TIPTREE INC. (TIPT) FY 2023 MD&A
This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Our Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is presented in this section as follows:
•Overview
•Results of Operations
•Non-GAAP Measures and Reconciliations
•Liquidity and Capital Resources
•Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
OVERVIEW
Tiptree allocates capital to select small and middle market companies with the mission of building long-term value. Established in 2007, we have a significant track record investing in the insurance sector and across a variety of other industries, including mortgage, specialty finance and shipping. Our largest operating subsidiary, Fortegra, is a leading provider of specialty insurance products and related services. We also generate earnings from a diverse group of select investments that we refer to as Tiptree Capital, which includes our Mortgage segment and other, non-insurance businesses and assets. We evaluate performance primarily by the comparison of stockholders’ long-term total return on capital, as measured by growth in stock price plus dividends paid, in addition to Adjusted Net Income.
Our 2023 highlights include:
Overall:
•Tiptree reported net income of $14.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to a net loss of $8.3 million in the prior year period, driven by growth in insurance operations and the decrease in tax expense related to the tax deconsolidation of Fortegra from $33.1 million in 2022 to $19.1 million in 2023, partially offset by lower mortgage and shipping revenues. Return on average equity was 3.4%, compared to (2.1)% in 2022.
•Adjusted net income of $61.9 million increased $8.9 million from $53.0 million in 2022, driven by growth in insurance operations. Adjusted return on average equity was 15.2%, as compared to 13.6% in 2022.
Insurance:
•Gross written premiums and premium equivalents were $2.7 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $484.7 million, or 21.4%, from the prior year period as a result of growth in specialty E&S and admitted insurance lines in the U.S. and Europe, along with benefits from a book-roll transaction with one of Fortegra’s MGA partners.
•Net written premiums were $1.3 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of 21.2%, consistent with growth in gross written premiums, and as a result of increased retention on Fortegra’s whole account quota share reinsurance arrangement from 30% to 40%, effective April 1, 2023.
•Total revenues were $1.6 billion, an increase of $344.3 million, or 27.6%, from 2022, driven by premium growth in specialty E&S and admitted insurance lines in the U.S. and Europe, along with growth in net investment income.
•Combined ratio of 90.3%, driven by consistent underwriting performance and the scalability of Fortegra’s operating platform.
•Income before taxes of $129.8 million as compared to $68.2 million in 2022. Return on average equity was 25.7% in 2023 as compared to 14.6% in 2022. The increases were driven by growth in underwriting and fee revenues and increased net investment income.
•Adjusted net income (before NCI) was $115.7 million, an increase of $31.9 million, or 38.0%, from 2022. Adjusted return on average equity was 29.2%, as compared to 26.1% in 2022.
•Fortegra’s total stockholders’ equity was $452.6 million as of December 31, 2023, compared to $338.7 million as of December 31, 2022, with the increase driven by net income during the year as well as an improvement in the accumulated other comprehensive loss position, which was $31.1 million as of December 31, 2023, compared to $52.7 million as of December 31, 2022.
•As of December 31, 2023, Fortegra held an outstanding balance of $130.0 million on its revolving line of credit, as compared to a balance of $46.0 million as of September 30, 2023. The increase in borrowings was primarily to fund statutory capital requirements and general corporate purposes.
•In December 2023, Fortegra entered into a commutation agreement with a partner resulting in a reduction of policy liabilities and unpaid claims of $75.6 million relating to policies written in the 2020 and 2021 treaty years.
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Tiptree Capital:
•Mortgage loss before taxes was $3.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to income of $0.9 million in 2022, with the decrease driven by declines in origination volumes and negative fair value adjustments on the mortgage servicing portfolio.
Key Trends:
Our results of operations are affected by a variety of factors including, but not limited to, general economic conditions and GDP growth, market liquidity and volatility, consumer confidence, U.S. demographics, employment and wage growth, business confidence and investment, inflation, interest rates and spreads, the impact of the regulatory environment, and the other factors set forth in Part I, Item 1A in the Annual Report on Form 10-K. Generally, our businesses are positively affected by a healthy U.S. consumer, stable to gradually rising interest rates, stable markets and business conditions, and global growth and trade flows. Conversely, rising unemployment, volatile markets, rapidly rising interest rates, inflation, changing regulatory requirements and slowing business conditions can have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition.
Insurance results primarily depend on pricing, underwriting, risk retention and the accuracy of reserves, reinsurance arrangements, returns on invested assets, and policy and contract renewals and run-off. Factors affecting these items, including conditions in financial markets, the global economy and the markets in which we operate, fluctuations in exchange rates, interest rates and inflation, including the current period of inflationary pressures, may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition. Fortegra designs, markets and underwrites specialty property and casualty insurance products for select target markets or niches. The types of products Fortegra offers tend to have limited aggregation risk and limited exposure to catastrophic and residual risk. The business has historically generated significant fee-based revenues by incorporating value-add coverages and services. Underwriting risk is mitigated through a combination of reinsurance and sliding scale commission structures with agents, distribution partners and/or third-party reinsurers. To mitigate counterparty risk, Fortegra ensures its reinsurance receivables are placed with highly rated and appropriately capitalized counterparties or with our distribution partners’ captive insurance vehicles which are collateralized with highly liquid investments, cash or letters of credit. While Fortegra’s insurance operations have historically maintained a relatively stable combined ratio, initiatives to change the business mix along with these economic factors could generate different results than the business has historically experienced. In particular, rising inflation can have an impact on replacement costs associated with claims from our customers to the extent we are unable to pass the higher costs of claims through higher premiums. In addition, fluctuations of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies, including the British pound and Euro, would have an impact on book value between periods.
Fortegra’s investment portfolio includes fixed maturity securities, loans, credit investment funds, and equity securities. Many of those investments are held at fair value. In recent periods, the U.S. fixed income markets experienced a significant rise in interest rates. Rising interest rates have and could continue to impact the value of Fortegra’s fixed maturity securities, with any unrealized losses recorded in equity, and if realized, could impact our results of operations. Offsetting the impact of a rising interest rate environment, new investments in fixed rate instruments from both maturities and portfolio growth have and could continue to result in higher interest income on investments. The weighted average duration of our fixed income available for sale securities is less than three years. While our asset and liability mix is relatively matched, should we need to liquidate any of these investments before maturity to pay claims, any realized losses could materially negatively impact our results of operations. Changes in fair value for loans, credit investment funds, and equity securities in Fortegra’s investment portfolio are reported as unrealized gains or losses in revenues and can be impacted by changes in interest rates, credit risk, currency risk, or market risk, including specific company or industry factors. In addition, our equity holdings are relatively concentrated. General equity market trends, along with company and industry specific factors, can impact the fair value which can result in unrealized gains and losses affecting our results.
Rising 10-year treasury yields, and the tapering of the Federal Reserve’s purchases of mortgage-backed securities, has resulted in substantial increases in mortgage interest rates. Low mortgage interest rates driven by the Federal Reserve intervention in mortgage markets, and rising home prices in certain markets, provided tailwinds to the mortgage markets in 2020 and 2021, which benefited our mortgage operations and margins. The substantial rise in rates in recent periods resulted in a sharp reversal of those trends, with volumes and margins declining significantly. Only partially offsetting the declines in mortgage originations is an increase in the fair value of our mortgage servicing portfolio as rising rates slow prepayment speeds, with a resulting increase in servicing income. Continued rising or elevated mortgage rates could have a materially negative impact on our mortgage operations, and is likely to be only partially mitigated by the improvement in mortgage servicing revenues. A sustained period of negative profitability in the mortgage industry could also impact the availability of funding sources for our mortgage business.
Rising interest rates can also impact the cost of floating interest rate debt obligations, while declining rates can decrease the cost of debt. Our secured revolving and term credit agreements, preferred trust securities and asset based revolving financing are all floating rate obligations. A continuation of rising rates could have a material impact on our costs of floating rate debt.
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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following is a summary of our consolidated financial results for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. In addition to GAAP results, management uses the Non-GAAP measures Adjusted net income, Adjusted return on average equity and book value per share as measurements of operating performance. Management believes these measures provide supplemental information useful to investors as they are frequently used by the financial community to analyze financial performance and comparison among companies.
Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Return on Average Equity. Adjusted net income is defined as income before taxes, less provision (benefit) for income taxes, and excluding the after-tax impact of various expenses that we consider to be unique and non-recurring in nature, including merger and acquisition related expenses, stock-based compensation, net realized and unrealized gains (losses) and intangibles amortization associated with purchase accounting, all of which is reduced for non-controlling interests. The calculation of adjusted net income excludes net realized and unrealized gains (losses) that relate to investments or assets rather than business operations. Adjusted net income is presented before the impacts of non-controlling interests. Adjusted return on average equity represents adjusted net income expressed on an annualized basis as a percentage of average beginning and ending stockholders’ equity during the period. Management uses adjusted net income and adjusted return on average equity as part of its capital allocation process and to assess comparative returns on invested capital. We believe adjusted net income provides additional clarity on the results of the Company’s underlying business operations as a whole for the periods presented by excluding distortions created by the unpredictability and volatility of realized and unrealized gains (losses). We also believe adjusted net income provides useful supplemental information to investors as it is frequently used by the financial community to analyze financial performance between periods and for comparison among companies.
Adjusted net income and adjusted return on average equity are not measurements of financial performance or liquidity under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative or substitute for GAAP net income. See “Non-GAAP Reconciliations” for a reconciliation of these measures to their GAAP equivalents.
Selected Key Metrics
| ($ in thousands, except per share information) | Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GAAP: | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 1,649,031 | $ | 1,397,752 | ||||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders | $ | 13,951 | $ | (8,274) | ||||||
| Diluted earnings per share | $ | 0.33 | $ | (0.23) | ||||||
| Cash dividends paid per common share | $ | 0.20 | $ | 0.16 | ||||||
| Return on average equity | 3.4 | % | (2.1) | % | ||||||
| Non-GAAP: (1) | ||||||||||
| Adjusted net income | $ | 61,917 | $ | 53,034 | ||||||
| Adjusted return on average equity | 15.2 | % | 13.6 | % | ||||||
| Book value per share | $ | 11.34 | $ | 10.92 |
(1) See “—Non-GAAP Reconciliations” for a discussion of non-GAAP financial measures. Adjusted net income is presented after the impacts of non-controlling interests.
