Edgar Filing: ASSURANT INC

Document

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549



	FORM 10-K



x	ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018



¨	TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to

Commission file number 001-31978



	Assurant, Inc. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



Delaware		39-1126612
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

28 Liberty Street, 41st Floor New York, New York		10005
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

(212) 859-7000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:



Title of Each Class		Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Common Stock, $0.01 Par Value		New York Stock Exchange
6.50% Series D Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock, $1.00 Par Value		New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes x No ¨

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ¨ No x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes x No ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. x

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



Large accelerated filer	x	Accelerated filer	¨

Non-accelerated filer	¨	Smaller reporting company	¨

		Emerging growth company	¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ¨ No x

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $6.49 billion as of the last business day of the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2018 based on the closing sale price of $103.49 per share for the common stock on such date as traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

The number of shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding at February 15, 2019 was 61,696,055.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

Certain information contained in the definitive proxy statement for the registrant’s 2019 annual meeting of stockholders is incorporated by reference into Part III hereof.

ASSURANT, INC.

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS



Item Number		Page Number
	PART I
1.	Business	3
1A.	Risk Factors	15
1B.	Unresolved Staff Comments	33
2.	Properties	33
3.	Legal Proceedings	33
4.	Mine Safety Disclosures	33

	PART II
5.	Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities	34
6.	Selected Financial Data	37
7.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	40
7A.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk	68
8.	Financial Statements and Supplementary Data	72
9.	Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure	72
9A.	Controls and Procedures	72
9B.	Other Information	73

	PART III
10.	Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance	74
11.	Executive Compensation	74
12.	Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters	74
13.	Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence	74
14.	Principal Accounting Fees and Services	74

	PART IV
15.	Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules	75
16.	Form 10-K Summary	79
Signatures		80

Unless otherwise stated, all amounts are presented in United States of America (“U.S.”) dollars and all amounts are in millions, except for number of shares, per share amounts, registered holders, number of employees, beneficial owners, number of securities in an unrealized loss position and number of loans.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Some statements in “Item 1 – Business” and “Item 7 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 (this "Report"), particularly those anticipating future financial performance, business prospects, growth and operating strategies and similar matters, including the benefits and synergies of The Warranty Group acquisition and estimated reportable catastrophe losses, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements by the use of words such as “will,” “may,” “can,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “targets,” “forecasts,” “potential,” “approximately,” and the negative versions of those words and other words and terms with a similar meaning. Any forward-looking statements contained in this Report are based upon our historical performance and on current plans, estimates and expectations. The inclusion of this forward-looking information should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that our future plans, estimates or expectations will be achieved. Our actual results might differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or other developments. For a discussion of the risk factors that could affect our actual results, see “Item 1A – Risk Factors” and “Item 7 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Critical Factors Affecting Results.”

PART I

Unless the context otherwise requires, references to the terms “Assurant,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Assurant, Inc.’s consolidated operations.

Item 1. Business

Assurant, Inc. was incorporated as a Delaware corporation in 2004.

We are a global provider of risk management solutions in the housing and lifestyle markets, protecting where people live and the goods they buy. We operate in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific through three operating segments: Global Housing, Global Lifestyle and Global Preneed. We partner with clients who are leaders in their industries to provide consumers a diverse range of protection products and services. Through our Global Housing segment, we provide lender-placed homeowners, manufactured housing and flood insurance; and renters insurance and related products (referred to as “Multifamily Housing”). Through our Global Lifestyle segment, we provide mobile device protection products and related services and extended service products and related services for consumer electronics and appliances (referred to as “Connected Living”); vehicle protection and related services (referred to as “Global Automotive”); and credit and other insurance products (referred to as “Global Financial Services”). Through our Global Preneed segment, we provide pre-funded funeral insurance and annuity products.

Our Competitive Strengths

Our financial strength and core capabilities across our businesses create competitive advantages that we believe allow us to support our clients and our profitable growth over the long term.

Our financial strength. We believe we have a strong balance sheet. As of December 31, 2018, we had $41.09 billion in total assets and our debt to total capital was 28.2%. In addition, our Global Housing, Global Lifestyle and Global Preneed segments generate significant operating cash flows, which provides us with the flexibility to make appropriate investments in strategic capabilities and enter into partnerships with our clients.

