MGIC INVESTMENT CORP (MTG) FY 2021 MD&A

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

INTRODUCTION

As used below, “we” and “our” refer to MGIC Investment Corporation’s consolidated operations or to MGIC Investment Corporation, as a separate entity, as the context requires. References to "we" and "our" in the context of debt obligations refer to MGIC Investment Corporation. See the "Glossary of terms and acronyms" for definitions and descriptions of terms used throughout this annual report. The Risk Factors contained in Item 1A discuss trends and uncertainties affecting us and are an integral part of the MD&A.

The following is a discussion and analysis of the financial conditions and results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, including comparisons between 2021 and 2020. Comparisons between 2020 and 2019 have been omitted from this Form 10-K, but can be found in "Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the SEC.

Forward Looking and Other Statements

As discussed under “Forward Looking Statements and Risk Factors” in Item 1A of Part 1 of this Report, actual results may differ materially from the results contemplated by forward looking statements. We are not undertaking any obligation to update any forward looking statements or other statements we may make in the following discussion or elsewhere in this document even though these statements may be affected by events or circumstances occurring after the forward looking statements or other statements were made. Therefore, no reader of this document should rely on these statements being current as of any time other than the time at which this document was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

OVERVIEW

This Overview of the MD&A highlights selected information and may not contain all of the information that is important to readers of this Annual Report. Hence, this Overview is qualified by the information that appears elsewhere in this Annual Report, including the other portions of the MD&A.

Through our subsidiary, MGIC, we are a leading provider of PMI in the United States, as measured by $274.4 billion of primary IIF on a consolidated basis at December 31, 2021.

(1)See "Explanation and Reconciliation of our use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures."

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SUMMARY OF 2021 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Net income of $635.0 million for 2021 increased by $188.9 million when compared to the prior year, and diluted income per share of $1.85 increased by 43% when compared to the prior year. These increases primarily reflect a decrease in losses incurred, partially offset by increases in the provision for income taxes, other underwriting and operating expenses, net, and loss on debt extinguishment.

Diluted income per share increased due to a an increase in net income and a decrease in the number of diluted weighted average shares outstanding.

Adjusted net operating income for 2021 was $658.6 million (2020: $456.8 million) and adjusted net operating income per diluted share was $1.91 (2020: $1.32). Adjusted net operating income for 2021 and 2020 included adjustments for a loss on debt extinguishment and net realized investment gains.

Losses incurred, net were $64.6 million, compared to $364.8 million the prior year. The decrease reflects fewer delinquency notices in 2021 compared with 2020 which was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant macroeconomic environment.

The decrease in losses incurred in 2021 was also due to favorable loss reserve development of $60.0 million primarily due to a decrease in the estimated claim rate on pre-COVID and peak COVID delinquencies (those that occurred in the second and third quarters of 2020). The favorable loss reserve development was offset by the recognition of a probable loss of $6.3 million related to litigation of our claims paying practice. In 2020 we experienced adverse loss reserve development of $19.6 million primarily due to an increase in the estimate of claim severity.

The increase in our provision for income taxes to $166.8 million in 2021 compared to $113.2 million in 2020 was primarily due to an increase in income before tax. Our effective tax rate for 2021 was 20.8% compared to 20.2% for 2020.

Other operating and underwriting expenses, net increased to $198.4 million in 2021 from $176.4 million in 2020 primarily due to increases in professional and consulting services, offset by an increase in ceding commissions.

We recorded a loss on debt extinguishment of $36.9 million in 2021 associated with the repurchase of a portion of our 9% Debentures and $26.7 million in 2020 associated with the repurchases of a portion of each of our 5.75% Notes and our 9% Debentures.

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Economic conditions

Low interest rates, increasing household formations and appreciating home values supported favorable housing trends in 2021. These factors contributed to an increase in home purchase activity in 2021, after a strong 2020. Refinance activity was also robust during 2021, but decreased throughout the year. The continued favorable housing trends resulted in an increase in our NIW, from $120.2 billion in 2021 when compared to $112.1 billion in 2020.

