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| UNM > SEC Filings for UNM > Form 10-Q on 31-Oct-2008 | All Recent SEC Filings |
31-Oct-2008
Quarterly Report
Introduction
Unum Group, a Delaware general business corporation, and its insurance and non-insurance companies, which collectively with Unum Group we refer to as the Company, operate in the United States, the United Kingdom, and, to a limited extent, in certain other countries around the world. The principal operating subsidiaries in the United States are Unum Life Insurance Company of America (Unum America), Provident Life and Accident Insurance Company (Provident), The Paul Revere Life Insurance Company (Paul Revere Life), and Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company, and in the United Kingdom, Unum Limited. We are the largest provider of group and individual disability insurance products in the United States and the United Kingdom. We also provide a complementary portfolio of other insurance products, including long-term care insurance, life insurance, employer- and employee-paid group benefits, and other related services.
We have three major business segments: Unum US, Unum UK, and Colonial Life. Our other segments are the Individual Disability - Closed Block segment, the Other segment, and the Corporate segment. These segments are discussed more fully under "Segment Results" included herein in Item 2.
As one of the leading providers of employee benefits, we offer a broad portfolio of products and services to meet the diverse needs of the marketplace. We try to achieve a competitive advantage by offering group, individual, and voluntary benefits products that can be offered as stand alone products or that can be combined with other coverages to provide comprehensive product solutions for customers. We offer businesses of all sizes competitive benefit plans that help them attract and retain a stronger workforce and protect the incomes and lifestyles of employees and their families. Through a variety of technological tools and trained professionals, we offer services which are designed to meet the evolving needs of our customers. We strive to be responsive and timely, and we are committed to service excellence.
We have well established market positions. However, due to the nature of our business, we are sensitive to economic and financial market movements, including consumer confidence, employment levels, and interest rates. The recent unprecedented global financial market disruption and deteriorating economic conditions could adversely affect our business, growth, and results of operations. Further, the current political environment could result in potential legislation and increased regulation which could also impact our business, including demand for and costs of certain of our products.
This discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto in Part I, Item 1 contained in this Form 10-Q and with the discussion, analysis, and consolidated financial statements and notes thereto in Part I, Items 1 and 1A, and Part II, Items 6, 7, 7A, and 8 of our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007.
Executive Summary
During 2008, we intend to continue our focus on a number of key areas. Objectives for 2008 include:
• Consistent execution of our operating plans. We will continue our emphasis on disciplined, profitable growth.
• Continued innovation throughout our businesses. Within Unum US, we plan to broadly launch Simply Unum in the small to mid sized employer marketplace. We also plan to capitalize on the introduction of a number of health related products for Colonial Life, as well as the launch of a pilot voluntary benefits program in our Unum UK business.
• Leveraging of our leadership positions and marketplace reputation. We will seek to build on the momentum of 2007 with increased brand and product awareness.
• Execution of our capital management strategy. We formalized our capital management strategy during 2007 and established several financial thresholds and targets that guide our capital decisions.
We are confident in our business outlook and believe that our product diversification across sectors and locations, our mix of business, our disciplined underwriting, pricing, claims, and expense management, our investment portfolio, and our capital management strategy will somewhat mitigate the potential impact of an economic slowdown on our operating results.
Operating Performance
For the third quarter and first nine months of 2008, Unum US reported increases in segment operating income of 7.1 percent and 10.7 percent, respectively, compared to the prior year periods and excluding the second quarter of 2007 revision to the claim reassessment reserve estimate. The group disability benefit ratio was 89.3 percent for the third quarter of 2008, consistent with our goal of continual profit margin improvement for this line of business. Unum US sales increased 7.8 percent in the third quarter of 2008 compared to the third quarter of 2007 and 10.1 percent in the first nine months of 2008 when compared to the prior year period. Our group core market segment, which we define for Unum US as employee groups with less than 2,000 lives, had sales increases of 27.9 percent and 19.0 percent, respectively, over the third quarter and first nine months of 2007, and the number of new accounts increased 9.8 percent over the prior year first nine months. Our supplemental and voluntary sales increased 1.2 percent in the third quarter of 2008 compared to last year's third quarter and 11.5 percent in the first nine months of this year compared to the same period last year. Sales in the group large case market segment declined 0.7 percent compared to the prior year third quarter and 3.3 percent for the first nine months. During the third quarter of 2007, we introduced Simply Unum, an integrated platform of products and online services that we believe will transform the benefits marketplace through innovative solutions for our group core market segment and our voluntary market. The initial limited market rollout occurred in 2007, and we have now expanded the availability of Simply Unum to 45 states nationwide. We will complete the rollout to the remaining states as state approvals are received. We are also in the process of developing additional products and services.