Client and consumer insights support product innovation. During our long business tenure, we have developed a comprehensive understanding of our clients and the consumer markets we serve. We seek to leverage consumer insights, together with deep market knowledge and capabilities, to anticipate and identify the specific needs of our clients and the consumers they serve. We intend to continue capitalizing on our client and consumer insights to introduce new and innovative products and services and adapt those products and services to address emerging issues.

Value chain integration. We own or manage multiple pieces of the value chain, which enables us to create products and service offerings based on specific client needs and provide a seamless experience for consumers. Offering end-to-end solutions allows us to adapt more quickly and efficiently to client and consumer needs. Visibility across the value chain helps us collect and share insights to improve the consumer experience and our offerings.

Our Strategy for Profitable Growth

Our vision is to be the premier provider of risk management solutions within the housing and lifestyle markets globally. To achieve this vision, we recently underwent a multi-year transformation to position ourselves for long-term profitable growth by:

Growing our portfolio of market leading businesses. We leverage our competitive strengths to focus on niche businesses where we can maintain or reach market-leading positions and achieve attractive returns. We periodically assess our business portfolio to ensure we align resources with the best opportunities within the housing and lifestyle markets and, currently, we have identified Connected Living, Multifamily Housing and Global Automotive as key businesses targeted for growth. We are focused on growing our businesses by continuing to invest in niche capabilities, further expanding our offerings and diversifying our distribution channels.

Providing integrated risk management offerings. We provide an array of services that are complementary to our risk-based products. As we adapt our business portfolio to respond to client and consumer needs, we expect that our mix of business will continue to evolve. We expect future business mix shifts to further diversify our revenue and earnings.

Deploying our capital strategically. We deploy capital to invest in and grow our businesses, repurchase shares and pay dividends. Our approach to mergers, acquisitions and other growth opportunities reflects our prudent and disciplined approach to capital management. We target new businesses and capabilities that complement or support our business model, which is focused on expanding capabilities and distribution in targeted growth businesses globally.

2018 Highlights

On May 31, 2018, we acquired TWG Holdings Limited and its subsidiaries (as subsequently reorganized, “TWG”) for a total enterprise value of $2.47 billion. This amount included $894.9 million in cash, the repayment of $595.9 million of TWG’s pre-existing debt and issuance of $975.5 million of Assurant, Inc. common stock. As a result, the equityholders of TWG, including TPG Capital, received a total of 10,399,862 shares of Assurant, Inc. common stock. TWG specializes in the underwriting, administration and marketing of service contracts on a wide variety of consumer goods, including automobiles, consumer electronics and major home appliances. We expect the acquisition will enhance our position as a leading lifestyle provider, particularly within the Global Automotive business, with new client partnerships and distribution channels. The acquisition will support our growth strategy for Global Lifestyle given TWG’s attractive product and client portfolio and our deepened global footprint across 21 countries, including key markets such as Asia Pacific. We expect to generate significant operating synergies by optimizing global operations.

On August 1, 2018, we sold our Mortgage Solutions business to Xome, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of WMIH Corp., for $36.7 million and potential future payments based on performance. This will allow us to focus on our lines of business where we have leadership positions and strengthen our offerings and capabilities.

On December 3, 2018, we sold Time Insurance Company, a subsidiary of the runoff Assurant Health business, to Haven Holdings, Inc. for cash consideration of $30.9 million.

For more information regarding the acquisition and sales, see Notes 3 and 4, respectively, to the Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Report.

Segments

The composition of our reportable segments matches how we view and manage our business. For additional information on our segments, see “Item 7 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Results of Operations” and Note 5 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Report.

Global Housing



	Years Ended December 31,
	2018			2017			2016
Net earned premiums, fees and other income by product:
Lender-placed Insurance	$	1,149.7		$	1,224.9		$	1,317.2
Multifamily Housing	406.1			366.3			320.9
Mortgage Solutions	116.1			257.7			329.3
Manufactured Housing and Other	417.3			326.1			321.4
Total	$	2,089.2		$	2,175.0		$	2,288.8
Segment net income	$	150.8		$	97.4		$	188.6
Combined ratio for risk-based businesses (1)	97.7		%	99.1		%	91.1		%
Segment Equity	$	1,505.3		$	1,536.9		$	1,398.3


(1)	The combined ratio for risk-based businesses equals total benefits, losses and expenses, including reportable catastrophe losses, divided by net earned premiums, fees and other income for Lender-placed Insurance and Manufactured Housing and Other.

