HORACE MANN EDUCATORS CORP DE

December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021

($ in millions, except per share data, unless otherwise stated)

NOTE 1 -Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies

Horace Mann Educators Corporation is a holding company for insurance subsidiaries that market and underwrite personal lines of property and casualty insurance products (primarily personal lines of auto and property insurance), life insurance products, retirement products (primarily tax-qualified fixed and variable annuities), worksite direct insurance products (primarily cancer, heart, hospital, supplemental disability and accident coverages), and employer-sponsored group benefit products (primarily short-term and long-term group disability, and group term life coverages), primarily to K-12 teachers, administrators and other employees of public schools and their families (collectively, HMEC, the Company or Horace Mann).

The Company conducts and manages its business infour reporting segments: (1) Property & Casualty, (2) Life & Retirement, (3) Supplemental & Group Benefits and (4) Corporate & Other.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) and with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The Company adopted ASU 2018-12, Financial Services – Insurance (Topic 944): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts effective January 1, 2023, on a modified retrospective basis. Prior year balances were recast in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to conform to ASU 2018-12 on January 1, 2021. For further details, see Note 1 - Recent Adoption of New Accounting Standards, Note 6 - Long-Duration Contracts, and Note 18 - Prior Period Consolidated Financial Statements.

The Company has reclassified the presentation of certain prior period information to conform to the current year's presentation.

Consolidation

All intercompany transactions and balances between HMEC and its subsidiaries and affiliates have been eliminated.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the reporting date of the consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

The most significant critical accounting estimates include valuation of hard-to-value fixed maturity securities, evaluation of credit loss impairments for fixed maturity securities, valuation of future policy benefit reserves, and valuation of liabilities for property and casualty unpaid claims and claim expense reserves.

The Company invests predominantly in fixed maturity securities. Fixed maturity securities include bonds, asset-backed securities (ABS), mortgage-backed securities (MBS), other structured securities and redeemable preferred stocks. MBS includes residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities. Fixed maturity securities, which may be sold prior to their contractual maturity, are designated as available for sale (AFS) and are carried at fair value of which a portion represent securities that are hard-to-value. See Note 3 – Fair Value of Financial Instruments – Investments for a detailed description of how the Company estimates fair value for its fixed maturity securities portfolio including hard-to-value securities. An adjustment for net unrealized investment gains (losses) on all fixed maturity securities available for sale and carried at fair value, is recognized as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (i.e., AOCI) within shareholders’ equity, net of applicable deferred taxes. The Company excludes accrued interest receivable from the amortized cost basis of its AFS fixed maturity securities.

Equity Securities

Equity securities primarily include common stocks, exchange traded and mutual funds and non-redeemable preferred stocks. Certain exchange traded and mutual funds have fixed maturity securities as their underlying investments. Equity securities are carried at fair value and have readily determinable fair values.

Limited Partnership Interests

Investments in limited partnership interests are accounted for using the equity method of accounting (EMA) and include interests in commercial mortgage loan funds, private equity funds, infrastructure equity funds, real estate equity funds, infrastructure debt funds and other funds.

Policy Loans

Policy loans are carried at unpaid principal balances.

Short-Term and Other Investments

Short-term investments, including money market funds, commercial paper, U.S. Treasury bills and other short-term investments, are carried at amortized cost, which approximates fair value. Other investments primarily consist of Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (FHLB) common stock, mortgage loans and derivatives. FHLB common stock is carried at cost. Mortgage loans are carried at amortized cost, net, which represent the amount expected to be collected. Derivatives are carried at fair value.

Variable Interest Entities (VIEs)

The Company invests in fixed maturity securities and alternative investment funds that could qualify as variable interests in VIEs. Such variable interests in VIEs have been reviewed and the Company determined that those VIEs are not subject to consolidation as the Company is not the primary beneficiary because it does not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact those VIEs' economic performance.

Net investment income primarily consists of interest, dividends and income from limited partnership interests. Interest is recognized on an accrual basis using the effective yield method and dividends are recorded at the ex-dividend date. ABS and MBS interest income is determined considering estimated pay-downs, including prepayments, obtained from third-party data sources and internal estimates. Actual prepayment experience is periodically reviewed, and effective yields are recalculated when differences arise between the prepayments originally anticipated and the actual prepayments received and currently anticipated. For ABS and MBS of high credit quality with fixed interest rates, the effective yield is recalculated on a retrospective basis. For all others, the effective yield is generally recalculated on a prospective basis. Net investment income for AFS fixed maturity securities includes the impact of accreting the credit loss allowance for the time value of money. Accrual of income is suspended for fixed maturity securities when the timing and amount of cash flows expected to be received is not reasonably estimable. Accrual of income is suspended for commercial mortgage loans that are in default or when full and timely collection of principal and interest payments is not probable. Accrued investment income receivables are monitored for recoverability and when not expected to be collected, are written-off through net investment income. Cash receipts on investments on non-accrual status are generally recorded as a reduction of amortized cost or principal. Income from limited partnership interests is recognized based upon the changes in fair value of the investee’s equity primarily determined using its net asset value and is generally recognized on a three month delay due to the availability of the related financial statements of the investee.

The Company reports accrued investment income within other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets separately from AFS fixed maturity securities and has elected not to measure an allowance for credit losses for accrued investment income. Accrued investment income is written-off and recognized as a net investment loss at the time the issuer of the security defaults or is expected to default on payments.

Net Investment Gains (Losses)

Net investment gains (losses) include gains and losses on investment sales, changes in the credit loss allowances related to fixed maturity securities and mortgage loans, impairments, valuation changes of equity securities and periodic changes in fair value and settlements of derivatives. Net investment gains (losses) on investment sales are determined on a specific identification basis and are net of credit losses already recognized through an allowance.

Credit Loss Impairments for Fixed Maturity Securities

For fixed maturity securities classified as available for sale, the difference between amortized cost, net of a credit loss allowance (i.e., amortized cost, net) and fair value, net of certain other items and deferred income taxes (as disclosed in Part II - Item 8, Note 3 of the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K) is reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (i.e., AOCI) on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and is not reflected in the operating results of any period until reclassified to net income upon the consummation of a transaction with an unrelated third party or when a credit loss allowance transaction is recorded. We evaluate fixed maturity securities where fair value is below amortized cost on a quarterly basis to determined if a credit loss allowance is necessary. These reviews, in conjunction with our investment managers’ quarterly credit reports and relevant factors such as (1) has the security missed any scheduled principal or interest payments in the current quarter; (2) has the security been downgraded to below investment grade by rating agencies or if the security was below investment grade at time of purchase, has the security been downgraded by two or more notches since acquisition; (3) has the security declined in value by more than 10% compared to the prior quarter; (4) has the market yield changed by more than 50 basis points; are all considered in the impairment assessment process.

For each fixed maturity security where fair value is below amortized cost, we assess whether management with the appropriate authority has made the decision to sell or whether it is more likely than not we will be required to sell the security before the anticipated recovery of the amortized cost basis for reasons such as liquidity, contractual or regulatory purposes. If a security meets either of these criteria, any existing credit loss allowance is written-off and the amortized cost basis of the security is written down to the fair value, with the losses recorded as a net investment loss.

If we have not made the decision to sell the fixed maturity security and it is not more likely than not we will be required to sell the fixed maturity security before the anticipated recovery of its amortized cost basis, we evaluate whether we expect to receive cash flows sufficient to recover the entire amortized cost basis of the security. We estimate the anticipated recovery based on the best estimate of future cash flows considering past events, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. The estimated future cash flows are discounted at the security’s effective interest rate and are compared to the amortized cost basis of the security. The determination of whether we expect to received cash flow sufficient to recover the entire amortized cost basis of the security is inherently subjective, and methodologies may vary depending on facts and circumstances specific to the security. Our investment managers will calculate the anticipated recovery value of the security by performing a discounted cash flow analysis based on the present value of future cash flows. The discount rate is generally the effective interest rate of the security at the time of purchase for fixed-rate securities. We will then review the assumptions/methodologies for reasonableness. The information reviewed generally includes, but is not limited to, the remaining payment terms of the security, prepayment speeds, the financial condition and future earnings potential of the issue or issuer, expected defaults, expected recoveries, and the value of underlying collateral. Other information, such as industry analyst reports and forecasts, sector credit ratings, financial condition of the bond insurer for insured fixed maturity securities, and other market data relevant to the realizability of contractual cash flows, may also be considered.

If we do not expect to receive cash flows sufficient to recover the entire amortized cost basis of the fixed maturity security, a credit loss allowance is recorded as a net investment loss for the shortfall in expected cash flows; however, the amortized cost basis, net of the credit loss allowance, may not be lower than the fair value of the security. The portion of the unrealized loss related to factors other than credit remains classified in AOCI. If we determine that the fixed maturity security does not have sufficient cash flows or other information to estimate the anticipated recovery value for the security, we may conclude that the entire decline in fair value is deemed to be credit related and the loss is recognized as a net investment loss. Subsequent changes in the anticipated recoveries, limited by the amount of previous taken credit allowances, are recorded through changes in the allowance for credit losses and recognized through net investment loss.

When a security is disposed or deemed uncollectible and written-off, we reverse amounts previously recognized in the credit loss allowance through net investment loss.

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Deferred Sales Inducements

The Company's DAC by reporting segment was as follows (2022 recast for the adoption of LDTI):

DAC consists of costs that are incremental and directly related to the successful acquisition of new or renewal insurance contracts. Such costs include the incremental direct costs of contract acquisition, such as sales commissions; the portion of employees' total compensation and payroll-related fringe benefits related directly to time spent performing acquisition activities, such as underwriting, issuing, and processing policies for contracts that have actually been acquired; and other costs related directly to acquisition activities that would not have been incurred if the contract had not been acquired. For property and casualty risks, DAC is amortized over the terms of the insurance policies (6 or 12 months). For supplemental and group benefit policies, DAC is amortized in proportion to anticipated premiums over the terms of the insurance policies (approximately 6 years, based on an estimated average duration across all supplemental and group benefit products).

Life contracts are grouped by contract type and issue year into cohorts consistent with the grouping used in estimating the associated liability. DAC is amortized on a constant level basis for the grouped contracts over the expected term of the related contracts to approximate straight-line amortization. For all life insurance products, the constant level basis used is face amount in force. For all deferred annuity products, the constant level basis used is the deposit amount in force. The constant level basis used for amortization is projected using mortality and lapse assumptions that are based on the Company's experience, industry data, and other factors and are consistent with those used for the liabilities for future policy benefits (LFPB). If those projected assumptions change in future periods, they will be reflected in the cohort level amortization basis at that time. Unexpected terminations, due to mortality and lapse experience higher than expected, are recognized in the current period as a reduction of the capitalized balances.

Amortization of DAC is recognized as DAC amortization expense presented in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). The DAC balance is reduced for actual experience in excess of expected experience. Changes in future estimates are recognized prospectively over the remaining expected contract term.

Deferred sales inducements (DSIs) are contract features that are intended to attract new customers or to persuade existing customers to keep their current policy. DSIs may be deferred if the Company can demonstrate that the deferred sales inducement amounts are both incremental to the amounts Company credits on similar contracts without sales inducements and the amounts are higher than the contract's expected ongoing crediting rates for periods after the inducement. Day-one bonuses and persistency bonuses generally meet the criteria to be deferred. DSIs are amortized using the same methodology and assumptions used to amortize DAC.

Intangible Assets, net

The value of business acquired (VOBA) associated with the acquisition of NTA Life Enterprises, LLC (NTA) represents the difference between the fair value of insurance contracts and insurance policy reserves measured in accordance with the Company's accounting policy for insurance contracts acquired. VOBA was based on an actuarial estimate of the present value of future distributable earnings for insurance in force on the acquisition date. VOBA net of accumulated amortization was $64.8 million as of December 31, 2023 and is being amortized by product based on the present value of future premiums to be received. The Company estimates that it will recognize VOBA amortization of $5.4 million in 2024, $5.1 million in 2025, $4.7 million in 2026, $4.4 million in 2027 and $4.1 million in 2028.

The Company accounts for the value of distribution acquired (VODA) associated with the acquisition of NTA based on an actuarial estimate of the present value of future business to be written by the existing distribution channel. VODA net of accumulated amortization was $36.0 million as of December 31, 2023 and is being amortized on a straight-line basis. The Company estimates that it will recognize VODA amortization of $2.9 million in each of the years 2024 through 2028, respectively.

The Company accounts for the value of agency relationships based on the present value of commission overrides retained by NTA. Agency relationships net of accumulated amortization was $7.2 million as of December 31, 2023 and is being amortized based on the present value of future premiums to be received. The Company estimates that it will recognize agency relationships amortization of $1.4 million in 2024, $1.2 million in 2025, $1.0 million in 2026, $0.9 million in 2027 and $0.8 million in 2028.

The Company accounts for the value of customer relationships based on the present value of expected profits from existing Benefit Consultants Group, Inc. (BCG) and Madison National customers in force at the date of acquisition. Customer relationships net of accumulated amortization was $48.4 million as of December 31, 2023 and is being amortized based on the present value of future profits to be received for BCG and based on the present value of future premiums for Madison National. The Company estimates that it will recognize customer relationships amortization of $4.8 million in 2024, $5.1 million in 2025, $5.5 million in 2026, $5.9 million in 2027 and $6.3 million in 2028.

The trade names intangible asset represents the present value of future savings accruing to NTA, BCG and BCGS by virtue of not having to pay royalties for the use of the trade names, valued using the relief from royalty method. The state licenses intangible asset represents the regulatory licenses held by NTA and Madison National that were valued using the cost approach. Both the trade names and state licenses are indefinite-lived intangible assets that are not subject to amortization.

