UNICO AMERICAN CORP - Quarter Report: 2020 September (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

[X]       Quarterly Report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2020 or

[ ]       Transition Report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the transition period from ____ to ____.

Commission File No. 000-03978

UNICO AMERICAN CORPORATION

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (818) 591-9800

No Change

(Former Name, Former Address and Former Fiscal Year, if Changed Since Last Report)

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes X No __ 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes X No__ 

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

Large accelerated filer __ Accelerated filer __

Non-accelerated filer __ Smaller reporting company X Emerging growth company __

(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

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

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

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

UNICO AMERICAN CORPORATION

INDEX TO FORM 10-Q

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Form 10-Q, and the documents incorporated by reference in this document, the Company’s press releases and oral statements made from time to time by the Company or on the Company’s behalf, may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (or “the Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (or “the Exchange Act”). In this context, forward-looking statements are not historical facts and include statements about the Company’s plans, objectives, beliefs and expectations. Forward-looking statements include statements preceded by, followed by, or that include the words “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “seeks,” “plans,” “estimates,” “intends,” “projects,” “targets,” “should,” “could,” “may,” “will,” “can,” “can have,” “likely,” the negatives thereof or similar words and expressions. These forward-looking statements are contained throughout this Form 10-Q, including, but not limited to, statements found in Part I – Item 2 – “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

Forward-looking statements are only predictions and are not guarantees of future performance. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions involving judgments about, among other things, future economic, competitive and market conditions and future business decisions, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which are beyond the Company’s control. These predictions are also affected by known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement. Many of these factors are beyond the Company’s ability to control or predict. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from the results contemplated by these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the following:

· failure to meet minimum capital and surplus requirements;

· vulnerability to significant catastrophic property loss;

· the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic;

· changes in accounting standards issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board;

· ability to adjust claims accurately;

· insufficiency of loss and loss adjustment expense reserves to cover future losses;

· changes in federal or state tax laws;

· ability to realize deferred tax assets;

· ability to accurately underwrite risks and charge adequate premium;

· ability to obtain reinsurance or collect from reinsurers and or losses in excess of reinsurance limits;

· extensive regulation and legislative changes;

· reliance on subsidiaries to satisfy obligations;

· downgrade in financial strength rating or long-term issuer credit rating by A.M. Best Company;

· changes in interest rates;

· investments subject to credit, prepayment and other risks;

· geographic concentration;

· reliance on independent insurance agents and brokers;

· insufficient reserve for doubtful accounts;

· litigation;

· enforceability of exclusions and limitations in policies;

· reliance on information technology systems;

· single operating location;

· ability to prevent or detect acts of fraud with disclosure controls and procedures;

· change in general economic conditions;

· dependence on key personnel;

· ability to attract, develop and retain employees and maintain appropriate staffing levels;

· insolvency, financial difficulties, or default in performance of obligations by parties with significant contracts or

relationships

· ability to effectively compete;

· maximization of long-term value and no focus on short-term earnings expectations;

· control by a small number of stockholders;

· limited trading of stock; and

· failure to maintain effective system of internal controls.

Please see Part I - Item 1A – “Risk Factors” in the Company’s 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), as well as other documents we file with the SEC from time-to-time, for other important factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from the Company’s current expectations and from the forward-looking statements discussed herein. Because of these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. In addition, these statements speak only as of the date of this Form 10-Q and, except as may be required by law, we undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.

PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

UNICO AMERICAN CORPORATION

AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited).

UNICO AMERICAN CORPORATION

AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(UNAUDITED)

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited).

UNICO AMERICAN CORPORATION

AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)

(UNAUDITED)

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited).

UNICO AMERICAN CORPORATION

AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(UNAUDITED)

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited).

UNICO AMERICAN CORPORATION

AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(UNAUDITED)

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited).

UNICO AMERICAN CORPORATION

AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

NOTE 1 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Nature of Business

Unico American Corporation is an insurance holding company that underwrites property and casualty insurance through its insurance company subsidiary; provides property, casualty, and health insurance through its agency subsidiaries; and provides insurance premium financing and membership association services through its other subsidiaries. Unico American Corporation is referred to herein as the "Company" or "Unico" and such references include both the corporation and its subsidiaries, all of which are wholly owned. Unico was incorporated under the laws of Nevada in 1969.

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Unico American Corporation and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 8-03 of Regulation S-X for smaller reporting companies. Accordingly, the condensed consolidated financial statements do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2020. Quarterly condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes in the Company’s 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior period amounts to conform to current quarter presentation.

Use of Estimates in the Preparation of the Financial Statements

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions that affect its reported amounts of assets and liabilities and its disclosure of any contingent assets and liabilities at the date of its financial statements, as well as its reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. The most significant assumptions in the preparation of these condensed consolidated financial statements relate to losses and loss adjustment expenses. While every effort is made to ensure the integrity of such estimates, actual results may differ.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company employs a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs for valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The fair value of a financial instrument is the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (the exit price). Financial assets and financial liabilities recorded on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value are categorized based on the reliability of inputs for the valuation techniques. (See Note 7.)

The Company has used the following methods and assumptions in estimating its fair value disclosures for instruments carried at fair value:

• Investment securities, excluding long-term certificates of deposit, and short-term investments – Fair values are obtained from widely accepted third party vendors.

The Company has used the following methods and assumptions for estimating fair value for other financial instruments not carried at fair value:

• Cash and cash equivalents– The carrying amounts reported in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets approximate their fair values given the short-term nature of these instruments.

• Long-term certificates of deposit – The carrying amounts reported in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets for these instruments are at amortized cost which approximates their fair value.

• Receivables, net – The carrying amounts reported in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets approximate their fair values given the short-term nature of these instruments.

• Accrued expenses and other liabilities – The carrying amounts reported in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets approximate the fair values given the short-term nature of these instruments.

Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents are comprised of highly liquid investments with initial maturity of 90 days or less. Cash equivalents include, but not limited to, custodial trust, bank money market and savings accounts. 

NOTE 2 – REPURCHASE OF COMMON STOCK – EFFECTS ON STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

On August 10, 2020, the Board authorized a share repurchase program (the “2020 Program”) for up to $5,000,000 of the currently outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock. The 2020 Program is effective immediately and replaces the Company’s existing share repurchase program that was adopted by the Board of Directors on December 19, 2008 (the “2008 Program”) to acquire from time to time up to an aggregate of 500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. The purchases under the 2020 Program may be made from time to time in the open market, through block trades, 10b5-1 trading plans, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise and in accordance with applicable laws, rules and regulations. The timing and actual number of the shares repurchased under the 2020 Program will depend on a variety of factors including price, market conditions and corporate and regulatory requirements. The Company intends to fund the share repurchases under the 2020 Program from cash on hand. The 2020 Program does not commit the Company to repurchase shares of its common stock and it may be amended, suspended or discontinued at any time. The Company repurchased its shares under the 2020 Program and 2008 Program in unsolicited transactions as follows:

The Company has remaining authority under the 2020 Program to repurchase up to $4,996,721 of the currently outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock as of September 30, 2020. The Company has retired or will retire all stock repurchased under the 2020 Program and 2008 Program.