Revenues
For the year ended December 31, 2023, revenues were $1,649.0 million, which increased $251.3 million, or 18.0%, compared to the prior year period. The changes were primarily driven by growth in earned premiums, net, and service and administrative fees in our insurance business, partially offset by lower mortgage and shipping revenues compared to the prior year periods.
The table below provides a break down between net realized and unrealized gains and losses from Invesque and other securities which impacted our consolidated results on a pre-tax basis. Many investments are carried at fair value and marked to market through unrealized gains and losses. As a result, we expect earnings related to these investments to be relatively volatile between periods. Fixed income securities are primarily marked to market through AOCI in stockholders’ equity and do not impact net realized and unrealized gains and losses until they are sold.
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| ($ in thousands) | Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||
| Net realized gains - Maritime transportation | $ | — | $ | 34,803 | ||||||
| Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) - Invesque | $ | (11,293) | $ | (19,360) | ||||||
| Net realized and unrealized gains (losses)(1) | $ | (64) | $ | (9,999) |
(1) Excludes Invesque, Maritime transportation and Mortgage realized and unrealized gains and losses.
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to common stockholders
For the year ended December 31, 2023, the net income attributable to common stockholders was $14.0 million, compared to a net loss of $8.3 million in the prior year period. The increase was driven by growth in Fortegra’s underwriting and fee operations, and tax expense associated with the tax deconsolidation of Fortegra of $19.1 million in 2023, compared to $33.1 million in 2022, partially offset by the gain on the sale of our vessels in 2022.
Adjusted net income & Adjusted return on average equity - Non-GAAP
Adjusted net income for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $61.9 million, an increase of $8.9 million, or 16.7%, from the year ended December 31, 2022, driven by growth in our insurance operations. For the year ended December 31, 2023, adjusted return on average equity was 15.2%, as compared to 13.6% for the year ended December 31, 2022, driven by the increase in adjusted net income.
Book Value per share - Non-GAAP
Total stockholders’ equity was $576.6 million as of December 31, 2023 compared to $533.6 million as of December 31, 2022, with the increase driven by comprehensive income, partially offset by net changes in non-controlling interests and dividends paid. In the year ended December 31, 2023, Tiptree returned $7.3 million to common stockholders through dividends paid.
Book value per share for the period ended December 31, 2023 was $11.34, an increase from book value per share of $10.92 as of December 31, 2022, driven by comprehensive income per share, partially offset by dividends paid of $0.20 per share, net changes in non-controlling interests and preferred dividends paid at Fortegra.
Results by Segment
We classify our business into two reportable segments, Insurance and Mortgage, with the remainder of our operations aggregated into Tiptree Capital - Other. Corporate activities include holding company interest expense, corporate employee compensation and benefits, and other expenses, including public company expenses.
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The following tables present the components of Revenue, Income (loss) before taxes and Adjusted net income for the following periods:
| ($ in thousands) | Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||
| Insurance | $ | 1,593,070 | $ | 1,248,796 | ||||||
| Mortgage | 53,864 | 70,246 | ||||||||
| Tiptree Capital - other | 2,097 | 78,710 | ||||||||
| Corporate | — | — | ||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 1,649,031 | $ | 1,397,752 | ||||||
| Income (loss) before taxes: | ||||||||||
| Insurance | $ | 129,816 | $ | 68,150 | ||||||
| Mortgage | (3,285) | 874 | ||||||||
| Tiptree Capital - other | (3,264) | 31,403 | ||||||||
| Corporate | (40,214) | (46,416) | ||||||||
| Total income (loss) before taxes | $ | 83,053 | $ | 54,011 | ||||||
| Non-GAAP - Adjusted net income: (1) | ||||||||||
| Insurance | $ | 91,963 | $ | 73,465 | ||||||
| Mortgage | (1,082) | (4,658) | ||||||||
| Tiptree Capital - other | 923 | 13,627 | ||||||||
| Corporate | (29,887) | (29,400) | ||||||||
| Total adjusted net income | $ | 61,917 | $ | 53,034 |
(1) See “—Non-GAAP Reconciliations” for a discussion of non-GAAP financial measures.
Insurance
Our principal operating subsidiary, Fortegra, is a specialty insurance underwriter and service provider, which focuses on niche lines and fee-oriented services. The combination of specialty insurance underwriting, service contract products, and related service solutions delivered through a vertically integrated business model creates a blend of traditional underwriting revenues, investment income and unregulated fee revenues. The business is an agent-driven model, distributing products through independent insurance agents, consumer finance companies, online retailers, auto dealers, and regional big box retailers to deliver products that complement the consumer transaction.
As of December 31, 2023, Fortegra was owned approximately 79.5% by Tiptree, 17.5% by Warburg and 3.0% by management and directors of Fortegra, before giving effect to the exercise of outstanding warrants and the conversion of outstanding preferred stock. The following tables and discussion present the Insurance segment results, including non-controlling interests, for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
Components of our Results of Operations
Revenues
Earned Premiums, net represents the earned portion of gross written and assumed premiums, less the earned portion that is ceded to third-party reinsurers under reinsurance agreements. Fortegra’s insurance policies generally have a term of six months to seven years depending on the underlying product and premiums are earned pro rata over the term of the policy. At the end of each reporting period, premiums written but not earned are classified as unearned premiums and are earned in subsequent periods over the remaining term of the policy.
Service and Administrative Fees represent the earned portion of gross written premiums and premium equivalents, which is generated from non-insurance products including warranty service contracts, motor club contracts and other services offered as part of Fortegra’s vertically integrated product offerings. Such fees are typically positively correlated with transaction volume and are recognized as revenue when realized and earned. At the end of each reporting period, gross written premiums and premium equivalents written for service contracts not earned are classified as deferred revenue, which are earned in subsequent periods over the remaining term of the policy.
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Ceding Commissions and Other Revenue consists of commissions earned on policies written on behalf of third-party insurance companies with no exposure to the insured risk and certain fees earned in conjunction with underwriting policies. Other revenue also includes the interest income earned on the premium finance product offering.
Net Investment Income represents earned investment income on our portfolio of invested assets. Our invested assets are primarily comprised of fixed maturity securities, and may also include cash and cash equivalents and equity securities. The principal factors that influence net investment income are the size of our investment portfolio, the yield on that portfolio and expenses due to external investment managers. The insurance investment portfolio includes investments held in statutory insurance companies and in unregulated entities. The portfolios held in statutory insurance companies are subject to different regulatory considerations, including with respect to types of assets, concentration limits, affiliate transactions and the use of leverage.
Net Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) on investments are a function of the difference between the amount received by us on the sale of a security and the security’s cost-basis, as well as any “other-than-temporary” impairments and allowances for credit losses which are recognized in earnings. In addition, equity securities and certain other investments are carried at fair value with unrealized gains and losses included in this line. Fortegra’s investment strategy is designed to achieve attractive risk-adjusted returns across select asset classes, sectors and geographies while maintaining adequate liquidity to meet claims payment obligations. As such, volatility from realized and unrealized gains and losses may impact period-over-period performance. Unrealized gains and losses on equity securities and loans held at fair value impact current period net income, while unrealized gains and losses on AFS securities impact AOCI.
Expenses
Net Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses represent actual insurance claims paid, changes in unpaid claim reserves, net of amounts ceded and the costs of administering claims for insurance lines. Incurred claims are impacted by loss frequency, which is a measure of the number of claims per unit of insured exposure, and loss severity, which is based on the average size of claims. Factors affecting loss frequency and loss severity include the volume of underwritten contracts, changes in claims reporting patterns, claims settlement patterns, judicial decisions, economic conditions, morbidity patterns and the attitudes of claimants towards settlements, and original pricing of the product for purposes of the loss ratio in relation to loss emergence over time. Losses and loss adjustment expenses are based on an actuarial analysis of the estimated losses, including losses incurred during the period and changes in estimates from prior periods.
Member Benefit Claims represent the costs of services and replacement devices incurred in warranty and motor club service contracts. Member benefit claims represent claims paid on behalf of contract holders directly to third-party providers for roadside assistance and for the repair or replacement of covered products. Claims can also be paid directly to contract holders as a reimbursement payment, provided supporting documentation of loss is submitted to the Company. Claims are recognized as expense when incurred.
Commission Expenses reflect commissions paid to retail agents, program administrators and managing general underwriters, net of ceding commissions received on business ceded under certain reinsurance contracts. Commission expenses are deferred and amortized to expense in proportion to the premium earned over the policy life. Commission expense is incurred on most product lines. The majority of commissions are retrospective commissions paid to agents, distributors and retailers selling the Company’s products, including credit insurance policies, warranty service contracts and motor club memberships. When claims increase, in most cases distribution partners bear the risk through a reduction in their retrospective commissions. Commission rates are, in many cases, set by state regulators, such as in credit and collateral protection programs and are also impacted by market conditions and the retention levels of distribution partners.
Operating and Other Expenses represent the general and administrative expenses of insurance operations including employee compensation and benefits and other expenses, including, technology costs, office rent, and professional services fees, such as legal, accounting and actuarial services.
Interest Expense consists primarily of interest expense on corporate revolving debt, notes, preferred trust securities due June 15, 2037 (Preferred Trust Securities) and asset based debt for premium finance and warranty service contract financing, which is non-recourse to Fortegra.
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Depreciation Expense is primarily associated with furniture, fixtures and equipment. Amortization Expense is primarily associated with purchase accounting amortization including values associated with acquired customer relationships, trade names and internally developed software and technology.
Key Performance Metrics
We discuss certain key performance metrics, described below, which provide useful information about our business and the operational factors underlying its financial performance.
Gross written premiums and premium equivalents represent total gross written premiums from insurance policies and warranty service contracts issued during a reporting period. They represent the volume of insurance policies written or assumed and warranty service contracts issued during a specific period of time without reduction for policy acquisition costs, reinsurance costs or other deductions. Gross written premiums is a volume measure commonly used in the insurance industry to compare sales performance by period. Premium equivalents are used to compare sales performance of warranty service and administrative contract volumes to gross written premiums. Similar to how management considers gross written premiums to be a relevant measure of volume, regardless of the impact of reinsurance on net earned premiums, management considers premium equivalents to be a relevant measure of contract volume, regardless of whether the Company retains the full obligation. Investors also use these measures to compare sales growth among comparable companies, while management uses these measures to evaluate the relative performance of various sales channels.