Annually, the Company performs a VOBA analysis on supplemental insurance policies to assess whether a loss recognition event has occurred. This initially involves comparing the historical and expected future experience on the block to the assumptions embedded in the original VOBA intangible asset. If both the experience to date and current expected experience are consistently better than the initial VOBA assumptions, the remaining value in the block is sufficient to support the VOBA intangible asset and no loss recognition is necessary. If the historical and current expected assumptions are not uniformly better than the initial VOBA assumptions, a gross premium valuation (GPV) is performed to assess whether a loss recognition event has occurred. This involves discounting expected future benefits and expenses less expected future premiums. To the extent that this amount is greater than the liability for future benefits less the VOBA intangible asset, in aggregate for the supplemental insurance block, a loss would be recognized by first writing-off the VOBA and then increasing the liability. Currently, a GPV is not required for the acquired supplemental block. No such costs were deemed unrecoverable during the year ended December 31, 2023.

Amortizing intangible assets (i.e., VODA, agency relationships and customer relationships) are tested for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that its carrying amount may not be recoverable. The carrying amount of an amortizing intangible asset is not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset. If the carrying amount is not recoverable from undiscounted cash flows, the impairment is measured as the difference between the carrying amount and fair value.

Intangible assets that are not subject to amortization (i.e., trade names and state licenses) are tested for impairment annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. As of October 1, 2023, the Company performed a qualitative assessment to determine whether it was necessary to perform quantitative intangible asset impairment tests. Based on the assessment of qualitative factors, there were no events or circumstances that led to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of an intangible asset is less than its carrying amount.

As of October 1, 2022, the Company performed a qualitative assessment to determine whether it was necessary to perform quantitative intangible asset impairment tests. Based on the assessment of qualitative factors, there were no events or circumstances that led to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of an intangible asset is less than its carrying amount with the exception of lower than anticipated BCG revenues.

As of October 1, 2021, the Company performed both qualitative assessments and quantitative impairment tests for intangible assets and concluded that no impairments were warranted.

Goodwill

When the Company was acquired from CIGNA Corporation by HME Holdings, Inc. in 1989, goodwill was recognized in the application of purchase accounting. In 1994, goodwill was recognized with respect to the acquisition of Horace Mann Property & Casualty Insurance Company. In 2019, goodwill was recognized with respect to the acquisitions of BCG, BCGS and NTA. In 2022, goodwill was recognized with respect to the acquisition of Madison National.

Goodwill represents the excess of the amounts paid to acquire a business over the fair value of its net assets at the date of acquisition. Goodwill is not amortized, but is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level at least annually or more frequently if events occur or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount. A reporting unit is defined as an operating segment or a business unit one level below an operating segment, if separate financial information is prepared and regularly reviewed by management at that level. The Company's reporting units, for which goodwill has been allocated, are Property & Casualty, Life, BCG, BCGS, NTA, and Madison National. Refer to Note 9 for the allocation of goodwill by reporting segment as of December 31, 2023.

The goodwill impairment test, as defined in GAAP, allows an entity the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If an entity determines it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then the entity performs a quantitative goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying amount for purposes of confirming and measuring an impairment. Goodwill impairment is the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill. Any amount of goodwill determined to be impaired is recognized as an expense in the period in which the impairment determination is made.

As of October 1, 2023, the Company performed a qualitative goodwill impairment test. Based on the results of the test, there were no events or circumstances that led to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount.

The Company performed quantitative goodwill impairment tests as of October 1, 2022 and 2021, and concluded no material adjustments were necessary to goodwill.

During each year from 2021 through 2023, the Company completed the required annual goodwill impairment testing. With exception to the goodwill impairment charges described in Note 9, no other goodwill impairment charges were necessary as a result of such assessments. The assessment of goodwill recoverability requires significant judgment and is subject to inherent uncertainty. The use of different assumptions, within a reasonable range, could cause the fair value of a reporting unit to fall below its carrying amount. Subsequent goodwill assessments could result in impairment, particularly for any reporting unit with at-risk goodwill, due to the impact of a volatile financial market on earnings, discount rate assumptions, liquidity and market capitalization.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment is carried at cost less accumulated depreciation, which is calculated using the straight-line method and based on the estimated useful lives of the assets. The estimated life for real estate is identified by specific property and ranges from 20 to 45 years. The estimated useful lives of leasehold improvements and other property and equipment, including capitalized software, generally range from 3 to 10 years. The following amounts are included in Other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets:

Separate Account Variable Annuity Assets and Liabilities

Separate Account variable annuity assets represent contractholder funds invested in various mutual funds. The Separate Account variable annuity assets comprise actively traded mutual funds that have daily quoted net asset values that are readily determinable for identical assets that the Company can access. Net asset values for the actively traded mutual funds in which the Separate Account variable annuity assets are invested are obtained daily from the fund managers. Separate Account variable annuity liabilities are equal to the estimated fair value of Separate Account variable annuity assets. The investment income, gains and losses of these accounts accrue directly to the contractholders and are not included in the results of operations of the Company. The activity of the Separate Accounts is not reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) except for (1) contract charges earned and (2) the activity related to contract guarantees, which are benefits on existing variable annuity contracts. The Company's contract charges earned include fees charged to the Separate Accounts, including mortality charges, risk charges, policy administration fees, investment management fees and surrender charges.

Future Policy Benefits Reserves

Liability for Future Policy Benefits

LFPB, which is the present value of estimated future policy benefits to be paid to or on behalf of policyholders and certain related expenses less the present value of estimated future net premiums to be collected from policyholders, is accrued as premium revenue is recognized. The liability is estimated using current assumptions that include discount rate, mortality, lapses, and expenses. These current assumptions are based on judgments that consider the Company's historical experience, industry data, and other factors.

For traditional, limited-payment and supplemental health contracts, such contracts are grouped into cohorts by contract type and issue year. The liability is adjusted for differences between actual and expected experience. With the exception of the expense assumption, the Company reviews its historical and future cash flow assumptions at least annually and updates the net premium ratio used to calculate the liability each time the assumptions are changed. The Company has elected to use expense assumptions that are locked-in at contract inception and are not subsequently reviewed or updated. At least annually, the Company updates its estimate of cash flows expected over the entire life of a group of contracts using actual historical experience and current future cash flow assumptions. These updated cash flows are used to calculate the revised net premiums and net premium ratio, which are used to derive an updated LFPB as of the beginning of the current reporting period, discounted at the original contract issuance discount rate. This amount is then compared to the carrying amount of the liability as of that same date, before updating cash flow assumptions, to determine the current period change in liability estimate. This current period change in liability estimate is the liability remeasurement gain or loss. The impact of updated cash flow assumptions as well as the periodic liability remeasurement gain or loss is recognized as Benefits, claims and settlement expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). In subsequent periods, the revised net premiums are used to measure LFPB, subject to future revisions.

For traditional and limited-payment contracts, a standard discount rate is used to measure the liabilities that is equivalent to the yield from an A-rated bond. The discount rate assumption is updated quarterly and used to remeasure the liability at the reporting date, with the resulting change reflected in other comprehensive income. For liability cash flows that are projected beyond the duration of market-observable A- rated bond, the Company uses the last market-observable yield level, and uses linear interpolation to determine yield assumptions for durations that do not have market-observable yields.

Deferred Profit Liability

For limited-payment products, gross premiums received in excess of net premiums are deferred at initial recognition as a DPL. Gross premiums are measured using assumptions consistent with those used in the measurement of LFPB, including discount rate, mortality, lapses, and expenses.

DPL is amortized and recognized as premium revenue in proportion to insurance in force for life insurance contracts and expected future benefit payments for annuity contracts. Interest is accreted on the balance of DPL using the discount rate determined at contract issuance. The Company reviews and updates its estimates of cash flows for DPL at the same time as the estimates of cash flows for the liability for future policy benefits. When cash flows are updated, the updated estimates are used to recalculate DPL at contract issuance. The recalculated DPL as of the beginning of the current reporting period is compared to the carrying amount of DPL as of the beginning of the current reporting period, and any difference is recognized as either a charge or credit to Net premiums and contract charges earned presented in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).

DPL is recognized as a component of the Future policy benefit reserves presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Policyholders' Account Balances

Liabilities for future benefits on annuity contracts are carried at accumulated policyholder account values without reduction for potential surrender or withdrawal charges.

Reserves for Fixed Indexed Annuities and Indexed Universal Life Products

The Company offers fixed indexed annuity (FIA) products with interest crediting strategies linked to the Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). The Company purchases call options on the applicable indices as an investment to provide the income needed to fund the annual index credits on the indexed products. These products are deferred fixed annuities with a guaranteed minimum interest rate plus a contingent return based on equity market performance and are considered hybrid financial instruments under GAAP.

The Company elected to not use hedge accounting for derivative transactions. As a result, the Company accounts for the purchased call options and the embedded derivative related to the provision of a contingent return at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized as Net investment gains (losses) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). The embedded derivative is bifurcated from the host contract and included in Policyholders' account balances in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The host contract is accounted for as a debt instrument in accordance with GAAP and is included in Investment contract and life policy reserves in the Consolidated Balance Sheets with any discount to the minimum account value being accreted using the effective yield method. In the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss), accreted interest for FIA products and benefit claims on these products incurred during the reporting period are included in Benefits, claims and settlement expenses.

The Company offers indexed universal life (IUL) products as part of its product portfolio with interest crediting strategies linked to the S&P 500 Index and the DJIA as well as a fixed option. The Company purchases call options monthly to economically hedge the potential liabilities arising in IUL accounts. As a result, the Company records the purchased call options and the embedded derivative related to the provision of a contingent return at fair value, with changes in fair value reported in Net investment gains (losses) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). IUL policies with a balance in one or more indexed accounts are considered to have an embedded derivative. The benefit reserve for the host contract is measured using the retrospective deposit method, which for Horace Mann's IUL product is equal to the account balance. The embedded derivative is bifurcated from the host contract, carried at fair value, and included in Policyholders' account balances in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

See Note 3 for more information regarding the determination of fair value for derivatives embedded in FIA and IUL and purchased call options.

Market Risk Benefits

MRBs are contracts or contract features that both provide protection to the contract holder from other-than-nominal capital market risk and expose the Company to other-than-nominal capital market risk. MRBs include guaranteed minimum death benefits on variable annuity products. MRBs are measured at fair value using a non-option-based valuation model based on current net amounts at risk, market data, Company experience, and other factors. Changes in fair value of MRBs are recognized as a component of Benefits, claims and settlement expenses presented in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) each period with the exception of the portion of the change in fair value due to a change in the instrument-specific credit risk, which is recognized in other comprehensive income.

MRBs are recognized as a component of Policyholders' account balances reserves presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Short-Duration Insurance Contracts

Liabilities for Property & Casualty unpaid claims and claim expense reserves (reserves) include provisions for payments to be made on reported claims, claims incurred but not yet reported (IBNR) and associated settlement expenses. All of the Company's reserves for Property & Casualty unpaid claims and claim expenses are carried at the full value of estimated liabilities and are not discounted for interest expected to be earned on the reserves. Estimated amounts of salvage and subrogation on unpaid Property & Casualty claims are deducted from the liability for unpaid claims.

Liabilities for Group Benefits unpaid claims and claim expense reserves (reserves) represent management's best estimate of ultimate unpaid costs of losses and settlement expenses for reported claims and claims that are IBNR. All of the Company's reserves for Group Benefits unpaid claims and claim expenses are carried at the full value of estimated liabilities (i.e., undiscounted) with exception to certain case reserves in the group disability line of business for which those reserves are carried on a discounted basis. The Company calculates and records a single best estimate of the reserve as of each reporting date in conformity with actuarial standards of practice.

Other Policyholder Funds

Other policyholder funds includes primarily balances outstanding under funding agreements with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (FHLB) as well as dividend accumulations, carried at cost. Amounts received and repaid under FHLB funding agreements are classified as financing activities in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

FHLB Funding Agreements

HMLIC (since 2013), NTA (since 2019), and MNL (since 2023), are all members of FHLB, which provides the subsidiaries with access to collateralized borrowings and other FHLB products. Any borrowing from FHLB requires the purchase of FHLB activity-based common stock in an amount equal to 4.5% of the borrowing, or a lower percentage — such as 2.0% based on the Reduced Capitalization Advance Program. In 2021, HMEC's Board of Directors (Board) authorized a maximum amount equal to 25% of net aggregate admitted assets less separate account assets of the insurance subsidiaries for FHLB advances and funding agreements combined. In 2023, HMLIC and NTA collectively received $301.5 million from FHLB funding agreements and repaid $189.5 million on FHLB funding agreements. Outstanding advances under FHLB funding agreements are reported as Other policyholder funds in the Consolidated Balance Sheets and totaled $904.5 million and $792.5 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Interest on the funding agreements accrues at their contractual interest rates.

As of December 31, 2023, scheduled maturity dates for outstanding FHLB funding agreements were as follows:

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

Beginning in the second quarter of 2022, the Company entered into reverse repurchase agreements to sell securities for cash. Such reverse repurchase agreements are primarily used as a financing tool for general corporate purposes and may be used as a tool to enhance yield on the investment portfolio.

A reverse repurchase agreement is a transaction in which one party (transferor) agrees to sell securities to another party (transferee) in return for cash (or securities), with a simultaneous agreement to repurchase the same securities (or substantially the same securities) at a specified price on a specified date. These transactions are generally short-term in nature, and therefore, the carrying amounts of these instruments approximate fair value.