While uncertain, the COVID-19 pandemic may adversely impact our future financial results, business, liquidity and/or financial

condition. The magnitude of the impact will be influenced by various factors, including the length and severity of the pandemic in the United States, efforts to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, the level of unemployment, and the impact of government initiatives and actions taken by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the "GSEs") (including mortgage forbearance and modification programs) to mitigate the economic harm caused by COVID-19.

The level of unemployment, interest rates, and home prices may change in the future. For the possible effects of such changes, see our risk factors titled "If the volume of low down payment home mortgage originations declines, the amount of insurance that we write could decline,” “Downturns in the domestic economy or declines in home prices may result in more homeowners defaulting and our losses increasing, with a corresponding decrease in our returns,” “Changes in interest rates, house prices or mortgage insurance cancellation requirements may change the length of time that our policies remain in force," and "The COVID-19 pandemic may materially impact our financial results, business, liquidity, and/or financial condition."

Mortgage insurance market

The past several years of favorable housing fundamentals and in our view, favorable risk characteristics of our recently insured loans contributed to a growing insurance in force.

The percentage of our NIW with DTI ratios over 45% and LTV's over 95% increased slightly in 2021 compared with 2020. The increase was primarily driven by an increase in home price appreciation and an increase in purchase activity with a corresponding decrease in refinance activity.

Refer to "Mortgage Insurance Portfolio" for additional discussion of changes in our NIW mix during 2020.

Competition

PMI. The private mortgage insurance industry is highly competitive and is expected to remain so. We believe that we currently compete with other private mortgage insurers based on premium rates, underwriting requirements, financial strength (including based on credit or financial strength ratings), customer relationships, name recognition, reputation, strength of management teams and field organizations, the ancillary products and services provided to lenders and the effective use of technology and innovation in the delivery and servicing of our mortgage insurance products.

Pricing practices

In recent years, the industry has materially reduced its use of standard rate cards, which were fairly consistent among competitors, and correspondingly increased its use of (i) "risk-based pricing systems" that use a spectrum of filed rates to allow for formulaic, risk-based pricing based on multiple attributes that may be quickly adjusted within certain parameters, and (ii) customized rate plans, both of which typically have rates lower than the standard rate card. Our increased use of reinsurance over the past several years, and the improved credit profile and reduced loss expectations associated with loans insured after 2008, have helped to mitigate the negative effect of declining premium rates on our expected returns. We expect our direct premium yield to continue to decline as older policies with higher premium rates run off, and are replaced with new insurance policies, which generally have lower premium rates.

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For information about competition in the private mortgage insurance industry, see our risk factor titled “Competition or changes in our relationships with our customers could reduce our revenues, reduce our premium yields and/or increase our losses" in Item 1A.

GSE Risk Share Transactions

In 2018, the GSEs initiated secondary mortgage market programs with loan level mortgage default coverage provided by various (re)insurers that are not mortgage insurers governed by PMIERs, and that are not selected by the lenders. Due to differences in policy terms, these programs may offer premium rates that are below prevalent single premium LPMI rates. While we view these programs as competing with traditional private mortgage insurance, we participate in these programs from time to time.

The GSEs (and other investors) have also used other forms of credit enhancement that did not involve traditional private mortgage insurance, such as engaging in credit-linked note transactions executed in the capital markets, or using other forms of debt issuances or securitizations that transfer credit risk directly to other investors, including competitors and an affiliate of MGIC; using other risk mitigation techniques in conjunction with reduced levels of private mortgage insurance coverage; or accepting credit risk without credit enhancement.

Government programs. PMI also competes against government mortgage insurance programs such as the FHA, VA, and USDA, primarily for lower FICO score business. The combined market share of primary mortgage insurance written by government programs continues to exceed that written by PMI in 2020 and 2021. The strong refinance markets in 2020 and 2021, and PMI premium rate reductions, have contributed to a PMI market share consistent with 2018 and 2019, which were at its highest levels since the financial crisis.