NOTE 3 – LOSS PER SHARE

The following table represents the reconciliation of the Company's basic loss per share and diluted loss per share computations reported on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019:

Basic earnings per share exclude the impact of common share equivalents and are based upon the weighted average common shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share utilize the average market price per share when applying the treasury stock method in determining common share dilution. When outstanding stock options are dilutive, they are treated as common share equivalents for purposes of computing diluted earnings per share and represent the difference between basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding. In loss periods, stock options are excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share, as the inclusion of stock options would have an anti-dilutive effect.

NOTE 4 – RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS

Recently adopted standards

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02 “Leases.” ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to recognize on the balance sheet the assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by all leases, including those historically accounted for as operating leases. The Company adopted ASU 2016-02 effective January 1, 2019. The adoption of ASU 2016-02 did not have a material impact to the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13 “Fair Value Measurement: Disclosure Framework – Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement.” ASU 2018-13 modifies the disclosure requirements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value. The amendments in this ASU require certain existing disclosure requirements to be modified or removed, and certain new disclosure requirements to be added. In addition, this ASU allows entities to exercise more discretion when considering fair value measurement disclosures. This ASU is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company adopted ASU 2018-13 effective January 1, 2020. The adoption of ASU 2018-13 did not have a material impact to the Company’s disclosures.

Standards not yet adopted

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13 “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments.” ASU 2016-13 replaces the current incurred loss methodology for recognizing credit losses with a current expected credit loss model, which requires the measurement of all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. ASU 2016-13 also requires enhanced disclosures for better understanding of significant estimates and judgments used in estimating credit losses. The Company is currently evaluating the effect ASU 2016-13 will have on the Company's consolidated financial statements, but expects the primary changes to be (i) the use of the expected credit loss model for its premium receivables and reinsurance recoverables and (ii) the presentation of credit losses within the available-for-sale fixed maturities portfolio through an allowance method rather than as a direct write-down. ASU 2016-13 will primarily impact the Company’s available-for-sale fixed maturities portfolio and reinsurance recoverables. In November 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-10 “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses, Derivatives and Hedging, and Leases.” ASU 2019-10 updated the effective date for implementing ASU 2016-13 for smaller reporting entities, and that effective date will be for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. Since the Company’s fixed income portfolio is invested primarily in higher rated bonds and the reinsurance is purchased from financially strong reinsurers, the Company believes the adoption of ASU 2016-13 will not have a material impact to the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

NOTE 5 – ACCOUNTING FOR TAXES

The Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries file consolidated federal and state income tax returns. Pursuant to a tax allocation agreement, the Company’s subsidiaries, Crusader Insurance Company (“Crusader”) and American Acceptance Corporation (“AAC”), are allocated taxes or tax credits in the case of losses, at current corporate rates based on their own taxable income or loss. The Company files income tax returns under U.S. federal and various state jurisdictions. The Company is subject to examination by U.S. federal income tax authorities for tax returns filed starting at taxable year 2016 and California state income tax authorities for tax returns filed starting at taxable year 2015. There are no ongoing examinations of income tax returns by federal or state tax authorities.

As of September 30, 2020, and December 31, 2019, the Company had no unrecognized tax benefits or liabilities and, therefore, had not accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits or liabilities. However, if interest and penalties would need to be accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits or liabilities, such amounts would be recognized as a component of federal income tax expense.

The fluctuation in the income tax rate as a percentage of pre-tax loss for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, when compared to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, is primarily due to an increase in the valuation allowance related to deferred tax assets on federal net operating losses discussed below.

As of September 30, 2020, the Company had deferred tax assets of $7,318,041 generated from $34,847,822 of federal net operating loss carryforwards that will begin to expire in 2035 and deferred tax assets of $2,286,564 generated from state net operating loss carryforwards which expire between 2028 and 2040. In connection with preparation of its financial statements, the Company periodically performs an analysis of future income projections to determine the adequacy of the valuation allowance. In light of the net losses that were generated in recent years, for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company has established a valuation allowance for the aggregate amount of the federal and state net operating losses and other deferred tax assets in the amount of $9,849,484 that, in management’s judgment, are not more likely than not to be realized. For the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company carried a valuation allowance on deferred tax assets generated from federal and state net operating losses in the amount of $600,000 and $1,931,665, respectively.

As a California based insurance company, Crusader is obligated to pay a premium tax on gross premiums written in all states that Crusader is admitted. Premium taxes are deferred and amortized as the related premiums are earned. The premium tax is in lieu of state franchise taxes and is not included in the provision for state taxes.

NOTE 6 – PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET

Property and equipment consist of the following:

Real estate held for sale, owned by Crusader, includes land, building, and leasehold improvements. On September 29, 2020, the real estate was listed for sale at a price of $12,999,000. Upon the listing, the Company stopped recording the depreciation expense on the Calabasas building and the leasehold improvements in the Calabasas building. The carrying value of the real estate held for sale less expected disposal costs do not present impairment issues.

Through the date of the real estate listing, depreciation on the Calabasas building was computed using the straight line method over 39 years. Depreciation on furniture, fixtures, and equipment in the Calabasas building is computed using the straight line method over 3 to 15 years. Through the date of the real estate listing, amortization of leasehold improvements in the Calabasas building was computed using the shorter of the useful life of the leasehold improvements or the remaining years of the lease. Depreciation and amortization expense on all property and equipment for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, was $190,916 and $567,639 respectively, and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, was $132,664 and $402,769, respectively.

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Calabasas building generated rental revenue from non-affiliated tenants in the amount of $33,325 and $122,684, respectively, and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, rental revenue from non-affiliated tenants in the amount of $43,158 and $125,545, respectively, which is included in “Other income” from insurance company operation in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Calabasas building incurred operating expenses (including depreciation) in the amount of $200,067 and $573,100, respectively, and, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, it incurred operating expenses of $126,962 and $482,257, respectively, which are included in “Other operating expenses” in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The total square footage of the Calabasas building is 46,884, including common areas. As of September 30, 2020, 6,942 square feet of the Calabasas building was leased to non-affiliated entities and 7,539 square feet was vacant and available to be leased to non-affiliated entities.