In connection with reverse repurchase agreements, the Company transfers primarily U.S. government, government agency and corporate securities and receives cash. For reverse repurchase agreements, the Company receives cash in an amount equal to at least 95% of the fair value of the securities transferred, and the agreements with third parties contain contractual provisions to allow for additional collateral to be obtained when necessary. The Company accounts for reverse repurchase agreements as secured borrowings. The securities transferred under reverse repurchase agreements are included in Fixed maturity securities with the obligation to repurchase those securities reported in Other liabilities on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets. The fair value of the securities transferred was $0.0 million as of December 31, 2023 and $73.9 million as of December 31, 2022. The obligation for securities sold under reverse repurchase agreements was a net amount of $0.0 million as of December 31, 2023 and $70.2 million as of December 31, 2022.

Reinsurance

The Company enters into reinsurance arrangements pursuant to which it cedes certain insurance risks to unaffiliated reinsurers. Cessions under reinsurance agreements do not discharge the Company's obligations as the primary insurer. The accounting for reinsurance arrangements depends on whether the arrangement provides indemnification against loss or liability relating to insurance risk in accordance with GAAP.

If the Company determines that a reinsurance agreement exposes the reinsurer to a reasonable possibility of a significant loss from insurance risk, the ceded unearned premiums and reinsurance balances recoverable on paid and unpaid losses and settlement expenses are reported separately as assets, instead of being netted with the related liabilities, since reinsurance does not relieve the Company of its legal liability to its policyholders. See Note 7 for further details.

If the Company determines that a reinsurance agreement does not expose the reinsurer to a reasonable possibility of a significant loss from insurance risk, the Company recognizes the reinsurance agreement using the deposit method of accounting. The assets transferred to the reinsurer as consideration paid is reported as a Deposit asset on reinsurance on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets. As amounts are received or paid or received, consistent with the underlying reinsured contracts, the Deposit asset on reinsurance is adjusted. The Deposit asset on reinsurance is accreted to the estimated ultimate cash flows using the interest method and the adjustment is reported as Net investment income. See Note 8 for further details.

Insurance Premiums and Contract Charges Earned

Property & Casualty insurance premiums are recognized as revenue ratably over the related contract periods in proportion to the risks insured. The unexpired portions of these Property & Casualty premiums are recorded as unearned premiums, using the monthly pro rata method.

Premiums and contract charges for life insurance contracts with account values and annuity contracts consist of charges for the cost of insurance, policy administration and withdrawals. Premiums for traditional life and supplemental and group policies are recognized as revenues when due over the premium-paying period. Contract deposits to annuity contracts and life insurance contracts with account values represent funds deposited by policyholders and are not included in the Company's premiums or contract charges earned.

Share-Based Compensation

The Company grants stock options and both service-based and performance-based restricted common stock units (RSUs) to executive officers, other employees and Directors in an effort to attract and retain individuals while also aligning compensation with the interests of the Company's shareholders. Additional information regarding the Company's share-based compensation plans is contained in Note 12.

Stock options are accounted for under the fair value method of accounting using a Black-Scholes valuation model to measure stock option expense at the date of grant. The fair value of RSUs is measured at the market price of the Company's common stock on the date of grant, with the exception of market-based performance awards, for which the Company uses a Monte Carlo simulation model to determine fair value for purposes of measuring RSU expense. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, the Company recognized$1.4 million, $1.2 million, and $1.2 million, respectively, of stock option expense as a result of stock options that vested during the respective periods. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, the Company recognized $7.5 million, $6.9 million and $6.6 million, respectively, in RSU expense as a result of the performance and/or vesting of RSUs during the respective periods.

In 2023, 2022 and 2021, the Company granted stock options as quantified in the table below, which also provides the weighted average grant date fair value for stock options granted in each year. The fair value of stock options granted was estimated on the respective dates of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the weighted average assumptions shown in the following table.

The weighted average fair value of nonvested stock options outstanding on December 31, 2023 was $8.11. Total unrecognized compensation expense relating to the nonvested stock options outstanding as of December 31, 2023 was approximately $2.6 million. This amount will be recognized as expense over the remainder of the vesting period, which is scheduled to be 2024 through 2027. Expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period for the entire award. Forfeitures of unvested amounts due to terminations and/or early retirements are recognized as a reduction to the related expenses.

Total unrecognized compensation expense relating to RSUs outstanding as of December 31, 2023 was approximately $8.9 million. This amount will be recognized as expense over the remainder of the performance and/or vesting period, which is scheduled to be 2024 through 2026. Expense is recognized on a straight-line basis from the date of grant through the end of the performance and/or vesting period for the entire award. Forfeitures of unvested amounts due to terminations are recognized as a reduction to the related expenses.

Retirement Plans

The Company sponsors a 401(k) plan, a qualified defined benefit plan, two non-qualified supplemental defined benefit plans, and a non-qualified defined contribution plan. Both the qualified defined benefit plan and thetwo non-qualified supplemental defined benefit plans have been frozen since 2002. All participants in the frozen plans are 100% vested in their accrued benefit and all non-qualified supplemental defined benefit plan participants are receiving payments.

All employees participate in the 401(k) plan and receive a 100% vested 3% "safe harbor" company contribution based on employees' eligible earnings. The Company matches each dollar of employee contributions up to a 5% maximum — in addition to maintaining the automatic 3% "safe harbor" contribution. The matching company contribution vests after 5 years of service. The 401(k) plan is fully funded.

The Company's policy for the frozen qualified defined benefit plan is to contribute to the plan amounts which are actuarially determined to provide sufficient funding to meet future benefit payments as defined by federal laws and regulations. Both the non-qualified frozen supplemental defined benefit plans and the non-qualified contribution plan are unfunded plans with the Company's contributions made at the time payments are made to participants.

For thetwo qualified plans, all assets are held in their respective plan trusts. The assets and projected benefit obligation at the end of the year are as follows:

Income Taxes

The Company uses the asset and liability method for calculating deferred federal income taxes. Income tax provisions are generally based on income reported for financial statement purposes. The provisions for federal income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 included amounts currently payable and deferred income taxes resulting from the cumulative differences in the Company's assets and liabilities, determined on a tax return versus financial statement basis.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities include provisions for net unrealized investment gains (losses) on fixed maturity securities as well as the net funded status of benefit plans with the changes for each period included in the respective components of AOCI within shareholders' equity.

Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share is computed based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus the weighted average number of fully vested RSUs and common stock units (CSUs) payable as shares of HMEC common stock. Diluted earnings per share is computed based on the weighted average number of common shares and common stock equivalents outstanding, to the extent dilutive. The Company's common stock equivalents relate to outstanding common stock options, deferred compensation CSUs and incentive compensation RSUs, which are described in Note 12.

The computations of net income (loss) per share on both basic and diluted bases, including reconciliations of the numerators and denominators, were as follows (2022 and 2021 recast for the adoption of LDTI):

Options to purchase 1,243,169 shares of common stock at $32.13 to $42.95 per share were granted in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 but were not included in the computation of 2023 diluted net income (loss) per share because of their anti-dilutive effect. These options, which expire in 2025, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033 were still outstanding at December 31, 2023.

For purposes of the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, cash constitutes cash on deposit at banks as well as restricted cash. See Note 16 for further information.

Recent Adoption of New Accounting Standards

Accounting for Long-Duration Insurance Contracts

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-12, Financial Services – Insurance (Topic 944): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts, as clarified and amended by (i) ASU 2019-09, Financial Services - Insurance (Topic 944): Effective Date, and (ii) ASU 2020-11, Financial Services - Insurance (Topic 944): Effective Date and Early Application (collectively referred to herein as ASU 2018-12). ASU 2018-12 changed existing recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure requirements for long-duration contracts. ASU 2018-12 includes: (1) a requirement to review and, if there is a change, update cash flow assumptions used to measure the liability for future policy benefits (LFPB) at least annually, and to update the discount rate assumption quarterly, (2) a requirement to account for market risk benefits (MRBs) at fair value, (3) simplified amortization for deferred policy acquisition costs (DAC), and (4) enhanced financial statement presentation and disclosures. ASU 2018-12 became effective for the Company for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2022.

The Company adopted ASU 2018-12 for LFPB and DAC on a modified retrospective basis such that those balances were adjusted to conform to ASU 2018-12 on January 1, 2021. The Company adopted ASU 2018-12 for MRBs on a full retrospective basis, using hindsight where necessary. For variable annuities, actuarial assumptions (mortality, lapse, and premium payment patterns) used to measure MRBs were unobservable for years prior to 2006 and thus, hindsight was used to determine relevant assumptions for transition purposes. The factors used in applying hindsight included internal experience studies, the historical economic environment, actual performance of the business, and relevant industry information.

The following table summarizes the balance of and changes in LFPB on January 1, 2021 due to adoption of ASU 2018-12. The impact of shifts between deferred profit liabilities (DPL) and LFPB for limited-payment products are presented as offsetting line items in the effect of net premiums exceeding gross premiums and the effect of decrease/increase of DPL.

(1)As of January 1, 2021, the net LFPB for Supplemental Health was $163.5 million for cancer, $31.2 million for accident, $32.0 million for disability and $188.8 million for other supplemental health policies.

The following table summarizes the balance of and changes in DAC on January 1, 2021 due to adoption of ASU 2018-12:

The following table summarizes the balance of and changes in the net liability position of MRBs on January 1, 2021 due to adoption of ASU 2018-12:

The following table presents the effect of the after-tax transition adjustments on consolidated shareholders' equity due to adoption of ASU 2018:

For LFPB, the net transition adjustment is related to the difference in the discount rate used pre-transition and the discount rate at January 1, 2021. At transition, the Company had several instances, at the cohort level, where net premiums exceeded gross premiums which were recorded as an adjustment to retained earnings. For DAC, the Company removed shadow adjustments previously recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (i.e., AOCI) for the impact of net unrealized investment gains (losses) that were included in the pre-ASU 2018-12 expected gross profits amortization calculation as of the transition date.

For MRBs, the transition adjustment to AOCI relates to the cumulative effect of changes in the instrument-specific credit risk between contract issue date and transition date. The remaining difference between the fair value and carrying amount of MRBs at transition, excluding the amounts recorded in AOCI, was recorded as an adjustment to retained earnings as of the transition date.

While the requirements of ASU 2018-12 represent a significant change from legacy GAAP, the adoption of ASU 2018-12 did not impact cash flows on the Company’s policies, or the underlying economics of the Company’s business. The Company's insurance subsidiaries' risk-based capital amounts and ratios, and regulatory dividends are not impacted as the NAIC rejected ASU 2018-12.

See Note 18 for summarization of the effects of adopting ASU 2018-12 on the Company's 2022 and 2021 Consolidated Financial Statements.

Future Adoption of New Accounting Standards

Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures. This update will improve reportable segment disclosure requirements, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. ASU 2023-07 includes: 1) a requirement to disclose significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker (CODM) and included within each reported measure of segment profit or loss, 2) a requirement to disclose an amount forother segment items by reportable segment and a description of its composition, 3) a requirement to disclose a reportable segments profit or loss and assets currently required by Topic 280 in interim periods, 4) clarifies that in addition to the measure that is most consistent with the measurement principles under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), a public entity is not precluded from reporting additional measures of a segment's profit or loss that are used by the CODM in assessing segment performance and deciding how to allocate resources, and 5) a requirement to disclose the title and position of the CODM and an explanation of how the CODM uses the reported measure(s) of segment profit or loss in assessing segment performance and deciding how to allocate resources.

This guidance will be effective for the Company for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2023 and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. The guidance will have no net impact on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. This update will improve the transparency of income tax disclosures by requiring (1) consistent categories and greater disaggregation of information in the rate reconciliation and (2) income taxes paid disaggregated by jurisdiction. It also includes certain other amendments to improve the effectiveness of income tax disclosures.

This guidance will be effective for the Company for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024 and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2025. Early adoption is permitted. The guidance will have no net impact on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

NOTE 2 -Investments

The components of net investment income for the following periods were as follows:

Net Investment Losses

Net investment losses for the following periods were as follows:

The Company, from time to time, sells fixed maturity securities subsequent to the reporting date but prior to the issuance of the financial statements that were in an unrealized loss position but no credit loss was recognized and there was no intent to sell the securities at the reporting date. Such sales are due to issuer-specific events occurring subsequent to the reporting date that result in a change in the Company's intent to sell a fixed maturity security. The types of events that may result in a sale include significant changes in the economic facts and circumstances related to the invested asset, significant unforeseen changes in liquidity needs, or changes in the Company's investment strategy.

Net Investment Losses by Transaction Type

The breakdown of net investment gains (losses) by transaction type for the following periods were as follows:

Allowance for Credit Loss Impairments on Fixed Maturity Securities

The following table presents changes in the allowance for credit loss impairments on fixed maturity securities classified as available for sale for the category of other asset-backed securities (no other categories of fixed maturity securities have an allowance for credit loss impairments):

The Company's investment portfolio is comprised primarily of fixed maturity securities. Amortized cost, net, gross unrealized investment gains (losses) and fair values of all fixed maturity securities in the portfolio were as follows:

The following table presents the fair value and gross unrealized losses for fixed maturity securities in an unrealized loss position as of December 31, 2023 and 2022. The Company views the decrease in fair value of all fixed maturity securities with unrealized losses as of December 31, 2023 as due to factors other than a credit loss. As of December 31, 2023, the Company has not made the decision to sell and it is more likely than not the Company will not be required to sell the fixed maturity securities with unrealized losses before a recovery of the amortized cost basis. In reaching our conclusion that an allowance for credit is unnecessary, we considered the factors described in the Application of Critical Accounting Estimates - Evaluation of Credit Loss Impairments for Fixed Maturity Securities. The performance of fixed maturity securities has been impacted by the change in interest rates, specifically interest rates being at relatively high levels compared to interest rates at the time of acquisition of the securities. Following significant increases in interest rates throughout 2022, driven mostly by increases in risk-free rates, rates stabilized during 2023 but remain at elevated levels. In consideration of the factors, we expect to receive cash flows sufficient to recover the entire amortized cost basis of the securities in the following table.

