsidiary conducts business or is licensed to conduct business. “Insurance Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Company, the ability of which to pay dividends is regulated by an Insurance Regulatory Authority or that is otherwise required to be regulated thereby in accordance with the applicable insurance rules and regulations of its state of domicile. “Interest Deferral Period” is defined in Section 16.3. “Interest Payment Date” is defined in Section 16.2. “Lien” means, with respect to any Person, any mortgage, lien, pledge, charge, security interest or other encumbrance, or any interest or title of any vendor, lessor, lender or other secured party to or of such Person under any conditional sale or other title retention agreement or Capital Lease, upon or with respect to any property or asset of such Person (including in the case of stock, stockholder agreements, voting trust agreements and all similar arrangements). “Material” means material in relation to the business, operations, affairs, financial condition, assets, properties, or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole. “Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on (a) the busi- ness, financial condition, or assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, or (b) the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement and the Notes, or (c) the validity or enforceability of this Agreement or the Notes. “Maturity Date” is defined in the first paragraph of each Note. “NAIC” means the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or any successor thereto. “Net Worth” means as of any date of determination shareholders’ equity, including all common stock, Preferred Stock and any minority interests of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of such date as determined in accordance with GAAP as in effect on the date of this Agreement. “Note” is defined in Section 1. “OFAC” means the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury. 6 Schedule B 25598028


 
“OFAC Sanctions Program” means any economic or trade sanction that OFAC is responsible for administering and enforcing. A list of OFAC Sanctions Programs may be found at http://www.treasury.gov/resource- center/sanctions/Programs/Pages/Programs.aspx. “Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer or of any other officer of the Company whose responsibilities extend to the subject matter of such certificate. “PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA or any successor thereto. “Permitted Liens” means, with respect to any Person, (A) to the extent incurred in the normal course of business (i) rights of third parties with respect to standard trust accounts, (ii) deposit requirements or similar obligations of regulatory agencies, and (iii) any collateral requirements or obligations of other insurance business partners including the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indiana relating to loans issued to the Insurance Subsidiaries, (B) Liens securing Indebtedness permitted in Section 10.2(b), Section 10.2(c) or Section 10.2(f), (C) Liens for taxes, fees, assessments or other governmental charges which are not past due or remain payable without penalty or which are disputed in good faith and in appropriate proceedings, and for which the Company or a Subsidiary has established adequate reserves therefor in accordance with GAAP on the books of the Company or such Subsidiary, (D) mechanics’, materialmen’s, banker’s, carriers’, warehousemen’s and similar liens and encumbrances arising in the ordinary course of business and securing obligations of such Person that are not overdue for a period of more than sixty (60) days or are disputed in good faith by appropriate proceedings, provided that in the case of any such dispute (i) any proceedings commenced for the enforcement of such liens and encumbrances shall have been duly suspended and (ii) such provision for the payment of such liens and encumbrances has been made in accordance with GAAP on the books of such Person, (E) liens arising in connection with worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance, old age pensions and social security benefits and similar statutory obligations which are not overdue or are disputed in good faith by appropriate proceedings, provided that in the case of any such dispute (i) any proceedings commenced for the enforcement of such liens shall have been duly suspended and (ii) such provision for the payment of such liens has been made in accordance with GAAP on the books of such Person, (F)(i) liens incurred in the ordinary course of business to secure the performance of statutory obligations arising in connection with progress payments or advance payments due under contracts with the United States government or any agency thereof entered into in the ordinary course of business and (ii) liens incurred or deposits made in the ordinary course of business to secure the performance of statutory obligations, bids, leases, fee and expense arrangements with trustees and fiscal agents and other similar obligations (exclusive of obligations incurred in connection with the borrowing of money, any lease-purchase arrangements or the payment of the deferred purchase price of property), provided that full provision for the payment of all such obligations set forth in clauses (i) and (ii) has been 7 Schedule B 25598028