Net written premiums are gross written premiums less ceded written premiums. Gross written premiums are the amounts received, or to be received, for insurance policies written or assumed by us during a specific period of time without reduction for policy acquisition costs, reinsurance costs or other deductions. The volume of our gross written premiums in any given period is generally influenced by new business submissions, binding of new business submissions into policies, renewals of existing policies, and average size and premium rate of bound policies. Ceded written premiums are the amount of gross written premiums ceded to reinsurers. We enter into reinsurance contracts to limit our exposure to potential large losses. Ceded written premiums are earned over the reinsurance contract period in proportion to the period of risk covered. The volume of our ceded written premiums is impacted by the level of our gross written premiums and any decision we make to increase or decrease retention levels, policy limits and co-participations.
Combined Ratio, Loss Ratio, Acquisition Ratio, Underwriting Ratio and Operating Expense Ratio
Combined ratio is an operating measure, which equals the sum of the underwriting ratio and the operating expense ratio. Loss ratio is the ratio of the GAAP line items net losses and loss adjustment expenses and member benefit claims to earned premiums, net, service and administrative fees (excluding ceding fees), and other revenue (excluding cash and cash equivalent interest income). Acquisition ratio is the ratio of the GAAP line items commission expense (less ceding fees and ceding commissions) to earned premiums, net, service and administrative fees (excluding ceding fees), and other revenue (excluding cash and cash equivalent interest income). Underwriting ratio is the combination of the loss ratio and the acquisition ratio. Operating expense ratio is the ratio of the GAAP line items employee compensation and benefits and other expenses to earned premiums, net, service and administrative fees (excluding ceding fees) and other revenue (excluding cash and cash equivalent interest income).
A combined ratio under 100% generally indicates an underwriting profit. A combined ratio over 100% generally indicates an underwriting loss. These ratios are commonly used in the insurance industry as a measure of underwriting profitability, excluding earnings on the insurance portfolio. Investors commonly use these measures to compare underwriting performance among companies separate from the performance of the investment portfolio. Management uses these measures to compare the profitability of various products we underwrite as well as profitability among our various agents and sales channels.
Return on average equity is expressed as the ratio of net income to average stockholders’ equity during the period. Management uses this ratio as a measure of the on-going performance of the totality of the Company’s operations.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Underwriting and Fee Revenues and Underwriting and Fee Margin
In order to better explain to investors the underwriting performance of the Company’s programs and the respective retentions between the Company and its agents and reinsurance partners, we use the non-GAAP metrics – underwriting and fee revenues and underwriting and fee margin. We generally manage our exposure to the risks we underwrite using both reinsurance (e.g., quota share and excess of loss) and sliding scale commission agreements with our agents (e.g.,
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commissions paid are adjusted based on the actual underlying losses incurred), which mitigates our risk. Generally, when losses are incurred, the risk which is retained by our agents and reinsurers is reflected in a reduction in commissions paid.
Underwriting and fee revenues represents earned premiums, net, service and administrative fees (excluding ceding fees) and other income (excluding cash and cash equivalent interest income). We reconcile underwriting and fee revenues as total revenues excluding net investment income, net realized gains (losses) and net unrealized gains (losses), ceding fees, ceding commissions and cash and cash equivalent interest income as reported in other income. See “—Non-GAAP Reconciliations” for a reconciliation of underwriting and fee revenues to total revenues in accordance with GAAP.
Underwriting and fee margin represents income before taxes excluding net investment income, net realized gains (losses), net unrealized gains (losses), cash and cash equivalent interest income, employee compensation and benefits, other expenses, interest expense and depreciation and amortization. We deliver our products and services on a vertically integrated basis to our agents. As such, underwriting and fee margin exclude general and administrative expenses, interest income, depreciation and amortization and other corporate expenses, including income taxes, as these corporate expenses support our vertically integrated delivery model and are not specifically supporting any individual business line. See “—Non-GAAP Reconciliations” for a reconciliation of underwriting and fee margin to total revenues in accordance with GAAP.
Adjusted net income represents income before taxes, less provision (benefit) for income taxes, and excluding the after-tax impact of various expenses that we consider to be unique and non-recurring in nature, including merger and acquisition related expenses, stock-based compensation, net realized and unrealized gains (losses), and intangibles amortization associated with purchase accounting.
Adjusted return on average equity represents adjusted net income expressed on an annualized basis as a percentage of average beginning and ending stockholders’ equity during the period.
Results of Operations - Year Ended December 31, 2023 compared to 2022
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| ($ in thousands) | Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | Change | % Change | |||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||
| Earned premiums, net | $ | 1,127,834 | $ | 904,765 | $ | 223,069 | 24.7 | % | ||||||
| Service and administrative fees | 395,969 | 320,720 | 75,249 | 23.5 | % | |||||||||
| Ceding commissions | 14,915 | 13,880 | 1,035 | 7.5 | % | |||||||||
| Net investment income | 26,674 | 12,219 | 14,455 | 118.3 | % | |||||||||
| Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) | (4,207) | (20,347) | 16,140 | (79.3) | % | |||||||||
| Other revenue | 31,885 | 17,559 | 14,326 | 81.6 | % | |||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 1,593,070 | $ | 1,248,796 | $ | 344,274 | 27.6 | % | ||||||
| Expenses: | ||||||||||||||
| Net losses and loss adjustment expenses | 482,506 | 361,601 | 120,905 | 33.4 | % | |||||||||
| Member benefit claims | 119,288 | 91,004 | 28,284 | 31.1 | % | |||||||||
| Commission expense | 603,033 | 522,686 | 80,347 | 15.4 | % | |||||||||
| Employee compensation and benefits | 114,341 | 87,918 | 26,423 | 30.1 | % | |||||||||
| Interest expense | 25,836 | 20,054 | 5,782 | 28.8 | % | |||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 21,425 | 18,551 | 2,874 | 15.5 | % | |||||||||
| Other expenses | 96,825 | 78,832 | 17,993 | 22.8 | % | |||||||||
| Total expenses | $ | 1,463,254 | $ | 1,180,646 | $ | 282,608 | 23.9 | % | ||||||
| Income (loss) before taxes (1) | $ | 129,816 | $ | 68,150 | $ | 61,666 | 90.5 | % | ||||||
| Key Performance Metrics: | ||||||||||||||
| Gross written premiums and premium equivalents | $ | 2,747,854 | $ | 2,263,128 | $ | 484,726 | 21.4 | % | ||||||
| Net written premiums | $ | 1,319,948 | $ | 1,089,390 | $ | 230,558 | 21.2 | % | ||||||
| Loss ratio | 40.1 | % | 37.7 | % | ||||||||||
| Acquisition ratio | 36.2 | % | 39.0 | % | ||||||||||
| Underwriting ratio | 76.3 | % | 76.7 | % | ||||||||||
| Operating expense ratio | 14.0 | % | 13.7 | % | ||||||||||
| Combined ratio | 90.3 | % | 90.4 | % | ||||||||||
| Return on average equity | 25.7 | % | 14.6 | % | ||||||||||
| Non-GAAP Financial Measures (2): | ||||||||||||||
| Adjusted net income (before NCI) | $ | 115,705 | $ | 83,832 | $ | 31,873 | 38.0 | % | ||||||
| Adjusted return on average equity | 29.2 | % | 26.1 | % | ||||||||||
| Adjusted net income | $ | 91,963 | $ | 73,465 | $ | 18,498 | 25.2 | % |
(1) Net income was $101.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $46.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022.
(2) See “—Non-GAAP Reconciliations” for a discussion of non-GAAP financial measures.
Revenues - Year Ended December 31, 2023 compared to 2022
For the year ended December 31, 2023, total revenues increased 27.6%, to $1,593.1 million, as compared to $1,248.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Earned premiums, net of $1,127.8 million increased $223.1 million, or 24.7%, driven by growth in specialty E&S and admitted insurance lines. Earned premiums assumed from other insurance companies were $404.7 million, or 35.9% of total earned premiums, net, compared to $310.4 million, or 34.3%, in the prior year period. As it expands to new geographies and expands product offerings, the Company works to obtain necessary licenses and intends to write this business directly upon obtaining necessary licenses. The Company views direct written and assumed business as having similar characteristics. For the presented periods, earned premiums, net, did not include any significant regional geographic concentrations. Service and administrative fees of $396.0 million increased by 23.5% primarily driven by growth in vehicle service contract revenues. Ceding commissions of $14.9 million increased by $1.0 million, or 7.5%, in line with growth in ceded premiums. Other revenues increased by $14.3 million, or 81.6%, driven by growth in premium finance product offerings and interest income on cash and cash equivalents.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, 27.8% of revenues were derived from fees that were not solely dependent upon the underwriting performance of Fortegra’s insurance products, resulting in more diversified earnings. For the year ended December 31, 2023, 81.1% of fee-based revenues were generated in non-regulated service companies, with the remainder in regulated insurance companies.
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For the year ended December 31, 2023, net investment income was $26.7 million as compared to $12.2 million in the prior year period, primarily driven by growth in investments and the increase in yields. Net realized and unrealized losses were $4.2 million, an improvement of $16.1 million, as compared to net realized and unrealized losses of $20.3 million in the prior year period, primarily driven by the change in fair value of certain equity and other investments carried at fair value. Unrealized gains on AFS securities impacting OCI for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $19.0 million, driven by positive fair value adjustments on mortgage-backed securities and corporate bonds and other investments.