With regards to fixed maturity securities that had gross unrealized losses more than 12 months, the number of positions by their respective credit ratings was as follows:

Fixed maturity securities with an investment grade rating represented 96.0% of the gross unrealized losses as of December 31, 2023. For the same reasons discussed above, we expect to receive cash flows sufficient to recover the entire amortized cost basis of the securities in the previous table.

Maturities of Fixed Maturity Securities

The following table presents the distribution of the Company's fixed maturity securities portfolio by estimated expected maturity. Estimated expected maturities differ from contractual maturities, reflecting assumptions regarding borrowers' utilization of the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties. For structured securities, estimated expected maturities consider broker-dealer survey prepayment assumptions and are verified for consistency with the interest rate and economic environments.

Sales of Fixed Maturity and Equity Securities

Proceeds received from sales of fixed maturity and equity securities, each determined using the specific identification method, and gross gains and gross losses realized as a result of those sales for each year were as follows:

Net Unrealized Investment Gains (Losses) on Fixed Maturity Securities

The following table reconciles the net unrealized investment gains (losses) on fixed maturity securities, net of tax, included in AOCI:

Limited Partnership Interests

Investments in limited partnership interests are accounted for using the equity method of accounting (EMA) and include interests in commercial mortgage loan funds, real estate equity funds, private equity funds, infrastructure equity funds, infrastructure debt funds and other funds. Principal factors influencing carrying amount appreciation or depreciation include operating performance, comparable public company earnings multiples, capitalization rates and the economic environment. The carrying amounts of EMA limited partnership interests were as follows:

(1) Other funds consist primarily of limited partnership interests in corporate mezzanine, venture capital, and private credit funds.

Offsetting of Assets and Liabilities

The Company's derivatives are subject to enforceable master netting arrangements. Collateral support agreements associated with each master netting arrangement provides that the Company will receive or pledge financial collateral in the event minimum thresholds have been reached. The Company’s reverse repurchase agreements are also subject to enforceable master netting arrangements but there was no offsetting in their presentation in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. The following table presents instruments that were subject to a master netting arrangement for the Company.

Deposits

At December 31, 2023 and 2022, fixed maturity securities with a fair value of $29.2 million and $28.6 million, respectively, were on deposit with governmental agencies as required by law in various states for which the insurance subsidiaries of the Company conduct business. In addition, as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, fixed maturity securities with a fair value of $987.2 million and $860.4 million, respectively, were on deposit with FHLB as collateral for amounts subject to funding agreements, advances and borrowings which were equal to $904.5 million and $792.5 million at the respective dates. The deposited securities are reported as Fixed maturity securities in the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets.

NOTE 3 -Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company is required to disclose estimated fair values for certain financial and nonfinancial assets and liabilities. Fair values for the Company's insurance contracts other than annuity contracts (which are investment contracts) and equity method limited partnership interests are not required to be disclosed in fair value hierarchy. The estimated fair values of liabilities under all insurance contracts are taken into consideration in the Company's overall management of interest rate risk through the matching of investment maturities with amounts due under insurance contracts.

Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between knowledgeable, unrelated and willing market participants on the measurement date. In determining fair value, the Company utilizes valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The Company categorizes the fair value of its financial and nonfinancial assets and liabilities into a three-level hierarchy based on the priority of inputs to the valuation technique. The three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value are:

When the inputs used to measure fair value fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the level within which the fair value measurement is categorized is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. As a result, a Level 3 fair value measurement may include inputs that are observable (Level 1 or Level 2) and unobservable (Level 3). Net transfers into or out of each of the three levels are reported as having occurred at the end of the reporting period in which the transfers were determined.

The following discussion describes the valuation methodologies used for financial assets and financial liabilities measured at fair value. The techniques utilized in estimating fair value are affected by the assumptions used, including discount rates and estimates of the amount and timing of expected future cash flows. The use of different methodologies, assumptions and inputs may have a material effect on the estimated fair values of the Company's financial assets and liabilities. Judgment is exercised in deriving conclusions about the Company's business, its value or financial position based on the fair value information of financial assets and liabilities presented below.

Fair value estimates are made at a specific point in time, based on available market information and judgments about the financial asset or financial liability, including estimates of both the timing and amount of expected future cash flows and the credit standing of the issuer. In some cases, fair value estimates cannot be substantiated by comparison to independent markets. In addition, the disclosed fair value may not be realized in the immediate settlement of the financial asset or financial liability. The disclosed fair values do not reflect any premium or discount that could result from offering for sale at one time an entire holding of a particular financial asset or financial liability. In periods of market disruption, the ability to observe prices and inputs may be reduced for many financial instruments. This condition could cause a financial instrument to be reclassified from Level 1 to Level 2 or from Level 2 to Level 3. Potential taxes and other expenses that would be incurred in an actual sale or settlement are not reflected in the fair value amounts disclosed.

The fair value of a fixed maturity security is the price that would be received in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. We obtain prices from third-party valuation service providers, our investment managers, and custodian bank, each of which use a variety of valuation service providers, broker quotes, and modeled prices. When necessary, we also internally model securities to develop a price. Differences in prices between the sources that we consider reliable are researched and we use the price that we consider most representative of an exit price in determining the fair value. Typical inputs used by these pricing sources include, but are not limited to, reported trades, broker quotes, yield curves, and involve the benchmarking of similar securities, rating designations, sector groupings, issuer spreads and/or estimated cash flows, prepayment speeds and default rates, among others, in determining the inputs to the prices. Our fixed maturity securities portfolio is primarily publicly traded, which allows for a high percentage of the fixed maturity securities portfolio to be priced through pricing services using observable inputs. Approximately 87.7% and 88.6% of the fixed maturity securities portfolio, based on fair value, was priced through valuation services or priced using observable inputs as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The remainder of the fixed maturity securities portfolio was priced by broker quotes, modeled prices by our investment managers or internal pricing models. Non-binding broker quotes are generally classified as Level 3, unless the quotes can be corroborated by comparison to other valuation service provider prices or observable pricing models or analyses, whereby they could be classified as Level 2. There were no significant changes to the valuation process during 2023.

The valuation of hard-to-value fixed maturity securities (generally 75 -125 securities) is more subjective because the markets are less liquid and there is a lack of observable market-based inputs. This may increase the potential that the estimated fair value of an investment is not reflective of the price at which an actual transaction would occur. When the pricing sources cannot provide fair value determinations, the investment managers obtain non-binding price quotes from brokers. For those securities where the investment manager cannot obtain broker quotes, they will model the security, generally using estimated cash flows of the underlying collateral. Brokers' valuation methodologies as well as investment managers’ modeling methodologies are sometimes matrix-based, using indicative evaluation measures and adjustments for specific security characteristics and market sentiment. The selection of the market inputs and assumptions used to estimate the fair value of hard-to-value fixed maturity securities requires judgment and includes: benchmark yield, liquidity premium, estimated cash flows, prepayment speeds and default rates, spreads, weighted average life, and credit rating. The extent of the use of each market input depends on the market sector and market conditions. Depending on the security, the priority of the use of inputs may change or some market inputs may not be relevant. For some securities, additional inputs may be necessary.

To determine the fair value of equity securities, the Company uses its third-party valuation service providers, investment managers or its custodian bank to obtain fair value prices from independent third-party valuation service providers.

In summary, the following financial assets and financial liabilities are carried at fair value on a recurring basis:

Financial assets

•Fixed maturity securities, including hard-to-value fixed maturity securities, as described above.

•Equity securities, as described above.

•Short-term investments — Because of the nature of these assets, carrying amounts are amortized cost which approximate fair values.

•Other investments — Other investments include derivatives. Fair values of derivatives are based on the amount of cash expected to be received to settle each derivative on the reporting date. These amounts are obtained from each of the counterparties using industry accepted valuation models and observable inputs. Significant inputs include contractual terms, underlying index prices, market volatilities, interest rates and dividend yields.

Financial liabilities

•The fair value of derivatives embedded in IUL contracts is set equal to the fair value of the outstanding call options.

•The fair value of derivatives embedded in FIA contracts is determined using the option budget method for each premium received (i.e., the option budget method is used as the future account growth rate). With this method, future excess cash flows (defined as benefits in excess of required non-forfeiture benefits) are discounted at the risk-free rate and adjusted for non-performance, to determine the fair value of the embedded derivatives.

•MRBs are measured at fair value using a non-option-based valuation model based on current net amounts at risk, market data, Company experience, and other factors.

Financial Instruments Measured and Carried at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

The following table presents the Company's fair value hierarchy for financial assets and financial liabilities measured and carried at fair value on a recurring basis. As of December 31, 2023, Level 3 investments comprised approximately 9.5% of the Company's total investment portfolio at fair value.

(1) Separate Account variable annuity assets represent contractholder funds invested in various actively traded mutual funds that have daily quoted net asset values that are readily determinable for identical assets that the Company can access. Separate Account variable annuity liabilities are equal to the estimated fair value of Separate Account variable annuity assets.

(2) Represents embedded derivatives related to fixed indexed annuity and indexed universal life products as well as net MRBs reported in Policyholders' account balances in the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Changes in Level 3 Fair Value Measurements

The Company did not have any transfers between Levels 1 and 2 during 2023 and 2022. The following tables present reconciliations for the periods indicated for all Level 3 financial assets and financial liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis.

(1)Represents embedded derivatives, all related to the Company's FIA products, reported in Policyholders' account balances in the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets.

(2)Includes U.S. Government and federally sponsored agency obligations for mortgage-backed securities and other asset-backed securities.

(3)Transfers into and out of Level 3 during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were attributable to changes in the availability of observable market information for individual fixed maturity securities and short-term investments. The Company's policy is to recognize transfers into and out of the levels as having occurred at the end of the reporting period in which the transfers were determined.

As of December 31, 2023, the Company had a $0.4 million net investment gain on Level 3 financial assets that was included in net income and was primarily attributable to credit loss impairments. As of December 31, 2022 the Company had a $3.4 million net investment loss on Level 3 financial assets that was included in net income. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, a net investment loss of $1.3 million and a net investment gain of $14.8 million, respectively, were included innet income that were attributable to changes in the fair value of Level 3 financial liabilities.

Level 3 Assets and Liabilities by Price Source

The table below presents the balances of Level 3 assets and liabilities measured at fair value with their corresponding pricing sources (in millions, 2022 information recast for the adoption of LDTI):

(1) Represents embedded derivatives related to fixed indexed annuity and indexed universal life products as well as net MRBs reported in Policyholders' account balances in the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets.

External pricing sources for securities represent prices from prior transactions or unadjusted third-party pricing information where pricing inputs are not readily available.

Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements

The following table provides quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs for recurring fair value measurements categorized within Level 3.

(1) When a range of unobservable inputs is not readily available, the Company uses a single point best estimate.

(2) Mortality multiplier is applied to the Annuity 2000 table.

(3) Determined as a percentage of the risk-free rate.

(1) When a range of unobservable inputs is not readily available, the Company uses a single point best estimate.

(2) Mortality multiplier is applied to the Annuity 2000 table.

(3) Determined as a percentage of the risk-free rate.

The valuation techniques and significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement for financial assets and financial liabilities classified as Level 3 are subject to the processes as previously described in this Note. Generally, valuation techniques for corporate bonds include using discounted cash flow techniques where the unobservable input is the yield. The yield used for the valuation of these fixed maturity securities is less observable than securities classified as Level 2.

Financial Instruments Not Carried at Fair Value

The following table presents the carrying amount and fair value of the Company’s financial assets and financial liabilities not carried at fair value and the level within the fair value hierarchy at which such financial assets and liabilities are categorized.

Other Investments

Other investments includes policy loans, mortgage loans and FHLB common stock. For policy loans, fair value is based on estimates using discounted cash flow analysis and current interest rates being offered for new loans. For mortgage loans, fair value is estimated by discounting the expected future cash flows using current rates at which similar loans would be made to borrowers with similar credit ratings and similar remaining maturities. For FHLB common stock, fair value is the redemption value, which is the same as the carrying amount and par value.

Deposit Asset on Reinsurance

The fair value of the deposit asset on reinsurance is estimated by discounting the future cash flows that are expected to arise out of the annuity reinsurance transaction. The Treasury yield curve, plus an assumed credit spread, is used to determine the appropriate discount rate.

Policyholders' Account Balances

Policyholder’s account balances include fixed annuity contract liabilities, policyholder account balances on life contracts, supplementary contracts without life contingencies and retained asset accounts. The fair values of fixed annuity contract liabilities and policyholder account balances on life contracts are equal to the discounted estimated future cash flows (using the Company's current interest rates for similar products including consideration of minimum guaranteed interest rates). The Company carries these financial liabilities at cost. Liabilities related to supplementary contracts without life contingencies and retained asset accounts are carried at cost, which management believes is a reasonable estimate of fair value due to the relatively short duration of these items, based on the Company's past experience.

Also, included in Policyholder's account balances are embedded derivatives related to the Company's IUL and FIA account balances and net MRBs which are carried at fair value.