Refer to "Mortgage Insurance Portfolio" for additional discussion of the 2021 business environment and the impact it had on operating measures including NIW, IIF and RIF.

PMIERs

We operate under the requirements of the PMIERs of the GSEs in order to insure loans delivered to or purchased by them. The PMIERs include financial requirements as well as business, quality control and certain transactional approval requirements. The financial requirements of the PMIERs require a mortgage insurer’s "Available Assets" (generally only the most liquid assets of an insurer) to equal or exceed its "Minimum Required Assets" (which are based on an insurer's book of risk in force, calculated from tables of factors with several risk dimensions, reduced for credit given for risk ceded under reinsurance transactions, and subject to a floor amount). Based on our application of the more restrictive PMIERs, MGIC's Available Assets under PMIERs totaled $5.7 billion, an excess of $2.2 billion over its Minimum Required Assets at December 31, 2021.

BUSINESS OUTLOOK FOR 2022

Our outlook for 2022 should be viewed against the backdrop of the business environment discussed above.

NIW

Our NIW is affected by total mortgage originations, the percentage of total mortgage originations using private mortgage insurance (the "PMI penetration rate"), and our market share within the PMI industry. As of January 2022, the total mortgage origination forecasts from the GSEs and MBA indicate average mortgage originations of $3.1 trillion in 2022, compared to an average estimated $4.4 trillion in 2021. Purchase originations are expected to increase in 2022, compared to 2021, while refinance transactions are expected to decrease. As a result of the decrease in forecasted mortgage originations, we are expecting NIW to be lower in 2022 compared to 2021. The reduction will be driven primarily by a decrease in refinance activity.

The widespread use of risk based pricing systems by the PMI industry makes it more difficult to compare our rates to those offered by our competitors. We may not be aware of industry rate changes until we observe that our volume of NIW has changed. In addition, business under customized rate plans is awarded by certain customers for only limited periods of time. As a result, our NIW may fluctuate more than it had in the past.

IIF

Our IIF increased 11.3% in 2021. We expect our IIF to grow in 2022, but at a slower rate than what we experienced in 2021. Our book of IIF is an important driver of our future revenues, and its growth is driven by our ability to generate NIW and retain existing policies in force, as measured by our persistency. Interest rates influence both our NIW and persistency. Generally speaking, in a rising rate environment, total mortgage originations may decline; however, absent material accumulated home price appreciation since the issuance of a policy, we would also expect policy cancellation rates to decline, and in turn increase persistency, although the impact generally lags the change in interest rates. The Federal Reserve has indicated that interest rates may increase in 2022 and home price appreciation is expected to slow in 2022 when compared to the record highs of 2021.

Results of operations

Premiums. Despite an increase in IIF, we expect our 2022 earned premiums (on a direct basis) to be lower than they were in 2021. Overall, our premium rates have been trending down in recent years, including in 2021, as the books of business written at lower rates represent an increasing percentage of our total IIF.

Our 2022 net premiums written are expected to be comparable to 2021, while our net premiums earned are expected to decrease in 2022. Our net premiums written and earned will be impacted by the downward trend in premium rates noted above and by the amount of premiums we cede under our quota share and excess of loss reinsurance transactions, offset by an increase in IIF. Net premiums earned are also impacted by the amount of accelerated premiums from single premium policy cancellations, which generally decrease as refinance activity decreases. Our unearned premium decreased to $241.7 million at December 31, 2021 from $287.1 million at December 31, 2020. The amount of profit commission we receive, which reduces the amount of premiums we cede, is variable year-to-year and is dependent on the amount of losses ceded. The amount of premiums we cede in 2022 will be affected by any changes in our reinsurance coverage.

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Factors that affect the amount of premiums we earn from our IIF are further discussed in our "Consolidated Results of Operations - Premium yield."