Expenses - Year Ended December 31, 2023 compared to 2022
For the year ended December 31, 2023, net losses and loss adjustment expenses were $482.5 million, member benefit claims were $119.3 million and commission expense was $603.0 million, as compared to $361.6 million, $91.0 million, and $522.7 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in net losses and loss adjustment expenses of $120.9 million, or 33.4%, was driven by growth in U.S. and European insurance lines and the shift in business mix toward commercial lines, which tend to have higher loss ratios and lower commission and expense ratios. In addition, the Company experienced favorable prior year development of $11.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily by a commutation agreement with a partner resulting in a reduction of policy liabilities and unpaid claims of $75.6 million relating to policies written in the 2020 and 2021 treaty years. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company experienced favorable prior year development of $0.9 million, primarily as a result of lower-than-expected claim severity in our commercial lines of business. For the periods presented, net losses and adjustment expenses did not include any significant catastrophic losses or regional concentration exposure. The increase in member benefit claims of $28.3 million, or 31.1%, was driven by growth in vehicle service contracts and the impacts of inflation on replacement costs and labor rates. Commission expenses increased by $80.3 million, or 15.4%, generally in line with the growth in earned premiums, net and service and administrative fees, partially offset by the impacts from sliding scale commission structures.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, employee compensation and benefits were $114.3 million and other expenses were $96.8 million, as compared to $87.9 million and $78.8 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2022. Employee compensation and benefits increased by $26.4 million, or 30.1%, driven by continued investment in data science, European platform expansion, and to support continued growth in the U.S. insurance business. Other expenses increased by $18.0 million, or 22.8%, driven primarily by investment in data science, technology and marketing expenses, and professional fees associated with the acquisition of Premia.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, interest expense was $25.8 million as compared to $20.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in interest expense of $5.8 million, or 28.8%, was primarily driven by the rise in short-term interest rates and increased borrowings on Fortegra’s corporate revolver and asset based debt for premium finance lines.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, depreciation and amortization expense was $21.4 million, including $16.9 million of intangible amortization related to purchase accounting associated with the acquisitions of Fortegra, Smart AutoCare, Sky Auto, ITC and Premia, as compared to $18.6 million, including $16.2 million of intangible amortization from purchase accounting in 2022.
Gross Written Premiums and Premium Equivalents(1,2)
| ($ in thousands) | Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Property and short-tail | $ | 548,984 | $ | 263,933 | $ | 100,462 | ||||
| Contractual liability | 396,861 | 351,869 | 347,776 | |||||||
| General liability | 353,011 | 305,325 | 182,336 | |||||||
| Alternative risks | 330,171 | 363,362 | 409,807 | |||||||
| Professional liability | 232,944 | 82,340 | 32,028 | |||||||
| Europe | 141,208 | 125,150 | 95,917 | |||||||
| Commercial lines | $ | 2,003,179 | $ | 1,491,979 | $ | 1,168,326 | ||||
| Personal lines | $ | 382,397 | $ | 397,423 | $ | 432,522 | ||||
| Insurance | $ | 2,385,576 | $ | 1,889,402 | $ | 1,600,848 | ||||
| Auto and consumer goods warranty | 302,746 | 318,550 | 285,591 | |||||||
| Other services | 59,532 | 55,176 | 49,535 | |||||||
| Services | $ | 362,278 | $ | 373,726 | $ | 335,126 | ||||
| Total | $ | 2,747,854 | $ | 2,263,128 | $ | 1,935,974 |
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(1) The total gross written premiums and premium equivalents of $2,747.9 million, $2,263.1 million and $1,936.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively, were comprised of gross written premiums of $1,896.5 million, $1,515.1 million and $1,380.1 million, plus assumed premiums of $489.1 million, $374.3 million and $220.7 million, plus gross service and administrative fee additions of $362.3 million, $373.7 million and $335.1 million. See Note (8) Reinsurance Recoverable and Prepaid Reinsurance Premiums and Note (14) Revenue from Contracts with Customers within the respective periods for more information.
(2) The premium equivalents metric excludes amounts received from failure to perform vehicle service contracts held in off-balance sheet trusts and premium finance volumes as it was determined to be unlikely these amounts will be recognized as revenue. Amounts for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 have been conformed resulting in a reduction of premium equivalents of $418 million and $258 million, respectively. This change only impacted the premium equivalents metric and did not impact the Company’s financial statements, including its notes to the consolidated financial statements.
Total gross written premiums and premium equivalents for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $2,747.9 million, representing an increase of $484.7 million, or 21.4%. The growth is driven by a combination of factors including expanding Fortegra’s distribution partner network, growing specialty admitted and E&S insurance lines, and increasing penetration in the vehicle service contract sector.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, Insurance increased by $496.2 million, or 26.3%, driven by growth in specialty commercial lines, including E&S and admitted business. The year ended December 31, 2023, also benefited from a book-roll transaction of $125.1 million with one of Fortegra’s distribution partners. For the year ended December 31, 2023, Services decreased by $11.4 million, or 3.1%, driven by lower volume in consumer goods and vehicle service contracts, partially offset by the acquisition of Premia.
The combination of unearned premiums and deferred revenues on Fortegra’s balance sheet grew to $2,368.1 million, representing an increase of $361.6 million, or 18.0%, from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2023, as a result of growth in gross written premiums and premium equivalents, primarily related to E&S and admitted insurance lines, including the book roll transaction with one of Fortegra’s MGA partners.
Net written premiums
| ($ in thousands) | Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Property and short-tail | $ | 411,674 | $ | 188,069 | $ | 69,770 | ||||
| Contractual liability | 68,368 | 100,338 | 109,345 | |||||||
| General liability | 163,567 | 147,442 | 94,617 | |||||||
| Alternative risks | 246,431 | 268,775 | 313,805 | |||||||
| Professional liability | 84,380 | 52,073 | 25,028 | |||||||
| Europe | 141,208 | 125,150 | 95,917 | |||||||
| Commercial lines | $ | 1,115,628 | $ | 881,847 | $ | 708,482 | ||||
| Personal lines | $ | 204,320 | $ | 207,543 | $ | 186,258 | ||||
| Insurance | $ | 1,319,948 | $ | 1,089,390 | $ | 894,740 |
Net written premiums for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $1,319.9 million, representing an increase of $230.6 million, or 21.2%, driven by growth in commercial E&S lines. For the year ended December 31, 2023, commercial lines increased by $233.8 million, or 26.5%, driven by growth in specialty E&S and admitted business, including a book-roll transaction of $125.1 million with one of Fortegra’s distribution partners. For the year ended December 31, 2023, personal lines decreased by $3.2 million, or 1.6%, driven by declines in personal credit lines. Property and short-tail lines represented $411.7 million, or 31.2%, of the total net written premiums for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $188.1 million, or 17.3%, for the prior year period. Property and short-tail net written premiums were diversified by geographic location, exposure and risk type with substantial reinsurance protection. As of December 31, 2023, the net loss to the Company in a 1-in-250 year catastrophe event represented approximately 2.4% of Fortegra’s stockholders’ equity. This reported loss includes the impact of incurred losses based on the estimated frequency and severity of potential events, reinstatements premiums, reinsurance recoveries and taxes.
Combined Ratio
The combined ratio was 90.3% for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to 90.4% for the prior year period, reflecting the consistent underwriting performance and scalability of the Company’s operating platform. The underwriting ratio was 76.3%, a decrease of 0.4% from the prior year period, which consists of a loss ratio of 40.1%, compared to 37.7% in the prior year period, and an acquisition ratio of 36.2%, compared to 39.0% in the prior year period. The loss ratio increase was driven by a shift in business mix towards commercial lines and increases in repair and labor costs on vehicle service contracts. The decrease in the acquisition ratio was driven by the shift in business mix toward commercial lines and impacts from sliding scale commission structures. The operating expense ratio was 14.0%, as compared to 13.7% in the prior year
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period. The increase in the operating expense ratio was a result of continued investment in data science, European platform expansion, and to support continued growth in U.S. insurance lines.
Underwriting and Fee Revenues and Margin - Non-GAAP
The below table shows underwriting and fee revenues and underwriting and fee margin by business mix for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Insurance | Services | Total | Insurance | Services | Total | |||||||||||||||||
| Underwriting and Fee Revenues (1) | $ | 1,141,019 | $ | 359,004 | $ | 1,500,023 | $ | 917,542 | $ | 282,843 | $ | 1,200,385 | ||||||||||
| Net losses and loss adjustment expenses | 482,456 | 50 | 482,506 | 361,476 | 125 | 361,601 | ||||||||||||||||
| Member benefit claims | — | 119,288 | 119,288 | — | 91,004 | 91,004 | ||||||||||||||||
| Commission expense (2) | 411,012 | 132,478 | 543,490 | 371,638 | 97,014 | 468,652 | ||||||||||||||||
| Underwriting and Fee Margin (1) | $ | 247,551 | $ | 107,188 | $ | 354,739 | $ | 184,428 | $ | 94,700 | $ | 279,128 | ||||||||||
| Loss ratio | 42.3 | % | 33.2 | % | 40.1 | % | 39.4 | % | 32.2 | % | 37.7 | % | ||||||||||
| Acquisition ratio | 36.0 | % | 36.9 | % | 36.2 | % | 40.5 | % | 34.3 | % | 39.0 | % | ||||||||||
| Underwriting ratio | 78.3 | % | 70.1 | % | 76.3 | % | 79.9 | % | 66.5 | % | 76.7 | % |
(1) See “—Non-GAAP Reconciliations” for a discussion of non-GAAP financial measures.
(2) Commission expense in this table is presented net of ceding fees and ceding commissions of $44.6 million and $14.9 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2023, and $40.2 million and $13.9 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Underwriting and fee revenues were $1,500.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to $1,200.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Total underwriting and fee revenues increased $299.6 million, or 25.0%, driven by growth in all business lines. The increase in insurance was $223.5 million, or 24.4%, driven by growth in specialty E&S and admitted insurance lines. The increase in services was $76.2 million, or 26.9%, driven by growth in vehicle service contracts and premium finance offerings, in addition to acquisitions of Premia in 2023 and ITC in 2022.
Underwriting and fee margin was $354.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to $279.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Total underwriting and fee margin increased $75.6 million, or 27.1%, driven by growth in all product lines. Insurance grew by $63.1 million, or 34.2%, driven by revenue growth in specialty E&S and admitted lines. Services increased by $12.5 million, or 13.2%, driven by growth in vehicle service contracts and the acquisition of Premia and ITC, partially offset by increased member benefit claims associated with the impacts of inflation on replacement costs and labor rates.
Return on Average Equity
Return on average equity was 25.7% for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to 14.6% for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in net income and annualized return on average equity was driven by revenue growth and consistent combined ratio, in addition to improvements in net investment income and net realized and unrealized gains and losses.
Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Return on Average Equity - Non-GAAP
For the year ended December 31, 2023, adjusted net income (before NCI) and adjusted return on average equity were $115.7 million and 29.2%, respectively, as compared to $83.8 million and 26.1%, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2022. The improvement of adjusted net income was driven by the growth in revenues and consistent combined ratio, in addition to improvements in net investment income.
Tiptree Capital
Tiptree Capital consists of our Mortgage segment, which includes the operating results of Reliance, our mortgage business, and Tiptree Capital - Other, which consists of our other non-insurance operating businesses and investments. As of December 31, 2023, Tiptree Capital - Other includes our Invesque shares and other investments.
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Mortgage
Through our Mortgage operating subsidiary, Reliance, we originate, sell, securitize and service one-to-four-family, residential mortgage loans, comprised of conforming mortgage loans, Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”), Veterans Administration (“VA”), United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”), and to a lesser extent, non-agency jumbo prime.
We are an approved seller/servicer for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. We are also an approved issuer and servicer for Ginnie Mae. We originate residential mortgage loans through our retail distribution channel (directly to consumers) in 39 states and the District of Columbia as of December 31, 2023.
Components of our Results of Operations
Revenues
Net Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses) include gains on sale of mortgage loans and the fair value adjustment in mortgage servicing rights. Gains on the sale of mortgage loans represent the difference between the selling price and carrying value of loans sold and are recognized upon settlement. Such gains also include the changes in fair value of loans held for sale and loan-related hedges and derivatives. We transfer the risk of loss or default to the loan purchaser, however, in some cases we are required to indemnify purchasers for losses related to non-compliance with borrowers’ creditworthiness and collateral requirements. Because of this, we recognize gains on sale net of required indemnification and premium recapture reserves. The fair value adjustment on mortgage servicing rights represents fair value adjustments considering estimated prepayments and other factors associated with changes in interest rates, plus actual run-off in the servicing portfolio. We report these adjustments separate from servicing income and servicing expense.
Other Revenue includes loan origination fees, interest income, and mortgage servicing income. Loan origination fees are earned as mortgage loans are funded. Servicing fees are earned over the life of the loan. Interest income includes interest earned on loans held for sale and interest income on bank balances and short-term investments.
Expenses
Employee Compensation and Benefits includes salaries, commissions, benefits, bonuses, other incentive compensation and related taxes for employees. Commissions expense for sales staff generally varies with loan origination volumes.
Interest Expense represents borrowing costs under warehouse and other credit facilities used primarily to fund loan originations. Amortization of deferred financing costs, including commitment fees, is included in interest expense.
Depreciation is mainly associated with furniture, fixtures and equipment. Amortization is primarily associated with a trade name and internally developed software.
Other Expenses include loan origination expenses, namely, leads, appraisals, credit reporting and licensing fees, general and administrative expenses, including office rent, insurance, legal, consulting and payroll processing expenses, and servicing expense.
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The following tables present the Mortgage segment results for the following periods:
Results of Operations
| ($ in thousands) | Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||
| Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) | $ | 34,232 | $ | 51,345 | ||||||
| Other revenue | 19,632 | 18,901 | ||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 53,864 | $ | 70,246 | ||||||
| Expenses: | ||||||||||
| Employee compensation and benefits | $ | 34,040 | $ | 41,637 | ||||||
| Interest expense | 1,856 | 1,631 | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 617 | 799 | ||||||||
| Other expenses | 20,636 | 25,305 | ||||||||
| Total expenses | $ | 57,149 | $ | 69,372 | ||||||
| Income (loss) before taxes | $ | (3,285) | $ | 874 | ||||||
| Key Performance Metrics: | ||||||||||
| Origination volumes | $ | 876,914 | $ | 1,134,351 | ||||||
| Gain on sale margins | 4.7 | % | 4.7 | % | ||||||
| Return on average equity | (4.6) | % | 0.9 | % | ||||||
| Non-GAAP Financial Measures (1): | ||||||||||
| Adjusted net income (1) | $ | (1,082) | $ | (4,658) | ||||||
| Adjusted return on average equity (1) | (2.0) | % | (8.1) | % |
(1) See “—Non-GAAP Reconciliations” for a discussion of non-GAAP financial measures.
Revenues - Year Ended December 31, 2023 compared to 2022
For the year ended December 31, 2023, $876.9 million of loans were funded, compared to $1,134.4 million for the prior year period, a decrease of $257.4 million, or 22.7%, driven by increase in mortgage interest rates compared to the prior year period. Gain on sale margins remained consistent at 4.7% for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Net realized and unrealized gains for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $34.2 million, compared to $51.3 million in the prior year period, a decrease of $17.1 million or 33.3%. The primary driver of decreased gain on sale revenues was the decline in volumes and negative fair value adjustment in mortgage servicing rights of $1.9 million in 2023 compared to a positive fair value adjustment of $7.0 million in the prior year period.
Other revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $19.6 million, compared to $18.9 million in the prior year period, an increase of $0.7 million, or 3.9%, driven by increased servicing revenues. As of December 31, 2023, the mortgage servicing asset was $40.8 million, a decrease from $41.4 million as of December 31, 2022.
Expenses - Year Ended December 31, 2023 compared to 2022
For the year ended December 31, 2023, employee compensation and benefits were $34.0 million, compared to $41.6 million in the prior year period, a decrease of $7.6 million or 18.2%. The decrease was driven primarily by reduced commissions on lower origination volumes.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, interest expense was at $1.9 million, an increase of $0.2 million, or 13.8%, with the increase driven by higher interest rates.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, other expenses were $20.6 million, compared to $25.3 million in the prior year period, a decrease of $4.7 million, with the decrease driven by a reduction of mortgage operational expenses, including marketing costs.
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Income (loss) before taxes
The loss before taxes for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $3.3 million, compared to income before taxes of $0.9 million in the prior year period driven by a decline in volumes.
Tiptree Capital - Other
The following tables present a summary of Tiptree Capital - Other results for the following periods:
Results of Operations
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | Total revenue | Income (loss) before taxes | ||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||||
| Senior living (Invesque) | $ | (9,342) | $ | (16,015) | $ | (9,342) | $ | (16,015) | ||||||||
| Maritime transportation(1) | 842 | 64,947 | (4,517) | 49,809 | ||||||||||||
| Other (2) | 10,597 | 29,778 | 10,595 | (2,391) | ||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 2,097 | $ | 78,710 | $ | (3,264) | $ | 31,403 |
(1) Includes $5.4 million and $15.1 million of expenses related to our Maritime transportation operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
(2) Includes asset management, our formerly held for sale mortgage originator (Luxury) for the year ended December 31, 2022, as it was deconsolidated on July 1, 2022, and certain intercompany elimination transactions.
Revenues
Tiptree Capital - Other earns revenues from the following sources: net interest income; revenues on our formerly held for sale mortgage originator (Luxury); realized and unrealized gains and losses on the Company’s investment holdings (including Invesque); and charter revenues from vessels within the Company’s maritime transportation operations. Subsequent to the sale of our dry bulk and tanker vessels, operations include two smaller vessels and other ancillary assets.
Revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $2.1 million compared to $78.7 million in the prior year period with the decline driven by the deconsolidation of Luxury effective July 1, 2022, and the sale of five vessels, partially offset by investment gains on securities in the Company’s investment holdings and decreased investment losses on Invesque in 2023 compared to 2022.
Income (loss) before taxes
The loss before taxes from Tiptree Capital - Other for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $3.3 million, compared to the income before taxes of $31.4 million in the prior year period. The decrease was driven by the same factors that impacted revenues.
Adjusted net income - Non-GAAP(1)
| ($ in thousands) | Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||
| Senior living (Invesque) | $ | — | $ | — | ||||||
| Maritime transportation | (2,769) | 12,707 | ||||||||
| Other | 3,692 | 920 | ||||||||
| Total | $ | 923 | $ | 13,627 |
(1) See “—Non-GAAP Reconciliations” for a discussion of non-GAAP financial measures.
Adjusted net income decreased to $0.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $13.6 million in 2022. The decrease was driven from the sale of five vessels in 2022, partially offset by interest income on cash and cash equivalents and U.S. Treasury securities recorded in other income.
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Corporate
The following table presents a summary of corporate results for the following periods:
Results of Operations
| ($ in thousands) | Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||
| Employee compensation and benefits | $ | 8,885 | $ | 7,948 | ||||||
| Employee incentive compensation expense | 21,230 | 19,240 | ||||||||
| Interest expense | — | 4,225 | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 1,327 | 807 | ||||||||
| Other expenses | 8,772 | 14,196 | ||||||||
| Total expenses | $ | 40,214 | $ | 46,416 |
Corporate expenses include expenses of the holding company for employee compensation and benefits, interest expense, and public company and other expenses. Corporate employee compensation and benefits includes the expense of management, legal and accounting staff. Other expenses primarily consisted of audit and professional fees, insurance, office rent and other related expenses.
Employee compensation and benefits, including incentive compensation expense, were $30.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $27.2 million for the prior year period, driven by an increase in accrued bonus expense. Of the incentive compensation expense in the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, $6.3 million was stock-based compensation expense. As of December 31, 2023, the Company had no outstanding borrowings at the holding company and therefore incurred no interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $4.2 million in 2022. Other expenses of $8.8 million decreased by $5.4 million from the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily driven by decreased consulting and professional fees.
Provision for Income Taxes
The total income tax expense of $43.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 and $50.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 is reflected as a component of net income (loss). For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company’s effective tax rate was equal to 51.8%. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company’s effective tax rate was equal to 93.4%. The effective rates for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were significantly higher than the U.S. statutory income tax rate of 21.0%, primarily due to the impact of outside basis deferred taxes on Tiptree’s investment in Fortegra.
Tiptree owns less than 80% of Fortegra and is required to record deferred taxes on the outside basis on its investment in Fortegra. This deferred tax liability represents the tax that would be due, before consideration of loss carryforwards, if Tiptree were to sell all of its Fortegra stock at its carrying value on Tiptree’s balance sheet.
