ASSURANT INC

23. Retirement and Other Employee Benefits

Defined Benefit Plans

The Company and its subsidiaries participate in a non-contributory, qualified defined benefit pension plan (“Assurant Pension Plan”) covering substantially all employees. The Assurant Pension Plan is considered “qualified” because it meets the requirements of IRC Section 401(a) (“IRC 401(a)”) and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”). The Assurant Pension Plan is a pension equity plan with a grandfathered final average earnings plan for a certain group of employees. Benefits are based on certain years of service and the employee’s compensation during certain such years of service. The Company’s funding policy is to contribute amounts to the Assurant Pension Plan sufficient to meet the minimum funding requirements in ERISA, plus such additional amounts as the Company may determine to be appropriate from time to time up to the maximum permitted. The funding policy considers several factors to determine such additional amounts, including items such as the amount of service cost plus 15% of the Assurant Pension Plan deficit and the capital position of the Company. During the year ended December 31, 2024, there wereno contributions to the Assurant Pension Plan. Due to the Assurant Pension Plan’s current funding status, no contributions to the Assurant Pension Plan are expected during the year ending December 31, 2025. Assurant Pension Plan assets are maintained in a separate trust. Assurant Pension Plan assets and benefit obligations are measured as of December 31, 2024.

The Company also has various non-contributory, non-qualified supplemental plans covering certain employees including the Assurant Executive Pension Plan and the Assurant Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (the “SERP”). Since these plans are “non-qualified” they are not subject to the requirements of IRC 401(a) and ERISA. As such, the Company is not required, and does not, fund these plans. The qualified and non-qualified plans are referred to as “Pension Benefits” unless otherwise noted. The Company has the right to modify or terminate these benefits; however, the Company will not be relieved of its obligation to plan participants for their vested benefits.

In addition, the Company provides certain health care benefits (“Retirement Health Benefits”) and life benefits for retired employees and their dependents. On July 1, 2011, the Company terminated certain Retirement Health Benefits for employees who did not qualify for “grandfathered” status and no longer offers these benefits to new hires. The Company contribution, plan design and other terms of the remaining benefits did not change for those grandfathered employees. The Company has the right to modify or terminate these benefits.

Effective January 1, 2014, the Pension Benefits plans were closed to new hires. Effective March 1, 2016, the Pension Benefits, Retirement Health Benefits and life benefits (together, the “Plans”) were amended such that no additional benefits will be earned after February 29, 2016.

In February 2020, the Company amended the Retirement Health Benefits to terminate effective December 31, 2024 (the “Termination Date”). Benefits will be paid through the Termination Date. The Retirement Health Benefits obligations were remeasured using a discount rate of 1.55%, selected based on a cash flow analysis using a bond yield curve as of February 29, 2020, and the fair market value of the Retirement Health Benefits assets as of February 29, 2020. The remeasurement resulted in a reduction to the Retirement Health Benefits obligations of $65.6 million and a corresponding prior service credit in AOCI. This prior service credit has been fully amortized in the net periodic benefit cost as of December 31, 2024.

The following table presents information on the Plans for the periods indicated:

In accordance with the guidance on retirement benefits, the Company aggregates the results of the qualified and non-qualified plans as “Pension Benefits” and is required to disclose the aggregate projected benefit obligation, accumulated benefit obligation and fair value of plan assets, if the obligations within those plans exceed plan assets.

As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the fair value of plan assets, projected benefit obligation, funded status at end of year and the accumulated benefit obligation of Pension Benefits were as follows:

Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets consist of:

Amounts recognized in AOCI consist of:

Components of net periodic benefit cost, recorded in underwriting, selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations, and other amounts recognized in AOCI for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 were as follows:

The Company uses afive-year averaging method to determine the market-related value of Pension Benefits plan assets, which is used to calculate the expected return of plan assets component of the Plans’ expense. Under this methodology, asset gains/losses that result from actual returns which differ from the Company’s expected long-term rate of return on assets assumption are recognized in the market-related value of assets on a level basis over afive-year period. The difference between actual as compared to expected asset returns for the Plans will be fully reflected in the market-related value of plan assets over the next five years using the methodology described above. Other post-employment benefit assets under the Retirement Health Benefits are valued at fair value.