Investment income. Net investment income is a material contributor to our results of operations. We expect net investment income in 2022 to be comparable to 2021. The amount of investment income will be impacted by the change in the yield we can earn on investments and the level of invested assets. The level of invested assets will primarily be impacted by the amount of cash we expect to use in financing activities relative to our cash from operations. The magnitude of any change in our invested asset level will be subject to the timing of our financing activities.

Losses. Losses incurred, net in 2021 were $64.6 million, a decrease of $300.2 million over the prior year losses incurred of $364.8 million. The decrease reflects fewer delinquency notices received in 2021 compared with 2020 which was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The decrease was also due to favorable loss reserve development of $60.0 million recognized in 2021 compared to adverse loss development of $19.6 million in 2020. Through December 31, 2021, our re-estimation of reserves resulted in favorable development on pre-COVID and peak COVID delinquencies as a result of a decrease in the estimated claim rate on those delinquencies. In 2020, we experienced adverse loss development of $19.6 million primarily related to an increase in the estimate of claim severity.

We expect our delinquency inventory to continue to decrease in 2022, but at a slower rate than what we experienced in 2021. As foreclosure moratoriums and forbearance plans end, we expect to see an increase in claims received and claims paid.

Underwriting and operating expenses, net. We expect underwriting and operating expenses, net to increase in 2022 as we invest in our technology and data and analytics infrastructure to execute our strategies.

Income taxes. We expect our 2022 effective tax rate to be approximately 21%.

CAPITAL

MGIC dividend payments to our holding company

The ability of MGIC to pay dividends is restricted by insurance regulation. Amounts in excess of prescribed limits are deemed “extraordinary” and may not be paid if disapproved by the OCI. A dividend is extraordinary when the proposed dividend amount, plus dividends paid in the twelve months preceding the dividend payment date exceed the ordinary dividend level. At December 31, 2021 MGIC could pay $122 million of ordinary dividends without OCI approval, before taking into consideration dividends paid in the preceding twelve months. In 2021 and 2020, MGIC paid a cash and/or investment security dividend of $400 million and $390 million, respectively, to our holding company. In 2020 MGIC distributed to the holding company, as a dividend, its ownership in $133 million of the holding company’s 9% Debentures. Future dividend payments from MGIC to the holding company will continue to be determined in consultation with the board.

Share repurchase programs

Repurchases may be made from time to time on the open market (including through 10b5-1 plans) or through privately negotiated transactions. The repurchase programs may be suspended for periods or discontinued at any time. After suspending stock repurchases due to the COVID 19 pandemic, we repurchased approximately 19.0 million in the second half of 2021 using approximately $291 million of holding company resources. Prior to the COVID 19 pandemic, we repurchased approximately 9.6 million shares of our common stock in the first quarter of 2020 using approximately $120 million of holding company resources. As of December 31, 2021, we had $500 million of authorization remaining to repurchase our common stock through the end of 2023 under a share repurchase program approved by our Board of Directors in October 2021.

The following table shows details of our share repurchase programs.

As of December 31, 2021, we had approximately 320,336 million shares of common stock outstanding.

Dividends to shareholders

In the first and second quarters of 2021, we paid quarterly cash dividends of $0.06 per share to shareholders which totaled $41.1 million. In the third and fourth quarters of 2021, we paid a quarterly cash dividend of $0.08 per share which totaled $53.6 million. On January 25, 2022, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend to holders of the company's common stock of $0.08 per share payable on March 2, 2022, to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 16, 2022.

For information about how the payment of dividends by our holding company will result in an adjustment to the conversion rate and price of our convertible securities, see our risk factor titled “Your ownership in our company may be diluted by additional

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capital that we raise or if the holders of our outstanding convertible debt convert that debt into shares of our common stock” in Item 1A.

GSEs

We must comply with a GSE's PMIERs to be eligible to insure loans delivered to or purchased by that GSE. The PMIERs include financial requirements, as well as business, quality control and certain transaction approval requirements. The financial requirements of the PMIERs require a mortgage insurer’s “Available Assets” (generally only the most liquid assets of an insurer) to equal or exceed its “Minimum Required Assets” (which are generally based on an insurer’s book of risk in force and are calculated from tables of factors with several risk dimensions, reduced for credit given for risk ceded under reinsurance transactions).