 
made in accordance with GAAP on the books of such Person, (G) minor survey exceptions or minor encumbrances, easements or reservations, or rights of others for rights-of-way, utilities and other similar purposes, or zoning or other restrictions as to the use of real properties, which to not materially interfere with the business of such Person, (H) liens in respect of judgments that do not constitute an Event of Default under clause (i) of Section 12 and (I) other Liens incurred in the ordinary course or which are not material in amount or nature and which do not secure Indebtedness. “Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, association, trust, unincorporated organization, or a government or agency or political subdivision thereof. “Plan” means an “employee benefit plan” (as defined in section 3(3) of ERISA) that is or, within the preceding five years, has been established or maintained, or to which contributions are or, within the preceding five years, have been made or required to be made, by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate or with respect to which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate may have any liability. “Preferred Stock” means any class of capital stock of a corporation that is preferred over any other class of capital stock of such corporation as to the payment of divi- dends or the payment of any amount upon liquidation or dissolution of such corporation. “Proceeding” is defined in Section 17.2(b). “Property” or “Properties” means, unless otherwise specifically limited, real or personal property of any kind, tangible or intangible, choate or inchoate. “Purchaser” or “Purchasers” means each of the purchasers that has executed and delivered this Agreement to the Company and such Purchaser’s successors and assigns (so long as any such assignment complies with Section 22.1), provided, however, that any Purchaser of a Note that ceases to be the registered holder or a beneficial owner (through a nominee) of such Note as the result of a transfer thereof pursuant to Section 14.2 shall cease to be included within the meaning of “Purchaser” of such Note for the purposes of this Agreement upon such transfer. “Registration Statement” means collectively, (i) the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-226778) filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, on August 10, 2018, and each amendment thereto, and (ii) the Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 19, 2018 pursuant to Rule 462(b). “Regulatory Agency” means any state board, commission, department or other regulatory body which regulates insurance companies or insurance holding 8 Schedule B 25598028


 
companies. “Required Holders” means, at any time, the holders of at least 50% of the principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding (exclusive of Notes then owned by the Company or any of its Affiliates). “Responsible Officer” means any Senior Financial Officer and any other officer of the Company with responsibility for the administration of the relevant portion of this Agreement. “SAP” means, with respect to any Insurance Subsidiary, the statutory accounting practices and procedures, prescribed or permitted, by the relevant Insurance Regulatory Authority of its state of domicile. “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time. “Senior Debt” is defined in Section 17.1. “Senior Financial Officer” means the chief financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer or controller of the Company. “Senior Lender” means The Huntington National Bank and any other issuer of Senior Debt. “Senior Loan Agreement” means that certain Credit Agreement dated as of June 21, 2018, between the Company and The Huntington National Bank, as the same may be amended or modified from time to time. “Senior Notes” is defined in Section 1(b). “Solvent” means, with respect to any Person as of any date of determination, that, as of such date, (a) the value of the assets of such Person (both at fair value and present fair saleable value) is greater than the total amount of liabilities (including contingent, unliquidated and probable liabilities) of such Person, (b) such Person is able to pay all liabilities of such Person as such liabilities mature and (c) such Person does not have unreasonably small capital with which to conduct its business. In computing the amount of contingent or unliquidated liabilities at any time, such liabilities shall be computed at the amount that, in light of all the facts and circumstances existing at such time, represents the amount that can reasonably be expected to become an actual or matured liability. “State Sanctions List” means a list that is adopted by any state Governmental Authority within the United States of America pertaining to Persons that engage in investment or other commercial activities in Iran or any other country that is a 9 Schedule B 25598028


 
target of economic sanctions imposed under U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws. “Statutory Surplus” of any Person means the statutory surplus of such Person computed in the manner required for its annual statement of condition and affairs prepared in accordance with SAP. “Subordinated Debt” means all Indebtedness of the Company for borrowed money which is subordinated to the Company’s Indebtedness to the Senior Lender pursuant to a Subordination Agreement. “Subordination Agreements” means the subordination agreements executed from time to time by the Required Holders in favor of the Senior Lender in each case in form and substance acceptable to the Senior Lender and the Required Holders. “Subsidiary” means, as to any Person, any corporation, association or other business entity in which such Person or one or more of its Subsidiaries or such Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries owns sufficient equity or voting interests to enable it or them (as a group) ordinarily, in the absence of contingencies, to elect a majority of the directors (or Persons performing similar functions) of such entity, and any partnership or joint venture if more than a 50% interest in the profits or capital thereof is owned by such Person or one or more of its Subsidiaries or such Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries (unless such partnership can and does ordinarily take major business actions without the prior approval of such Person or one or more of its Subsidiaries). Unless the context otherwise clearly requires, any reference to a “Subsidiary” is a reference to a Subsidiary of the Company. “Tangible Net Worth” means as of any date Net Worth less the Intangible Assets of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries, excluding the cumulative impact to Tangible Net Worth from changes in net unrealized gains or losses from investments since December 31, 2017, and plus the amount of liabilities recorded on the balance sheet attributable to deferred gains from the Adverse Development Cover, all determined as of such date. For purposes of this Agreement, “Intangible Assets” means the amount (to the extent reflected in determining such Net Worth) of goodwill, patents, trademarks, service marks, trade names, customer lists, renewal rights, copyrights, organization, and research and/or developmental expenses. For purposes of this definition, net unrealized gains or losses shall have the meaning as applied in GAAP without giving effect to the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments (Topic 825): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. “Taxes” means all means all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, withholdings (including backup withholding), assessments, fees or other charges imposed by any Governmental Authority, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto. 10 Schedule B 25598028