Our Products and Services

The key lines of business in Global Housing are: Lender-placed Insurance; Multifamily Housing (which is comprised of renters insurance and related products); and voluntary manufactured housing, homeowners and flood insurance. On August 1, 2018, we sold our Mortgage Solutions business, which was comprised of property inspection and preservation, valuation and title services and other property risk management services. For additional information on this sale, see “ – 2018 Highlights” and Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Report.

Lender-placed Insurance: We provide Lender-placed homeowners, manufactured housing and flood insurance as described below.

Lender-placed homeowners insurance. Lender-placed homeowners insurance consists principally of fire and dwelling hazard insurance offered through our lender-placed program. The lender-placed program provides collateral protection to lenders, mortgage servicers and investors in mortgaged properties in the event that a homeowner does not maintain insurance on a mortgaged dwelling. Lender-placed homeowners insurance provides structural coverage, similar to that of a standard homeowners policy. The amount of coverage is often based on the last known insurance

coverage under the prior policy for the property and provides replacement cost coverage on the property. It protects both the lender’s interest and the borrower’s interest and equity. We also provide real estate owned (“REO”) insurance, consisting of insurance on foreclosed properties managed by our clients.

In the majority of cases, we use a proprietary insurance-tracking administration system linked with the administrative systems of our clients to monitor clients’ mortgage portfolios to verify the existence of insurance on each mortgaged property and identify those that are uninsured. If there is a potential lapse in insurance coverage, we begin a process of notification and outreach to both the homeowner and the last known insurance carrier or agent through phone calls and written correspondence, which generally takes up to 90 days to complete. If coverage cannot be verified at the end of this process, the mortgage servicer procures a lender-placed policy for which the homeowner is responsible for paying the related premiums. The process of tracking voluntary coverage – including determining whether voluntary coverage is in force, the policy limits in place, the perils insured and the deductibles and obtaining other required insurance related information – is part of our risk management for our Lender-placed Insurance business. Tracking is needed in order to underwrite the risk we assume, to understand loss exposure and to communicate with appropriate parties, including the lender, insurance agent and homeowner. Our placement rates reflect the ratio of insurance policies placed to loans tracked. The homeowner always retains the option to obtain or renew the insurance of his or her choice.

Lender-placed manufactured housing insurance. Lender-placed manufactured housing insurance consists principally of fire and dwelling hazard insurance for manufactured housing offered through our lender-placed program. Lender-placed manufactured housing insurance is issued after an insurance tracking process similar to that described above. In most cases, tracking is performed using a proprietary insurance-tracking administration system.

Lender-placed flood insurance. Lender-placed flood insurance consists of flood insurance offered through our lender-placed program. It provides collateral protection to lenders in mortgaged properties in the event a homeowner does not maintain flood insurance. Lender-placed flood insurance is issued after an insurance tracking process similar to that described above.

Multifamily Housing: We offer renters insurance for a wide variety of multi-family rental properties, including vacation rentals, providing content protection for renters’ personal belongings and liability protection for the property owners against renter-caused damage. We also provide tenant bonds as an alternative to security deposits, which allows our clients to offer a lower move-in cost option while minimizing the risk of loss from damages, and receivables management, which helps our clients to maximize the collection of amounts owed by prior tenants.

Manufactured Housing and Other: We offer voluntary manufactured housing insurance, homeowners insurance, and several other niche products. Our voluntary insurance generally provides structural coverage, content and liability coverage. We are the second largest administrator for the U.S. government under the voluntary National Flood Insurance Program (the “NFIP”), for which we earn fees for collecting premiums and processing claims. This business is 100% reinsured to the U.S. government.

Mortgage Solutions: Prior to the sale of our Mortgage Solutions business, we offered mortgage-related services, including field, inspection, restoration, REO asset management, valuation, title and settlement services.

Distribution and Clients

Global Housing establishes long-term relationships with leading mortgage lenders and servicers, manufactured housing lenders, property managers and financial and other institutions. Lender-placed Insurance products are distributed primarily through mortgage lenders, mortgage servicers and financial and other institutions. The majority of our lender-placed agreements are exclusive. Typically, these agreements have terms of three to five years and allow us to integrate our systems with those of our clients. Multifamily Housing products are distributed primarily through property management companies and affinity marketing partners. We offer our Manufactured Housing and Other insurance programs primarily through manufactured housing lenders and retailers, along with independent specialty agents. Independent specialty agents also distribute flood products and other specialty property products.