Determination of the projected benefit obligation was based on the following weighted-average assumptions for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:

Determination of the net periodic benefit cost was based on the following weighted-average assumptions for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:

The selection of the Company’s discount rate assumption reflects the rate at which the Plans’ obligations could be effectively settled at December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022. The methodology for selecting the discount rate was to match each Plan’s cash flows to that of a yield curve that provides the equivalent yields on zero-coupon corporate bonds for each maturity. The yield curve utilized in the cash flow analysis was comprised of 341 bonds rated AA by either Moody’s or S&P’s with maturities between zero and 30 years. The discount rate for each Plan is the single rate that produces the same present value of cash flows. The Company utilizes a split rate approach for purposes of determining the benefit obligations and service cost as well as a spot rate approach for the calculation of interest on these items in the determination of the net periodic benefit cost.

To develop the expected long-term rate of return on assets assumption, the Company considered the current level of expected returns on risk free investments (primarily government bonds), the historical level of the risk premium associated with the other asset classes in which the portfolio is invested and the expectations for future returns of each asset class. The expected long-term rate of return on Plan assets reflects the average rate of earnings expected on the funds invested or to be invested. The expected return for each asset class was then weighted based on the targeted asset allocation to develop the expected long-term rate of return on asset assumptions for the portfolio. The Company believes the current assumption reflects the projected return on the invested assets, given the current market conditions and the modified portfolio structure. Actual return (loss) on Plan assets was 1.7%,5.6% and (16.9)% for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 respectively.

The assumed health care cost trend rates used in measuring the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation and net periodic benefit cost were as follows:

(1)The Retirement Health Benefits Plan terminated effective December 31, 2024. Since the plan has terminated, there are no costs to bring forward to the following year so none of the trend rates are applicable for 2024.

The assets of the Plans are managed to maximize their long-term pre-tax investment return, subject to the following dual constraints: minimization of required contributions and maintenance of solvency requirements. It is anticipated that periodic contributions to the Plans will, for the foreseeable future, be sufficient to meet benefit payments thus allowing the balance to be managed according to a long-term approach. The Benefit Plans Investment Committee (“BPIC”) for the Plans meets on a quarterly basis and reviews the re-balancing of existing fund assets and the asset allocation of new fund contributions.

The goal of the Company’s asset strategy is to ensure that the growth in the value of the Plans’ assets over the long-term, both in real and nominal terms, manages (controls) risk exposure. Risk is managed by investing in a broad range of asset classes, and within those asset classes, a broad range of individual securities. Diversification by asset classes stabilizes total results over short-term time periods. Each asset class is externally managed by outside investment managers appointed by the BPIC. Derivatives may be used consistent with the Plans’ investment objectives established by the BPIC. All securities must be U.S. Dollar denominated.

The BPIC oversees the investment of the Plans’ assets and periodically reviews the investment strategies, strategic asset allocation, liabilities and portfolio structure of the assets. After a 2017 review and considering the funded status of the Assurant Pension Plan, the BPIC transitioned plan assets to a new target asset allocation consisting of 80% fixed income,10% real estate,5% hedge funds and 5% equities.