As of December 31, 2023, this deferred tax liability relating to Fortegra was $61.7 million, which was an increase of $21.7 million from the year ended December 31, 2022, of which $3.8 million expense was recorded in OCI, $1.2 million benefit was recorded directly in stockholders’ equity, and $19.1 million expense was recorded as a provision for income taxes. As of December 31, 2022, this deferred tax liability was $40.0 million, of which $14.1 million was recorded directly in stockholders’ equity, a benefit of $2.4 million in other comprehensive income and $28.3 million as a provision for income taxes in the consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022. Additional one time impacts from the transaction incurred in 2022 caused $4.8 million of expense, leading to $33.1 million of expense in the statement of operations. Excluding the impact of these deferred taxes, the effective tax rates for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were 28.8% and 32.1%, respectively.
On August 16, 2022, the U.S. government enacted Public Law no. 117-169, commonly referred to as the Inflation Reduction Act, which, among other things, establishes a corporate minimum tax on book earnings and an excise tax on stock buybacks. It is not expected that this legislation will have a material financial impact on the Company or its operations.
Balance Sheet Information
Tiptree’s total assets were $5.1 billion as of December 31, 2023, compared to $4.0 billion as of December 31, 2022. The $1,099.8 million increase in assets is primarily attributable to the growth in the Insurance segment.
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Total stockholders’ equity was $576.6 million as of December 31, 2023, compared to $533.6 million as of December 31, 2022, with the increase primarily driven by comprehensive income for the year ended December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2023, there were 36,756,187 shares of common stock outstanding as compared to 36,385,299 shares as of December 31, 2022, with the increase driven by the vesting of share-based incentive compensation and the exercise of options.
The following table is a summary of certain balance sheet information:
| As of December 31, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiptree Capital | ||||||||||||||||||
| ($ in thousands) | Insurance | Mortgage | Other | Corporate | Total | |||||||||||||
| Total assets | 4,835,685 | $ | 160,147 | $ | 126,624 | $ | 16,857 | $ | 5,139,313 | |||||||||
| Corporate debt | $ | 290,000 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 290,000 | ||||||||
| Asset based debt | 67,138 | 54,350 | — | — | 121,488 | |||||||||||||
| Tiptree Inc. stockholders’ equity (1) | $ | 292,914 | $ | 52,297 | $ | 125,819 | $ | (54,164) | $ | 416,866 | ||||||||
| Non-controlling interests: | ||||||||||||||||||
| Fortegra preferred interests | 77,679 | — | — | — | 77,679 | |||||||||||||
| Common interests | 82,020 | — | — | — | 82,020 | |||||||||||||
| Total stockholders’ equity | $ | 452,613 | $ | 52,297 | $ | 125,819 | $ | (54,164) | $ | 576,565 |
(1) Included in Corporate equity is the deferred tax liability on the outside basis on Tiptree’s investment in Fortegra of $61.7 million as of December 31, 2023.
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NON-GAAP MEASURES AND RECONCILIATIONS
Non-GAAP Reconciliations
In addition to GAAP results, management uses the non-GAAP financial measures underwriting and fee revenues and underwriting and fee margin in order to better explain to investors the underwriting performance and the respective retentions between the Company and its agents and reinsurance partners. We also use the non-GAAP financial measures adjusted net income and adjusted return on average equity as measures of operating performance and as part of our resource and capital allocation process, to assess comparative returns on invested capital. Management believes these measures provide supplemental information useful to investors as they are frequently used by the financial community to analyze financial performance and to compare relative performance among comparable companies. Adjusted net income, adjusted return on average equity, underwriting and fee revenues and underwriting and fee margin are not measurements of financial performance or liquidity under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative or substitute for earned premiums, net income or any other measure derived in accordance with GAAP.
Underwriting and Fee Revenues and Underwriting and Fee Margin — Non-GAAP (Insurance only)
Underwriting and Fee Revenues — Non-GAAP — We define underwriting and fee revenues as earned premiums, net, service and administrative fees (excluding ceding fees) and other income (excluding cash and cash equivalent interest income). We reconcile underwriting and fee revenues as total revenues excluding net investment income, net realized gains (losses) and net unrealized gains (losses), ceding fees, ceding commissions and cash and cash equivalent interest income as reported in other income. Underwriting and fee revenues represents revenues generated by our underwriting and fee-based operations and allows us to evaluate our underwriting performance without regard to investment income. We use this metric as we believe it gives our management and other users of our financial information useful insight into our underlying business performance. Underwriting and fee revenues should not be viewed as a substitute for total revenues calculated in accordance with GAAP, and other companies may define underwriting and fee revenues differently.
| ($ in thousands) | Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 1,593,070 | $ | 1,248,796 | ||||||
| Less: Net investment income | (26,674) | (12,219) | ||||||||
| Less: Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) | 4,207 | 20,347 | ||||||||
| Less: Ceding fees (1) | (44,628) | (40,154) | ||||||||
| Less: Ceding commissions | (14,915) | (13,880) | ||||||||
| Less: Cash and cash equivalent interest income (2) | (11,037) | (2,505) | ||||||||
| Underwriting and fee revenues (3) | $ | 1,500,023 | $ | 1,200,385 |
(1) Ceding fees were included in service and administrative fees on the statement of operations.
(2) Cash and cash equivalent interest income were included in other revenue on the statement of operations.
(3) Underwriting and fee revenues exclude ceding fees, ceding commissions and cash and cash equivalent interest income from other revenue. The year ended December 31, 2022 has been conformed resulting in a reduction of underwriting and fee revenues of $56.5 million. This change only impacted the underwriting and fee revenues metric and did not impact the Company’s consolidated financial statements, including its notes to the consolidated financial statements.
Underwriting and Fee Margin — Non-GAAP — We define underwriting and fee margin as income before taxes, excluding net investment income, net realized gains (losses), net unrealized gains (losses), cash and cash equivalent interest income, employee compensation and benefits, other expenses, interest expense and depreciation and amortization. Underwriting and fee margin represents the underwriting performance of our underwriting and fee-based programs. As such, underwriting and fee margin excludes general administrative expenses, interest expense, depreciation and amortization and other corporate expenses as those expenses support the vertically integrated business model and not any individual component of our business mix. We use this metric as we believe it gives our management and other users of our financial information useful insight into the specific performance of our underlying underwriting and fee programs. Underwriting and fee income should not be viewed as a substitute for income before taxes calculated in accordance with GAAP, and other companies may define underwriting and fee margin differently.
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| ($ in thousands) | Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||
| Income (loss) before income taxes | $ | 129,816 | $ | 68,150 | ||||||
| Less: Net investment income | (26,674) | (12,219) | ||||||||
| Less: Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) | 4,207 | 20,347 | ||||||||
| Less: Cash and cash equivalent interest income (1) | (11,037) | (2,505) | ||||||||
| Plus: Depreciation and amortization | 21,425 | 18,551 | ||||||||
| Plus: Interest expense | 25,836 | 20,054 | ||||||||
| Plus: Employee compensation and benefits | 114,341 | 87,918 | ||||||||
| Plus: Other expenses | 96,825 | 78,832 | ||||||||
| Underwriting and fee margin (2) | $ | 354,739 | $ | 279,128 |
(1) Cash and cash equivalent interests income were included in other revenue on the statement of operations.
(2) Underwriting and fee margin exclude the cash and cash equivalent interest income. The year ended December 31, 2022 has been conformed resulting in a reduction of underwriting and fee margin of $2.5 million. This change only impacted the underwriting and fee margin metric and did not impact the Company’s consolidated financial statements, including its notes to the consolidated financial statements.
Adjusted Net Income — Non-GAAP
We define adjusted net income as income before taxes, less provision (benefit) for income taxes, and excluding the after-tax impact of various expenses that we consider to be unique and non-recurring in nature, including merger and acquisition related expenses, stock-based compensation, net realized and unrealized gains (losses) and intangibles amortization associated with purchase accounting, all of which is reduced for non-controlling interests. The calculation of adjusted net income excludes net realized and unrealized gains (losses) that relate to investments or assets rather than business operations. Adjusted net income should not be viewed as a substitute for income before taxes calculated in accordance with GAAP, and other companies may define adjusted net income differently. Adjusted net income (before NCI) is presented before the impacts of non-controlling interests.
We present adjustments for amortization associated with acquired intangible assets. The intangible assets were recorded as part of purchase accounting in connection with Tiptree’s acquisition of Fortegra Financial in 2014, Defend in 2019, Smart AutoCare, Sky Auto in 2020, ITC in 2022 and Premia in 2023. The intangible assets acquired contribute to overall revenue generation, and the respective purchase accounting adjustments will continue to occur in future periods until such intangible assets are fully amortized in accordance with the respective amortization periods required by GAAP.
Adjusted Return on Average Equity — Non-GAAP
We define adjusted return on average equity as adjusted net income expressed on an annualized basis as a percentage of average beginning and ending stockholders’ equity during the period. See “—Adjusted Net Income—Non-GAAP” above. Adjusted return on average equity should not be viewed as a substitute for return on average equity calculated in accordance with GAAP, and other companies may define adjusted return on average equity differently.