The PMIERs generally require us to hold significantly more Minimum Required Assets for delinquent loans than for performing loans and the Minimum Required Assets required to be held increases as the number of payments missed on a delinquent loan increases.

If MGIC ceases to be eligible to insure loans purchased by one or both of the GSEs, it would significantly reduce the volume of our NIW, the substantial majority of which is for loans delivered to or purchased by the GSEs. In addition to the increase in Minimum Required Assets associated with delinquent loans, factors that may negatively impact MGIC’s ability to continue to comply with the financial requirements of the PMIERs include the following:

Our reinsurance transactions enable us to earn higher returns on our business than we would without them because they reduce the Minimum Required Assets we must hold under PMIERs. However, reinsurance may not always be available to us; or available on similar terms, and our quota share reinsurance subjects us to counterparty credit risk. The calculated credit for excess of loss reinsurance transactions under PMIERs is generally based on the PMIERs requirement of the covered loans and the attachment and detachment point of the coverage. PMIERs credit is generally not given for the reinsured risk above the PMIERs requirement. Our existing reinsurance transactions are subject to periodic review by the GSEs and there is a risk we will not receive our current level of credit in future periods for the risk ceded under them. In addition, we may not receive the same level of credit under future transactions that we receive under existing transactions.

State Regulations

The insurance laws of 16 jurisdictions, including Wisconsin, our domiciliary state, require a mortgage insurer to maintain a minimum amount of statutory capital relative to its RIF (or a similar measure) in order for the mortgage insurer to continue to write new business. We refer to these requirements as the “State Capital Requirements.” While they vary among jurisdictions, the most common State Capital Requirements allow for a maximum risk-to-capital ratio of 25 to 1. A risk-to-capital ratio will increase if (i) the percentage decrease in capital exceeds the percentage decrease in insured risk, or (ii) the percentage increase in capital is less than the percentage increase in insured risk. Wisconsin does not regulate capital by using a risk-to-capital measure but instead requires a MPP. MGIC's "policyholder position" includes its net worth or surplus and its, contingency reserve.

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At December 31, 2021, MGIC’s risk-to-capital ratio was 9.5 to 1, below the maximum allowed by the jurisdictions with State Capital Requirements, and its policyholder position was $3.4 billion above the required MPP of $1.9 billion. Our risk-to-capital ratio and MPP reflect full credit for the risk ceded under our reinsurance transactions. It is possible that under the revised State Capital Requirements discussed below, MGIC will not be allowed full credit for the risk ceded under such transactions. If MGIC is not allowed an agreed level of credit under either the State Capital Requirements or the PMIERs, MGIC may terminate the reinsurance transactions, without penalty. At this time, we expect MGIC to continue to comply with the current State Capital Requirements; however, refer to our risk factor titled “State capital requirements may prevent us from continuing to write new insurance on an uninterrupted basis” in Item 1A for more information about matters that could negatively affect such compliance.

At December 31, 2021, the risk-to-capital ratio of our combined insurance operations (which includes a reinsurance affiliate) was 9.5 to 1.

The NAIC previously announced plans to revise the minimum capital and surplus requirements for mortgage insurers that are provided for in its Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Model Act. In 2019, a working group of state regulators released an exposure draft of a revised Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Model Act and a risk-based capital framework to establish capital requirements for mortgage insurers, although no date has been established by which the NAIC must propose revisions to the capital requirements and certain items have not yet been completely addressed by the framework, including the treatment of ceded risk and minimum capital floors.

GSE REFORM

The FHFA has been the conservator of the GSEs since 2008 and has the authority to control and direct their operations. The increased role that the federal government has assumed in the residential housing finance system through the GSE conservatorship may increase the likelihood that the business practices of the GSEs change, including through administrative action, in ways that have a material adverse effect on us and that the charters of the GSEs are changed by new federal legislation.