The assets of the Plans are primarily invested in fixed maturity securities. Interest rate risk is hedged by aligning the duration of the fixed maturity securities with the duration of the liabilities. Specifically, interest rate swaps can be used if needed to synthetically extend the duration of fixed maturity securities to match the duration of the liabilities, as measured on a projected benefit obligation basis. In addition, the Plans’ fixed income securities have exposure to credit risk. In order to adequately diversify and limit exposure to credit risk, the BPIC established parameters which include a limit on the asset types that managers are permitted to purchase, maximum exposure limits by sector and by individual issuer (based on asset quality) and minimum required ratings on individual securities. As of December 31, 2024,87% of plan assets were invested in fixed maturity securities and 18%,17% and 11% of those securities were concentrated in the energy and power, finance and real estate, and communication industries, respectively, with no exposure to any single creditor in excess of 4%,5% and 13% of those industries, respectively. As of December 31, 2024,5% of plan assets were invested in equity securities and 100% of the Plans’ equity securities were invested in a mutual fund that attempts to replicate the return of the S&P 500 Index by investing its assets in large capitalization stocks that are included in the S&P 500 Index using a weighting similar to the S&P 500 Index. The remainder of the assets are invested in real estate and other alternative assets.

The fair value hierarchy for the Company’s qualified pension plan and other postretirement benefit plan assets at December 31, 2024 by asset category, is as follows:

(1)In accordance with fair value measurements and disclosures guidance, certain investments that are measured at fair value using the net asset value practical expedient have not been classified in the fair value hierarchy. The net asset values of $46.9 million, $4.7 million and $55.0 million as of December 31, 2024 are used as a practical expedient to fair value of the multi-strategy hedge fund, private equity fund and real estate fund, respectively.

(2)The difference between the fair value of Plan assets above and the amount used in determining the funded status is due to interest receivable and net receivable/payable for unsettled trades, which is not required to be included in the fair value hierarchy.

(1)The Retirement Health Benefits Plan terminated effective December 31, 2024. In accordance with the change in plan assets shown above, this table reflects the net transfer out of plan assets.

The fair value hierarchy for the Company’s qualified pension plan and other postretirement benefit plan assets at December 31, 2023 by asset category, is as follows:

(1)In accordance with fair value measurements and disclosures guidance, certain investments that are measured at fair value using the net asset value practical expedient have not been classified in the fair value hierarchy. The net asset values of $41.6 million, $5.9 million and $64.3 million as of December 31, 2023 are used as a practical expedient to fair value of the multi-strategy hedge fund, private equity fund and real estate fund, respectively.

(2)The difference between the fair value of Plan assets above and the amount used in determining the funded status is due to interest receivable and net receivable/payable for unsettled trades, which is not required to be included in the fair value hierarchy.

(1)In accordance with fair value measurements and disclosures guidance, certain investments that are measured at fair value using the net asset value practical expedient have not been classified in the fair value hierarchy. The net asset values of $1.7 million, $0.3 million and $2.6 million as of December 31, 2023 are used as a practical expedient to fair value of the multi-strategy hedge fund, private equity fund and real estate fund, respectively.

(2)The difference between the fair value of Plan assets above and the amount used in determining the funded status is due to interest receivable and net receivable/payable for unsettled trades, which is not required to be included in the fair value hierarchy.

Level 1 and Level 2 securities are valued using various observable market inputs obtained from a pricing service. The pricing service prepares estimates of fair value measurements for the Company’s Level 2 securities using proprietary valuation models based on techniques such as matrix pricing which include observable market inputs. Observable market inputs for Level 1 and Level 2 securities are consistent with the observable market inputs described in Note 9.

The Company obtains one price for each investment. A quarterly analysis is performed to assess if the evaluated prices represent a reasonable estimate of their fair value. This process involves quantitative and qualitative analysis and is overseen by benefits, investment and accounting professionals. Examples of procedures performed include initial and on-going review of pricing service methodologies, review of pricing statistics and trends, and comparison of prices for certain securities with two different appropriate price sources for reasonableness. Following this analysis, the Company uses the best estimate of fair value based upon all available inputs. The pricing service provides information regarding their pricing procedures so that the Company can properly categorize the Plans’ financial assets in the fair value hierarchy.

The following pension benefits are expected to be paid over the next ten-year period:

Defined Contribution Plan

The Company and its subsidiaries participate in a defined contribution plan covering substantially all employees. The defined contribution plan provides benefits payable to participants on retirement or disability and to beneficiaries of participants in the event of the participant’s death. The amounts expensed by the Company related to this plan were $43.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 and $44.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.