Our Unum UK segment continues to produce excellent operating results, with an increase in segment operating income of 1.8 percent for the third quarter of 2008 and 12.6 percent for the first nine months of the year, as measured in Unum UK's local currency, relative to the comparable periods of 2007. Overall sales in Unum UK increased 9.1 percent over the third quarter of 2007 and 4.2 percent for the first nine months of 2008 as compared to the prior year. Sales growth in 2007 benefited from the change in age equality legislation more so than in 2008. Excluding sales related to the change in age equality legislation from all comparable periods, Unum UK achieved underlying sales growth of approximately 19.4 percent and 21.3 percent in the third quarter and first nine months of 2008 relative to the same periods of 2007, with sales in the core market segment, which we define for Unum UK as employee groups with less than 500 lives, driving the increase. The U.K. market remains highly competitive. Unum UK continues work on the development of a voluntary benefits offering to meet the benefit needs of the changing U.K. marketplace. We intend to utilize the basic Simply Unum platform used in the U.S. and adapt it for the unique aspects of the U.K. market.
Our Colonial Life segment reported an increase in segment operating income of 5.9 percent compared to the prior year third quarter and 7.9 percent for the first nine months. Colonial Life's sales increased 1.9 percent in the third quarter of 2008 relative to last year's third quarter. Sales in the commercial market segment for employee groups with less than 100 lives increased 7.1 percent. The number of new accounts increased over the prior year third quarter, although the average new case size was smaller than the prior year. For the first nine months of 2008, sales increased 1.9 percent compared to the first nine months of 2008, with sales in the commercial market segment for employee groups with less than 100 lives increasing 8.7 percent. During the latter part of 2007, we introduced a new hospital confinement indemnity insurance plan product and a group limited benefit medical plan product, and in the first quarter of 2008, we introduced the new Colonial Life brand. We are pleased with the marketplace reception for our new Colonial Life brand and these new product offerings. Colonial Life continues to expand its enrollment capabilities and its product offerings. In the third quarter of 2008, Colonial Life introduced the latest release of its enrollment system, Harmony, which offers multiple enrollment solutions. In addition, all of Colonial Life's individual products, including two new life products, are available on Harmony.
Our investment portfolio continues to perform well, with net investment income of $1,799.2 million for the first nine months of 2008, slightly higher than the comparable period of 2007. Included in the third quarter and first nine months of 2008 are $97.9 million and $101.2 million, respectively, of net realized investment losses from sales and write-downs of investments. The losses relate primarily to fixed maturity securities in the financial institutions sector that we either sold or considered other than temporarily impaired during the third quarter of 2008. We believe our investment portfolio is well positioned for the current environment, with historically low levels of below-investment-grade securities, no exposure to subprime mortgages, "Alt-A" loans, or collateralized debt obligations in our asset-backed or mortgage-backed securities portfolios, and minimal exposure to collateralized debt obligations within our public bond portfolio. Further discussion is included in "Investments" contained herein in Item 2.
Strategic and Capital Initiatives
The first priority of our capital management strategy is to maintain sufficient financial flexibility to support our operations over various economic cycles and to respond to opportunities in the marketplace while positioning our Company for improvements in its credit ratings. We have several financial targets which guide our capital management decisions including:
• Maintain a risk based capital (RBC) ratio of 300 percent or greater for our traditional U.S. insurance subsidiaries. This is to be measured on a weighted average basis using the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Company Action Level formula.