The Company capitalizes certain computer software costs purchased from outside vendors for internal use or incurred internally to upgrade the existing systems. These costs also include configuration and customization activities, coding, testing and installation. Training costs and maintenance are expensed as incurred, while upgrade and enhancements are capitalized if it is probable that such expenditure will result in additional functionality. The capitalized costs are not depreciated until the software is placed into production.

NOTE 7 – FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

In determining the fair value of its financial instruments, the Company employs a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs for the valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The fair value of a financial instrument is the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (the exit price). Financial assets and financial liabilities recorded on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value are categorized based on the reliability of inputs for the valuation techniques as follows:

Level 1 – Financial assets and financial liabilities whose values are based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities as of the reporting date.

Level 2 – Financial assets and financial liabilities whose values are based on quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in non-active markets; or valuation models whose inputs are observable, directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability as of the reporting date.

Level 3 – Financial assets and financial liabilities whose values are based on prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement. These inputs reflect the Company’s estimates of the assumptions that market participants would use in valuing the financial assets and financial liabilities as of the reporting date.

The hierarchy gives the highest priority to Level 1 inputs and the lowest priority to Level 3 inputs. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement in its entirety falls has been determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. Thus, a Level 3 fair value measurement may include inputs that are observable (Level 1 or Level 2) or unobservable (Level 3). The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment and considers factors specific to the asset or liability.

The following table presents information about the Company’s financial instruments and their estimated fair values, which are measured on a recurring basis, and are allocated among the three levels within the fair value hierarchy as of September 30, 2020, and December 31, 2019:

Fair value measurements are not adjusted for transaction costs. The Company recognizes transfers between levels at either the actual date of the event or a change in circumstances that caused the transfer. The Company did not have any transfers between Levels 1, 2, and 3 of the fair value hierarchy during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019.

As a result of the spread of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, economic uncertainties have arisen which are likely to impact the fair value of investments, day to day administration of the business and premium volume. While the Company does not believe it is exposed to substantial risk from coronavirus-related claims under the insurance policies written by Crusader, it is likely that the fair value of its investment portfolio will be adversely affected by the volatility in the capital markets, as well as general economic conditions as a result of the coronavirus and governmental responses to the pandemic. The financial impact of these uncertainties is unknown at this time.

NOTE 8 – INVESTMENTS

A summary of investment income, net of investment expenses, is as follows:

The amortized cost and estimated fair values of investments in fixed maturities by category are as follows:

As of September 30, 2020, one corporate security, included in available-for-sale fixed maturities, was held as collateral with Comerica Bank & Trust, N. A. (“Comerica”), pursuant to the reinsurance trust agreement among Crusader, United Specialty Insurance Company (“USIC”) and Comerica to secure payment of Crusader’s liabilities and performance of its obligations under the reinsurance arrangement with USIC. The estimated fair value and amortized cost of that security was $723,625 and $688,147 on September 30, 2020, respectively.

A summary of the unrealized gains (losses) on investments in fixed maturities carried at fair value and the applicable deferred federal income taxes are shown below:

A summary of estimated fair value, gross unrealized losses, and number of securities in a gross unrealized loss position by the length of time in which the securities have continually been in that position is shown below:

The Company closely monitors its investments. If an unrealized loss is determined to be other-than-temporary, it is written off as a realized loss through the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company’s methodology of assessing other-than-temporary impairments is based on security-specific analysis as of the balance sheet date and considers various factors including the length of time to maturity and the extent to which the fair value has been less than the cost, the financial condition and the near-term prospects of the issuer, and whether the debtor is current on its contractually obligated interest and principal payments. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, one fixed maturity corporate security experienced a significant decline in market value; the market and book value of that security at September 30, 2020, was $744,750 and $911,492, respectively. The unrealized losses on all securities as of September 30, 2020, and December 31, 2019, were determined to be temporary.

Although the Company does not intend to sell its fixed maturity investments prior to maturity, the Company may sell investment securities from time to time in response to cash flow requirements, economic, regulatory, and/or market conditions or investment securities may be called by their issuers prior to the securities’ maturity. The fixed maturity securities previously held by the Company were sold and called prior to maturity as follows:

The unrealized gains or losses from fixed maturities are reported as “Accumulated other comprehensive income or loss,” which is a separate component of stockholders’ equity, net of any deferred tax effect.

The Company started investing in common stock equity securities during the three months ended March 31, 2020. The Company’s equity securities allocation is intended to enhance the return of and provide diversification for the total investment portfolio. A summary of equity securities is shown below:

The primary cause for the increase in fair value of the Company’s equity securities portfolio for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was the overall increase in equity markets during the period.

The Company’s investment in certificates of deposit included $598,000 of brokered certificates of deposit as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019.

The following securities from three different banks represent statutory deposits that are assigned to and held by the California State Treasurer and the Insurance Commissioner of the State of Nevada. These deposits are required for writing certain lines of business in California and for admission to transact insurance business in the state of Nevada.

All the Company’s brokered and non-brokered certificates of deposit are within the FDIC insured permissible limits. Due to nature of the Company’s business, certain bank accounts may exceed FDIC insured permissible limits.

Short-term investments have an initial maturity of one year or less and consist of the following:

NOTE 9 – UNPAID LOSSES AND LOSS ADJUSTMENT EXPENSES

The following table provides an analysis of Crusader’s loss and loss adjustment expense reserves, including a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balance sheet liability for the periods indicated:

Some lines of insurance are commonly referred to as "long-tail" lines because of the extended time required before claims are ultimately settled. Lines of insurance in which claims are settled relatively quickly are called "short-tail" lines. It is generally more difficult to estimate loss reserves for long-tail lines because of the long period of time that elapses between the occurrence of a claim and its final disposition and the difficulty of estimating the settlement value of the claim. Crusader’s short-tail lines consist of its property coverages, and its long-tail lines consist of its liability coverages. However, Crusader’s long-tail liability claims tend to be settled relatively quicker than other long-tail lines not underwritten by Crusader, such as workers’ compensation, professional liability, umbrella liability, and medical malpractice.

NOTE 10 – CONTINGENCIES

The Company, by virtue of the nature of the business conducted by it, becomes involved in numerous legal proceedings as either plaintiff or defendant. From time to time, the Company is required to resort to legal proceedings against vendors providing services to the Company or against customers or their agents to enforce collection of premiums, commissions, or fees. These routine items of litigation do not materially affect the Company and are handled on a routine basis by the Company through its counsel.