Other Policyholder Funds

Other policyholder funds includes balances outstanding under funding agreements with the FHLB and dividend accumulations. These components are carried at cost, which management believes is a reasonable estimate of fair value due to the relatively short duration of these items, based on the Company's past experience.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

Reverse repurchase agreements are transactions in which the Company (transferor) transfers fixed maturity securities to another party (transferee) and receives cash (or securities), with a simultaneous agreement to repurchase the same securities (or substantially the same securities) at a specified price on a specified date. These transactions are generally short-term in nature, and therefore, the carrying amounts of these instruments approximate fair value.

The Company accounts for reverse repurchase agreements as secured borrowings. This means that the fixed maturity securities transferred under reverse repurchase agreements are included in Fixed maturity securities with the obligation to repurchase those securities reported in Other liabilities on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets. The carrying amount of the Company's obligation under reverse repurchase agreements is equal to the amount of cash it received on the date of transfer and the fair value of the Company's obligation under reverse repurchase agreements is equal to the-then current fair value of the fixed maturity securities transferred as of the reporting date.

Short-term Debt

The Company carries short-term debt at amortized cost which approximates fair value.

Long-term Debt

The Company carries long-term debt at amortized cost. The fair value of long-term debt is estimated based on unadjusted quoted market prices of the Company's securities or unadjusted market prices based on similar publicly traded issues when trading activity for the Company's securities is not sufficient to provide a market price.

NOTE 4 - Derivatives

The Company offers FIA products, which are deferred fixed annuities that guarantee the return of principal to the contractholder and credits interest based on a percentage of the gain in a specified market index. The Company also offers IUL products which credits interest based on a percentage of the gain in a specified market index. When deposits are received for FIA and IUL contracts, a portion is used to purchase derivatives consisting of call options on the applicable market indices to fund the index credits due to FIA and IUL policyholders. For the Company, substantially all such call options areone-year options purchased to match the funding requirements of the underlying contracts.

The change in fair value of derivatives includes the gains or losses recognized at the expiration of the option term or early termination and the changes in fair value for open positions. Call options are not purchased to fund the index liabilities that may arise after the next deposit anniversary date. On the respective anniversary dates of the indexed deposits, the index used to compute the annual index credit is reset and newone-year call options are purchased to fund the next annual index credit. The cost of these purchases is managed through the terms of the FIA and IUL contracts, which permit changes to index return caps, participation rates and/or asset fees, subject to guaranteed minimums on each contract's anniversary date. By adjusting the index return caps, participation rates or asset fees, crediting rates generally can be managed except in cases where the contractual features would prevent further modifications.

The future annual index credits on FIA are accounted for as a "series of embedded derivatives" over the expected life of the applicable contract with a corresponding reserve recognized. For IUL, the embedded derivative represents a single-year liability for the index return.

The Company carries all derivatives at fair value in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company elected to not use hedge accounting for derivative transactions related to the FIA and IUL products. As a result, the Company recognizes the purchased call options and the embedded derivatives related to the provision of a contingent return at fair value, with changes in the fair value of the derivatives recognized immediately as Net investment gains (losses) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). The fair values of derivatives, including derivatives embedded in FIA and IUL contracts, are presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as follows:

In general, the change in the fair value of the embedded derivatives related to FIA will not correspond to the change in fair value of the purchased call options because the purchased call options are one-year options while the fair value of the embedded derivatives represent the rights of the policyholder to receive index credits over the entire period the FIA contracts are expected to be in force, which typically exceeds 10 years. The changes in fair value of derivatives included in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) were as follows:

(1)Includes gains (losses) recognized at option expiration or early termination and changes in fair value for open positions.

NOTE 4 - Derivatives (continued)

The Company's strategy attempts to mitigate potential risk of loss under these agreements through a regular monitoring process, which evaluates the program's effectiveness. The Company is exposed to risk of loss in the event of nonperformance by the counterparties and, accordingly, option contracts are purchased from multiple counterparties, which are evaluated for creditworthiness prior to purchase of the contracts. All of these options have been purchased from nationally recognized financial institutions with a S&P/Moody's Investors Service, Inc. (Moody's) long-term credit rating of "BBB+/A3" or higher at the time of purchase and the maximum credit exposure to any single counterparty is subject to concentration limits. The Company also obtains credit support agreements that allow it to request the counterparty to provide collateral when the fair value of the exposure to the counterparty exceeds specified amounts.

The notional amount and fair value of call options by counterparty and each counterparty's long-term credit ratings were as follows:

As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company held $18.5 million and $5.9 million, respectively, of cash and financial instruments received from counterparties for derivative collateral, which is included in Other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. This derivative collateral limits the Company's maximum amount of economic loss due to credit risk that would be incurred if parties to the call options failed completely to perform according to the terms of the contracts to $0.3 million per counterparty

NOTE 5 -Short-Duration Insurance Contracts

Property & Casualty Unpaid Claims and Claim Expense Reserves

The following table is a summary reconciliation of the beginning and ending Property & Casualty unpaid claims and claim expense reserves for the periods indicated. The table presents reserves on both a gross and net (after reinsurance) basis. The total net Property & Casualty insurance claims and claim expense incurred amounts are reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). The end of the year gross reserve (before reinsurance balances and reinsurance recoverable balances) are reflected on a gross basis in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

(1)Reserves are net of anticipated reinsurance recoverables.

(2)Shows the amounts by which the Company increased (decreased) its reserves in each of the periods indicated for claims occurring in previous periods to reflect subsequent information on such claims and changes in their projected final settlement costs. Also, refer to the paragraphs below for additional information regarding prior years' reserve development recognized in 2023, 2022 and 2021.

Underwriting results for Property & Casualty are significantly influenced by estimates of the Company's ultimate liability for insured events. There is a high degree of uncertainty inherent in the estimates of ultimate losses underlying the liability for unpaid claims and claim settlement expenses. This inherent uncertainty is particularly significant for liability-related exposures due to the extended period, often many years, which transpires between a loss event, receipt of related claims data from policyholders and ultimate settlement of the claim. Reserves for Property & Casualty claims include provisions for payments to be made on reported claims (case reserves), IBNR claims and associated settlement expenses (together, loss reserves). The process by which these loss reserves are established requires reliance upon estimates based on known facts and on interpretations of circumstances, including the Company's experience with similar cases and historical trends involving claim payments and related patterns, pending levels of unpaid claims and product mix, as well as other factors including court decisions, economic conditions, public attitudes and medical costs.

The Company believes the Property & Casualty loss reserves are appropriately established based on available facts, laws, and regulations. The Company calculates and recognizes a single best estimate of the reserve as of each reporting date, for each line of business and its coverages for reported losses and for IBNR losses and as a result, the Company believes no other estimate is better than the recognized amount. Due to uncertainties involved, the ultimate cost of losses may vary materially from recognized amounts.

The Company continually updates loss estimates using both quantitative and qualitative information from its reserving actuaries and information derived from other sources. Adjustments may be required as information develops which varies from experience, or, in some cases, augments data which previously was not considered sufficient for use in determining liabilities. The effects of these adjustments may be significant and are charged or credited to income in the period in which the adjustments are made.

Numerous risk factors will affect more than one product line. One of these factors is changes in claim department practices, including claim closure rates, number of claims closed without payment, the use of third-party claim adjusters and the level of needed case reserve estimated by the adjuster. Other risk factors include changes in claim frequency, changes in claim severity, regulatory and legislative actions, court actions, changes in economic conditions and trends (e.g., medical costs, labor rates and the cost of materials), the occurrence of unusually large or frequent catastrophic loss events, timeliness of claim reporting, the state in which the claim occurred and degree of claimant fraud. The extent of the impact of a risk factor will also vary by coverages within a product line. Individual risk factors are also subject to interactions with other risk factors within product line coverages.

While all product lines are exposed to these risks, there are some loss types or product lines for which the financial effect will be more significant. For instance, given the relatively large proportion (approximately 68% as of December 31, 2023) of the Company's reserves that are in the longer-tail auto liability coverages, regulatory and court actions, changes in economic conditions and trends, and medical costs could be expected to impact this product line more extensively than others.

Reserves are established for claims as they occur for each line of business based on estimates of the ultimate cost to settle the claims. The actual loss results are compared to prior estimates and differences are recorded as re-estimates. The primary actuarial techniques (development of paid loss dollars, development of reported loss dollars, methods based on expected loss ratios and methods utilizing frequency and severity of claims) used to estimate reserves and provide for losses are applied to actual paid losses and reported losses (paid losses plus individual case reserves set by claim adjusters) for an accident year to create an estimate of how losses are likely to develop over time.

In all of the loss estimation techniques referred to above, a ratio (development factor) is calculated which compares current results to results in the prior period for each accident year. Various development factors, based on historical results, are multiplied by the current experience to estimate the development of losses of each accident year from the current time period into the next time period. The development factors for the next time period for each accident year are compounded over the remaining calendar years to calculate an estimate of ultimate losses for each accident year. Occasionally, unusual aberrations in loss patterns are caused by factors such as changes in claim reporting, settlement patterns, unusually large losses, process changes, legal or regulatory environment changes, and other influences. In these instances, analyses of alternate development factor selections are performed to evaluate the effect of these factors and judgment is applied to make appropriate development factor assumptions needed to develop a best estimate of ultimate losses. Paid losses are then subtracted from estimated ultimate losses to determine the indicated loss reserves. The difference between indicated reserves and recorded reserves is the amount of reserve re-estimate.

Reserves are re-estimated quarterly. When new development factors are calculated from actual losses that differ from estimated development factors used in previous reserve estimates, assumptions about losses and required reserves are revised based on the new development factors. Changes to reserves are recognized in the period in which development factor changes result in reserve re-estimates.

Claim count estimates are also established for claims as they occur for each line of business based on estimates of the ultimate claim counts. These counts are derived by counting the number of claimants by insurance coverage. The primary actuarial techniques (development of paid claim counts and development of reported claim counts) used to estimate ultimate claim counts are applied to actual paid claim counts and reported claim counts (paid claims plus individual unpaid claims set by claim adjusters) for an accident year to create an estimate of how claims are likely to develop over time. An accident year refers to classifying claims based on the year in which the claim occurred. The ultimate claim count generally gives equal consideration to the results of the two actuarial techniques described.

Occasionally, unusual aberrations in claim reporting patterns or claim payment patterns may occur. In these instances, analyses of alternate development factor selections are performed to evaluate the effect of these factors and judgment is applied to make appropriate development factor assumptions needed to develop a best estimate of ultimate claims.

See tables on the following pages of Note 5 for details of the average annual percentage payout of incurred claims by age, also referred to as a history of claims duration and tables illustrating the incurred and paid claims development information by accident year on a net basis for the lines of homeowners, auto liability, and auto physical damage, which represents 99.7% of the Company's Property & Casualty incurred losses for 2023.

Numerous actuarial estimates of the types described above are prepared each quarter to monitor losses for each line of business, including the line's individual coverages, for reported losses and IBNR. Often, several different estimates are prepared for each detailed component, incorporating alternative analyses of changing claim settlement patterns and other influences on losses, from which the Company selects the best estimate for each component, occasionally incorporating additional analyses and judgment, as described above. These estimates also incorporate the historical impact of inflation into reserve estimates, the implicit assumption being that a multi-year average development factor represents an adequate provision. Based on the Company's review of these estimates, as well as the review of independent reserve studies, the best estimate of required reserves for each line of business, including the line's individual coverages, is determined by management and is recognized for each accident year, then the required reserves for each component are summed to create the reserve balances carried on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Based on the Company's products and coverages, historical experience, and various actuarial methodologies used to develop reserve estimates, the Company estimates that the potential variability of the Property & Casualty loss reserves within a reasonable probability of other possible outcomes may be different than expected. A change in claim severity or claim frequency of approximately plus or minus 1.0% of reserves equates to plus or minus approximately $2.5 million of net income as of December 31, 2023. Although this evaluation reflects the most likely outcomes, it is possible the final outcome may fall below or above these estimates.

Net favorable (unfavorable) development of total reserves for Property & Casualty claims occurring in prior years was $0.0 million in 2023, $(22.0) million in 2022 and $7.2 million in 2021. In 2022, the Property & Casualty had unfavorable prior years' auto reserve development of $28.0 million, reflecting the impact on severity of overall inflation, higher medical costs, increased usage of medical services and the current judicial environment, as well as favorable prior years' property reserve development of $6.0 million as a result of favorable loss trends for accident years 2021 and prior. In 2021, the favorable development was the result of favorable loss trends in auto and homeowners loss emergence for accident years 2020 and prior.

The Company completes a detailed study of Property & Casualty reserves based on information available at the end of each quarter and year. Trends of reported losses (paid amounts and case reserves on claims reported to the Company) for each accident year are reviewed and ultimate loss costs for those accident years are estimated. The Company engages an independent property and casualty actuarial consulting firm to prepare an independent study of the Company's Property & Casualty reserves as of December 31 st of each year. The result of the independent actuarial study as of December 31, 2023 was consistent with management's analysis and selected estimates and did not result in any adjustments to the Company's Property & Casualty reserves recognized.

At the time each of the reserve analyses was performed, the Company believed that each estimate was based upon sound methodology and such methodologies were appropriately applied and that there were no trends which indicated the likelihood of future loss reserve development. The financial impact of net reserve development was therefore accounted for in the period that the development was determined.

No other adjustments were made in the determination of the liabilities during the periods covered by these consolidated financial statements. Management believes that, based on data currently available, it has reasonably estimated the Company's ultimate losses.

Below is the average annual percentage payout of incurred claims by age, also referred to as a history of claims duration:

The following tables illustrate the incurred and paid claims development by accident year on a net basis for the lines of homeowners, auto liability and auto physical damage. Conditions and trends that have affected the development of these reserves in the past will not necessarily reoccur in the future. It may not be appropriate to use this cumulative history in the projection of future performance.