 
“Total Capital” means (i) the Consolidated Indebtedness plus (ii) Net Worth. “USA PATRIOT Act” means United States Public Law 107-56, Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time in effect. “U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws” means those laws, executive orders, enabling legislation or regulations administered and enforced by the United States pursuant to which economic sanctions have been imposed on any Person, entity, organization, country or regime, including the Trading with the Enemy Act, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the Iran Sanctions Act, the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act and any other OFAC Sanctions Program. 11 Schedule B 25598028


 
EXHIBIT 1 This instrument and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby are subordinate in right of payment to the prior payment in full, in the manner and to the extent set forth in that certain Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement (as amended, restated, amended and restated, modified or supplemented from time to time, the “Note Purchase Agreement”) dated as of September 25, 2018, among Conifer Holdings, Inc. (“Issuer”) and the Purchasers party thereto, to the Senior Debt (as such term is defined in the Note Purchase Agreement) and each holder of this instrument, by its acceptance hereof, irrevocably agrees to be bound by the subordination provisions set forth in the Note Purchase Agreement. [FORM OF NOTE] CONIFER HOLDINGS, INC. 7.5%/12.5% SUBORDINATED NOTE DUE SEPTEMBER 30, 2038 No. [_____] As of September 25, 2018 $[_______] FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned, CONIFER HOLDINGS, INC. (herein called the “Company”), a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Michigan, hereby promises to pay to [____________], or registered assigns, the principal sum of [_____________________] DOLLARS on September 30, 2038 (the “Maturity Date”) with interest (computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Note Purchase Agreement. From and including the date of issuance of this Note interest shall accrue and be payable at a rate of 7.5% per annum through and including September 30, 2023, and thereafter interest shall accrue and be payable at a rate of 12.5% per annum until the Maturity Date. Interest shall be payable quarterly, on the last Business Day of December, March, June and September in each year, commencing with the last Business Day of December 2018, until the principal hereof shall have become due and payable; provided that the Issuer may defer any interest payments due hereunder to the extent (i) permitted by Section 16.3 of the Note Purchase Agreement, and (ii) permitted by law on any overdue payment (including any overdue prepayment) of principal (and any premium due thereon), any overdue payment of interest payable quarterly as aforesaid (or, at the option of the registered holder hereof, on demand) and during the continuance of an Event of Default; provided further that, with respect to any such unpaid amounts during the continuance of Event of Default, interest shall be payable at a rate per annum from time to time equal to 2% per annum greater than the rate otherwise payable hereunder. Payments of principal of and premium and interest on with respect to this 1 25598028


 
Note are to be made in lawful money of the United States of America at [ ] or at such other place as the holder of this Note shall have designated by written notice to the Company as provided in the Note Purchase Agreement referred to below. This Note is issued pursuant to the Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement, dated as of September 25, 2018 (as from time to time amended, the “Note Purchase Agreement”), between the Company and the Purchasers named therein and is entitled to the benefits thereof. This Note is subject to optional prepayment at the times and on the terms specified in the Note Purchase Agreement, but not otherwise. If an Event of Default, as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement, occurs and is continuing, the principal of this Note may be declared or otherwise become due and payable in the manner, at the price and with the effect provided in the Note Purchase Agreement. This Note amends and restates in full that certain 8% Subordinated Note due September 29, 2032, dated as of September 29, 2017, in the original principal amount of $30,000,000, made by the Company in favor of Elanus Capital Investments Master SP Series 3 (the “Prior Note”), and evidences all amounts outstanding thereunder as of the date hereof as well as amounts hereafter incurred as described above, which Prior Note shall, from and after the date hereof, be of no further force and effect. This Note is given in substitution for, and not in payment or satisfaction of, such Prior Note, and is not intended to constitute a novation of the Prior Note. This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the rights of the parties shall be governed by, the law of the State of New York excluding choice-of-law principles of the law of such State that would permit or require the application of the laws of a jurisdiction other than such State. CONIFER HOLDINGS, INC. By_________________________ [Title] 25598028


 
SCHEDULE 5.3 OTHER DOCUMENTS 1. Swiss Re’s “ADC Binding Quote Conifer 2017 08 31” SCHEDULE 5.3 29150461