As of December 31, 2018, no single Global Housing client accounted for 10% or more of our consolidated revenue. However, Global Housing is dependent on a few clients, and the loss of any one or more such clients could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows. See “Item 1A – Risk Factors – Business and Competitive Risks – Our revenues and profits may decline if we are unable to maintain relationships with significant clients, distributors and other parties, or renew contracts with them on favorable terms, or if those parties face financial, reputational or regulatory issues.”

Our Addressable Markets and Market Activity

With respect to the lender-placed market, placement rates have declined as the housing market has improved resulting in lower net earned premiums. We expect placement rates to continue to decline in 2019 reflecting the health of the overall housing market. We will continue to implement expense management efforts to mitigate the impact to our financial results.

The U.S. renters insurance market is a growing market where we believe there is opportunity to increase our market share.

Risk Management

We earn premiums on our insurance products and fees for our services. Our lender-placed homeowners insurance program and certain of our lender-placed manufactured housing products are not underwritten on an individual policy basis. Contracts with our clients require us to issue these policies automatically when a borrower’s insurance coverage is not maintained. These products are priced to factor in the additional risk from ensuring that all client properties have continuous insurance coverage. We monitor pricing adequacy based on a variety of factors and adjust pricing as required, subject to regulatory constraints.

Because several of our business lines (such as homeowners, manufactured housing and other property policies) are exposed to catastrophe risks, we purchase reinsurance coverage to protect capital and mitigate earnings volatility. We continue to expand our international footprint by partnering with financial services clients and assuming dwelling-related business in the Caribbean Islands and Latin America. Our reinsurance program generally incorporates a provision to allow for the reinstatement of coverage, which provides protection against the risk of multiple catastrophes in a single year. For 2018, we purchased a $1.47 billion property catastrophe reinsurance program. The U.S. per-occurrence catastrophe coverage provides $985.0 million of protection in excess of $120.0 million of retention and the Caribbean Islands and Latin American catastrophe coverage provides $162.5 million of protection in excess of $17.5 million of retention and $325.5 million of protection in excess of $4.5 million of retention, respectively. In January 2019, we placed approximately 65% of our 2019 catastrophe reinsurance program with the traditional reinsurance market, lowering our per-event retention from $120 million to $80 million pre-tax and securing additional multi-year coverage.

Seasonality

We experience seasonal fluctuation in some of our lines of business, but we have not experienced material seasonal trends overall. Several of our business lines are exposed to catastrophe risks that experience seasonal fluctuations, as large catastrophes such as hurricanes typically occur in the second half of the year.

Global Lifestyle



	Years Ended December 31,
	2018			2017			2016
Net earned premiums, fees and other income by product:
Connected Living (mobile, service contracts and assistance services) (1)	$	2,800.6		$	2,156.0		$	2,570.1
Global Automotive	1,909.2			782.8			715.8
Global Financial Services	473.5			457.4			420.2
Total	$	5,183.3		$	3,396.2		$	3,706.1
Segment net income	$	297.7		$	178.0		$	154.4
Combined ratio for risk-based businesses (2)	97.2		%	96.2		%	95.9		%
Pre-tax income margin for fee-based, capital-light businesses (3)	7.0		%	5.7		%	3.5		%
Segment Equity	$	4,073.2		$	1,967.3		$	1,594.5

(1)

For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, 55.4%, 58.7%, and 45.2%, respectively, of net earned premiums, fees and other income was from mobile products, 43.0%, 39.3%, and 54.7%, respectively was from service contracts and 1.6%, 2.0% and 0.1%, respectively, was from assistance services. For the year ended December 31, 2017, net earned premiums, fees and other income decreased due to a change in program structure impacting the accounting for revenues on a net instead of gross basis for a large client in Connected Living. The change in program structure had no impact on net income.


(2)	The combined ratio for risk-based businesses is equal to total benefits, losses and expenses divided by net earned premiums, fees and other income for Global Automotive and Global Financial Services.


(3)	The pre-tax income margin for fee-based, capital-light businesses equals income before provision for income taxes divided by net earned premiums, fees and other income for Connected Living.

Our Products and Services

The key lines of business in Global Lifestyle are: Connected Living, which includes mobile device protection products and related services, extended service contracts (insurance policies and warranties) (“ESCs”) for consumer electronics and appliances, and assistance services; Global Automotive; and Global Financial Services.