Crusader is also subject to regulatory and governmental examinations, requests for information, inquiries, investigations, and threatened legal actions and proceedings by state regulators and others. Crusader receives numerous requests, orders for documents, and information in connection with various aspects of its regulated activities. Regulatory and governmental requests for information, inquires, certain examinations and investigations are routinely handed by Crusader. Crusader may involve outside counsel in regulatory matters depending on the nature of the matter.

The Company establishes reserves for lawsuits, regulatory actions, and other contingencies for which the Company is able to estimate its potential exposure and believes a loss is probable. For loss contingencies believed to be reasonably possible, the Company discloses the nature of the loss contingency, an estimate of the possible loss, a range of loss, or a statement that such an estimate cannot be made.

Likewise, the Company is sometimes named as a cross-defendant in litigation, which is principally directed against an insured who was issued a policy of insurance directly or indirectly through Crusader. Incidental actions related to disputes concerning the issuance or non-issuance of individual policies are sometimes brought by customers or others. These items are also handled on a routine basis by counsel, and they do not generally affect the operations of the Company. Management is confident that the ultimate outcome of pending litigation should not have an adverse effect on the Company's consolidated results of operations or financial position. The Company vigorously defends itself unless a reasonable settlement appears appropriate.

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

OVERVIEW

General

Unico American Corporation, referred to herein as the "Company” or “Unico," is an insurance holding company. Currently, the Company’s subsidiary Crusader Insurance Company (“Crusader”) underwrites commercial property and casualty insurance, the Company’s subsidiaries Unifax Insurance Systems, Inc. (“Unifax”) and American Insurance Brokers, Inc. (“AIB”) provide marketing and various underwriting support services related to property, casualty, health and life insurance, the Company’s subsidiary American Acceptance Company (“AAC”) provides insurance premium financing, and the Company’s subsidiary Insurance Club, Inc., dba AAQHC (“AAQHC”), an Administrator provides membership association services.

Total revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2020, were $8,259,686 compared to $8,258,966 for the three months ended September 30, 2019, an increase of $720 (0%). Total revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, were $24,241,094 compared to $23,189,539 for the nine months ended September 30, 2019, an increase of $1,051,555 (5%). The Company had net loss of $17,940,488 for the three months ended September 30, 2020, compared to net income of $212,467 for the three months ended September 30, 2019. The Company had net loss of $19,419,128 for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to net loss of $735,284 for the nine months ended September 30, 2019.

Repeated and sustained underwriting losses in Crusader’s Apartments & Commercial Buildings vertical and growth in Crusader’s Transportation vertical, a product which is generally known for its difficulty to be underwritten profitably, coupled with changes in the market conditions and increases in social inflation, caused Crusader management to reevaluate the assumptions used in its process for estimating loss and loss adjustment expense reserves. This reevaluation and the use of updated assumptions led to significantly more conservative estimates for expected claims frequency, claims severity and ultimate incurred losses and loss adjustment expenses during the quarterly re-evaluation of the loss and loss adjustment expense reserves as of September 30, 2020. The reevaluation resulted in a $10,308,150 increase in Crusader’s incurred but not reported (“IBNR”) reserves from June 30, 2020, to September 30, 2020, which was a primary contributor to the $17,320,051 losses and loss adjustment expenses recognized for the three months ended September 30, 2020.

This overview discusses some of the relevant factors that management considers in evaluating the Company's performance, prospects, and risks. It is not all inclusive and is meant to be read in conjunction with the entirety of the management discussion and analysis, the Company's consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, and all other items contained within the Company’s 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

As a result of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, economic uncertainties have arisen, which negatively impacted and may continue to negatively impact the fair value of investments, day to day administration of the Company’s business and the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and prospects.

The effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic were a major contributor to the variability in fair value of the Company’s fixed income and equity investments during the nine months ended September 30, 2020, and the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic may lead to further investment valuation volatility. In addition, the recent decline in investment yields resulted in lower reinvestment rates, compared to the previous years, which will cap the Company’s investment portfolio’s ability to generate higher levels of investment income, absent a larger invested asset base or a change in investment philosophy.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic did not have a material impact on Crusader’s overall gross written premium (direct and assumed written premium before cessions to reinsurers under reinsurance treaties) during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, Crusader has experienced a decrease in new business submissions and renewals related to the pandemic in its Bars/Taverns market sector niche as a result of government regulations, such as shelter-in-place orders and in-door dining limitations, which has adversely impacted the gross written premium for that niche.

Crusader has received a number of coronavirus-related business interruption claims. While the Company does not believe it is exposed to substantial risk from those claims under the insurance policies written by Crusader, the individual circumstances of each such claim are reviewed to fulfill Crusader’s obligation to its policyholders if coverage applies. Further, there may be impacts to the timing of loss emergence and ultimate loss ratios for certain Crusader’s products due to postponements of civil court cases, extensions of various statutes of limitations, changes in settlement trends and other new legislative, regulatory or judicial developments which could result in loss reserve deficiencies and negative impact on results of operations.

The Company’s financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, do not fully reflect the potential adverse impacts that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has had or will have on its business due to a high degree of uncertainty around this relatively new and continuously evolving environment. The financial impact of these uncertainties is unknown at this time but could result in a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.

While the coronavirus pandemic is also affecting the Company’s internal operations, the Company implemented a plan at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to help its operations continue effectively during the ongoing pandemic, including processes to limit the spread of COVID-19 among employees. For example, the Company modified its business practices in accordance with social distancing and safety guidelines, allowing many work-from-home arrangements, flexible work schedules, and restricted business travel. The Company’s employees are following the guidelines and approximately 75% are working from their homes. The Company will follow governmental safety guidelines in determining on when to remove the coronavirus-related business restrictions and on when to allow the employees working from their homes to return to their workplaces; at this point, the Company does not have an estimate on when these changes will occur. While the pandemic has created new challenges for the Company, the Company’s ability to maintain its operations, internal controls and relationships has not been adversely affected.

The Company’s financial performance suffered in recent years, reporting net losses for each fiscal year beginning with the year ended December 31, 2015. While losses in recent years have been driven primarily by losses from Crusader’s policies and their high loss ratios, management believes that other contributing factors include (1) the growth of some of the Company’s non-routine expenses relative to flat or declining revenues, (2) the failure to have replaced or upgraded the Company’s legacy IT system in order to process Crusader’s smaller premium accounts more efficiently, and (3) the failure to have shifted focus to larger premium accounts and fee-for-service operations.