As a result of the 2021 change in the Presidential Administration, the June 2021 appointment of a new Acting Director of the FHFA who has also been nominated to become the full-time Director, and the 2021 U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows the President to remove the FHFA Director at will, it is uncertain what role the GSEs, FHA and private capital, including private mortgage insurance, will play in the residential housing finance system in the future. The timing and impact on our business of any resulting changes is uncertain. Many of the proposed changes would require Congressional action to implement and it is difficult to estimate when Congressional action would be final and how long any associated phase-in period may last.

For additional information about the business practices of the GSEs, see our risk factor titled “Changes in the business practices of the GSEs, federal legislation that changes their charters or a restructuring of the GSEs could reduce our revenues or increase our losses” in Item 1A.

COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 pandemic had a material impact on our 2020 financial results. While uncertain, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s future business, financial results, liquidity and/or financial condition may also be material. The magnitude of the impact will be influenced by various factors, including the length and severity of the pandemic in the United States, efforts to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, the level of unemployment, and the impact of government initiatives and actions taken by the GSEs (including mortgage forbearance and modification programs) to mitigate the economic harm caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In certain circumstances, the servicer of a loan may be unable to contact the borrower regarding an extension of the forbearance plan and it will expire without being extended. A delinquent mortgage for which the borrower was unable to be contacted and that is not in a forbearance plan may be more likely to result in a claim than a delinquent loan in a forbearance plan. The substantial majority of our NIW was delivered to or purchased by the GSEs. While servicers of some non-GSE loans may not be required to offer forbearance to borrowers, we allow servicers to apply GSE loss mitigation programs to non-GSE loans. In addition, the CFPB requires substantial loss mitigation efforts be made prior to servicers initiating foreclosure, therefore, servicers of non-GSE loans may have an incentive to offer forbearance or deferment.

Historically, forbearance plans have reduced the incidence of our losses on affected loans. However, given the uncertainty surrounding the long-term economic impact of COVID-19, it is difficult to predict the ultimate effect of COVID-19 related forbearances on our loss incidence. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, 33% and 62% of our delinquency inventory was reported to us as in forbearance plans, respectively. Whether a loan's delinquency will cure, including through modification, when its forbearance plan ends will depend on the economic circumstances of the borrower at that time. The severity of losses associated with loans whose delinquencies do not cure will depend on economic conditions at that time, including home prices.

The GSEs have introduced specific loss mitigation options for borrowers impacted by COVID-19 when their forbearance plans end, including the COVID-19 Payment Deferral solution for borrowers who are unable to immediately or gradually repay their missed loan payments. Under the COVID-19 Payment Deferral solution, the borrower's monthly loan payment would be returned to its pre-COVID amount and the missed payments would be added to the end of the mortgage term without accruing any additional interest or late fees. The deferred payments would be due when the loan is paid off, refinanced or the home is sold.

The foreclosure moratoriums and forbearance plans in place under the GSE initiatives have delayed the receipt and payment of claims. Foreclosures on mortgages purchased or securitized by the GSEs were suspended through July 31, 2021. Under a CFPB rule that was effective through December 31, 2021, with limited exceptions, servicers were required to ensure that at least one temporary procedural safeguard had been met before referring 120-day delinquent loans for foreclosure. With the expiration of the CFPB rule, it is likely that foreclosures and claims will increase.

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FACTORS AFFECTING OUR RESULTS

As noted above, the COVID-19 pandemic may adversely affect our future business, results of operations, and financial condition. The extent of the adverse effects will depend on the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ultimate effect of COVID-19 related delinquencies and forbearances on our loss incidence, and the effect of the pandemic on the U.S. economy and housing market. We have addressed some of the potential impacts throughout this document.

The future effects of changing climatic conditions on our business is uncertain. For information about possible effects, please refer to our Risk Factor titled “Pandemics, hurricanes and other natural disasters may impact our incurred losses, the amount and timing of paid claims, our inventory of notices of default and our Minimum Required Assets under PMIERs.”