Connected Living: Through partnerships with mobile device carriers, retailers, multiple system operators (“MSOs”), original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”) and financial and other institutions, we underwrite and provide administrative services for ESCs. These contracts provide consumers with coverage on mobile devices and consumer electronics and appliances, protecting them from certain covered losses. We pay the cost of repairing or replacing these consumer goods in the event of loss, theft, accidental damage, mechanical breakdown or electronic malfunction after the manufacturer's warranty expires. Our strategy is to provide integrated service offerings to our clients that address all aspects of the insurance, ESC or warranty, including program design and marketing strategy, risk management, data analytics, customer support and claims handling, supply chain and service delivery and repair and logistics. For example, we seek to provide end-to-end mobile device lifecycle services in our mobile business from when the device is received and inspected, repaired or refurbished, to when it is ultimately disposed of through a sale to a third-party or used to meet an insurance claim. In addition to extended protection for multiple devices, our mobile offerings include trade-in and upgrade programs, premium customer support, including device self-diagnostic tools, and device disposition. We believe that with the required administrative capability, supply chain, technical support infrastructure and insurance underwriting capabilities, we maintain a differentiated position in this marketplace.

In addition, Connected Living also includes our 40% investment in Iké Asistencia (“Iké”), a services assistance business with significant business in Mexico and other countries in Latin America. Iké primarily provides roadside assistance, home assistance and travel, mobile and other protection products and services. We have a call right and Iké has a put right relating to our acquisition of the remainder of Iké by mid-2019. There can be no assurance whether we will exercise our call right, Iké will exercise its put right or the acquisition will be completed.

Global Automotive: We underwrite and provide administrative services for vehicle service contracts (“VSCs”) and ancillary products providing coverage for vehicles, including automobiles, trucks, recreational vehicles and motorcycles, as well as parts. For VSCs, we pay the cost of repairing a customer’s vehicle in the event of mechanical breakdown. For ancillary products, coverage varies, but, generally, we pay the cost of repairing, servicing or replacing parts or provide other financial compensation in the event of mechanical breakdown, accidental damage or theft. We provide integrated service offerings to our clients, including program design and marketing strategy, risk management, data analytics, customer support and claims handling, reinsurance facilitation, actuarial consulting, experiential and digital training and performance management.

Global Financial Services: Our Global Financial Services business maintains a suite of protection and assurance products that deliver a combination of features and benefits for varying customer segment needs. With major financial services clients, we provide value-added financial services in the U.S. and internationally, ranging from credit insurance to inclusive credit card benefits and travel coverages. Although traditional credit insurance has been in decline in the U.S., it continues to be actively sold internationally.

Distribution and Clients

Global Lifestyle operates globally, with approximately 75% of its revenue from North America (the U.S. and Canada), 11% from Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru), 10% from Europe (the United Kingdom (the “U.K.”), France, Italy, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands) and 4% from Asia Pacific (South Korea, China, Japan, Australia, India, Singapore and New Zealand) for the year ended December 31, 2018. Global Lifestyle focuses on establishing strong, long-term relationships with clients that are leaders in their markets, including leading distributors of our products and services. In Connected Living, we partner with mobile device carriers, retailers, MSOs, OEMs and financial and other institutions that market our mobile device protection products and related services and with some of the largest OEMs, consumer electronics retailers, appliance retailers (including e-commerce retailers) and MSOs to market our ESC products and related services. In Global Automotive we partner with auto dealers, third-party administrators and manufacturers to market our vehicle protection and related services. In Global Financial Services we partner with financial institutions, insurers and retailers to market our credit and other insurance products.

In international markets, we primarily sell consumer service contracts, including mobile device protection, vehicle service contracts and credit insurance products through agreements with financial institutions, retailers and mobile service providers. Systems, training, computer hardware and our overall market development approach are customized to fit the particular needs of each targeted international market. For a description of certain risks relating to our international operations, see “Item 1A – Risk Factors – Business and Competitive Risks – We face risks associated with our international operations.”

Most of our distribution agreements are exclusive. Typically, these agreements are multi-year with terms generally between three and five years and allow us to integrate our administrative systems with those of our clients.

As of December 31, 2018, no single Global Lifestyle client accounted for 10% or more of our consolidated revenue. However, Global Lifestyle is dependent on a few clients and the loss of any one or more such clients could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows. See “Item 1A – Risk Factors – Business and Competitive Risks – Our revenues and profits may decline if we are unable to maintain relationships with significant clients, distributors and other parties, or renew contracts with them on favorable terms, or if those parties face financial, reputational or regulatory issues.”