• Maintain leverage at approximately 25 percent. Leverage will be measured as total debt to total capital, which we define as total long-term and short-term debt plus stockholders' equity, excluding the net unrealized gain or loss on securities and the net gain or loss on cash flow hedges. This target level excludes the non-recourse debt and associated capital of Tailwind Holdings, LLC (Tailwind Holdings) and Northwind Holdings, LLC (Northwind Holdings).
• Maintain cash and liquid investments at our holding companies sufficient to cover one year of fixed charges (measured as interest expense plus common stock dividends) plus a capital fund which will vary with business and economic conditions.
• Maintain a common stock dividend yield that is near the median of our peer companies.
At the end of the third quarter of 2008, all of our financial measurements for capital management continue to compare favorably to our target levels. We have completed our $700.0 million authorized share repurchase program, and we have maintained our leverage at 21.4 percent, consistent with the end of 2007.
See "Liquidity and Capital Resources" contained herein for further detail.
Legal and Regulatory Issues
During the third quarter of 2008, we reached a settlement in the Shareholder Derivative action that was originally filed in 2002. Under the terms of the settlement, which is subject to approval of the court, we have agreed to implement or continue certain corporate governance measures and pay plaintiffs' attorneys' fees in an amount to be determined by the court.
Also during the third quarter of 2008, class certification was denied in the putative class action styled, Taylor v. UnumProvident Corporation, et al. On September 23, 2008 the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals denied plaintiff's petition to appeal this ruling, and on the following day, the District Court dismissed all of the plaintiff's additional claims except for plaintiff's individual claims for alleged breaches of contract and fiduciary duty and alleged violations of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act.
During the second quarter of 2008, we reached a settlement with the U.S. Attorney in San Diego regarding broker compensation disclosure practices dating back several years. While this settlement was only recently finalized, it covers issues that were resolved several years ago with other regulators. We have worked cooperatively with the U.S. Attorney's office since its inquiry into the industry's compensation practices began. As part of the settlement, we agreed to a payment of $5.6 million and included this expense in our second quarter of 2008 results. Compliance
with the terms of the settlement agreement will not require any further changes in our business practices, as we previously made changes to our broker compensation program.
During 2005, following a trial in the U.S. District Court of Nevada, a judgment was entered in the plaintiff's favor on the plaintiff's breach of contract and bad faith claims, and the plaintiff was awarded contract, emotional distress, and punitive damages, as well as attorneys' fees. We appealed that judgment, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the portion of the judgment that awarded attorneys' fees and punitive damages award and remanded for a new trial on the issue of punitive damages that should be awarded, if any. We paid the portion of the verdict that had been upheld and proceeded to a second trial on the limited issue of the amount of punitive damages to be awarded against us, if any. A second jury verdict was entered in July 2008 in the amount of $60.0 million. We have filed post trial motions requesting, among other things, that the award be reduced and, if necessary, will appeal this verdict to the Ninth Circuit. We believe that we have strong legal arguments to raise on appeal that create significant uncertainty regarding the ultimate outcome of this matter. However, since our efforts to reduce or overturn this award are at an early stage, an estimate of the liability to resolve this matter was established in the second quarter of 2008. The accrual was not material to our operating results.
During 2007, we completed the claim reassessment process required by the 2004 and 2005 regulatory settlement agreements. The lead regulators conducted a final examination and presented their findings to our board of directors and management on April 14, 2008. The report of the multistate market conduct examination for the Maine Bureau of Insurance, Massachusetts Division of Insurance, New York State Insurance Department, Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, and other participating jurisdictions as well as the report of the California Department of Insurance market conduct examination both provided that we satisfactorily complied with each of the agreements' mandates and that no fines will be assessed. We continue to work closely with our regulators and also continue to work toward resolution of other outstanding legal and regulatory issues.
First Nine Months 2008 Significant Transactions and Events
Financing
During 2007, our board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to $700.0 million of Unum Group's common stock. In January 2008, we repurchased approximately 14.0 million shares for $350.0 million, using an accelerated share repurchase agreement. Under the terms of the repurchase agreement, we were to receive, or be required to pay, a price adjustment based on the volume weighted average price of our common stock during the term of the agreement. Any price adjustment payable to us was to be settled in shares of our common stock. Any price adjustment we would have been required to pay was to be settled, at our option, in either cash or common stock. The final settlement occurred during the second quarter of 2008, and in total, we repurchased 15.4 million shares of our common stock under this agreement.