Our results of operations are affected by:

Premiums written and earned

Premiums written and earned in a year are influenced by:

•NIW, which increases IIF. Many factors affect NIW, including the volume of low down payment home mortgage originations and competition to provide credit enhancement on those mortgages from the FHA, the VA, other mortgage insurers, and other alternatives to mortgage insurance, including GSE programs that may reduce or eliminate the demand for mortgage insurance. NIW does not include loans previously insured by us that are modified, such as loans modified under HARP.

•Cancellations, which reduce IIF. Cancellations due to refinancing are affected by the level of current mortgage interest rates compared to the mortgage coupon rates throughout the in force book, current home values compared to values when the loans in the in force book were insured and the terms on which mortgage credit is available. Home price appreciation can give homeowners the right to cancel mortgage insurance on their loans if sufficient home equity is achieved. Cancellations also result from policy rescissions, which require us to return any premiums received on the rescinded policies, and claim payments, which require us to return any premium received on the related policies from the date of default on the insured loans. Cancellations of single premium policies, which are generally non-refundable, result in immediate recognition of any remaining unearned premium.

•Premium rates, which are affected by product type, competitive pressures, the risk characteristics of the insured loans, the percentage of coverage on the insured loans, and PMIERs capital requirements. The substantial majority of our monthly and annual mortgage insurance premiums are under premium plans for which, for the first ten years of the policy, the amount of premium is determined by multiplying the initial premium rate by the original loan balance; thereafter, the premium rate resets to a lower rate used for the remaining life of the policy. The remainder of our monthly and annual premiums are under premium plans for which premiums are determined by a fixed percentage of the loan’s amortizing balance over the life of the policy.

•Premiums ceded, net of profit commission under our QSR Transactions, and premiums ceded under our Home Re Transactions. The profit commission varies inversely with the level of ceded losses incurred on a “dollar for dollar” basis and can be eliminated at ceded loss levels higher than we experienced in 2021. As a result, lower levels of losses incurred result in a higher profit commission and less benefit from ceded losses incurred; higher levels of losses incurred result in more benefit from ceded losses incurred and a lower profit commission (or for certain levels of accident year loss ratios, its elimination). See Note 9 – “Reinsurance” to our consolidated financial statements for a discussion of our reinsurance transactions.

•Premiums earned are generated by the insurance that is in force during all or a portion of the period. A change in the average IIF in the current period compared to an earlier period is a factor that will increase (when the average in force is higher) or reduce (when it is lower) premiums written and earned in the current period, although this effect may be enhanced (or mitigated) by differences in the average premium rate between the two periods, as well as by premiums that are returned or expected to be returned in connection with claim payments and rescissions, and premiums ceded under reinsurance transactions. Also, NIW and cancellations during a period will generally have a greater effect on premiums earned in subsequent periods than in the period in which these events occur.

Investment income

Our investment portfolio is composed principally of investment grade fixed income securities. The principal factors that influence investment income are the size of the portfolio and its yield. As measured by amortized cost (which excludes changes in fair value, such as from changes in interest rates), the size of the investment portfolio is mainly a function of cash generated from (or used in) operations, such as NPW, investment income, net claim payments and expenses, and cash provided by (or used for) non-operating activities, such as debt or stock issuances or repurchases, and dividends.

Losses incurred

Losses incurred are the current expense that reflects claim payments, cost of settling claims, and changes in our estimates of payments that will ultimately be made as a result of delinquencies on insured loans. As explained under “Critical Accounting Estimates” below, except in the case of a premium deficiency reserve, we recognize an estimate of this expense only for delinquent loans. The level of new delinquencies has historically followed a seasonal pattern, with new delinquencies in the first part of the year lower than new delinquencies in the latter part of the year, though this pattern can be affected by the state of the economy and local housing markets. Pandemics, including COVID-19, and other natural disasters may result in delinquencies not following the typical pattern. Losses incurred are generally affected by:

•The state of the economy, including unemployment and housing values, each of which affects the likelihood that loans will become delinquent and whether loans that are delinquent cure their delinquency.