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| Year Ended December 31, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | Tiptree Capital | |||||||||||||||||
| Insurance | Mortgage | Other | Corporate | Total | ||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) before taxes | $ | 129,816 | $ | (3,285) | $ | (3,264) | $ | (40,214) | $ | 83,053 | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax (benefit) expense | (28,224) | 837 | 153 | (15,822) | (43,056) | |||||||||||||
| Less: Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) (1) | 4,207 | 1,861 | 5,289 | — | 11,357 | |||||||||||||
| Plus: Intangibles amortization (2) | 16,919 | — | — | — | 16,919 | |||||||||||||
| Plus: Stock-based compensation expense | 2,018 | — | — | 6,251 | 8,269 | |||||||||||||
| Plus: Non-recurring expenses (3) | 2,824 | — | — | — | 2,824 | |||||||||||||
| Plus: Non-cash fair value adjustments (4) | (1,769) | — | — | — | (1,769) | |||||||||||||
| Plus: Impact of tax deconsolidation of Fortegra (5) | — | — | — | 19,101 | 19,101 | |||||||||||||
| Less: Tax on adjustments (6) | (10,086) | (495) | (1,255) | 797 | (11,039) | |||||||||||||
| Adjusted net income (before NCI) | $ | 115,705 | $ | (1,082) | $ | 923 | $ | (29,887) | $ | 85,659 | ||||||||
| Less: Impact of non-controlling interests | (23,742) | — | — | — | (23,742) | |||||||||||||
| Adjusted net income | $ | 91,963 | $ | (1,082) | $ | 923 | $ | (29,887) | $ | 61,917 | ||||||||
| Adjusted net income (before NCI) | $ | 115,705 | $ | (1,082) | $ | 923 | $ | (29,887) | $ | 85,659 | ||||||||
| Average stockholders’ equity | $ | 395,661 | $ | 53,520 | $ | 100,325 | $ | 5,564 | $ | 555,070 | ||||||||
| Adjusted return on average equity (7) | 29.2 | % | (2.0) | % | 0.9 | % | NM% | 15.4 | % |
| Year Ended December 31, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | Tiptree Capital | |||||||||||||||||
| Insurance | Mortgage | Other | Corporate | Total | ||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) before taxes | $ | 68,150 | $ | 874 | $ | 31,403 | $ | (46,416) | $ | 54,011 | ||||||||
| Less: Income tax (benefit) expense | (21,251) | (363) | (5,545) | (23,291) | (50,450) | |||||||||||||
| Less: Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) (1) | 20,347 | (7,003) | (18,788) | — | (5,444) | |||||||||||||
| Plus: Intangibles amortization (2) | 16,229 | — | — | — | 16,229 | |||||||||||||
| Plus: Stock-based compensation expense | 2,423 | — | — | 7,093 | 9,516 | |||||||||||||
| Plus: Non-recurring expenses (3) | 3,374 | — | (729) | 2,108 | 4,753 | |||||||||||||
| Plus: Non-cash fair value adjustments (4) | (939) | — | 3,555 | — | 2,616 | |||||||||||||
| Plus: Impact of tax deconsolidation of Fortegra (5) | 1,560 | — | — | 31,573 | 33,133 | |||||||||||||
| Less: Tax on adjustments (6) | (6,061) | 1,834 | 3,731 | (467) | (963) | |||||||||||||
| Adjusted net income (before NCI) | $ | 83,832 | $ | (4,658) | $ | 13,627 | $ | (29,400) | $ | 63,401 | ||||||||
| Less: Impact of non-controlling interests | (10,367) | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | (10,367) | ||||||||||
| Adjusted net income | $ | 73,465 | $ | (4,658) | $ | 13,627 | $ | (29,400) | $ | 53,034 | ||||||||
| Adjusted net income (before NCI) | $ | 83,832 | $ | (4,658) | $ | 13,627 | $ | (29,400) | $ | 63,401 | ||||||||
| Average stockholders’ equity | $ | 321,320 | $ | 57,575 | $ | 98,373 | $ | (10,390) | $ | 466,878 | ||||||||
| Adjusted return on average equity (7) | 26.1 | % | (8.1) | % | 13.9 | % | NM% | 13.6 | % |
The footnotes below correspond to the tables above, under “—Adjusted Net Income - Non-GAAP” and “—Adjusted Return on Average Equity - Non-GAAP”.
(1) Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) added back in Adjusted net income excludes net realized and unrealized gains (losses) from the mortgage segment, those relating to our held-for-sale mortgage originator (Luxury), and unrealized gains (losses) on mortgage servicing rights.
(2) Specifically associated with acquisition purchase accounting. See Note (9) Goodwill and Intangible Assets, net.
(3) For the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, included in other expenses were expenses related to banker and legal fees associated with the acquisitions of Premia and ITC.
(4) For the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. non-cash fair-value adjustments represent a change in fair value of the Fortegra Additional Warrant liability which are added-back to adjusted net income. For the 2022 periods, maritime transportation depreciation and amortization was deducted as a reduction in the value of the vessels.
(5) For the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, included in the adjustment is an add-back of $19.1 million and $33.1 million, respectively, related to deferred tax expense from the WP Transaction.
(6) Tax on adjustments represents the tax applied to the total non-GAAP adjustments and includes adjustments for non-recurring or discrete tax impacts.
(7) Total Adjusted return on average equity after non-controlling interests was 15.2% and 13.6% for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, based on $61.9 million and $53.0 million of Adjusted net income over $407.1 million and $390.2 million of average Tiptree Inc. stockholders’ equity.
Book Value per share - Non-GAAP
Management believes the use of this financial measure provides supplemental information useful to investors as book value is frequently used by the financial community to analyze company growth on a relative per share basis. The following table provides a reconciliation between total stockholders’ equity and total shares outstanding, net of treasury shares.
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| ($ in thousands, except per share information) | As of December 31, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| Total stockholders’ equity | $ | 576,565 | $ | 533,573 | ||
| Less: Non-controlling interests | 159,699 | 136,208 | ||||
| Total stockholders’ equity, net of non-controlling interests | $ | 416,866 | $ | 397,365 | ||
| Total common shares outstanding | 36,756 | 36,385 | ||||
| Book value per share | $ | 11.34 | $ | 10.92 |
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Our principal sources of liquidity are unrestricted cash, cash equivalents and other liquid investments and distributions from operating subsidiaries, including income from our investment portfolio and sales of assets and investments. We intend to use our cash resources to continue to fund our operations and grow our businesses. We may seek additional sources of cash to fund acquisitions or investments. These additional sources of cash may take the form of debt or equity and may be at the parent, subsidiary or asset level. We are a holding company and our liquidity needs are primarily for compensation, professional fees, office rent and insurance costs.
Our subsidiaries’ ability to generate sufficient net income and cash flows to make cash distributions will be subject to numerous business and other factors, including restrictions contained in agreements for the strategic investment by Warburg in Fortegra, our subsidiaries’ financing agreements, regulatory restrictions, availability of sufficient funds at such subsidiaries, general economic and business conditions, tax considerations, strategic plans, financial results and other factors such as target capital ratios and ratio levels anticipated by rating agencies to maintain or improve current ratings. We expect our cash and cash equivalents and distributions from operating subsidiaries, our subsidiaries’ access to financing, and sales of investments to be adequate to fund our operations for at least the next 12 months, as well as the long term.
As of December 31, 2023, cash and cash equivalents, excluding restricted cash, were $468.7 million, compared to $538.1 million at December 31, 2022, a decrease of $69.4 million, primarily driven by an increase in investments.
Our mortgage business relies on short term uncommitted sources of financing as a part of their normal course of operations. To date, we have been able to obtain and renew uncommitted warehouse credit facilities. If we were not able to obtain financing, then we may need to draw on other sources of liquidity to fund our mortgage business. See Note (11) Debt, net in the notes to consolidated financial statements, for additional information regarding our mortgage warehouse borrowings.
We believe that cash flow from operations will provide sufficient capital to continue to grow the business and fund interest on the outstanding debt, capital expenditures and other general corporate needs over the next several years. As we continue to expand our business, including by any acquisitions we may make, we may, in the future, require additional working capital for increased costs.
For purposes of determining enterprise value, we consider corporate credit agreements and preferred trust securities, which we refer to as corporate debt, as corporate financing and associated interest expense is added back. The below table outlines this amount by debt outstanding and interest expense at the insurance company and corporate level.
Corporate Debt
| ($ in thousands) | Corporate Debt Outstanding as of December 31, | Interest Expense for the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||||||||
| Insurance | $ | 290,000 | $ | 160,000 | $ | 19,531 | $ | 14,675 | ||||||||||||
| Corporate | — | — | — | 4,615 | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 290,000 | $ | 160,000 | $ | 19,531 | $ | 19,290 |
The balance of the corporate credit facility was repaid during June 2022 as part of the WP Transaction. See Note (11) Debt, net in the notes to consolidated financial statements for details for prior periods.
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As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, a total of $130.0 million and $0, respectively, was outstanding under the revolving line of credit in our insurance business. The maximum borrowing capacity under the agreements as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 was $200.0 million. The increase in borrowings was primarily to fund statutory capital requirements and general corporate purposes.
On October 21, 2022, a subsidiary of Fortegra entered into a Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement by and among Fortegra, and its subsidiary, LOTS Intermediate Co., as borrowers, the lenders from time to time party thereto, certain of Fortegra’s subsidiaries, as guarantors, and Fifth Third Bank, National Association, as the administrative agent and issuing lender (the “Fortegra Credit Agreement”). The Fortegra Credit Agreement provides for a $200.0 million revolving credit facility, all of which is available for the issuance of letters of credit, with a sub-limit of $25.0 million for swing loans and matures on October 1, 2027.
Consolidated Comparison of Cash Flows
| ($ in thousands) | Year Ended December 31, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| Cash and cash equivalents provided by (used in): | ||||||
| Operating activities | $ | 71,452 | $ | 463,073 | ||
| Investing activities | (244,669) | 9,514 | ||||
| Financing activities | 113,406 | (115,186) | ||||
| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash | 1,525 | (1,828) | ||||
| Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | $ | (58,286) | $ | 355,573 |
Operating Activities
Cash provided by operating activities was $71.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. In 2023, the primary sources of cash from operating activities included growth in insurance premiums written resulting in increases in deferred revenues, unearned premiums, policy liabilities and unpaid claims, reinsurance payables and other liabilities and accrued expenses which were partially offset by increases in notes and accounts receivable, reinsurance recoverable and prepaid reinsurance premiums.
Cash provided by operating activities was $463.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. In 2022, the primary sources of cash from operating activities included proceeds from mortgage loans outpacing originations and growth in insurance premiums written resulting in increases in unearned premiums, policy liabilities and unpaid claims and deferred revenues, which were partially offset by increases in deferred acquisition costs, reinsurance recoverable and prepaid reinsurance premiums.
Investing Activities
Cash used in investing activities was $244.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. In 2023, the primary uses of cash were the purchases of investments outpacing the proceeds from the sale of investments, as well as the acquisition of Premia.
Cash provided by investing activities was $9.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. In 2022, the primary sources of cash were the proceeds of sales and maturities of investments outpacing the purchases of investments offset by the acquisition of ITC.
Financing Activities
Cash provided by financing activities was $113.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. In 2023, the cash provided was primarily proceeds from corporate borrowings at Fortegra and mortgage warehouse facilities which exceeded repayments, partially offset by non-controlling interests distributions and the payment of common and preferred dividends.