During August 2008, we repurchased approximately 12.5 million shares for $350.0 million, using an accelerated share repurchase agreement with terms similar to the earlier agreement. The final settlement occurred during October 2008, with the price adjustment resulting in the delivery to us of approximately 2.0 million additional shares of our common stock, for a total repurchase of 14.5 million shares.
During the second quarter of 2008, we retired the remaining $175.0 million of our 5.997% senior notes. During the first nine months of 2008, we made principal payments of $35.7 million and $7.5 million on our senior secured non-recourse variable rate notes issued by Northwind Holdings and Tailwind Holdings, respectively. We also purchased and retired $36.6 million of our 6.85% senior debentures due 2015. The costs associated with our debt reduction decreased our first nine months of 2008 income approximately $0.4 million before tax, or $0.3 million after tax.
Accounting Pronouncements
Effective January 1, 2008, we adopted the provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 157 (SFAS 157), Fair Value Measurements. SFAS 157 defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. The adoption of SFAS 157 did not have a material effect on our financial position or results of operations.
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 161 (SFAS 161), Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, an amendment of FASB Statement No. 133, was issued in March 2008. SFAS 161 is intended to improve financial reporting about derivative instruments and hedging activities by requiring enhanced disclosures to enable investors to better understand their effects on an entity's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. We will adopt the provisions of SFAS 161 effective January 1, 2009. The adoption of SFAS 161 will not have a material effect on our financial position or results of operations.
First Nine Months 2007 Significant Transactions and Events
Revised Claim Reassessment Reserve Estimate
As previously noted, during 2007 we completed the claim reassessment process required by the 2004 and 2005 regulatory settlement agreements. Prior to completion of the claim reassessment process, in the second quarter of 2007 we increased our provision for the estimated cost of the claim reassessment process $53.0 million before tax and $34.5 million after tax based on changes in our emerging experience for the number of decisions being overturned and the average cost per reassessed claim. The revised second quarter of 2007 estimate was based on the cost of approximately 99 percent of the potential inventory of claim reassessment information forms returned to us, with our claim reassessment on approximately 88 percent of the forms completed at that time. At the time of our second quarter of 2007 revision, we had not yet finalized our claim reassessment on the remaining forms but had performed a financial review and included that information in our analysis of emerging experience. Additional information regarding the second quarter revision to our estimate is as follows:
1. We increased our previous estimate for benefit costs for claims reopened for our Unum US group long-term disability product line $76.5 million. The revision related to the increase during the second quarter of 2007 in the overturn rate and the average cost, as well as a slightly higher number of claims.
2. We decreased our previous estimate for benefit costs for claims reopened for our Individual Disability - Closed Block segment $10.7 million. Although the experience relative to our assumptions for the overturn rate was slightly higher, experience indicated that the total number of claims for this segment would be less than our previous assumptions.
3. We decreased our previous estimate for the additional incremental direct claim reassessment operating expenses $12.8 million due to our projections for an earlier completion of the reassessment process. We released $10.3 million for Unum US group long-term disability and $2.5 million for our Individual Disability - Closed Block segment.
4. These second quarter of 2007 adjustments to our claim reassessment costs decreased 2007 before-tax operating earnings for our Unum US group disability line of business $66.2 million and increased 2007 before-tax operating earnings for our Individual Disability - Closed Block segment $13.2 million.
Financing
The scheduled remarketing of the senior note element of the 2004 adjustable conversion-rate equity units (units) occurred in February 2007, as stipulated by the terms of the original offering, and we reset the interest rate on $300.0 million of senior notes due May 15, 2009 to 5.859%. We purchased $150.0 million of the senior notes in the remarketing which were subsequently retired. The associated write-off of deferred debt costs decreased first quarter of 2007 income by $2.4 million before tax, or $1.6 million after tax. In May 2007, we settled the purchase contract element of the 2004 units by issuing 17.7 million shares of common stock. We received proceeds of approximately $300.0 million from the transaction.