The information about incurred and paid claims development for the years ended December 31, 2014 to 2022 is presented as unaudited supplementary information.

Group Benefits Unpaid Claims and Claim Expense Reserves

The following table is a summary reconciliation of the beginning and ending Group Benefits unpaid claims and claim expense reserves for the year ended December 31, 2023 (2022 recast for adoption of LDTI). The table presents reserves on both a gross and net (after reinsurance). The total net Group Benefits insurance claims and claim expense incurred amounts are reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). The end of the year gross reserve (before reinsurance balances and reinsurance recoverable balances) are reflected on a gross basis in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

(1)Reserves are net of anticipated reinsurance recoverables.

(2)Shows the amounts by which the Company increased (decreased) its reserves for claims occurring in previous periods to reflect subsequent information on such claims and changes in their projected final settlement costs. Also, refer to the paragraphs below for additional information regarding prior years' reserve development recognized in 2023.

The Company's Group Benefits has short-duration contracts that are generated from specialty health and group disability lines of business, and are accounted for based on actuarial estimates of the amount of loss inherent in that period’s claims, including losses incurred for which claims have not been reported. Short-duration contract loss estimates rely on actuarial observations of ultimate loss experience for similar historical events.

The Company maintains loss reserves for these lines of business to cover its estimated liability for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses, where material, (including legal, other fees, and costs not associated with specific claims but related to the claims payment function) for reported and unreported claims incurred as of the end of each accounting period. These loss reserves are based on actuarial assumptions. Many factors could affect these reserves, including economic and social conditions, frequency and severity of claims, medical trends resulting from the influences of underlying cost inflation, changes in utilization and demand for medical services, and changes in doctrines of legal liability and damage awards in litigation. Therefore, the Company’s reserves are necessarily based on estimates, assumptions and analysis of historical experience. The Company’s results depend upon the variation between actual claims experience and the assumptions used in determining reserves and pricing products. Reserve assumptions and estimates require significant judgment and, therefore, are inherently uncertain. The Company cannot determine with precision the ultimate amounts that will be paid for actual claims or the timing of those payments. The Company's estimate of loss represents management's best estimate of the Company's liability at the reporting date.

The Company believes that its liability for policy benefits and claims is reasonable and adequate to satisfy its ultimate liability. The Company primarily uses its own loss development experience, but will also supplement that with data from its outside actuaries, reinsurers and industry loss experience as warranted. To illustrate the impact that loss ratios have on the Company’s loss reserves and related expenses, each hypothetical 1% change in the loss ratio for the health business (i.e., the ratio of insurance benefits, claims and settlement expenses to earned health premiums) for the year ended December 31, 2023, would increase reserves (in the case of a higher ratio) or decrease reserves (in the case of a lower ratio) by approximately $0.8 million pretax with a corresponding increase or decrease to Benefits, claims and settlement expenses in the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).

For the specialty health line of business, IBNR claims liabilities plus expected development on reported claims are calculated using standard actuarial methods and practices. The “primary” assumption in the determination of specialty health reserves is that historical claim development patterns are representative of future claim development patterns. Factors that may affect this assumption include changes in claim payment processing times and procedures, changes in time delay in submission of claims, and the incidence of unusually large claims. Liabilities for claims for specialty health coverages are computed using completion factors and expected net loss ratios derived from actual historical premium and claim data. The reserving analysis includes a review of claim processing statistical measures and large claim early notifications; the potential impacts of any changes in these factors are not material. The Company has business that is serviced by third-party administrators. From time to time, there are changes in the timing of claims processing due to any number of factors including, but not limited to, system conversions and staffing changes during the year. These changes are monitored by the Company and the effects of these changes are taken into consideration during the claim reserving process. While these calculations are based on standard methodologies, they are estimates based on historical patterns. To the extent that actual claim payment patterns differ from historical patterns, such estimated reserves may be redundant or inadequate. The effects of such deviations are evaluated by considering claim backlog statistics and reviewing the reasonableness of projected claim ratios. Other factors which may affect the accuracy of policy benefits and claim estimates include the proportion of large claims which may take longer to adjudicate, changes in billing patterns by providers and changes in claim management practices such as hospital bill audits. Since the Company's analysis considers a variety of outcomes related to these factors, the Company does not believe that any reasonably likely change in these factors will have a material effect.

With regards to the Company’s group disability line of business, the two “primary” assumptions on which disability policy benefits and claims are based are: (i) morbidity levels; and (ii) recovery rates. If morbidity levels increase, for example due to an epidemic or a recessionary environment, the Company would increase reserves because there would be more new claims than expected. With regards to the assumed recovery rate, if disabled lives recover more quickly than anticipated then the existing claims reserves would be reduced; if less quickly, the existing claims reserves would be increased. Advancements in medical treatments could affect future recovery, termination, and mortality rates.

In 2023, Group Benefits had net favorable prior years' reserve development of $13.9 million which was primarily the result of favorable loss trends in specialty health and group disability for loss years 2022 and prior.

Below is the average annual percentage payout of incurred claims by age for Group Benefits, also referred to as a history of claims duration:

The following tables illustrate the incurred and paid claims development by accident year on a net basis for the lines of specialty health and group disability. Conditions and trends that have affected the development of these reserves in the past will not necessarily reoccur in the future. It may not be appropriate to use this cumulative history in the projection of future performance.

The information about incurred and paid claims development for the years ended December 31, 2014 to 2022 is presented as unaudited supplementary information.

Reconciliation of Net Incurred and Paid Claims Development Tables for Property & Casualty and Group Benefits to Unpaid Claims and Claim Expense Reserves in the Consolidated Balance Sheet (2022 recast for the adoption of LDTI)

(1)This line includes Life & Retirement and Supplemental reserves included in the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

NOTE 6 -Long-Duration Insurance Contracts

Liability for Future Policy Benefits

As of and for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 the Company updated the net premium ratio when updating for actual historical experience for each year; future cash flow assumptions were also reviewed and updated.

The following tables summarize balances and changes in LFPB for traditional and limited-payment contracts.

The balances of and changes in LFPB as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023 were as follows:

(2) As of December 31, 2023, the net LFPB for Supplemental Health was $92.7 million for cancer, $21.4 million for accident, $23.5 million for disability and $104.0 million for other supplemental health policies.

(3) Issuances are calculated at present value, using the original discount rate, of the expected net premiums or the expected future policy benefits related to new policies issued during the current period.

(6) Benefit payments represent the release of the present value, using the original discount rate, of the expected future policy benefits due to death, lapse/withdrawal and maturity payments based on revised expected assumptions.

The balances of and changes in LFPB as of and for the year ended December 31, 2022 were as follows:

(2) As of December 31, 2022, the net LFPB for Supplemental Health was $101.8 million for cancer, $21.8 million for accident, $23.1 million for disability and $114.3 million for other supplemental health policies.

(3) Issuances are calculated at present value, using the original discount rate, of the expected net premiums or the expected future policy benefits related to new policies issued during the current period.

(6) Benefit payments represent the release of the present value, using the original discount rate, of the expected future policy benefits due to death, lapse/withdrawal and maturity payments based on revised expected assumptions.

(7) Whole Life, Term Life, and Supplemental Health beginning balance at January 1, 2022 includes reserves acquired from Madison National Life Insurance Company, Inc. on January 1, 2022.

The balances of and changes in LFPB (including a summary of the balance and changes in the LFPB on January 1, 2021 due to adoption of ASU 2018-12) as of and for the year ended December 31, 2021 were as follows:

(2) As of December 31, 2021, the net LFPB for Supplemental Health was $140.8 million for cancer, $28.7 million for accident, $29.3 million for disability and $160.3 million for other supplemental health policies.

(3) Issuances are calculated at present value, using the original discount rate, of the expected net premiums or the expected future policy benefits related to new policies issued during the current period.

(6) Benefit payments represent the release of the present value, using the original discount rate, of the expected future policy benefits due to death, lapse/withdrawal and maturity payments based on revised expected assumptions.

The following table reconciles the net LFPB to LFPB in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. DPL for single premium and immediate annuity products is presented together with LFPB in the Consolidated Balance Sheets:

(1) Reconciling items primarily relate to products not in scope of ASU 2018-12 and return of premium reserves.

The following tables summarize the amount of revenue from gross premiums or assessment and interest expense related to traditional and limited-payment contracts recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss):

The following table provides the amount of undiscounted and discounted expected gross premiums and expected future benefits and expenses for traditional and limited-payment contracts:

For the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, net premiums exceeded gross premiums for several cohorts in the Whole Life and Term Life product lines. This resulted in an immaterial change to current period benefit expense for both years.

The following table summarizes the ranges of actual experience and expected experience for mortality and lapses of LFPB:

The following table provides the weighted-average durations of LFPB, in years:

The following table provides ranges of the weighted-average interest rates for LFPB:

Liability for Policyholders' Account Balances

The Company recognizes a liability for policyholders' account balances. The following tables summarize balances of and changes in policyholders' account balances:

(1) Premiums received represents premiums collected from policyholder during the period of in force business

(2) Surrenders and withdrawals represent reductions to the policyholders' account balance due to policyholders surrendering the policy or withdrawing funds from the account balance.

(3) Benefit payments represent benefits due under contract that were paid to a policyholder during the periods.

(4)Interest credited represents interest earned and credited to policyholders' account balance during the periods.

(5) Net amount at risk represents guaranteed benefit amounts less current policyholders' account balance at the reporting date.

The following table reconciles policyholders' account balances to the policyholders' account balance liability in the Consolidated Balances Sheets:

(1) Reconciling items primarily relate to FIA reserves net of account balances, miscellaneous fixed annuity reserves, personal promise accounts and MRBs.

The following tables present the gross account values by range of guaranteed minimum crediting rates and the related range of difference, in basis points, between rates being credited to policyholders and the respective guaranteed minimums:

(1) Excludes products not containing a fixed guaranteed minimum crediting rate.

Separate Account Liabilities

Separate account assets and liabilities consist of investment accounts established and maintained by the Company for certain variable contracts. Some of these variable contracts include minimum guarantees such as GMDBs that guarantee a minimum payment to the policyholder in the event of death.

The assets that support variable contracts are measured at fair value and are reported as separate account assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. An equivalent amount is reported as separate account liabilities. MRB assets and liabilities for minimum guarantees are valued and presented separately from separate account assets and separate account liabilities. MRBs are discussed further in the market risk benefits section of this Note to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Policy charges assessed against the policyholders for mortality, administration and other services are included in the life premiums and contract charges line item on the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).

The following table presents the balances of and changes in the Separate Account variable annuity liabilities presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets(1):

(1) The Separate Account variable annuity liabilities are backed by, and are equal to, the Separate Account variable annuity assets that represent contractholder funds invested in various actively traded mutual funds that have daily quoted net asset values that are readily determinable for identical assets that the Company can access.

Market Risk Benefits

The following table presents the balances of and changes in MRBs associated with deferred variable annuities as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively:

(1) Reflects interest accruals and effect of changes in interest rates, equity markets, equity index volatility and future assumptions.

(2) Balance, end of period, before the effect of changes in the instrument-specific credit risk.

(3) Net amount at risk represents the current guaranteed benefit less current account balance at the reporting date.

The following table presents MRBs by amounts in an asset position and amounts in a liability position. The net liabilities (assets) are included in Policyholders' account balances presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

DAC and Deferred Sales Inducements

The following tables roll-forward DAC for the periods indicated:

The following table presents a reconciliation of DAC to the Consolidated Balance Sheets:

(1) Reconciling item relates to DAC associated with the Property & Casualty reporting segment.

The assumptions used to amortize DAC were consistent with the assumptions used to estimate LFPB for traditional and limited-payment contracts. The underlying assumptions for DAC and LFPB were updated at the same time.

Quarterly, the Company conducts a review of all significant assumptions. In the third quarter of 2023, the annuity lapse assumption was revised upward to reflect emerging experience. In the fourth quarter of 2023, the annuity mortality and annuitization assumptions and the life insurance mortality and lapse assumptions were revised as part of the annual assumption update process.

The following table rolls-forward the deferred sales inducements balance as of and for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022:

Deferred sales inducements is included in Other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

NOTE 7 -Reinsurance and Catastrophes

In the normal course of business, the Company's insurance subsidiaries assume and cede reinsurance with other insurers. Reinsurance is ceded primarily to limit losses from large events and to permit recovery of a portion of direct losses; however, such a transfer does not relieve the originating insurance company of primary liability.

The Company is a national underwriter and therefore has exposure to catastrophic losses in certain coastal states and other regions throughout the U.S. Catastrophes can be caused by various events including hurricanes, windstorms, hail, severe winter weather, wildfires and earthquakes, and the frequency and severity of catastrophes are inherently unpredictable. The financial impact from catastrophic losses results from both the total amount of insured exposure in the area affected by the catastrophe as well as the severity of the event. The Company seeks to reduce its exposure to catastrophe losses through the geographic diversification of its insurance coverage, deductibles, maximum coverage limits and the purchase of catastrophe reinsurance.

The Company's catastrophe losses incurred were approximately $97.6 million, $80.0 million and $78.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. For 2023, catastrophe losses included winter storm, wind, hail, and tornado events.

The total amounts of reinsurance recoverable on unpaid insurance reserves classified as assets and included in the amounts being reported as Reinsurance balances receivable in the Consolidated Balance Sheets were as follows:

NOTE 7 - Reinsurance and Catastrophes (continued)

As of December 31, 2023, the Company had a reinsurance recoverable in the amount of $181.0 million from National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) that exceeded 10.0% of consolidated shareholders' equity as of the reporting date. NGL currently has an assigned credit rating of A by A.M. Best.