Our Addressable Markets and Market Activity

The mobile insurance market is a large and growing global market. While smartphone penetration in the U.S., Japanese and European markets is very high, other international markets have continued to grow. The worldwide used and refurbished smartphone market is also expected to continue to grow.

In addition, consumer needs relating to mobile devices are continuing to expand in scope. We believe there are growth opportunities in bundled protection products, which support customers as they take full advantage of the features and functions of their smart phones through their daily interaction with a connected world. Customer support, device financing, buyback and trade-in programs are just a few areas that have gained or are gaining traction. Expanded capabilities like repair and logistics, technical support for customers and digital security allow us to create product and service offerings that customers may find compelling.

Our business is subject to fluctuations in mobile device trade-in volumes based on the release of new devices and carrier promotional programs, as well as changes in mobile market dynamics. For example, as a general trend, we believe the average smartphone replacement cycle is lengthening; however, this trend may be reversed based on new technology and innovation.

In the vehicle sales markets, U.S. new vehicle sales were relatively flat in 2018, with new auto sales being down and light duty truck and sport utility vehicle sales showing year over year increases. The used vehicle market remains strong and continues to grow. We work closely with our partners to develop innovative offerings that reflect the rapid evolution of the market. International new vehicle sales continue to grow in most markets.

In our financial services market, we anticipate continued declines in our traditional credit insurance domestically, while we continue expanding our credit card product. The traditional credit and credit card products are actively sold in select international markets.

On May 31, 2018, we acquired TWG, which specializes in the underwriting, administration and marketing of service contracts on a wide variety of consumer goods, including automobiles, consumer electronics and major home appliances. We expect the acquisition will enhance our position as a leading lifestyle provider, particularly within the Global Automotive business, with new client partnerships and distribution channels. The acquisition will support our growth strategy for Global Lifestyle given TWG’s attractive product and client portfolio and our deepened global footprint across 21 countries, including key markets such as Asia Pacific. We expect to generate significant operating synergies by optimizing global operations.

Risk Management

We earn premiums on our insurance and warranty products and fees for our other services. We write a portion of our contracts on a retrospective commission basis. This allows us to adjust commissions on the basis of claims experience. Under these commission arrangements, our clients’ compensation is based upon the actual losses incurred compared to premiums earned after a specified net allowance to us. We believe that these arrangements better align our clients’ interests with ours and help us to better manage risk exposure.

Inventory

In our mobile business, we carry inventory to meet the delivery requirements of certain clients. Our mobile business is subject to the risk that the value of our inventory (as well as devices that are subject to guaranteed buybacks) will be impacted adversely by price reductions or technological changes affecting the usefulness or desirability of the devices and parts, physical problems resulting from faulty design or manufacturing, increased competition and growing industry emphasis on cost containment. We take various actions to reduce our risk, including monitoring our inventory levels, controlling the timing of purchases and obtaining return rights for some programs and devices. However, no assurance can be given that we will be adequately protected against declines in inventory value. Inventory levels may vary from period to period due to, among other things, differences between actual and forecasted demand, the addition of new devices and parts and strategic purchases. Payment terms with clients may also vary, resulting in less inventory financed by clients and more inventory financed with our own capital. See “Item 1A – Risk Factors – Business and Competitive Risks – Our mobile business subjects us to certain risks, including declines in the value of devices in our inventory or subject to guaranteed buybacks and export compliance risk in connection with mobile device dispositions.”

Seasonality

We experience some seasonal fluctuations that impact demand in each of our lines of business, but we have not experienced material seasonal trends overall. For example, seasonality for ESCs and VSCs aligns with the seasonality of the retail and automobile markets. In addition, our mobile results may fluctuate quarter to quarter due to the timing of the release of new devices and carrier promotional programs.

Global Preneed



	Years Ended December 31,
	2018		2017		2016
Net earned premiums, fees and other income	$	189.5	$	181.0	$	171.3
Segment net income	$	57.7	$	39.6	$	42.3
Segment Equity	$	423.7	$	427.6	$	440.6

Our Products and Services

Global Preneed offers pre-funded funeral insurance in Canada and the U.S. Pre-funded funeral insurance provides whole life insurance or annuity death benefits to fund the costs associated with pre-arranged funerals, which are planned and paid for in advance of death. Our pre-funded funeral insurance products are typically structured as whole life insurance policies in the U.S. and offer limited pay (“Preneed”) or pay for life (“Final Need”) options. In Canada, our pre-funded funeral insurance products are typically structured as limited pay annuity contracts. Product choices are based on the health and financial situation of the customer and the distribution channel.