During the first nine months of 2007, we made principal payments of $15.0 million on our senior secured non-recourse variable rate notes due 2036 which were issued by Tailwind Holdings. During the second quarter of 2007, we purchased $34.5 million aggregate principal amount of our outstanding 6.85% notes due 2015. The costs associated with this debt reduction decreased our first nine months 2007 income approximately $0.8 million before tax, or $0.6 million after tax.
On October 31, 2007, Northwind Holdings issued $800.0 million of floating rate, insured, senior, secured notes due 2037 in a private offering. The notes bear interest at a floating rate equal to the three month London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) plus 0.78%. Recourse for the payment of principal, interest, and other amounts due on the notes will be dependent principally on the receipt of dividends from Northwind Reinsurance Company (Northwind Re), the sole subsidiary of Northwind Holdings. The ability of Northwind Re to pay dividends to Northwind Holdings will depend on its satisfaction of applicable regulatory requirements and on the performance of the business of Paul Revere Life, Provident, and Unum America (collectively, the ceding insurers) reinsured by Northwind Re. None of Unum Group, the ceding insurers, Northwind Re, or any other affiliate of Northwind Holdings is an obligor or guarantor on the notes.
Dispositions
During the first quarter of 2007, we completed the sale of our wholly-owned subsidiary, GENEX Services, Inc. (GENEX), a leading workers' compensation and medical cost containment services provider. Our growth strategy is focused on the development of our primary markets, and GENEX's specialty role in case management and medical cost containment related to the workers' compensation market was no longer consistent with our overall strategic direction. We recognized an after-tax gain on the transaction of approximately $6.2 million. See Note 3 of the "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements" contained herein in Item 1 for additional information.
Accounting Pronouncements
Effective January 1, 2007, we adopted the provisions of Statement of Position 05-1 (SOP 05-1), Accounting by Insurance Enterprises for Deferred Acquisition Costs in Connection With Modifications or Exchanges of Insurance Contracts. SOP 05-1 provides guidance on accounting by insurance enterprises for deferred acquisition costs on internal replacements of insurance and investment contracts other than those specifically described in Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 97, Accounting and Reporting by Insurance Enterprises for Certain Long-Duration Contracts and for Realized Gains and Losses from the Sale of Investments. An internal replacement is defined as a modification in product benefits, features, or coverages that occurs by the exchange or replacement of an existing insurance policy for a new policy. The cumulative effect of applying the provisions of SOP 05-1 decreased our 2007 opening balance of retained earnings $445.2 million.
Effective January 1, 2007, we adopted the provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Interpretation No. 48 (FIN 48), Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes, an interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109 (SFAS 109). FIN 48 clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise's financial statements in accordance with SFAS 109. Unlike SFAS 109, FIN 48 prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. Additionally, FIN 48 provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure, and transition. The cumulative effect of applying the provisions of FIN 48 increased our 2007 opening balance of retained earnings $22.7 million.
Effective January 1, 2007, we adopted the provisions of Statement of Financial
Accounting Standards No. 155 (SFAS 155), Accounting for Certain Hybrid Financial
Instruments, an amendment of FASB Statements No. 133 (SFAS 133) and 140. SFAS
155: (a) permits fair value remeasurement for any hybrid financial instrument
that contains an embedded derivative that otherwise would require bifurcation;
(b) clarifies which interest-only strips and principal-only strips are not
subject to the requirements of SFAS 133; (c) establishes a requirement to
evaluate beneficial interests in securitized financial assets to identify
interests that are freestanding derivatives or that are hybrid financial
instruments that contain an embedded derivative requiring bifurcation;
(d) clarifies that concentrations of credit risk in the form of subordination
are not embedded derivatives; and, (e) eliminates restrictions on a qualifying
special-purpose entity's ability to hold passive derivative financial
instruments that
pertain to beneficial interests that are or contain a derivative financial instrument. The adoption of SFAS 155 did not have a material effect on our financial position or results of operations.
Critical Accounting Estimates
We prepare our financial statements in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported in our financial statements and accompanying notes. Estimates and assumptions could change in the future as more information becomes known, which could impact the amounts reported and disclosed . . .
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