 
SCHEDULE 5.5 i. LIST OF SUBSIDIARIES Name Jurisdiction of Percentage of Shares Percentage of Shares Organization owned by Conifer owned by Subsidiary Holdings, Inc. American Colonial Florida 100% N/A Insurance Services Conifer Insurance Michigan 100% N/A Company Red Cedar Insurance D.C. 100% N/A Company Sycamore Insurance Michigan 100% 50% ownership of Venture Agency, Inc. Agency Holdings, Inc. and 50% ownership of Channel Oak General Agency, Inc. White Pine Michigan 100% N/A Insurance Company ii. LIST OF AFFILIATES Name Jurisdiction Percentage of Third Party Percentage of Shares of Shares owned Owner owned by Third Party Organization by Sycamore Insurance Agency, Inc. Channel Oak Michigan 50% American 50% General Insurance Agency, Inc. Holdings, LLC Venture Michigan 50% John C. Bures 50% Agency Holdings, Inc. SCHEDULE 5.5 29150461


 
iii. LIST OF COMPANY’S DIRECTORS AND SENIOR OFFICERS Name Title James G. Petcoff Director /Chairman / CEO Brian J. Roney President Nicholas J. Petcoff Director / EVP / Secretary Harold J. Meloche Chief Financial Officer / Treasurer Melina Eichner Controller Bradford T. Lyons Senior Vice President Brian J. Rennell Senior Vice President Claims Andrew D. Petcoff Senior Vice President of Personal Lines Jason E. Brawner Chief Information Officer / CISO Richard J. Fiato Senior Vice President Corporate Legal Rochelle Kaplan-Rudolph Assistant Secretary / Corporate Legal Hilary Petcoff Vice President ERM Jeffrey A. Hakala Director Mark R. McCammon Director Jorge J. Morales Director Isolde G. O'Hanlon Director Joseph D. Sarafa Director Richard J. Williams, Jr. Director SCHEDULE 5.5 29150461


 
SCHEDULE 5.6 LIST OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 1. The Company’s FS 2015 S-1 2. The Company’s FS 2015 10-K 3. The Company’s FS 2016 Q1 10-Q 4. The Company’s FS 2016 Q2 10-Q 5. The Company’s FS 2016 Q3 10-Q 6. The Company’s FS 2016 10-K 7. The Company’s FS 2017 Q1 10-Q 8. The Company’s FS 2017 Q1 Consolidating 9. The Company’s FS 2017 Q2 10-Q 10. The Company’s FS 2017 Q2 Consolidating 11. The Company’s FS 2017 10-K 12. The Company’s FS 2018 Q1 10-Q 13. The Company’s FS 2018 Q2 10-Q 14. Conifer Insurance Company Annual Statutory Statement 2015 15. Conifer Insurance Company Q1 2016 Statutory Statement 16. Conifer Insurance Company Q2 2016 Statutory Statement 17. Conifer Insurance Company Q3 2016 Statutory Statement 18. Conifer Insurance Company Annual Statutory Statement 2016 19. Conifer Insurance Company Q1 2017 Statutory Statement 20. Conifer Insurance Company Q2 2017 Statutory Statement 21. Conifer Insurance Company Annual Statutory Statement 2017 22. Conifer Insurance Company Q1 2018 Statutory Statement 23. Conifer Insurance Company Q2 2018 Statutory Statement 24. White Pine Insurance Company Annual Statutory Statement 2015 25. White Pine Insurance Company Q1 2016 Statutory Statement 26. White Pine Insurance Company Q2 2016 Statutory Statement 27. White Pine Insurance Company Q3 2016 Statutory Statement 28. White Pine Insurance Company Annual Statutory Statement 2016 29. White Pine Insurance Company Q1 2017 Statutory Statement 30. White Pine Insurance Company Q2 2017 Statutory Statement 31. White Pine Insurance Company Annual Statutory Statement 2017 32. White Pine Insurance Company Q1 2018 Statutory Statement 33. White Pine Insurance Company Q2 2018 Statutory Statement SCHEDULE 5.6 29150461