Consumers have the choice of making their policy payments as a single lump-sum payment, through multi-payment plans that spread payments out over a period of time or as a pay for life policy. Our insurance policy is intended to cover the cost of the prearranged funeral and the funeral home generally becomes the irrevocable assignee of any proceeds from the insurance policy. However, the insured may name a beneficiary for excess proceeds; otherwise, any excess proceeds are paid to the insured’s estate. The funeral home agrees to provide the selected funeral at death in exchange for the policy proceeds. Because the death benefit under many of our policies is designed to grow over time, it assists the funeral firm that is the assignee in managing its funeral inflation risk. We do not provide any funeral goods or services in connection with our pre-funded funeral insurance policies; pre-funded funeral life insurance and annuity policies pay death benefits in cash only.

Distribution and Clients

We distribute our pre-funded funeral insurance products through two distribution channels in the U.S. and Canada: the independent funeral home market or final expense industry through general agents representing those locations and corporate funeral home partners. Our policies are sold by licensed insurance agents or enrollers, who in some cases may also be funeral directors.

We are the sole provider of pre-funded funeral insurance for Service Corporation International (“SCI”) in Canada and the U.S. SCI is the largest funeral provider in North America based on total revenues. Our exclusive distribution partnership with SCI runs through 2024 in the U.S. and through 2021 in Canada.

As of December 31, 2018, no single Global Preneed client accounted for 10% or more of our consolidated revenue. However, Global Preneed is dependent on a few clients and the loss of any one or more such clients could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows. See “Item 1A – Risk Factors – Business and Competitive Risks – Our revenues and profits may decline if we are unable to maintain relationships with significant clients, distributors and other parties, or renew contracts with them on favorable terms, or if those parties face financial, reputational or regulatory issues.”

Our Addressable Markets and Market Activity

Growth in Global Preneed sales has been traditionally driven by distribution. There is a high correlation between new sales of pre-funded funeral insurance and the number of preneed counselors or enrollers marketing the product and expansion in sales and marketing capabilities. In addition, as alternative distribution channels are identified, such as targeting affinity groups and employers, we believe growth in this market could accelerate. We believe that the preneed market is characterized by an aging population combined with low penetration of the over-65 market with approximately 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day.

We intend to increase sales by broadening our distribution relationships and increasing market share in Canada. Through our general agency system, we provide programs and a sales force for our funeral firm clients to increase their local market share. In the U.S., we also intend to direct funerals to SCI’s funeral locations and reduce SCI’s cost to sell and manage its

preneed operation through its sales counselors and third-party sellers. We integrate our processes with SCI’s insurance production to support SCI’s management of its preneed business.

Risk Management

Global Preneed generally writes whole life insurance policies with increasing death benefits and obtains the majority of its profits from interest rate spreads. Interest rate spreads refer to the difference between the death benefit growth rates on pre-funded funeral insurance policies and the investment returns generated on the assets we hold related to those policies. To manage these spreads, we monitor the movement in new money yields and evaluate our actual net new achievable yields monthly. This information is used to evaluate rates to be credited on applicable new and in force pre-funded funeral insurance policies and annuities. In addition, we review asset benchmarks and perform asset/liability matching studies to maximize yield and reduce risk.

Global Preneed utilizes underwriting to select and price insurance risks. We regularly monitor mortality assumptions to determine if experience remains consistent with these assumptions and to ensure that our product pricing remains appropriate. We periodically review our underwriting, agent and policy contract provisions and pricing guidelines so that our policies remain competitive and supportive of our marketing strategies and profitability goals.

Most of our pre-funded whole-life funeral insurance policies have increasing death benefits, some of which are pegged to changes in the Consumer Price Index (the “CPI”). We have employed risk mitigation strategies, including the use of derivative instruments, to seek to minimize our exposure to a rapid increase in inflation. However, exposure can still exist due to potential differences in the amount of our liability under existing insurance policies and the amount of protection provided by our derivative instruments and other risk mitigation strategies.