The Company recognizes the cost of reinsurance premiums over the contract periods for such premiums in proportion to the insurance protection provided. Amounts recoverable from reinsurers for unpaid claims and claim settlement expenses, including estimated amounts for unsettled claims, IBNR claims and policy benefits, are estimated in a manner consistent with the insurance liability associated with the policy. The effects of reinsurance on premiums written and contract deposits; premiums and contract charges earned; and benefits, claims and settlement expenses were as follows (2022 recast for the adoption of LDTI):

(1)Excludes the annuity reinsurance agreement accounted for using the deposit method that is discussed in Note 8.

(2) This measure is not based on accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (non-GAAP). An explanation of this non-GAAP measure is contained in the Glossary of Selected Terms included as an exhibit in the Company's reports filed with the SEC.

There were no losses from uncollectible reinsurance recoverables in the three years ended December 31, 2023. Past due reinsurance recoverables as of December 31, 2023 were not material.

The Company maintains property and casualty catastrophe excess of loss reinsurance coverage. For 2023, the Company's catastrophe excess of loss coverage consisted of one contract in addition to a minimal amount of coverage by the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF). For 2023, the catastrophe excess of loss contract consisted of three layers of which provided for one mandatory reinstatement. The coverage provided was 57% for the layer of $20.0 million excess of $30.0 million,92% coverage for the layer of $40.0 million excess of $50.0 million and 95% coverage for the layer of $85.0 million excess of $90.0 million. For 2024, our retention will increase to $35.0 million and the catastrophe excess of loss reinsurance coverage will provide 89% coverage for the layer of $25.0 million excess of $35.0 million,90% coverage for the layer of $35.0 million excess of $60.0 million, and 92% coverage for the layer of $90.0 million excess of $95.0 million.

For liability coverages, in 2023, the Company reinsured each loss above a retention of $5.0 million per occurrence up to $20.0 million in a clash event. A clash cover is a reinsurance casualty excess contract requiring

NOTE 7 - Reinsurance and Catastrophes (continued)

two or more casualty coverages or policies issued by the Company to be involved in the same loss occurrence for coverage to apply.

The maximum individual life insurance risk retained by the Company is $0.5 million on any individual life, while either $0.1 million or $0.125 million is retained on each group life policy depending on the type of coverage. Excess amounts are reinsured. The Company also maintains a life catastrophe reinsurance program. For 2023, the Company reinsured 100% of the catastrophe risk in excess of $1.0 million up to $35.0 million per occurrence, with one reinstatement. The Company's life catastrophe risk reinsurance program covers acts of terrorism and includes nuclear, biological and chemical explosions but excludes other acts of war.

With regards to worksite direct insurance products, the Company retains all of the risk on its supplemental health product lines, including accidental death risk embedded within certain products. However, the Company’s other accidental death and dismemberment risk issued through all other policies and riders are ceded 100%.

With regards to employer-sponsored products, the Company has retained approximately 72.4% of gross and assumed group disability and specialty health benefits in 2023. The Company has a block of individual life and annuity benefits that is effectively 100% ceded. The Company purchases quota share reinsurance and excess reinsurance in amounts deemed appropriate by its risk committee. The Company monitors its retention amounts by product line and has the ability to adjust retention as appropriate.

NOTE 8 -Deposit Asset on Reinsurance

The Company reinsures a $3.1 billion block of in force fixed and variable annuity business with a minimum crediting rate of 4.5%. The reinsured fixed business represents approximately 50% of the Company’s in force fixed annuity account balances. The arrangement contains investment guidelines and a trust to help meet the Company’s risk management objectives.

Under the annuity reinsurance agreement, approximately$2.4 billion of fixed annuity reserves are reinsured on a coinsurance basis. The separate account assets and liabilities of approximately $0.7 billion are reinsured on a modified coinsurance basis and thus, remain on the Company's consolidated financial statements, but the related results of operations are fully reinsured.

The annuity reinsurance agreement does not expose the reinsurer to a reasonable possibility of a significant loss from insurance risk. Therefore, the Company recognizes the annuity reinsurance agreement using the deposit method of accounting. The assets transferred to the reinsurer as consideration paid is reported as a Deposit asset on reinsurance on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets. As amounts are received or paid, consistent with the underlying reinsured contracts, the Deposit asset on reinsurance is adjusted. The Deposit asset on reinsurance is accreted to the estimated ultimate cash flows using the interest method and the adjustment is reported as Net investment income. Interest accreted on the Deposit asset on reinsurance was$104.9 million and $103.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

NOTE 9 -Goodwill and Intangible Assets

The Company conducts goodwill impairment testing at the reporting unit level at least annually or more frequently if events occur or circumstances change that indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. See Note 1 for further description of impairment testing.

At October 1, 2023, the Company performed a qualitative goodwill impairment test. Based on the results of the test, there were no events or circumstances that led to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount.

At October 1, 2022, the Company performed a quantitative goodwill impairment test. Based on the results of the test, there were no events or circumstances that led to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount with the exception of lower than anticipated BCG revenues which triggered an impairment of the goodwill associated with the BCG reporting unit within the Retirement operating segment. For the evaluation, the fair value of BCG was measured using a discounted cash flow method. The carrying amount exceeded the fair value, resulting in a $2.0 million goodwill impairment charge.

At October 1, 2021, the Company performed a quantitative goodwill impairment test. Based on the results of the test, there were no events or circumstances that led to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount.

Goodwill impairment charges are reported as Other expense - goodwill and intangible asset impairments in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).

The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill by reporting segment for the year ended December 31, 2023 were as follows:

As of December 31, 2023, the outstanding amounts of definite-lived intangible assets subject to amortization are attributable to the acquisitions of BCG, BCGS and NTA during 2019 as well as the acquisition of Madison National during 2022. The acquisitions of BCG, BCGS, NTA and Madison National resulted in initial recognition of definite-lived intangible assets subject to amortization in the amounts of $9.1 million, $5.0 million, $160.4 million and $56.5 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2023 the outstanding amounts of definite-lived intangible assets subject to amortization were as follows:

With regards to the definite-lived intangible assets in the table above, the VOBA intangible asset represents the present value of the expected underwriting profit within policies that were in force on the date of acquisition. The VODA intangible asset represents the present value of future business to be written by the existing agency force. The value of agency relationships intangible asset represents the present value of the commission overrides retained by NTA. The value of customer relationships intangible asset represents the present value of the expected profits from existing BCG and Madison National customers in force at the date of acquisition. All of the aforementioned definite-lived intangible assets were valued using the income approach.

Estimated future amortization of the Company's definite-lived intangible assets were as follows:

The VOBA intangible asset is being amortized by product based on the present value of future premiums to be received. The VODA intangible asset with respect to the acquisition of NTA is being amortized on a straight-line basis. The VODA intangible asset with respect to the acquisition of BCGS was being amortized based on the present value of future profits to be received but will be amortized on a straight-line basis subsequent to the reporting date. The value of agency relationships intangible asset is being amortized based on the present value of future premiums to be received. The value of customer relationships intangible assets are being amortized based on the present value of future profits to be received for BCG and based on the present value of future premiums for Madison National.

Indefinite-lived intangible assets (not subject to amortization) as of December 31, 2023 were as follows:

The trade names intangible asset represents the present value of future savings accruing to NTA, BCG and BCGS by virtue of not having to pay royalties for the use of the trade names, valued using the relief from royalty method. The state licenses intangible asset represents the regulatory licenses held by NTA and Madison National that were valued using the cost approach.

The Company conducts intangible asset impairment testing at least annually, or more often if events, changes or circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts may not be recoverable. See Note 1 for further description of impairment testing.

At October 1, 2023, the Company performed a qualitative assessment to determine whether it was necessary to perform quantitative intangible asset impairment tests. Based on the assessment of qualitative factors, there were no events or circumstances that led to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of an intangible asset is less than its carrying amount.

At October 1, 2022, the Company performed a qualitative assessment to determine whether it was necessary to perform quantitative intangible asset impairment tests. Based on the assessment of qualitative factors, there were no events or circumstances that led to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of an intangible asset is less than its carrying amount with the exception of lower than anticipated BCG revenues which triggered a requirement to evaluate the intangible assets associated with BCG. For the evaluation, the fair value of BCG's intangible assets were measured using discounted cash flow methods. The carrying amounts for customer relationships and trade names exceeded their fair values resulting in a $2.5 million intangible asset impairment charge for customer relationships and a $0.3 million intangible asset impairment charge for trade names.

At October 1, 2021, the Company performed a qualitative assessment to determine whether it was necessary to perform quantitative intangible asset impairment tests. Based on the assessment of qualitative factors, there were no events or circumstances that led to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of an intangible asset is less than its carrying amount.

Intangible asset impairment charges are reported as Other expense - goodwill and intangible asset impairments in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).

NOTE 10 - Debt

Indebtedness and scheduled maturities consisted of the following:

(1)The Company designates debt obligations as "long-term" based on maturity date at issuance.

2023 Senior Notes

On September 15, 2023, the Company issued $300.0 million aggregate principal amount of 7.25% senior notes (2023 Senior Notes), which will mature on September 15, 2028, issued at a discount resulting in an effective yield of 7.29%. Interest on the 2023 Senior Notes is payable semi-annually at a rate of 7.25%. The 2023 Senior Notes are redeemable in whole or in part, at any time, at the Company's option, at a redemption price equal to the greater of (1)100% of the principal amount of the notes being redeemed or (2) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted, on a semi-annual basis, at the Treasury yield (as defined in the indenture) plus 45 basis points, plus, in either of the above cases, accrued interest to the date of redemption.

The net proceeds from the sale of the 2023 Senior Notes were used to fully repay the $249.0 million balance on the Revolving Credit Facility with remaining net proceeds from the sale to be used for general corporate purposes.

2015 Senior Notes

As of December 31, 2023, the Company had outstanding $250.0 million aggregate principal amount of 4.50% Senior Notes (2015 Senior Notes), which will mature on December 1, 2025, issued at a discount resulting in an effective yield of 4.53%. Interest on the 2015 Senior Notes is payable semi-annually at a rate of 4.50%. Detailed information regarding the redemption terms of the 2015 Senior Notes is contained in the Part II - Item 8, Note 10 of the Consolidated Financial Statements in the Company's inter-document reference for the year ended December 31, 2022. The 2015 Senior Notes are traded in the open market (HMN 4.50).

Credit Agreement with Financial Institutions (Revolving Credit Facility)

In 2021, the Company, as borrower, amended its Credit Agreement (Revolving Credit Facility). The amended Revolving Credit Facility increased the amount available on the senior revolving credit facility from $225.0 million to $325.0 million. Terms and conditions of the amended Revolving Credit Facility are substantially consistent with the prior agreement, with an interest rate based on SOFR plus 115 basis points. The amended Revolving Credit Facility expires on July 12, 2026.

The Company utilized $114.0 million of the Revolving Credit Facility to fund a portion of the acquisition of Madison National Life Insurance Company, Inc. that occurred effective January, 1 2022. The unused portion of the Revolving Credit Facility is subject to a variable commitment fee, which was 0.15% on an annual basis as of December 31, 2023. As noted above, the outstanding balance on the Revolving Credit Facility was fully paid off on September 15, 2023 from the proceeds of the 2023 Senior Notes.

Federal Home Loan Bank Borrowings

As of December 31, 2023, the Company had no borrowing outstanding with FHLB. The Board has authorized a maximum amount equal to 15% of net aggregate admitted assets less separate account assets of the insurance subsidiaries for FHLB borrowing and funding agreements which is below our maximum FHLB borrowing capacity.

NOTE 10 - Debt (continued)

Covenants

The Company is in compliance with all of the financial covenants contained in the 2015 Senior Notes indenture, the 2023 Senior Notes indenture and the Revolving Credit Facility agreement, consisting primarily of relationships of (1) debt to capital, (2) net worth, as defined in the financial covenants, (3) insurance subsidiaries' risk-based capital and (4) securities subject to funding agreements and repurchase agreements.

NOTE 11 -Income Taxes

The income tax assets and liabilities included in Other assets and Other liabilities, respectively, in the Consolidated Balance Sheets were as follows (2022 recast for the adoption of LDTI):

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for all future tax consequences attributable to "temporary differences" between the financial statement carrying amount of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. There are no deferred tax liabilities that have not been recognized. The "temporary differences" that gave rise to the deferred tax balances were as follows (2022 recast for the adoption of LDTI):

The Company evaluated sources and character of income, including historical earnings, loss carryback potential, taxable income from future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, future taxable income exclusive of reversing temporary differences, and taxable income from prudent and feasible tax planning strategies. Although realization of deferred tax assets is not assured, the Company believes it is more likely than not that gross deferred tax assets will be fully realized and that a valuation allowance with respect to the realization of the total gross deferred tax assets was not necessary as of December 31, 2023 and 2022.

NOTE 11 - Income Taxes (continued)

The components of the provision for income tax expense (benefit) were as follows (2022 and 2021 recast for the adoption of LDTI):

Income tax expense for the following periods differed from the expected tax computed by applying the federal corporate tax rate of 21% for 2023, 2022 and 2021 to income before income taxes as follows (2022 and 2021 recast for the adoption of LDTI):

The Company's federal income tax returns for years prior to 2020 are no longer subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The Company recognizes tax benefits from tax return positions only if it is more likely than not the position will be sustainable, upon examination, on its technical merits and any relevant administrative practices or precedents. As a result, the Company applies a more likely than not recognition threshold for all tax uncertainties.