In light of the challenges faced and operational results, the Company has taken several steps to improve. To improve Crusader's loss ratios, beginning in January 2017, the Company made significant changes in its staffing and in its pricing and risk selection practices. To improve revenues the Company is working to improve its sales in the markets that it has historically served, to gain access to markets that it has not previously served, and to generate new sources of revenue on a fee-for-service basis. For example, the Company also re-activated its US Risk Managers, Inc. subsidiary so that it can provide claims adjustment services to non-affiliated insurers and to self-insurers on a fee-for-service basis (i.e., where Crusader will not be underwriting the risk), providing the potential for an alternative revenue source to the Company.

The Company previously announced an arrangement, executed on April 6, 2020, with United Specialty Insurance Company (“USIC”), a non-admitted and non-affiliated insurer. The arrangement provided Crusader with the ability to issue USIC policies which are rated “A” by A.M. Best Company and which provide pricing and coverage flexibility previously unavailable through Crusader policies. The agreements with USIC were entered into by Crusader and Unifax, an affiliate of Crusader, prior to obtaining approval of the transactions by the California Department of Insurance (the “DOI”) as required by the California Insurance Holding Company System Act for transactions that include affiliates. On September 2, 2020, the Company placed a moratorium on placing any new risks with USIC by Unifax pending resolutions of issues relating to the structure of the transactions. Crusader and Unifax are in negotiations with USIC to determine whether and how the transactions can be restructured in order to address issues raised by the DOI. There can be no assurance that such efforts will be successful. If the transactions are not restructured, the agreements with USIC may need to be terminated. If the agreements with USIC are terminated, such termination could result in significant financial expenses regarding such termination and the Company’s reputation could be adversely affected.

In 2018, the Company determined that the cost to replace its legacy IT system would be between $4,000,000 and $8,000,000, and the installation of such a system would take between two to four years. After weighing the time and expense involved against the anticipated benefit from such an investment, the Company opted for what it then perceived to be a less expensive upgrade to its legacy system, an upgrade that then seemed to offer more incremental benefits in a shorter timeframe. While initially expected to be completed by the end of 2019, at a cost of approximately $300,000, excluding costs of Unico’s employees involved in the upgrade, the system upgrade is now expected to be completed at a cost of approximately $1,300,000, excluding costs of Unico’s employees involved in the upgrade, due to unexpected technical challenges. The expected completion of the upgrade was moved from end of 2020 to end of first quarter of 2021 due to personnel changes. In light of the significant delays and increases in cost associated with its legacy upgrade project, the Company has deployed additional resources toward the management of this project and has renegotiated the relationship that it has with the non-affiliated vendor working on this project.

Revenue and Income Generation

The Company receives its revenues primarily from earned premium derived from the insurance company operations, commission and fee income generated from the insurance agency operations, finance charges and fee income from the premium finance operations, and investment income from cash generated primarily from the insurance company operation. The insurance company operation generated approximately 94% of consolidated revenues for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to 92% of consolidated revenues for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019. None of the Company’s other operations is individually material to consolidated revenues.

Insurance Company Operation

As of September 30, 2020, Crusader was licensed as an admitted insurance carrier in the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. From 2004 until September 2014, all of Crusader’s business was written in the state of California. Crusader’s business remains concentrated in California (99.9% of gross written premium during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 99.8% of gross written premium during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019).

Crusader’s total gross written premium, as reported on Crusader’s statutory financial statements, was produced geographically as follows:

Crusader believes that it can grow its sales and profitability through improved specialization and sales incentives. Crusader currently focuses in four underwriting verticals: (1) Transportation, (2) Food, Beverage & Entertainment, (3) Garage & Mercantile, and (4) Apartments & Commercial Buildings. Crusader is also evaluating the possibility of expanding its operations geographically, on an admitted or non-admitted basis, so as to offer similar products in other states, but the timing of any such expansion is not yet determined.

Written premium is a non-GAAP financial measure that is defined, under SAP, as the contractually determined amount charged by the insurance company to the policyholder for the effective period of the contract based on the expectation of risk, policy benefits, and expenses associated with the coverage provided by the terms of the policies. Written premium is a required statutory measure. Written premium is defined under GAAP in Accounting Standards Codification Topic 405, “Liabilities,” as “premiums on all policies an entity has issued in a period.” Earned premium, the most directly comparable GAAP measure to written premium, represents the portion of written premium that is recognized as income in the financial statements for the period presented and earned on a pro-rata basis over the terms of the policies. Written premium is intended to reflect production levels and is meant as supplemental information and not intended to replace earned premium. Such information should be read in connection with the Company’s GAAP financial results.

The following is a reconciliation of gross written premium to net earned premium (after premium ceded to reinsurers under reinsurance treaties):

The insurance company operation underwriting profitability is defined by pre-tax underwriting gain, which is calculated as net earned premium less losses and loss adjustment expenses and policy acquisition costs.

Crusader’s underwriting gain before income taxes is as follows:

Underwriting gain or loss before income taxes is a non-GAAP financial measure. Underwriting gain or loss before income taxes represents one measure of the pretax profitability of the insurance company operation and is derived by subtracting losses and loss adjustment expenses, and policy acquisition costs from net earned premium, which are all GAAP financial measures. Management believes disclosure of underwriting income or loss before income taxes is useful supplemental information that helps align the reader’s understanding with management’s view of insurance company operations profitability. Each of these captions is presented in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations but is not subtotaled.

The following is a reconciliation of Crusader’s underwriting gain (loss) before income taxes to the Company’s loss before taxes:

Unearned premiums represent premium applicable to the unexpired terms of policies in force. The Company evaluates its unearned premiums periodically for premium deficiencies by comparing the sum of expected claim costs, unamortized deferred policy acquisition costs, and maintenance costs partially offset by net investment income to related unearned premiums. To the extent that any of the Company’s programs become unprofitable, a premium deficiency reserve may be required. The Company recognized a premium deficiency of $100,000 and $0 as of September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The premium deficiency was recorded as a reduction in deferred policy acquisition costs.

The following table provides an analysis of losses and loss adjustment expenses:

Losses and loss adjustment expenses were 243% and 135% of net earned premium for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, compared to 74% and 78% of net earned premium for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively. For further analysis, refer to “Results of Operations.”

Repeated and sustained underwriting losses in Crusader’s Apartments & Commercial Buildings vertical and growth in Crusader’s Transportation vertical, a product which is generally known for its difficulty to be underwritten profitably, coupled with changes in the market conditions and increases in social inflation, caused Crusader management to reevaluate the assumptions used in its process for estimating loss and loss adjustment expense reserves. This reevaluation and the use of updated assumptions led to significantly more conservative estimates for expected claims frequency, claims severity and ultimate incurred losses and loss adjustment expenses during the quarterly re-evaluation of the loss and loss adjustment expense reserves as of September 30, 2020. The reevaluation resulted in a $10,308,150 increase in Crusader’s IBNR reserves from June 30, 2020, to September 30, 2020, which was a primary contributor to the $17,320,051 losses and loss adjustment expenses recognized for the three months ended September 30, 2020.