 
SCHEDULE 5.15 PERMITTED LIENS JURISDICTION DATE FILED FILE NUMBER DEBTOR SECURED PARTY COLLATERAL/STATUS Conifer Holdings, Inc. Michigan Department 1/2/14 2014000581-1 Conifer Holdings, Inc. U.S. Bank Equipment 1 Copiers E656 SCZIC16516; 1 of State Finance, a division of Copiers E3055C SC7KC34685; U.S. Bank National 1 Copiers-CPC E3055C Association SC7KC34685-C; together with all replacements, parts, etc. Michigan Department 6/30/14 2014095192-9 Conifer Holdings, Inc. NEC Financial Dell Server together with all of State Services, LLC accessories, additions and attachments, etc. Michigan Department 10/10/14 2014147336-8 Conifer Holdings, Inc. U.S. Bank Equipment 1 Copiers ESTUDIO3055C of State Finance SC7FD69418; 1 Copiers-CPC ESTUDIO3055C SC7FD69418- C; together with all replacements, parts, etc. Michigan Department 3/17/15 2015036123-5 Conifer Holdings, Inc. U.S. Bank Equipment 1 Copiers E1105 JFJD10335; of State Finance together with all replacements, parts, etc. Michigan Department 11/2/15 2015152363-4 Conifer Holdings, Inc. U.S. Bank Equipment 1 Copiers E5560CG of State Finance SSLD900175; 1 Copiers-CPC E5560CG SSLD900175-C; together with all replacements, parts, etc. Michigan Department 8/31/16 20160908000774-6 Conifer Holdings, Inc. U.S. Bank Equipment 1 Copiers E5055AC of State Finance SCFGF42184; 1 Copiers SCHEDULE 5.15 29150461


 
JURISDICTION DATE FILED FILE NUMBER DEBTOR SECURED PARTY COLLATERAL/STATUS E5055AC SCFGF42126; 1 Copiers-CPC E5055AC SCFGF42184-C; 1 Copiers-CPC E5055AC SCFGF42126-C; together with all replacements, parts, etc. Michigan Department 12/18/17 20171218000834-7 Conifer Holdings, Inc. NEC Financial (41) Dell Precision 5000 Series of State Services, LLC Laptops, (24) DELL Optiplex 7050 Micro PCs, (55) Microsoft Office 2016 Pro Plus Licenses together with all accessories, additions and attachments thereto, etc. Michigan Department 1/30/18 20180130001094-9 Conifer Holdings, Inc. U.S. Bank Equipment 1 Copiers E6506act of State Finance SCHKG23465; 1 Copiers0CPC E6506ACT SCHKG23465-C; 1 Copiers E8508A SCIKG24499; together with all replaces, parts, etc. SCHEDULE 5.13 29150461


 
SCHEDULE 10.2 LIST OF ALL OUTSTANDING INDEBTEDNESS None. SCHEDULE 10.2 29150461


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Exhibit 21.1

Subsidiaries of Conifer Holdings, Inc.
 
 
 
Subsidiary
 
State of Formation
Conifer Insurance Company
 
Michigan
Red Cedar Insurance Company
 
District of Columbia
Sycamore Insurance Agency
 
Michigan
White Pine Insurance Company
 
Michigan
Venture Agency Holdings, Inc. (50% ownership)
 
Michigan





Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the incorporation by reference in Registration Statement No. 333-206355 on Form S-8 and Registration Statement No. 333-226778 on Form S-1 of our report dated March 13, 2019, relating to the consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedules of Conifer Holdings, Inc., appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Conifer Holdings, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2018.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
Detroit, MI
March 13, 2019






Exhibit 31.1

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S 302 CERTIFICATION

I, James G. Petcoff, certify that:

1.    I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Conifer Holdings, Inc.;

2.    Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.    Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.    The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

(a)    Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b)    Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c)    Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(d)    Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5.    The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s Board of Directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a)    All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b)    Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date: March 13, 2019

/s/ James G. Petcoff
 
James G. Petcoff
 
Chief Executive Officer
(principal executive officer)
 





Exhibit 31.2

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER’S 302 CERTIFICATION

I, Harold J. Meloche, certify that:

1.    I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A of Conifer Holdings, Inc.;

2.    Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.    Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.    The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

(a)    Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b)    Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c)    Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(d)    Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5.    The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s Board of Directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a)    All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b)    Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date: March 13, 2019

/s/ Harold J. Meloche
 
Harold J. Meloche
 
Chief Financial Officer
(principal financial officer)
 





Exhibit 32.1

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Annual Report of Conifer Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, James G. Petcoff, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

1.
The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

2.
The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

Date: March 13, 2019

/s/ James G. Petcoff
 
James G. Petcoff
 
Chief Executive Officer
 





Exhibit 32.2

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Annual Report of Conifer Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2018, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Harold J. Meloche, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

1.
The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

2.
The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

Date: March 13, 2019

/s/ Harold J. Meloche
 
Harold J. Meloche
 
Chief Financial Officer