The Company records liabilities for uncertain tax filing positions where it is more likely than not that the position will not be sustainable upon audit by taxing authorities. These liabilities are reevaluated routinely and are adjusted appropriately based upon changes in facts or law. The Company has no unrecorded liabilities from uncertain tax filing positions.

HMEC and its subsidiaries file a consolidated federal income tax return. The federal income tax sharing agreements between HMEC and its subsidiaries, as approved by the Board, provide that tax on income is charged to each subsidiary as if it were filing a separate tax return with the limitation that each subsidiary will receive the benefit of any losses or tax credits to the extent utilized in the consolidated tax return. Intercompany balances are settled quarterly with a final settlement after filing the consolidated federal income tax return with the IRS. National Teachers Associates Life Insurance Company and NTA Life Insurance Company of New York are not included in HMEC's consolidated federal income tax return and will file separate federal income tax returns until they are eligible to participate in HMEC's consolidated federal income tax return. This is expected to occur in 2025.

Unrecognized tax benefits were immaterial in each of the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021.

The Company classifies all tax related interest and penalties as income tax expense.

Interest and penalties were both immaterial in each of the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021.

NOTE 12 - Shareholders' Equity and Share-Based Compensation

Share Repurchase Program and Treasury Shares

On May 25, 2022, the Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program allowing repurchases of up to $50 million (i.e., the 2022 Program) to begin following the completion of the $50 million repurchase plan which was authorized on September 30, 2015 (i.e., the 2015 Program). Both Programs authorize the repurchase of the Company's common shares in open market or privately negotiated transactions, from time to time, depending on market conditions. The Programs do not have expiration dates and may be limited or terminated at any time without notice. The 2015 Program was completed in July 2022 and the Company began repurchasing shares under the 2022 Program.

During 2023, the Company repurchased 196,934 shares of its common stock, or 0.5% of the shares outstanding as of December 31, 2022, at an aggregate cost of $6.5 million, or an average price of $32.85 per share. During 2022, the Company repurchased 670,816 shares of its common stock, or 1.6% of the shares outstanding as of December 31, 2021, at an aggregate cost of $24.0 million, or an average price of $35.82 per share. In total and through December 31, 2023,439,035 shares were repurchased under the Programs at an average price of $34.49 per share. The repurchase of shares was funded through use of cash. As of December 31, 2023, $34.9 million remained authorized for future share repurchases under the 2022 Program.

As of December 31, 2023, the Company held 25,911,087 shares in treasury.

Authorization of Preferred Stock

In 1996, the shareholders of HMEC approved authorization of 1,000,000 shares of 0.001 par value preferred stock. The Board is authorized to (1) direct the issuance of the preferred stock in one or more series, (2) fix the dividend rate, conversion or exchange rights, redemption price and liquidation preference, of any series of the preferred stock, (3) fix the number of shares for any series and (4) increase or decrease the number of shares of any series. No shares of preferred stock were issued or outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and 2022.

2010 Comprehensive Executive Compensation Plan

In 2010, the shareholders of HMEC approved the 2010 Comprehensive Executive Compensation Plan (the Comprehensive Plan). The purpose of the Comprehensive Plan is to aid the Company in attracting, retaining, motivating and rewarding employees and non-employee Directors; to provide for equitable and competitive compensation opportunities, including deferral opportunities; to encourage long-term service; to recognize individual contributions and reward achievement of Company goals; and to promote the creation of long-term value for the Company's shareholders by closely aligning the interests of plan participants with those of shareholders. The Comprehensive Plan authorizes share-based and cash-based incentives for plan participants. In 2012, the shareholders of HMEC approved the implementation of a fungible share pool under which grants of full value shares will count against the share limit as two and one half shares for every share subject to a full value award. In May 2021, the shareholders of HMEC approved an amendment and restatement of the Comprehensive Plan which included an increase of 2,500,000 in the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the Comprehensive Plan. As of December 31, 2023, approximately 1,067,611 shares were available for grant under the Comprehensive Plan. Shares of common stock issued under the Comprehensive Plan may be either authorized and unissued shares of HMEC or shares that have been reacquired by HMEC; however, new shares have been issued historically.

As further described in the paragraphs below, CSUs, stock options and RSUs under the Comprehensive Plan were as follows:

NOTE 12 - Shareholders' Equity and Share-Based Compensation (continued)

Director Common Stock Units

Deferred compensation for Directors is in the form of CSUs, which represent an equal number of common shares to be issued in the future. The outstanding units of Directors serving on the Board accrue dividends at the same rate as dividends paid to HMEC's shareholders. These dividends are reinvested into additional CSUs.

Employee Common Stock Units

Deferred compensation for employees is in the form of CSUs, which represent an equal number of common shares to be issued in the future. Distributions of employee deferred compensation are allowed to be either in common shares or cash. Through December 31, 2023, all distributions have been in cash. The outstanding units accrue dividends at the same rate as dividends paid to HMEC's shareholders. These dividends are reinvested into additional CSUs.

Stock Options

Options to purchase shares of HMEC common stock may be granted to executive officers, other employees and Directors. The options become exercisable in installments based on service generally beginning in the first year from the date of grant and generally become fully vested 4 years from the date of grant. The options generally expire 10 years from the date of grant. The exercise price of the option is equal to the market price of HMEC's common stock on the date of grant resulting in a grant date intrinsic value of $0.

Changes in outstanding options were as follows:

Option information segregated by ranges of exercise prices were as follows:

The weighted average exercise prices of vested and exercisable options as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 were $38.60 and $37.94, respectively.

As of December 31, 2023, based on a closing stock price of $32.70 per share, the aggregate intrinsic (in-the-money) values of vested options and all options outstanding were $0.4 million and $0.4 million, respectively.

NOTE 12 - Shareholders' Equity and Share-Based Compensation (continued)

Restricted Stock Units

RSUs may be granted to executive officers, other employees and Directors and represent an equal number of common shares to be issued in the future. The RSUs vest in installments based on service or attainment of performance criteria generally beginning in the first year from the date of grant and generally become fully vested 1 to 3 years from the date of grant. The outstanding units accrue dividends at the same rate as dividends paid to HMEC's shareholders. These dividends are reinvested into additional RSUs.

Changes in outstanding RSUs were as follows:

(1)Includes dividends reinvested into additional RSUs.

(2)Includes distributed units which were utilized to satisfy withholding taxes due on the distribution.

NOTE 13 -Statutory Information and Dividend Restrictions

The insurance departments of various states in which the insurance subsidiaries of HMEC are domiciled recognize as net income and surplus those amounts determined in conformity with statutory accounting principles prescribed or permitted by the insurance departments, which differ in certain respects from GAAP.

HMEC has principal insurance subsidiaries domiciled in Illinois, New York, Wisconsin and Texas. The statutory financial statements of these subsidiaries are prepared in accordance with accounting principles prescribed or permitted by the Illinois Department of Insurance, the New York Department of Financial Services, the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and the Texas Department of Insurance, as applicable. Prescribed statutory accounting principles include a variety of publications of the NAIC, as well as state laws, regulations and general administrative rules.

In converting from statutory to GAAP, typical adjustments include DAC, certain reinsurance transactions, the inclusion of statutory non-admitted assets, the inclusion of net unrealized investment gains or losses in shareholders' equity relating to fixed maturity securities and establishing life reserves using different actuarial assumptions.

The following table includes selected information for HMEC's insurance subsidiaries:

(1)Subject to regulatory restrictions.

The NAIC has risk-based capital guidelines to evaluate the adequacy of statutory capital and surplus in relation to risks assumed in investments, reserving policies, and volume and types of insurance business written. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the minimum statutory-basis capital and surplus required to be maintained by HMEC's insurance subsidiaries was $135.3 million and $123.3 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, statutory capital and surplus of each of the Company's insurance subsidiaries was above required levels. The restricted net assets of HMEC's insurance subsidiaries were $29.2 millionand $28.6 million as of

NOTE 13 - Statutory Information and Dividend Restrictions (continued)

December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The minimum statutory basis capital and surplus amount at each date is the total estimated authorized control level risk-based capital for all of HMEC's insurance subsidiaries combined. Authorized control level risk-based capital represents the minimum level of statutory basis capital and surplus necessary before the insurance commissioner in the respective state of domicile is authorized to take whatever regulatory actions considered necessary to protect the best interests of the policyholders and creditors of the insurer. The amount of restricted net assets represents the combined fair value of securities on deposit with governmental agencies for the insurance subsidiaries as required by law in various states in which the insurance subsidiaries of HMEC conduct business.

HMEC relies largely on dividends from its insurance subsidiaries to meet its obligations for payment of principal and interest on debt, dividends to shareholders and parent company operating expenses, including tax payments pursuant to tax sharing agreements. Payments for share repurchase programs also have this dependency. HMEC's insurance subsidiaries are subject to various regulatory restrictions which limit the amount of annual dividends or other distributions, including loans or cash advances, available to HMEC without prior approval of the insurance regulatory authorities. As a result, HMEC may not be able to receive dividends from such subsidiaries at times and in amounts necessary to pay desired dividends to shareholders.

NOTE 14 -Contingencies and Commitments

Lawsuits and Legal Proceedings

Companies in the insurance industry have been subject to substantial litigation resulting from claims, disputes and other matters. For instance, they have faced expensive claims, including class action lawsuits, alleging, among other things, improper sales practices and improper claims settlement procedures. Negotiated settlements of certain such actions have had a material adverse effect on many insurance companies. At the time of issuance of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, except as noted below, the Company does not have pending litigation from which there is a reasonable possibility of material loss.

In 2023, the Horace Mann Insurance Company (HMIC) was named as a defendant in one lawsuit and received various demands for reimbursement and notices of claims related to legacy, long-tail commercial lines claims, including asbestos, environmental, and sexual molestation claims. It is alleged that HMIC reinsured certain commercial lines policies as a member of various insurance pooling arrangements in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The related policies were written prior to the 1975 acquisition of Horace Mann by INA discussed in Part I - Item 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. HMEC’s available records indicate that on January 1, 1975, HMIC entered a quota share retrocession treaty with INA. It is the Company’s understanding that claims arising under these legacy policies were handled by various third parties pursuant to the terms of that treaty and its subsequent amendments entered into on behalf of HMIC. Ultimately, after amendments to the treaty and various corporate transactions involving the reinsurer, these obligations were assumed by companies that were affiliated with R&Q Reinsurance Company (R&Q).

The matters noted above arose following the March 23, 2023, Order of Liquidation in Pennsylvania of R&Q. HMIC is defending itself against the pending litigation and is in the process of investigating and evaluating the other demands and claims notices under a complete reservation of rights. In addition, in order to preserve its rights, HMIC submitted a proof of claim in the pending R&Q liquidation proceeding.

The amounts claimed against HMIC, if successful, could be material. However, based on the preliminary nature of the matters, the information available to date and considering the legal and factual challenges to the litigation and claims, it is not possible to provide a reasonable estimate of any resultant payment.

Investment Commitments

The Company has outstanding commitments to fund investments primarily in limited partnership interests. Such unfunded commitments were $502.6 million and $704.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

NOTE 15 - Comprehensive Income (Loss) and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Comprehensive income (loss) represents the change in shareholders' equity during a reporting period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-shareholder sources. For the Company, comprehensive income (loss) is equal to net income plus or minus the after tax change in net unrealized investment gains (losses) on fixed maturity securities, the after tax change in net reserve remeasurements attributable to discount rates, and the after tax change in net funded status of benefit plans for the periods as shown in the Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity. AOCI represents the accumulated change in shareholders' equity from these transactions and other events and circumstances from non-shareholder sources as shown in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

In the Consolidated Balance Sheets, the Company recognizes the net funded status of benefit plans as a component of AOCI, net of tax.

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The components of comprehensive income (loss) were as follows (in millions, 2022 and 2021 recast for the adoption of LDTI):

NOTE 15 - Comprehensive Income (Loss) and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (continued)

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The following table reconciles the components of AOCI for the periods indicated (2022 and 2021 recast for the adoption of LDTI)

(1) All amounts are net of tax.

(2)The pretax amounts reclassified from AOCI, $(20.3) million, $(29.1) million and $(7.7) million, are included in net investment gains (losses) and the related income tax expense (benefit), $(4.3) million, $(6.1) million and $(1.6) million, are included in income tax expense (benefit) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Comparative information for elements that are not required to be reclassified in their entirety to net income in the same reporting period is located in Note 3.

Note 16 -Supplemental Consolidated Cash and Cash Flow Information

Non-cash investing activities with respect to modifications or exchanges of fixed maturity securities as well as paid-in-kind activity for policy loans were insignificant for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

NOTE 17 - Segment Information

The Company conducts and manages its business through four reporting segments. Thethree reporting segments representing the major lines of business, are: (1) Property & Casualty (primarily personal lines of auto and property insurance products), (2) Life & Retirement (primarily tax-qualified fixed and variable annuities as well as life insurance products), and (3) Supplemental & Group Benefits (primarily cancer, heart, hospital, supplemental disability, accident, short-term and long-term group disability, and group term life coverages). The Company does not allocate the impact of corporate-level transactions to these reporting segments, consistent with the basis for management's evaluation of the results of those reporting segments, but classifies those items in the fourth reporting segment, Corporate & Other. In addition to ongoing transactions such as corporate debt service, net investment gains (losses) and certain public company expenses, such items also have included corporate debt retirement costs, when applicable.

The accounting policies of the reporting segments are the same as those described in Note 1. The Company accounts for intersegment transactions, primarily the allocation of operating and agency costs from Corporate & Other to Property & Casualty, Life & Retirement, and Supplemental & Group Benefits on a direct cost basis.

Summarized financial information for these segments is as follows (2022 and 2021 recast for the adoption of LDTI):