On January 17, 2019, A.M. Best downgraded Crusader’s Financial Strength Rating (“FSR”) to “B++” (Good) from “A-“ (Excellent) and its Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (“Long-Term ICR”) to “bbb+” from “a-“. The outlook of the FSR was revised at that time to stable from negative while the outlook of the Long-Term ICR remained negative.  The rating downgrades reflected a revision in A.M. Best’s assessment of Crusader’s operating performance to adequate from strong.

On January 30, 2020, A.M. Best affirmed Crusader’s FSR of “B++” (Good) and further downgraded Crusader’s Long-Term ICR to “bbb” from “bbb+”. The outlook of the FSR of Crusader remains stable while the outlook of the Long-Term ICR of Crusader was revised to stable from negative.  Also on January 30, 2020, A.M Best downgraded the Long-Term ICR of Unico to “bb” from “bb+”. The outlook of the Long-Term ICR of Unico was revised to stable from negative. 

The January 30, 2020, ratings reflect Crusader’s balance sheet strength, which A.M. Best categorizes as very strong, as well as its marginal operating performance, limited business profile and marginal enterprise risk management.  The downgrade of the Long-Term ICR reflects a revision in A.M. Best’s assessment of Crusader‘s operating performance to marginal from adequate.  According to A.M. Best, (i) the downgrades consider a material decline in Crusader’s operating performance, resulting from sub-par underwriting results in a relatively compact time frame, (ii) Crusader’s adverse performance has been amplified by increased frequency and severity of apartment building insurance related claims, (iii) multiple operating metrics of Crusader trail the commercial casualty composite on a five-year and 10-year basis, and (iv) the consequential business changes being implemented to address these conditions lead to significant execution risk in returning Crusader’s operational results to historical levels. 

Some of Crusader’s policyholders, or the lenders, landlords or clients of Crusader’s policyholders, require insurance from a company that has an A.M. Best FSR of “A-” or higher, and the A.M. Best’s changed ratings of Crusader may also have a negative impact on Crusader’s reputation. Therefore, Crusader’s and Unico’s changed ratings may have a negative impact on the Company’s revenue and results of operations. The Company cannot quantify the impact that the rating changes have had or will have on its revenue and results of operations, and the Company cannot determine if or when Crusader might regain the “A-” FSR from A.M. Best.

The reinsurance arrangement with USIC allows Unifax to offer its customers policies written on USIC paper, which has A.M. Best FSR of “A,” when such rating is required. On September 2, 2020, the Company placed a moratorium on placing any new risks with USIC.

The property and casualty insurance business is cyclical in nature. The conditions of a “soft market” include premium rates that are stable or falling and insurance is readily available. Contrarily, “hard market” conditions occur during periods in which premium rates rise and coverage may be more difficult to find. The Company believes that the California property and casualty insurance market is relatively mature and intensely competitive, with different products in different stages of the soft/hard market cycle at any given time.

Revenues from Other Insurance Operations

The Company’s revenues from other insurance operations consist of commissions, fees, investment and other income. Excluding investment and other income, these operations accounted for approximately 6% of total revenues in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to approximately 8% of total revenues in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively.

Investments

The Company generated revenues from its total invested assets of $80,864,783 (fixed maturities at amortized cost and equity securities at cost) and $83,091,961 (fixed maturities at amortized cost) as of September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Net investment income (net of investment expenses) decreased $40,963 (8%) and $94,147 (6%) to $477,145 and $1,487,335 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, compared to $518,108 and $1,581,482 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively. This decrease in net investment income was due primarily to decrease in the average invested assets.

Due to the current interest rate environment, the current target effective duration for the Company’s investment portfolio is between 2.0 and 4.0 years. As of September 30, 2020, all of the Company’s investments are in U.S. Treasury securities, corporate fixed maturity securities, agency mortgage-backed securities, equity securities, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insured certificates of deposit, money market funds, and a savings account. All of the Company’s investments, except for the certificates of deposit, are readily marketable.

As of September 30, 2020, the weighted average maturity of the Company’s investments was approximately 8.0 years, and the effective duration for available-for-sale investments (investments managed under the investment guidelines) was 3.16 years.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

The most significant liquidity risk faced by the Company is adverse development of the insurance company’s loss and loss adjustment expense reserves.  Based on the Company’s current loss and loss expense reserves and expected current and future payments, the Company believes that there are no current liquidity issues.  However, no assurance can be given that the Company’s estimate of ultimate loss and loss adjustment expense reserves will be sufficient.

Crusader has a significant amount of cash, cash equivalents, and investments as a result of its holdings of unearned premium reserves, its reserves for loss and loss adjustment expense payments, and its capital and surplus. Crusader's loss and loss adjustment expense payments are the most significant cash flow requirement of the Company. These payments are continually monitored and projected to ensure that the Company has the liquidity to cover these payments without the need to liquidate its investments. Cash, cash equivalents, and investments (at amortized cost) of the Company at September 30, 2020, were $86,570,446 compared to $90,778,865 at December 31, 2019. Crusader's cash, cash equivalents, and investments was 98% of the total cash and investments (at amortized cost) held by the Company as of September 30, 2020, and December 31, 2019.

As of September 30, 2020, all of the Company’s investments are in U.S. Treasury securities, FDIC insured certificates of deposit, corporate fixed maturity securities, agency mortgage-backed securities, equity securities and short-term investments. All of the Company’s investments, except for the certificates of deposit, are readily marketable.

The Company’s investments, fixed maturities and short-term bonds at amortized cost, and equities and other short-term investments at cost, were as follows:

As of September 30, 2020, one corporate security, included in available-for-sale fixed maturities, was held as collateral with Comerica Bank & Trust, N. A. (“Comerica”), pursuant to the reinsurance trust agreement among Crusader, USIC and Comerica to secure payment of Crusader’s liabilities and performance of its obligations under the reinsurance arrangement with USIC. The estimated fair value and amortized cost of that security was $723,625 and $688,147 on September 30, 2020, respectively.

The short-term investments include U.S. Treasury bills and certificates of deposit that are all highly rated and have initial maturity between three and twelve months. Amortized costs of the short-term investments approximate their fair values.

The Company is required to classify its investment securities into one of three categories: held-to-maturity, available-for-sale, or trading securities. Although part of the Company's investments in fixed maturity securities is classified as available-for-sale and, while the Company may sell investment securities from time to time in response to economic, regulatory, and market conditions, its investment guidelines place primary emphasis on buying and holding high-quality investments to maturity.