Competition

Our businesses focus on niche products and related services within broader insurance and other markets. Although we face competition in each of our businesses, we believe that no single competitor competes against us in all of our business lines. Across Global Housing, Global Lifestyle and Global Preneed, we compete with many insurance companies, financial services companies, mobile device repair and logistics companies, technology and software companies and specialized competitors that focus on one market, product or service for business, customers, agents and other distribution relationships. Competition in each business is based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, scope of products and services offered, ability to tailor products and services to client needs, product features and terms, pricing, technology offerings, diversity of distribution resources, brand recognition, costs, financial strength, resources, ratings, quality of service, overall customer experience, customer support offerings and other factors. The relative importance of these factors varies by product and market. To remain competitive in many of our businesses, we must also anticipate and respond effectively to changes in customer preferences and the threat of disruption from technology and alternate business models. For further information on the risks associated with competition, see “Item 1A – Risk Factors – Business and Competitive Risks – Significant competitive pressures, changes in customer preferences and disruption could adversely affect our results of operations.”

Ratings

Independent rating organizations periodically review the financial strength of insurers, including many of our insurance subsidiaries. Financial strength ratings represent the opinions of rating agencies regarding the ability of an insurance company to meet its financial obligations to policyholders and contract holders. These ratings are not applicable to our common stock, preferred stock or debt securities. Ratings are an important factor in establishing the competitive position of insurance companies.

Rating agencies also use an “outlook statement” of “positive,” “stable,” “negative” or “developing” to indicate a medium- or long-term trend in credit fundamentals which, if continued, may lead to a rating change. A rating may have a stable outlook to indicate that the rating is not expected to change; however, a stable outlook does not preclude a rating agency from changing a rating at any time, without notice.

Most of our domestic and significant international operating insurance subsidiaries are rated by A.M. Best Company (“A.M. Best”). In addition, four of our domestic operating insurance subsidiaries are rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) and five are rated by S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”). The ratings issued on our operating insurance subsidiaries by these agencies are announced publicly and are available from the agencies.

For information on the risks associated with ratings downgrades, see “Item 1A – Risk Factors-Financial Risks – A decline in the financial strength ratings of our insurance subsidiaries could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.”

The following table summarizes the financial strength ratings and outlooks of our domestic and significant international operating insurance subsidiaries as of December 31, 2018:



	A.M. Best (1)	Moody’s (2)	S& P (3)
Company
American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida	A	A3	A
American Bankers Life Assurance Company of Florida	A-	Baa1	A
American Memorial Life Insurance Company	A-	N/A	A
American Security Insurance Company	A	A3	A
Assurant Life of Canada	A-	N/A	N/A
Caribbean American Life Assurance Company	A-	N/A	N/A
Caribbean American Property Insurance Company	A	N/A	N/A
London General Insurance Company Limited	A	N/A	N/A
Reliable Lloyds Insurance Company	A	N/A	N/A
Standard Guaranty Insurance Company	A	N/A	N/A
Union Security Insurance Company	A-	Baa1	A
Union Security Life Insurance Company of New York	A-	N/A	N/A
Virginia Surety Company, Inc	A	N/A	N/A
Voyager Indemnity Insurance Company	A	N/A	N/A

(1)

A.M. Best financial strength ratings range from “A++” (superior) to “D” (poor). Ratings of A and A- fall under the “excellent” category, which is the second highest of A.M. Best’s seven ratings categories. A.M. Best has a stable outlook on all of our domestic and significant international operating insurance subsidiaries’ financial strength ratings, with the exception of Union Security Insurance Company and Union Security Life Insurance Company of New York, which have negative outlooks.

(2)

Moody’s insurance financial strength ratings range from “Aaa” (highest quality) to “C” (lowest rated). A numeric modifier may be appended to ratings from “Aa” to “Caa” to indicate relative position within a category, with 1 being the highest and 3 being the lowest. A rating of A3 is considered “upper-medium-grade” and falls within the third highest of Moody’s nine ratings categories. A rating of Baa1 is considered "medium-grade" and falls within the fourth highest of Moody’s nine ratings categories. Moody's has a stable outlook on all of our domestic operating insurance subsidiaries’ insurance financial strength ratings.

(3)

S&P’s insurer financial strength ratings range from “AAA” (extremely strong) to “R” (under regulatory supervision). A “+” or “-” may be appended to ratings from categories AA to CCC to indicate relative position within a category. Ratings of A (strong) are within the third highest of S&P’s ten ratings categories. S&P has a stable outlook on all of our domestic operating insurance subsidiaries’ insurer financial strength ratings.

Enterprise Risk Management

We have made effective risk management a key ongoing corporate objective. We face risks that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. For detailed information on these risks, see “Item 1A – Risk Factors.” Both senior management and our Board of Directors (the “Board”) are involved in oversight of our risk management policies and practices. As described below and in their charters, the committees of the Board oversee risk man