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•The product mix of the in force book, with loans having higher risk characteristics generally resulting in higher delinquencies and claims.

•The size of loans insured, with higher average loan amounts tending to increase losses incurred.

•The percentage of coverage on insured loans, with deeper average coverage tending to increase incurred losses.

•The rate at which we rescind policies or curtail claims. Our estimated loss reserves incorporate our estimates of future rescissions of policies and curtailments of claims, and reversals of rescissions and curtailments. We collectively refer to such rescissions and denials as “rescissions” and variations of this term. We call reductions to claims "curtailments."

•The distribution of claims over the life of a book. Historically, the first few years after loans are originated are a period of relatively low claims, with claims increasing substantially for several years subsequent and then declining, although persistency, the condition of the economy, including unemployment and housing prices, and other factors can affect this pattern. For example, a weak economy or housing value declines can lead to claims from older books increasing, continuing at stable levels or experiencing a lower rate of decline. See further information under “Mortgage insurance earnings and cash flow cycle” below.

•Losses ceded under reinsurance agreements. See Note 9 – “Reinsurance” to our consolidated financial statements for a discussion of our reinsurance agreements.

Underwriting and other expenses

Underwriting and other expenses include items such as employee compensation, fees for professional and consulting services, depreciation and maintenance expense, and premium taxes, and are reported net of ceding commissions associated with our QSR Transactions. Employee compensation expenses are variable due to share-based compensation, changes in benefits, and changes in headcount (which can fluctuate due to volume). See Note 9 – “Reinsurance” to our consolidated financial statements for a discussion of ceding commission on our QSR Transactions.

Interest expense

Interest expense reflects the interest associated with our consolidated outstanding debt obligations discussed in Note 7 – “Debt” to our consolidated financial statements and under “Liquidity and Capital Resources” below.

Other

Certain activities that we do not consider being part of our fundamental operating activities may also impact our results of operations and are described below.

Net realized investment gains (losses)

•Fixed income securities. Realized investment gains and losses reflect the difference between the amount received on the sale of a fixed income security and the fixed income security’s cost basis, as well as any credit allowances and any "other than temporary" impairments recognized in earnings. The amount received on the sale of fixed income securities is affected by the coupon rate of the security compared to the yield of comparable securities at the time of sale.

•Equity securities. Realized investment gains and losses are accounted for as a function of the periodic change in fair value.

Loss on debt extinguishment

Gains and losses on debt extinguishment result from discretionary activities that are undertaken to enhance our capital position, improve our debt profile and/or reduce potential dilution from our outstanding convertible debt. Extinguishing our outstanding debt obligations early through these discretionary activities may result in losses primarily driven by the payment of consideration in excess of our carrying value , and the write off of unamortized debt issuance costs on the extinguished portion of the debt.

Refer to “Explanation and reconciliation of our use of Non-GAAP financial measures” below to understand how these items impact our evaluation of our core financial performance.

MORTGAGE INSURANCE EARNINGS AND CASH FLOW CYCLE

In general, the majority of any underwriting profit that a book generates occurs in the early years of the book, with the largest portion of any underwriting profit realized in the first year following the year the book was written. Subsequent years of a book may result in either underwriting profit or underwriting losses. This pattern of results typically occurs because relatively few of the incurred losses on delinquencies that a book will ultimately experience typically occur in the first few years of the book, when premium revenue is highest, while subsequent years are affected by declining premium revenues, as the number of insured loans decreases (primarily due to loan prepayments) and increasing losses. The typical pattern is also a function of premium rates generally resetting to lower levels after ten years. Changes in economic conditions, including those related to pandemics, including COVID-19, and other natural disasters may result in delinquencies not following the typical pattern.

MGIC Investment Corporation 2021 Form 10-K | 51

MGIC Investment Corporation and Subsidiaries