The Company’s Board of Directors approved investment guidelines are similar to what the Company believes are general investment guidelines used by Crusader’s peers.

Under the Company’s investment guidelines, investments may only include U.S. Treasury notes, U.S. government agency notes, mortgage-backed securities (including pass through securities and collateralized mortgage obligations) that are backed by agency and non-agency collateral, commercial mortgage-backed securities, U.S. corporate obligations, asset backed securities, (including but not limited to credit card, automobile and home equity backed securities), tax-exempt bonds, preferred stocks, common stocks, commercial paper, repurchase agreements (treasuries only), mutual funds, exchange traded funds, bank certificates of deposits and time deposits. The investment guidelines provide for certain investment limitations in each investment category.

Unless agreed to in advance in writing by Crusader, investments in the following types of securities are prohibited:

An independent investment advisor manages Crusader’s investments.  The advisor’s role currently is limited to maintaining Crusader’s portfolio within the investment guidelines and providing investment accounting services to the Company.  The investments continue to be held by Crusader’s current custodian, Union Bank Global Custody Services.

On August 10, 2020, the Board authorized a share repurchase program (the “2020 Program”) for up to $5,000,000 of the currently outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock. The 2020 Program is effective immediately and replaces the Company’s existing share repurchase program that was adopted by the Board of Directors on December 19, 2008 (the “2008 Program”) to acquire from time to time up to an aggregate of 500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. The purchases under the 2020 Program may be made from time to time in the open market, through block trades, 10b5-1 trading plans, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise and in accordance with applicable laws, rules and regulations. The timing and actual number of the shares repurchased under the 2020 Program will depend on a variety of factors including price, market conditions and corporate and regulatory requirements. The Company intends to fund the share repurchases under the 2020 Program from cash on hand. The 2020 Program does not commit the Company to repurchase shares of its common stock and it may be amended, suspended or discontinued at any time. The Company repurchased its shares under the 2020 Program and 2008 Program in unsolicited transactions as follows:

The Company has remaining authority under the 2020 Program to repurchase up to $4,996,721 of the currently outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock as of September 30, 2020. The Company has retired or will retire all stock repurchased under the 2020 Program and 2008 Program.

The Company reported $3,634,617 net cash used by operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to $3,633,043 net cash used by operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2019. Fluctuations in cash flows from operating activities relate to changes in loss and loss adjustment expense payments, unearned premium holdings, and the timing of the collection and the payment of insurance-related receivables and payables. Although the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows reflect net cash used by operating activities, the Company does not anticipate future liquidity problems, and the Company believes it continues to be well capitalized and adequately reserved. 

On September 14, 2020, and May 20, 2020, Crusader paid cash dividends of $2,000,000 to Unico, its parent and sole shareholder. These two dividends totaling $4,000,000 are intended to be used primarily for general corporate purposes. Based on Crusader’s statutory surplus for the year ended December 31, 2019, the maximum aggregate dividend that could be made by Crusader to Unico without prior regulatory approval in 2020 is $4,649,896.

While material capital expenditures may be funded through borrowings, the Company believes that its cash and short-term investments at September 30, 2020, net of statutory deposits of $710,000 and California insurance company statutory dividend restrictions applicable to Crusader, plus the cash to be generated from operations, should be sufficient to meet its operating requirements during the next 12 months without the necessity of borrowing funds.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

All comparisons made in this discussion are comparing the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, unless otherwise indicated.

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, total revenues were $8,259,686, an increase of $720 (0%) and $24,241,094, an increase of $1,051,555 (5%) compared to total revenues of $8,258,966 and $23,189,539 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company had loss before taxes of $14,345,916 and $15,875,975, respectively, compared to income before taxes of $330,726 and loss before taxes of $823,675 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company had net loss of $17,940,488 and $19,419,127, respectively, compared to net income of $212,467 and net loss of $735,284, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively

The was a slight increase in revenues of $720 (0%) for the three months ended September 30, 2020, when compared to the three months ended September 30, 2019. The increase in revenues of 1,051,555 (5%) for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, when compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2019, was due primarily to an increase in net earned premium of $1,044,556 (5%).

The increase in loss before tax of $14,676,642 for the three months ended September 30, 2020, compared to the three months ended September 30, 2019, was due primarily to an increase in losses and loss adjustment expenses of $12,182,077 (237%), an increase in salaries and employee benefits of $1,562,881 (153%), and an increase in other operating expenses of $865,282 (162%).The increase in loss before tax of $15,052,300 for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2019, was primarily due to an increase in losses and loss adjustment expenses of $12,734,974 (83%), an increase in salaries and employee benefits of $1,896,649 (62%), an increase in other operating expenses of $1,476,097 (78%) partially offset by an increase in net earned premium of $1,044,556 (5%) and an increase in other income of $255,884 (1129%).

During the three months ended September 30, 2020, the Company reevaluated assumptions used in its process for estimating loss and loss adjustment reserves due to its experiences in Crusader’s Apartments & Commercial Buildings and Transportation verticals as well as changes in the market conditions. The reevaluation resulted in a $10,308,150 increase in Crusader’s IBNR reserves from June 30, 2020, to September 30, 2020, which primarily contributed to the increase of $12,182,077 in the losses and loss adjustment expenses.

The increase in salaries and employee benefits of $1,562,300 was due primarily to costs associated with the retirement of the Company’s former President and Chief Executive officer.

Written premium

Written premium is a required statutory measure. Written premium is a non-GAAP financial measure that is defined, under SAP, as the contractually determined amount charged by the insurance company to the policyholder for the effective period of the contract based on the expectation of risk, policy benefits, and expenses associated with the coverage provided by the terms of the policies. Written premium is a required statutory measure. Written premium is defined under GAAP in Accounting Standards Codification Topic 405, “Liabilities,” as “premiums on all policies an entity has issued in a period.” Earned premium, the most directly comparable GAAP measure to written premium, represents the portion of written premium that is recognized as income in the financial statements for the period presented and earned on a pro-rata basis over the terms of the policies. Written premium is intended to reflect production levels and is meant as supplemental information and not intended to replace earned premium. Such information should be read in connection with the Company’s GAAP financial results.

Gross written premium (direct and assumed written premium before cessions to reinsurers under reinsurance treaties) reported on Crusader’s statutory financial statements increased $212,008 (2%) and $216,438 (1%) to $9,656,761 and $27,644,774 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, compared to $9,444,753 and $27,428,336 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively.