Cash used in financing activities was $115.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. In 2022, principal repayments on mortgage warehouse facilities exceeded proceeds from borrowings, which was partially offset by cash received from the WP Transaction and the exercise of warrants.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
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The Company’s significant accounting policies are described in Note (2) Summary of Significant Accounting Policies. As disclosed in Note (2), the preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions about future events that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.
The Company believes that the following discussion addresses the Company’s most critical accounting policies, which are those that are most important to the portrayal of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations and require management’s most difficult, subjective and complex judgments.
Impairment
Goodwill and Intangible Assets, net
The initial measurement of goodwill and intangibles requires judgment concerning estimates of the fair value of the acquired assets and liabilities. Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized but subject to tests for impairment annually or if events or circumstances indicate it is more likely than not they may be impaired. Finite-lived intangible assets are subject to impairment if events or circumstances indicate a possible inability to realize the carrying amount. At both December 31, 2023 and 2022, we had two reporting units for goodwill impairment testing, of which the fair value substantially exceeded carrying value as of that date. See Note (9) Goodwill and Intangible Assets, net.
Reserves
Unpaid claims are reserve estimates that include an amount determined from individual case estimates and loss reports, and an amount, based on past experience, for losses incurred but not reported (IBNR) that are established in accordance with GAAP using generally accepted actuarial methods. The Company uses a number of algorithms in establishing its unpaid claims reserves. These algorithms are used to calculate unpaid claims as a function of paid losses, earned premiums, target loss ratios, in-force amounts, unearned premium reserves, industry recognized morbidity tables or a combination of these factors.
In arriving at the IBNR reserves, the Company conducts an actuarial analysis on a basis gross of reinsurance. The same estimates used as a basis in calculating the gross IBNR reserves are then used as the basis for calculating the net IBNR reserves, which take into account the impact of reinsurance. Anticipated future loss development patterns form a key assumption underlying these analyses. Our claims are generally reported and settled quickly, resulting in consistent historical loss development patterns. From the anticipated loss development patterns, a variety of actuarial loss projection techniques are employed, such as the chain ladder method, the Bornhuetter-Ferguson method and expected loss ratio method.
The unpaid claims reserves represent the Company’s best estimates, generally involving actuarial projections at a given time. Actual claim costs are dependent upon a number of complex factors such as changes in doctrines of legal liabilities and damage awards. These factors are not directly quantifiable, particularly on a prospective basis. The Company periodically reviews and updates its methods of making such unpaid claims reserve estimates and establishing the related liabilities based on our actual experience. The Company has not made any changes to its methodologies for determining unpaid claims reserves in the periods presented.
During the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company experienced favorable prior year development of $11.2 million and $0.9 million, respectively, compared to unfavorable prior year development of $1.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. In 2023, the $11.2 million favorable prior year development was primarily driven by lower than expected claims paid development in our commercial lines of business for the 2018 and 2020 accident years. In 2022, the $0.9 million favorable prior year development is primarily due to lower-than-expected claim severity in our commercial lines business. In 2021, the $1.2 million increase in prior year development is primarily due to higher-than-expected claim severity from business written by a small group of producers of our personal and commercial lines of business.
Management considers the prior year development for all three years to be insignificant when considered in the context of our annual earned premiums, net as well as our net losses and loss adjustment expenses and member benefit claims expenses. For the year ended December 31, 2023, net losses and loss adjustment expenses were $482.5 million, which resulted to a loss ratio of 40.1%. Without the $11.2 million of favorable prior year development, the 2023 loss ratio would have been approximately 0.8% higher. For comparison, the 2022 and 2021 loss ratios were 37.7% and 35.1%, respectively. In general, the Company's loss ratio results have been predictable and consistent over time. Actuarial estimates are subject to estimation variability, and while management uses its best judgment in establishing the estimate of required unpaid claims, different
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assumptions and variables could lead to significantly different unpaid claims estimates. The variability in these estimates can, and have in the past, been significant to pretax income.
We analyze our development on a quarterly basis and given the short duration nature of our products, favorable or adverse development emerges quickly and allows for timely reserve strengthening, if necessary, or modifications to our product pricing or offerings.
Based upon our internal analysis and our review of the statement of actuarial opinions provided by our actuarial consultants, we believe that the amounts recorded for policy liabilities and unpaid claims reasonably represents the amount necessary to pay all claims and related expenses which may arise from incidents that have occurred as of the balance sheet date.
While management has used its best judgment in establishing the estimate of required unpaid claims, different assumptions and variables could lead to significantly different unpaid claims estimates. The determination of best estimates is affected by many factors, including but not limited to:
•the quality and applicability of historical data,
•current and future economic conditions,
•trends in loss frequencies and severities for various causes of loss,
•changes in claims reporting patterns,
•claims settlement patterns and timing,
•regulatory, legislative and judicial decisions,
•morbidity patterns, and
•the attitudes of claimants towards settlements.
The adequacy of our unpaid claims reserves will be impacted by future trends that impact these factors. Two key measures of loss activity are loss frequency, which is the measure of the number of claims per unit of insured exposure, and loss severity, which is a measure of the average size of claims. Factors affecting loss frequency include the effectiveness of loss controls, changes in economic activity and weather patterns. Factors affecting loss severity include changes in policy limits, retentions, rate of inflation and judicial interpretations.
If the actual level of loss frequency and severity are higher or lower than expected, the ultimate reserves required will be different than management’s estimate. Based on our actuarial analysis, we have determined that an aggregate change that is greater than 5% in loss frequency and loss severity is not reasonably likely given the Company’s low limit underwriting and low severity philosophies. The effect of higher and lower levels of loss frequency and severity on our ultimate costs for claims occurring in 2023 would be as follows:
| Accident Year 2023 Sensitivity TestChange in Loss & Frequency & Severity on Ultimate | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | |||||
| Scenario | Ultimate Cost | Change | |||
| 5% higher | $ | 518 | $ | 25 | |
| 3% higher | $ | 508 | $ | 15 | |
| 1% higher | $ | 498 | $ | 5 | |
| Base scenario | $ | 493 | $ | — | |
| 1% lower | $ | 488 | $ | (5) | |
| 3% lower | $ | 478 | $ | (15) | |
| 5% lower | $ | 468 | $ | (25) |
Based upon our internal analysis and our review of the statement of actuarial opinions provided by our actuarial consultants, we believe that the amounts recorded for policy liabilities and unpaid claims reasonably represents the amount necessary to pay all claims and related expenses which may arise from incidents that have occurred as of the balance sheet date.
Deferred Acquisition Costs
The Company defers certain costs of acquiring new and renewal insurance policies, and other products as follows:
Insurance policy related deferred acquisition costs are limited to direct costs that resulted from successful contract transactions and would not have been incurred by the Company’s insurance company subsidiaries had the transactions not occurred. These capitalized costs are amortized as the related premium is earned.
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Other deferred acquisition costs are limited to prepaid direct costs, typically commissions and contract transaction fees, that resulted from successful contract transactions and would not have been incurred by the Company had the transactions not occurred. These capitalized costs are amortized as the related service and administrative fees are earned.
The Company evaluates whether all deferred acquisition costs are recoverable at year end, and considers investment income in the recoverability analysis for insurance policy related deferred acquisition costs. As a result of the Company’s evaluations, no write-offs for unrecoverable deferred acquisition costs were recognized during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
Amortization of deferred acquisition costs was $583.6 million, $479.1 million and $375.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.
Revenue Recognition
The Company earns revenues from a variety of sources:
Earned Premiums, net
Net earned premiums is from direct and assumed earned premiums consisting of revenue generated from the direct sale of insurance policies by the Company’s distributors and premiums written for insurance policies by another carrier and assumed by the Company. Whether direct or assumed, the premium is earned over the life of the respective policy using methods appropriate to the pattern of losses for the type of business. Methods used include pro rata, Rule of 78’s, and other actuarial methods. Management selects the appropriate method based on available information, and periodically reviews the selections as additional information becomes available. Direct and assumed premiums are offset by premiums ceded to the Company’s reinsurers, including PORCs, earned in the same manner. The amount ceded is proportional to the amount of risk assumed by the reinsurer.
Service and Administrative Fees
The Company earns service and administrative fees from a variety of activities. Such fees are typically positively correlated with transaction volume and are recognized as revenue as they become both realized and earned. Revenues from contracts with customers were $341.4 million and $300.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and include auto and consumer goods service contracts, motor clubs, other service and administrative fees, vessel related revenue and management fee income. See Note (14) Revenue from Contracts with Customers for more detailed disclosure regarding these revenues.
Service fee revenue is recognized as the services are performed. Administrative fee revenue includes the administration of premium associated with our producers and their PORCs. In addition, we also earn fee revenue from debt cancellation programs, motor club memberships and warranty programs. Related administrative fee revenue is recognized consistent with the earnings recognition pattern of the underlying insurance policies, debt cancellation contracts and motor club memberships being administered, using pro rata, Rule of 78’s, modified Rule of 78’s, or other methods as appropriate for the contract. Management selects the appropriate method based on available information, and periodically reviews the selections as additional information becomes available. In addition, we also record on an earned basis a ceding fee paid by our reinsurers on ceded insurance premiums. This fee reimburses us for administrative, underwriting, and acquisition expenses. These fees are earned primarily pro-rata over the remaining term of the policy.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to the differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which the temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled.
The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in the tax rates is recognized in earnings in the period that includes the enactment date. Additionally, taxing jurisdictions could retroactively disagree with our tax treatment of certain items, and some historical transactions have income tax effects going forward. Accounting guidance requires these future effects to be evaluated using current laws, rules and regulations, each of which can change at any time and in an
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unpredictable manner.
The Company establishes valuation allowances for deferred tax assets when, in its judgment, it concludes that it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will not be realized. These judgments are based on projections of future income, including tax-planning strategies, by individual tax jurisdictions. Changes in economic conditions and the competitive environment may impact the accuracy of the Company’s projections. On a quarterly basis, the Company assesses the likelihood that its deferred tax assets will be realized and determines if adjustments to the Company’s valuation allowance is appropriate.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards
For a discussion of recently issued accounting standards, see Note (2) Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
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