The property casualty insurance marketplace continues to be intensely competitive. While Crusader attempts to meet such competition with competitive prices, its emphasis is on service, innovation, promotion, and distribution. Crusader believes that rate adequacy is more important than premium growth and that underwriting profit (net earned premium less losses and loss adjustment expenses and policy acquisition costs) is its primary goal. The Company believes that it can grow its sales and profitability through improved specialization and sales incentives, currently focused in four underwriting verticals: (1) Transportation, (2) Food, Beverage & Entertainment, (3) Garage & Mercantile, and (4) Apartments & Commercial Buildings. The decrease in gross written premium for the three months ended September 30, 2020, is due primarily to coronavirus-related contraction in the Food, Beverage & Entertainment underwriting vertical. The increase in gross written premium for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, is due to growth in the Company’s Transportation underwriting vertical partially offset by declines in the other three underwriting verticals.

Although the ongoing coronavirus pandemic did not have a significant impact on Crusader’s overall gross written premium (direct and assumed written premium before cessions to reinsurers under reinsurance treaties) during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, Crusader has experienced a decrease in new business submissions and renewals related to the pandemic in its Bars/Taverns market sector niche as a result of government regulations, such as shelter-in-place orders and in-door dining limitations, which has adversely impacted the gross written premium for that niche.

Crusader’s primary line of business is CMP policies. This line of business represented approximately 99.6% and 99.8% of Crusader’s total written premium for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively. This line of business represented approximately 98.9% and 97.7% Crusader’s total written premium for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively.

Gross earned premium

Gross earned premium (direct and assumed earned premium before cessions to reinsurers under reinsurance treaties) increased $367,455 (4%) to $9,151,992 and $1,816,370 (7%) to $26,822,681 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, compared to $8,784,537 and $25,006,311 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively. The Company writes annual policies. Earned premium represents a portion of written premium that is recognized as income in the financial statements for the period presented and earned daily on a pro-rata basis over the terms of the policies, and, therefore, premiums earned in the current year are related to policies written during both the current year and immediately preceding year. The increase in gross earned premium for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, was due primarily to an increase in gross written premium in 2019.

Ceded earned premium

Ceded earned premium (premium ceded to reinsurers under reinsurance treaties) increased $221,881 (12%) to $2,027,720 and $771,814 (15%) to $6,017,164 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to $1,805,839 and $5,245,350 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively. Ceded earned premium as a percentage of gross earned premium was 22% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, and 21% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019. The increase in the ceded earned premium as a percentage of gross earned premium for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, was due primarily to higher gross earned premium subject to reinsurance treaties and higher rates on excess of loss reinsurance treaties.

Reinsurance treaties are generally structured in layers, with different negotiated economic terms and retention of participation, or liability, in each layer. In calendar years 2020 and 2019, Crusader retained participation in its excess of loss reinsurance treaties of 0% in its 1^st layer (reinsured losses between $500,000 and $1,000,000), 0% in its 2^nd layer (reinsured losses between $1,000,000 and $4,000,000), and 0% in its property and casualty clash treaty.

Crusader also has catastrophe reinsurance treaties from various highly rated California authorized and California unauthorized reinsurance companies. These reinsurance treaties help protect Crusader against losses in excess of certain retentions from catastrophic events that may occur on property risks which Crusader insures. In calendar years 2020 and 2019, Crusader retained a participation in its catastrophe excess of loss reinsurance treaties of 5% in its 1^st layer (reinsured losses between $1,000,000 and $10,000,000) and 0% in its 2^nd layer (reinsured losses between $10,000,000 and $46,000,000).

Crusader evaluates each of its ceded reinsurance contracts at its inception to determine if there is a sufficient risk transfer to allow the contract to be accounted for as reinsurance under current accounting literature. As of September 30, 2020, all such ceded contracts are accounted for as risk transfer reinsurance.

Investment Income, Net Realized Investment Gains and Losses, and Net Unrealized Investment Losses on Equity Securities

Investment income decreased $40,963 (8%) to $477,145 and $94,147 (6%) to $1,487,335 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 respectively, compared to $518,108 and $1,581,482 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively. This decrease in investment income was due primarily to a decrease in average invested assets and lower market yields. The Company had net realized gains of $38,214 and $39,789 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively. The Company had no net realized gains or losses for the three months ended September 30, 2019. The Company had net realized investment losses of $12,661 for the nine months ended September 30, 2019. The Company had net unrealized investment gains on equity securities of $19,670 and $42,629 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 compared to none for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019. The net unrealized investment gains on equity securities for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 were due primarily to the increase in fair value of equity securities during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020.

Average annualized yields on the Company’s average invested assets and investment income, excluding net realized investment gain and losses and net unrealized investment losses on equity securities, are as follows:

The par value, amortized cost, estimated market value and weighted average yield of fixed maturity investments by contractual maturity are as follows: 

Expected maturities will differ from contractual maturities because borrowers may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without penalties.

The weighted average maturity of the Company’s fixed maturity investments was 8.0 years as of September 30, 2020, and 7.2 years as of September 30, 2019.

A summary of estimated fair value, gross unrealized losses, and number of securities in a gross unrealized loss position by the length of time in which the securities have continually been in that position is shown below:

While the fair value of Company’s investment portfolio at September 30, 2020, has recovered from the declines recorded for the three months ended March 31, 2020, the effects of the coronavirus pandemic were a major contributor to the variability in fair value of the Company’s fixed income and equity investments during the three months ended March 31, 2020, and September 30, 2020, and the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic may lead to further investment valuation volatility. In addition, the recent decline in investment yields resulted in lower reinvestment rates, compared to the previous years, which will cap the Company’s investment portfolio’s ability to generate higher levels of investment income, absent a larger invested asset base or a change in investment philosophy.

The Company closely monitors its investments. If an unrealized loss is determined to be other-than-temporary, it is written off as a realized loss through the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company’s methodology of assessing other-than-temporary impairments is based on security-specific analysis as of the balance sheet date and considers various factors including the length of time to maturity and the extent to which the fair value has been less than the cost, the financial condition and the near-term prospects of the issuer, and whether the debtor is current on its contractually obligated interest and principal payments. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, one fixed maturity corporate security experienced a significant decline in market value; the market and book value of that security at September 30, 2020, was $723,625 and $688,147, respectively. The unrealized losses on all securities as of September 30, 2020, and December 31, 2019, were determined to be temporary.

Although the Company does not intend to sell its fixed maturity investments prior to maturity, the Company may sell investment securities from time to time in response to cash flow requirements, economic, regulatory, and/or market conditions or investment securities may be called by their issuers prior to the securities’ maturity. The fixed maturity securities previously held by the Company were sold and called prior to maturity as follows: