Erie Indemnity Company 10-K
Table of Contents

 
 
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
     
þ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005
OR
     
o TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Commission File Number 0-24000
ERIE INDEMNITY COMPANY
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
     
Pennsylvania   25-0466020
     
(State or other jurisdiction   (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation or organization)   Identification No.)
     
100 Erie Insurance Place, Erie, Pennsylvania   16530
     
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (814) 870-2000
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Class A Common Stock, stated value $.0292 per share
Class B Common Stock, stated value $70 per share
(Title of class)
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes þ No o
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes o No þ
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 þ No o
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated filer and large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act
Large accelerated filer þ   Accelerated filer o   Non-accelerated filer o
Aggregate market value of voting stock of non-affiliates: There is no active market for the Class B voting stock and no Class B voting stock has been sold in the last year upon which a price could be established.
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).Yes o No þ
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the Registrant’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date: 60,419,835 shares of Class A Common Stock and 2,833 shares of Class B Common Stock outstanding on February 16, 2006.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:
1.   Portions of the Registrant’s Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005 (the “Annual Report”) are incorporated by reference into Parts I, II and III of this Form 10-K Report.
2.   Portions of the Registrant’s Proxy Statement relating to the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held April 18, 2006 are incorporated by reference into Parts I and III of this Form 10-K Report.
 
 

 


 

INDEX
         
PART ITEM NUMBER AND CAPTION   PAGE
    3  
    9  
    14  
    14  
    14  
    14  
    15  
    15  
    15  
    15  
    15  
    16  
    16  
    16  
    17  
    18  
    18  
    18  
    19  
    19  
    27  
    28  
    88  
    89  
    90  
    91  
    92  

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PART I
Item 1. Business
Erie Indemnity Company (“Company”), a Pennsylvania corporation, operates predominantly as the management services company that provides sales, underwriting and policy issuance services to the policyholders of Erie Insurance Exchange (“Exchange”). The Company has served as the attorney-in-fact for the policyholders of the Exchange since 1925. The Company also operates as a property/casualty insurer through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Erie Insurance Company, Erie Insurance Property and Casualty Company and Erie Insurance Company of New York. The Exchange and its property/casualty insurance subsidiary, Flagship City Insurance Company, along with the Company’s three insurance subsidiaries (collectively, the “Property and Casualty Group”) write a broad line of personal and commercial lines property and casualty coverages and pool their underwriting results. The financial results of the Exchange are not consolidated with the Company’s.
For its services as attorney-in-fact, the Company charges the Exchange a management fee calculated as a percentage, limited to 25%, of the direct written premiums of the Exchange and the direct written premiums of the other members of the Property and Casualty Group, all of which are assumed by the Exchange under the intercompany pooling arrangement. Management fees accounted for approximately 72% of the Company’s revenues in 2005 and approximately 74% in both 2004 and 2003.
Because the Company’s earnings are largely generated from fees based on the direct written premium of the Exchange and other members of the Property and Casualty Group, the Company has an interest in the growth and financial condition of the Exchange. The Property and Casualty Group underwrites a broad range of insurance. In 2005, personal lines comprised 70% of direct written premium revenue of the Property and Casualty Group while commercial lines constituted the remaining 30%. The core products in personal lines are private passenger automobile (49%) and homeowners (19%) while the core commercial lines consist principally of multi-peril (11%), workers’ compensation (9%) and automobile (8%). The Property and Casualty Group operates primarily in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and southeast regions of the United States exclusively through 7,800 independent agents. While sales, underwriting and policy issuance services are centralized at the Company’s home office, the Property and Casualty Group maintains 23 field offices throughout the 11 contiguous states where the Property and Casualty Group does business to provide claims services and marketing support for the independent agents. Historically, due to policy renewal and sales patterns, the Property and Casualty Group’s direct written premiums are greater in the second and third quarters of the calendar year. While loss and loss adjustment expenses are not entirely predictable, historically such costs have been greater during the third and fourth quarters, influenced by the weather in the geographic regions, including the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and southeast regions in which the Property and Casualty Group operates.
The Company’s property/casualty insurance subsidiaries participate in the underwriting results of the Exchange through the intercompany pooling arrangement. Under the arrangement, the Exchange assumes 94.5% of the underwriting results of the Property and Casualty Group while the Company’s insurance subsidiaries assume 5.5%.
The Company also owns 21.6% of the common stock of Erie Family Life Insurance Company (“EFL”), an affiliated life insurance company of which the Exchange owns 53.5%. Together with the Exchange, the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates operate collectively as the “Erie Insurance Group”.

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Operating Segments
Financial information about these segments is set forth in and referenced to Note 20 of the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” included in the Annual Report. Further discussion of financial results by operating segment is provided in and referenced to “Management’s Discussion and Analysis” also included in the 2005 Annual Report.
Competition
The markets in which the Property and Casualty Group operates are highly competitive. The Property and Casualty Group ranked as the 15th largest automobile insurer in the United States based on 2004 direct written premiums and as the 23rd largest property/casualty insurer in the United States based on 2004 total lines net premium written according to A.M. Best Company, Inc. Property and casualty insurers generally compete on the basis of customer service, price, brand recognition, coverages offered, claim handling ability, financial stability and geographic coverage. Vigorous competition is provided by large, well-capitalized national companies, some of which have broad distribution networks of employed or captive agents, and by smaller regional insurers. In addition, because the insurance products of the Property and Casualty Group are marketed exclusively through independent insurance agents, the Property and Casualty Group, faces competition within its appointed agencies based on ease of doing business, product, price and service relationships.
Market competition bears directly on the price charged for insurance products and services subject to regulatory limitations. Growth is driven by a company’s ability to provide insurance services at a price that is reasonable and acceptable to the customer. In addition, the marketplace is affected by available capacity of the insurance industry. Industry surplus expands and contracts primarily in conjunction with profit levels generated by the industry. Growth is a product of a company’s ability to retain existing customers and to attract new customers, as well as movement in the average premium per policy charged by the Property and Casualty Group.
The Erie Insurance Group has followed several strategies that management believes will result in long-term underwriting performance which exceeds those of the property/casualty industry in general. First, the Erie Insurance Group employs an underwriting philosophy and product mix targeted to produce a Property and Casualty Group underwriting profit on a long-term basis through careful risk selection and rational pricing. The careful selection of risks allows for lower claims frequency and loss severity, thereby enabling insurance to be offered at favorable prices. With the recent introduction of insurance scoring into the underwriting and pricing processes, the Property and Casualty Group has continued to refine its risk measurement and price segmentations skills. Second, Erie Insurance Group’s management focuses on consistently providing superior service to policyholders and agents. Third, the Erie Insurance Group’s business model is designed to provide the advantages of localized marketing and claims servicing with the economies of scale from centralized accounting, administrative, underwriting, investment, information management and other support services.
Finally, the Company carefully selects the independent agencies that represent the Property and Casualty Group. The Property and Casualty Group seeks to be the lead insurer with its agents in order to enhance the agency relationship and the likelihood of receiving the most desirable underwriting opportunities from its agents. The Company has ongoing, direct communications with the agency force. Agents have access to a number of Company-sponsored venues designed to promote sharing of ideas, concerns and suggestions with the senior management of the Property and Casualty Group with the goal of improving communications and service. The Company continues to evaluate new ways to support its agents’ efforts, from marketing programs to identifying potential customer leads, to grow the business of the Property and Casualty Group. These efforts have resulted in outstanding agency penetration and the ability to sustain long-term agency partnerships. The higher agency penetration and long term relationships allow for greater efficiency in providing agency support and training.

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Employees
The Company employed over 4,600 persons at December 31, 2005, of which approximately 2,300 provide claims specific services exclusively for the Property and Casualty Group and approximately 160 perform services exclusively for EFL. Both the Exchange and EFL reimburse the Company monthly for the cost of these services.
Geographic areas
The Property and Casualty Group is represented by an agency force of 7,800 agents in 11 Midwest, mid-Atlantic and southeast states including Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. See the table “Management fee revenue by line by state” for the Company included in and referenced to the Management’s Discussion and Analysis in the 2005 Annual Report.
Reserves for losses and loss adjustment expenses
The following table illustrates the change over time of the loss and loss adjustment expense reserves established for the Company’s property/casualty insurance subsidiaries at the end of the last ten calendar years. Conditions and trends that have affected development of the liability in the past may not necessarily occur in the future. Accordingly, it generally is not appropriate to extrapolate future redundancies or deficiencies based on this data.

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Property and Casualty Subsidiaries of Erie Indemnity Company
Reserves for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses
                                                                                 
              At December 31,        
(amounts in millions)   1996     1997     1998     1999     2000     2001     2002     2003     2004     2005  
Gross liability for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expense (“LAE”)
  $ 386.4     $ 413.4     $ 426.2     $ 432.9     $ 477.9     $ 557.3     $ 717.0     $ 845.5     $ 943.0     $ 1,019.5  
Gross liability re-estimated as of:
                                                                               
One year later
    397.4       410.8       431.2       477.0       516.2       622.6       727.2       832.2       927.5          
 
                                                                             
Two years later
    400.9       411.5       448.7       487.2       567.1       635.1       736.3       843.3                  
 
                                                                             
Three years later
    400.4       422.5       453.3       518.6       567.2       649.1       755.5                          
 
                                                                             
Four years later
    404.6       420.5       471.9       518.5       588.7       669.9                                  
 
                                                                             
Five years later
    402.1       435.6       472.2       541.1       619.0                                          
 
                                                                             
Six years later
    412.5       438.3       492.3       568.9                                                  
 
                                                                             
Seven years later
    416.8       456.2       516.4                                                          
 
                                                                             
Eight years later
    433.7       480.1                                                                  
 
                                                                             
Nine years later
    457.5                                                                          
 
                                                                             
Cumulative (deficiency) redundancy
    (71.1 )     (66.7 )     (90.2 )     (136.0 )     (141.1 )     (112.6 )     (38.5 )     2.2       15.5          
 
                                                             
Gross liability for unpaid losses and LAE
  $ 386.4     $ 413.4     $ 426.2     $ 432.9     $ 477.9     $ 557.3     $ 717.0     $ 845.5     $ 943.0     $ 1,019.5  
Reinsurance recoverable on unpaid losses
    301.5       323.9       334.8       337.9       375.6       438.6       577.9       687.8       765.6       828.4  
 
                                                           
Net liability for unpaid losses and LAE
  $ 84.9     $ 89.5     $ 91.4     $ 95.0     $ 102.3     $ 118.7     $ 139.1     $ 157.7     $ 177.4     $ 191.1  
 
                                                           
Net re-estimated liability as of:
                                                                               
One year later
  $ 87.3     $ 88.9     $ 92.5     $ 104.7     $ 109.8     $ 126.6     $ 140.9     $ 162.6     $ 181.2          
 
                                                                             
Two years later
    88.1       89.1       96.2       106.2       116.0       127.0       144.6       171.9                  
 
                                                                             
Three years later
    88.0       91.5       97.2       110.6       116.2       131.9       155.7                          
 
                                                                             
Four years later
    88.9       91.0       101.2       110.8       120.9       143.6                                  
 
                                                                             
Five years later
    88.3       94.3       101.3       115.3       132.5                                          
 
                                                                             
Six years later
    90.6       94.9       105.6       124.8                                                  
 
                                                                             
Seven years later
    91.6       98.8       110.8                                                          
 
                                                                             
Eight years later
    95.3       103.9                                                                  
 
                                                                             
Nine years later
    100.5                                                                          
 
                                                                             
Cumulative (deficiency) redundancy
    (15.6 )     (14.4 )     (19.4 )     (29.8 )     (30.2 )     (24.9 )     (16.6 )     (14.2 )     (3.8 )        
 
                                                             
The development of loss and loss adjustment expenses are presented on a gross basis (gross of ceding transactions in the intercompany pool) and a net basis (the amount remaining as the Company’s exposure after ceding amounts through the intercompany pool and the Company’s insurance subsidiaries assuming their 5.5% of the pool, as well as transactions under the excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement with the Exchange).
The Company’s 5.5% share of the loss and loss reserves of the Property and Casualty Group are shown in the net presentation and are more representative of the actual development of the property/casualty insurance losses accruing to the subsidiaries of the Company. The gross presentation is shown to be consistent with the balance sheet presentation of reinsurance transactions which requires direct and ceded amounts to be presented gross of one another, per FAS 113, “Accounting and Reporting for Reinsurance of Short Duration and Long Duration Contracts”, i.e. the gross liability for unpaid losses and LAE of $1,019.5 million agrees to the gross balance sheet amount, however, factoring in the gross reinsurance recoverables of $828.4 million presented in the balance sheet results in the net obligation to the Company of $191.1 million. The development on a gross basis is not necessarily indicative of the Company’s property/casualty insurance subsidiaries loss reserve development as the remaining transactions (ceded) are not reflected in the amounts.

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Reserves for Unpaid Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses (Continued)
                                                                                 
                                    At December 31                          
(amounts in millions)   1996     1997     1998     1999     2000     2001     2002     2003     2004     2005  
Cumulative amount of gross liability paid through:
                                                                               
One year later
  $ 141.3     $ 136.9     $ 145.4     $ 158.9     $ 174.4     $ 194.3     $ 217.0     $ 259.1     $ 271.4          
 
                                                                             
Two years later
    212.2       211.5       228.2       244.9       270.9       302.1       351.0       410.6                  
 
                                                                             
Three years later
    250.0       256.8       274.9       297.6       326.1       372.5       434.7                          
 
                                                                             
Four years later
    271.6       280.5       300.9       326.9       361.3       418.9                                  
 
                                                                             
Five years later
    285.9       295.9       315.8       347.0       384.8                                          
 
                                                                             
Six years later
    295.0       306.0       325.9       362.9                                                  
 
                                                                             
Seven years later
    302.3       313.1       336.6                                                          
 
                                                                             
Eight years later
    308.2       321.9                                                                  
 
                                                                             
Nine years later
    315.7                                                                          
 
                                                                             
Cumulative amount of net liability paid through:
                                                                               
One year later
  $ 32.6     $ 31.3     $ 33.6     $ 38.9     $ 41.2     $ 47.3     $ 50.5     $ 58.5     $ 54.5          
 
                                                                             
Two years later
    48.7       48.3       52.4       59.2       64.9       72.9       80.9       86.7                  
 
                                                                             
Three years later
    57.8       59.2       63.9       73.5       78.5       91.0       95.5                          
 
                                                                             
Four years later
    63.5       65.5       71.3       80.8       88.3       97.8                                  
 
                                                                             
Five years later
    67.4       70.0       74.9       86.7       91.7                                          
 
                                                                             
Six years later
    70.1       72.1       78.4       90.6                                                  
 
                                                                             
Seven years later
    70.2       74.5       81.4                                                          
 
                                                                             
Eight years later
    73.2       76.8                                                                  
 
                                                                             
Nine years later
    75.2                                                                          
 
                                                                             
The Property and Casualty Group does not discount reserves except for workers’ compensation reserves which are discounted on a nontabular basis. The workers’ compensation reserves are discounted at a 2.5% interest rate as prescribed by the Insurance Department of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The discount is based upon the Property and Casualty Group’s historical workers’ compensation payout pattern. The Company’s unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses reserve was reduced by $4.6 million and $4.1 million at December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively, as a result of this discounting.
The Company’s share of the Property and Casualty Group’s positive development on losses for prior accident years was $3.2 million in 2005 which includes the effects of the Company’s share of an increase in the automobile catastrophe liability reserve of $2.6 million. The positive development on losses of prior accident years in 2005 was experienced primarily in the commercial multi-peril and the private passenger auto uninsured motorists lines of business. The increase in the automobile catastrophe liability reserve was the result of higher cost expectations of future attendant care services as a result of the settlement of class action litigation involving attendant care liabilities. See “Insurance Underwriting Operations” and “Financial Condition” in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis contained in the 2005 Annual Report.
A reconciliation of claims reserves of the Company’s property/casualty insurance subsidiaries can be found at Note 12 of the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” contained in the 2005 Annual Report. Additional discussion of reserve activity can be found in and is referenced to the “Financial Condition” section of the Management’s Discussion and Analysis in the 2005 Annual Report.

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Government Regulation
The Property and Casualty Group is subject to supervision and regulation in the states in which it transacts business. The primary purpose of such supervision and regulation is the protection of policyholders. The extent of such regulation varies, but generally derives from state statutes that delegate regulatory, supervisory and administrative authority to state insurance departments. Accordingly, the authority of the state insurance departments includes the establishment of standards of solvency that must be met and maintained by insurers, the licensing to do business of insurers and agents, the nature of the limitations on investments, the approval of premium rates for property/casualty insurance, the provisions that insurers must make for current losses and future liabilities, the deposit of securities for the benefit of policyholders, the approval of policy forms, notice requirements for the cancellation of policies and the approval of certain changes in control. In addition, many states have enacted variations of competitive rate-making laws that allow insurers to set certain premium rates for certain classes of insurance without having to obtain the prior approval of the state insurance department. State insurance departments also conduct periodic examinations of the affairs of insurance companies and require the filing of annual and other reports relating to the financial condition of insurance companies.
The Property and Casualty Group is also required to participate in various involuntary insurance programs for automobile insurance, as well as other property/casualty lines, in states in which such companies operate. These involuntary programs provide various insurance coverages to individuals or other entities that otherwise are unable to purchase such coverage in the voluntary market. These programs include joint underwriting associations, assigned risk plans, fair access to insurance requirements (“FAIR”) plans, reinsurance facilities and windstorm plans. Legislation establishing these programs generally provides for participation in proportion to voluntary writings of related lines of business in that state. Generally, state law requires participation in such programs as a condition to doing business in that state. The loss ratio on insurance written under involuntary programs has traditionally been greater than the loss ratio on insurance in the voluntary market. Involuntary programs generated underwriting losses for the Property and Casualty Group of $12.5 million and $26.7 million in 2005 and 2004, compared to an underwriting profit of $30.2 million in 2003. The Company’s share of underwriting losses related to involuntary programs was $.7 million and $1.5 million in 2005 and 2004, respectively.
Most states have enacted legislation that regulates insurance holding company systems. Each insurance company in the holding company system is required to register with the insurance supervisory authority of its state of domicile and furnish information regarding the operations of companies within the holding company system that may materially affect the operations, management or financial condition of the insurers within the system. Pursuant to these laws, the respective insurance departments may examine the Company and the Property and Casualty Group at any time, require disclosure of material transactions with the insurers and the Company as an insurance holding company and require prior approval of certain transactions between the Company and the Property and Casualty Group.
All transactions within the holding company system affecting the insurers the Company manages are filed with the applicable insurance departments and must be fair and reasonable. Approval of the applicable insurance commissioner is required prior to the consummation of transactions affecting the control of an insurer. In some states, the acquisition of 10% or more of the outstanding common stock of an insurer or its holding company is presumed to be a change in control.
Internet access
The Company’s annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to those reports are available free of charge on the Company’s website at www.erieinsurance.com as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is filed electronically with the SEC. The Company’s Code of Conduct is available on the Company’s website and in printed form upon request. Also copies of the Company’s annual report will be made available, free of charge, upon written request.

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Item 1A. Risk Factors
The Company’s business involves various risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to those discussed in this section. This information should be considered carefully together with the other information contained in this report including the consolidated financial statements and the related notes. If any of the following events described in the risk factors below actually occur, the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Risk factors related to the Company’s business and relationships with third parties
If the management fee rate paid by the Exchange is reduced, if there is a significant decrease in the amount of premiums written by the Exchange, or if the costs of providing services to the Exchange are not controlled, revenues and profitability could be materially adversely affected.
The Company is dependent upon management fees paid by the Exchange, which represent the Company’s principal source of revenue. The management fee rate is determined by the board of directors and may not exceed 25% of the direct written premiums of the Property and Casualty Group. The board of directors sets the management fee rate each December for the following year. However, at their discretion, the rate can be changed at any time. The factors considered by the board in setting the management fee rate include the Company’s financial position in relation to the Exchange and the long-term needs of the Exchange for capital and surplus to support its continued growth and competitiveness. If the board of directors determines that the management fee rate should be reduced, the Company’s revenues and profitability could be materially adversely affected.
Management fee revenue from the Exchange is calculated by multiplying the management fee rate by the direct premiums written by the Exchange and the direct premiums written by the other members of the Property and Casualty Group, which are assumed by the Exchange under an intercompany pooling arrangement. Accordingly, any reduction in direct premiums written by the Property and Casualty Group would have a proportional negative effect on the Company’s revenues and net income.
Pursuant to the attorney-in-fact agreements with the policyholders of the Exchange, the Company is appointed to perform certain services, regardless of the cost to the Company of providing those services. These services relate to the sales, underwriting and issuance of policies on behalf of the Exchange. The Company would lose money or be less profitable if the cost of providing those services increases significantly.
The Company is subject to credit risk from the Exchange because the management fees from the Exchange are not paid immediately when earned. The Company’s property/casualty insurance subsidiaries are subject to credit risk from the Exchange because the Exchange assumes a higher insurance risk under an intercompany pooling arrangement than is proportional to its direct business contribution to the pool.
The Company recognizes management fees due from the Exchange as income when the premiums are written because at that time the Company has performed substantially all of services it is required to perform, including sales, underwriting and policy issuance activities. However, such fees are not paid to the Company by the Exchange until the Exchange collects the premiums from policyholders. As a result, the Company holds receivables for management fees earned and due the Company.
The Company also holds receivables from the Exchange for costs the Company pays on the Exchange’s behalf and for reinsurance under the intercompany pooling arrangement. The Company’s total receivable

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from the Exchange, including the management fee, reimbursable costs the Company paid on behalf of the Exchange and total amounts recoverable from the intercompany pool, totaled $1.2 billion or 37.2% of the Company’s total assets at December 31, 2005.
Two of the Company’s wholly-owned property/casualty insurance subsidiaries, Erie Insurance Company and Erie Insurance Company of New York are parties to the intercompany pooling arrangement with the Exchange. Under this pooling arrangement, the Company’s insurance subsidiaries cede 100% of their property/casualty underwriting business to the Exchange, which retrocedes 5% of the pooled business to Erie Insurance Company and .5% to Erie Insurance Company of New York. In 2005, approximately 83% of the pooled direct property/casualty business was originally generated by the Exchange and its subsidiary, while 94.5% of the pooled business is retroceded to the Exchange under the intercompany pooling arrangement. Accordingly, the Exchange assumes a higher insurance risk than is proportional to the insurance business it contributes to the pool. In 2005, the Company’s insurance subsidiaries wrote 17% of the direct premiums, while assuming only 5.5% of the risk. This poses a credit risk to the Company’s property/casualty subsidiaries participating in the pool as they retain the responsibility to their direct policyholders if the Exchange is unable to meet its reinsurance obligations.
The financial condition of the Company may suffer because of declines in the value of the securities held in the Company’s investment portfolio that constitute a significant portion of the Company’s assets.
The Company’s fixed income securities investments, which totaled $972 million at December 31, 2005 and comprised 31% of total assets, are exposed to price risk and to risk from changes in interest rates as well as credit risk related to the issuer. The Company does not hedge its exposure to interest rate risk as the Company has the ability to hold fixed income securities to maturity. The Company’s investment strategy achieves a balanced maturity schedule in order to moderate investment income in the event of interest rate declines in a year in which a large amount of securities could be redeemed or mature.
At December 31, 2005, the Company had investments in marketable securities of approximately $266 million and investments in limited partnerships of approximately $153 million, or 8.6% and 5.0% of total assets, respectively. In addition, the Company is obligated to invest up to an additional $243 million in limited partnerships, including in partnerships for U.S. and foreign private equity, real estate and fixed income investments. All of the Company’s marketable security investments are subject to market volatility. The Company’s marketable securities have exposure to price risk and the volatility of the equity markets and general economic conditions.
To the extent that future market volatility negatively impacts our investments, our financial condition will be negatively impacted.
The Company reviews the investment portfolio on a continuous basis to evaluate positions that might have incurred other-than-temporary declines in value. The primary factors considered in the Company’s review of investment valuation include the extent and duration to which fair value is less than cost, historical operating performance and financial condition of the issuer, near term prospects of the issuer and its industry, specific events that occurred affecting the issuer and the Company’s ability and intent to retain the investment for a period of time sufficient to allow for a recovery in value. If the Company’s policy for determining the recognition of impaired positions were different, the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Financial Position and Statements of Operations could be significantly impacted. See also Note 3 of the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” contained in the 2005 Annual Report.

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The threat of terrorism and other actions may adversely affect the Company’s investment portfolio and as a result the Company’s net income and shareholder’s equity.
The threat of terrorism, both within the United States and abroad, and heightened security measures in response to these types of threats, may cause significant volatility and declines in the debt and equity markets in the United States and around the world. In addition, some of the assets in the Company’s investment portfolio may be adversely affected by declines in the equity markets and economic activity caused by the continued threat of terrorism, ongoing military and other actions and heightened security measures. The Company cannot predict whether and the extent to which industry sectors in which the Company maintains investments may suffer losses as a result of potential decreased commercial and economic activity.
The Company can offer no assurances that the threats of future terrorist-like events in the United States and abroad will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations.
Risk factors relating to the business of the Property and Casualty Group
The Property and Casualty Group faces significant competition from other regional and national insurance companies which may result in lower revenues.
The Property and Casualty Group competes with regional and national property/casualty insurers including direct writers of insurance coverage. Many of these competitors are larger and many have greater financial, technical and operating resources. In addition, there is competition within each insurance agency that represents other carriers as well as the Property and Casualty Group.
As discussed previously, the property/casualty insurance industry is highly competitive on the basis of product, price and service. If competitors offer property/casualty products with more coverage and/or better service, or offer lower premiums, the Property and Casualty Group’s ability to grow and renew its business may be adversely impacted.
The internet has also emerged as a growing method of distribution, both from existing competitors using their brand to write business and from new competitors. If the Property and Casualty Group’s method of distribution does not include advancements in technology that meet consumer preferences, its ability to grow and renew its business may be adversely impacted.
If the Erie Insurance Group is unable to keep pace with the rapidly developing technological advancements in the insurance industry or to replace its legacy policy administration systems, the ability of the Property & Casualty Group to compete effectively could be impaired.
Technological development is necessary to reduce the cost of operating the Company and the Property & Casualty Group and to facilitate agents’ and policyholder’s ability to do business with the Property & Casualty Group. If the Erie Insurance Group is unable to keep pace with advancements being made in technology, its ability to compete with other insurance companies who have advanced technological capabilities will be negatively affected. Further, if the Erie Insurance Group is unable to update or replace its legacy policy administration systems as they become obsolete or as emerging technology renders them competitively inefficient, the Property and Casualty Group’s competitive position would be adversely affected.
Premium rates and reserves must be established for members of the Property and Casualty Group from forecasts of the ultimate costs expected to arise from risks underwritten during the policy period. The Company’s underwriting profitability could be adversely affected to the extent such premium rates or reserves are too low.
One of the distinguishing features of the property and casualty insurance industry in general is that its products are priced before its costs are known, as premium rates are generally determined before losses are reported. Accordingly, premium rates must be established from forecasts of the ultimate costs expected to arise from risks underwritten during the policy period and may not prove to be adequate. Further, property and casualty insurers establish reserves for losses and loss adjustment expenses based upon estimates, and it is possible that the ultimate liability will exceed these estimates because of the future development of known losses, the existence of losses that have occurred but are currently unreported and larger than historical settlements on pending and unreported claims. The process of estimating reserves is inherently judgmental and can be influenced by factors that are subject to variation.

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If pricing or reserves established by a member of the Property and Casualty Group are not sufficient, the Company’s underwriting profitability may be adversely impacted.
The financial performance of members of the Property and Casualty Group could be adversely affected by severe weather conditions or other catastrophic losses, including terrorism.
The Property and Casualty Group conducts business in only 11 states and the District of Columbia, primarily in the mid-Atlantic, midwestern and southeastern portions of the United States. A substantial portion of this business is private passenger and commercial automobile, homeowners and workers’ compensation insurance in Ohio, Maryland, Virginia and particularly, Pennsylvania. As a result, a single catastrophe occurrence, destructive weather pattern, general economic trend, terrorist attack, regulatory development or other condition disproportionately affecting one or more of the states in which the Property and Casualty Group conducts substantial business could adversely affect the results of operations of members of the Property and Casualty Group.
Common natural catastrophe events include hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, hail storms and severe winter weather. The frequency and severity of these catastrophes is inherently unpredictable. The extent of losses from a catastrophe is a function of both the total amount of insured exposures in the area affected by the event and the severity of the event.
Actual terrorist attacks could cause losses from insurance claims related to the property/casualty insurance operations, as well as a decrease in the Company’s shareholders’ equity, net income or revenue. The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2005 requires that some coverage for terrorist loss be offered by primary commercial property insurers and provides Federal assistance for recovery of claims through 2007. While the Property and Casualty Group is exposed to terrorism losses in commercial lines and workers’ compensation, these lines are afforded a limited backstop above insurer deductibles for foreign acts of terrorism under this federal program. The Property and Casualty Group has no personal lines terrorist coverage in place. The Property and Casualty Group could incur large net losses if future terrorism attacks occur.
The Property and Casualty Group maintains a property catastrophe reinsurance treaty that was renewed effective January 1, 2006 that provides coverage of 95% of a loss up to $400 million in excess of the Property and Casualty Group’s loss retention of $300 million per occurrence. This treaty excludes losses from acts of terrorism. Nevertheless, catastrophe reinsurance may prove inadequate if a major catastrophic loss exceeds the reinsurance limit which could adversely effect the Company’s underwriting profitability. The Company is particularly exposed to an Atlantic hurricane in its homeowners lines of insurance in the states of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.
The Property and Casualty Group depends on independent insurance agents, which exposes the Property and Casualty Group to risks not applicable to companies with dedicated agents.
The Property and Casualty Group markets and sells its insurance products through independent, non-exclusive agencies. These agencies are not obligated to sell only the Property and Casualty Group’s insurance products, and generally they also sell competitor’s insurance products. As a result, the Property and Casualty Group’s business depends in part on the marketing and sales efforts of these agencies. To the extent these agencies’ marketing efforts cannot be maintained at their current levels of volume or they bind the Property and Casualty Group to unacceptable insurance risks, fail to comply with established underwriting guidelines or otherwise improperly market the Property and Casualty Group’s products, the results of operations and business of the Property and Casualty Group could be adversely affected.
To the extent that business migrates to a delivery system other than independent agencies because of changing consumer preferences, the business of the Property and Casualty Group could be adversely affected. Also, to the extent the agencies choose to place significant or all of their business with

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competing insurance companies, the results of operations and business of the Property and Casualty Group could be adversely affected.
If there were a failure to maintain a commercially acceptable financial strength rating, the Property and Casualty Group’s competitive position in the insurance industry would be adversely affected.
Financial strength ratings are an important factor in establishing the competitive position of insurance companies and may be expected to have an effect on an insurance company’s sales. Higher ratings generally indicate greater financial stability and a stronger ability to meet ongoing obligations to policyholders. Ratings are assigned by rating agencies to insurers based upon factors that they believe are relevant to policyholders. Currently the Property and Casualty Group’s pooled A.M. Best rating is an A+ (“superior”). A significant future downgrade in this or other ratings would reduce the competitive position of the Property and Casualty Group making it more difficult to attract profitable business in the highly competitive property/casualty insurance market.
Changes in applicable insurance laws, regulations or changes in the way regulators administer those laws or regulations could adversely change the Property and Casualty Group’s operating environment and increase its exposure to loss or put it at a competitive disadvantage.
Property and casualty insurers are subject to extensive supervision in the states in which they do business. This regulatory oversight includes, by way of example, matters relating to licensing and examination, rate setting, market conduct, policy forms, limitations on the nature and amount of certain investments, claims practices, mandated participation in involuntary markets and guaranty funds, reserve adequacy, insurer solvency, transactions between affiliates, the amount of dividends that may be paid and restrictions on underwriting standards. Such regulation and supervision are primarily for the benefit and protection of policyholders and not for the benefit of shareholders. For instance, members of the Property and Casualty Group are subject to involuntary participation in specified markets in various states in which it operates, and the rate levels the Property and Casualty Group is permitted to charge do not always correspond with the underlying costs associated with the coverage issued. Although the federal government does not directly regulate the insurance industry, federal initiatives, such as federal terrorism backstop legislation, from time to time, also can impact the insurance industry.
The ability of the Company to attract, develop and retain talented employees, managers and executives is critical to the Company’s success.
The Company’s success depends on its ability to attract, develop and retain talented employees, including executives and other key management. The company’s loss of certain key officers and employees or the failure to attract and develop talented new executives and management could have an adverse effect on the Company’s business.
“Safe Harbor” Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Certain forward-looking statements contained herein involve risks and uncertainties. These statements include certain discussions relating to management fee revenue, cost of management operations, underwriting, premium and investment income volume, business strategies, profitability and business relationships and the Company’s other business activities during 2005 and beyond. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “predict,” “potential” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s current views about future events, are based on assumptions and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from those anticipated in those statements. Many of the factors that will determine future events or achievements are beyond our ability to control or predict.

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Item 1B. Unresolved SEC Comments
None.
Item 2. Properties
The member companies of the Erie Insurance Group (the Company and its subsidiaries, the Exchange and its subsidiary and EFL) share a corporate home office complex in Erie, Pennsylvania, which is comprised of 496,160 square feet. The home office complex is owned by the Exchange. The Company is charged rent expense for the related square footage it occupies.
The Company also operates 23 field offices, including the Erie branch office, in 11 states. Eighteen of these offices provide both agency support and claims services and are referred to as “Branch Offices”, while the remaining five provide only claims services and are considered “Claims Offices”. The Company owns three of its field offices. Three other field offices are owned by the Exchange and leased to the Company. The rent expense incurred by the Company for both the home office complex and the field offices leased from the Exchange totaled $10.3 million in 2005.
One field office is owned by EFL and leased to the Company. The rent expense for the field office leased from EFL was $.3 million in 2005.
The remaining 16 field offices are leased from various unaffiliated parties. In addition to these field offices, the Company leases a warehouse facility from an unaffiliated party. During 2003, the Company entered into a lease for a building in the vicinity of the home office complex. This additional space is used to house certain home office employees. During 2005, the Company entered into a lease for office space for its corporate financial personnel. Total lease payments to external parties amounted to $2.8 million in 2005. Lease commitments for these properties expire periodically through 2011.
The total operating expense, including rent expense, for all office space occupied by the Company in 2005 was $20.1 million. This amount was reduced by allocations to the Property and Casualty Group of $13.9 million for claims operations. The net amount after allocations is reflected in the Company’s cost of management operations.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
Information concerning the legal proceedings of the Company is incorporated by reference to the section “Legal Proceedings” in the Company’s definitive Proxy Statement with respect to the Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on April 18, 2006 to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of December 31, 2005 (the “Proxy Statement”).
Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
No matters were submitted to a vote of security holders during the fourth quarter of 2005.

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PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Reference is made to “Market Price of and Dividends on Common Stock and Related Shareholder Matters” in the 2005 Annual Report, for information regarding the high and low sales prices for the Company’s stock and additional information regarding such stock of the Company.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
                                 
                            Approximate  
                            Dollar Value  
                    Total Number of     of Shares that  
    Total Number     Average     Shares Purchased     May Yet Be  
    of Shares     Price Paid     as Part of Publicly     Purchased Under  
Period   Purchased     Per share     Announced Plan     the Plan  
October 1 – 31, 2005
    367,552     $ 52.68       365,178          
 
                               
November 1 – 30, 2005
    331,482       52.73       331,482          
 
                               
December 1 – 31, 2005
    288,696       52.97       288,696          
 
                         
 
                               
Total
    987,730     $ 52.78       985,356     $ 97,000,000  
 
                         
The month of October 2005 includes shares that vested under the stock compensation plan for the Company’s outside directors of 2,374. Included in this amount are the vesting of 2,216 of awards previously granted and 158 dividend equivalent shares that vest as they are granted (as dividends are declared by the Company).
Item 6. Selected Consolidated Financial Data
Reference is made to “Selected Consolidated Financial Data” in the 2005 Annual Report.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Reference is made to “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the 2005 Annual Report.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure about Market Risk
Reference is made to “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the 2005 Annual Report.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Reference is made to the “Consolidated Financial Statements” and the “Quarterly Results of Operations” contained in the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” in the 2005 Annual Report.

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Item 9. Changes In and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosures
None.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f). Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on framework in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on our evaluation under the framework in Internal Control – Integrated Framework, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2005.
Management’s annual report on internal control over financial reporting and the attestation report of the Company’s registered public accounting firm are included in Exhibit 13 under the headings “Report of Management on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting” and “Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm,” respectively, and incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9B. Other Information
There was no information required to be reported in a report of Form 8-K during the fourth quarter of 2005 that has not been reported.

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PART III
Item 10. Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant
The information with respect to directors, audit committee, and audit committee financial experts of the Company and Section 16(a) beneficial ownership reporting compliance, is incorporated herein by reference to the Company’s definitive Proxy Statement relating to the Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on April 18, 2006 to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of December 31, 2005 in response to this item.
The Company has adopted a code of conduct that applies to all of its directors, officers (including its chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief accounting officer and any person performing similar functions) and employees. The Company previously filed a copy of this Code of Conduct as Exhibit 14 to the Registrant’s 2003 Form 10–K Annual Report as filed with the SEC on March 4, 2004. The Company has also made the Code of Conduct available on its website at http://www.erieinsurance.com.
Certain information as to the executive officers of the Company is as follows:
             
    Age   Principal Occupation for Past
    as of   Five Years and Positions with
Name   12/31/05   Erie Insurance Group
 
President & Chief
Executive Officer
           
 
           
Jeffrey A. Ludrof
    46     President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, Erie Family Life Insurance Company (EFL), Erie Insurance Company, Flagship City Insurance Company (Flagship), Erie Insurance Company of New York (Erie NY), and Erie Insurance Property and Casualty Company (Erie P&C) since May 8, 2002. Executive Vice President–Insurance Operations of the Company, Erie Insurance Co., Flagship, Erie P&C, and Erie NY 1999–May 8, 2002; Senior Vice President of the Company 1994–1999.
 
           
Executive Vice Presidents
           
 
           
Jan R. Van Gorder, Esq.
    58     Senior Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel of the Company, EFL and Erie Insurance Co. since 1990, and of Flagship and Erie P&C since 1992 and 1993, respectively, and of Erie NY since 1994; Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel of the Company, EFL and Erie Insurance Co. for more than five years prior thereto; Director, Erie NY, Flagship and Erie P&C.
 
           
John J. Brinling, Jr.
    58     Executive Vice President of Erie Family Life Insurance Company since December 1990. Division Officer 1984–Present; Director, Erie NY.

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    Age   Principal Occupation for Past
    as of   Five Years and Positions with
Name   12/31/05   Erie Insurance Group
Philip A. Garcia
    49     Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since 1997; Senior Vice President and Controller 1993–1997. Director, the Erie NY, Flagship and Erie P&C.
 
           
Michael J. Krahe
    52     Executive Vice President–Human Development and Leadership since January 2003; Senior Vice President 1999–December 2002; Vice President 1994–1999. Director, the Erie NY, Flagship and Erie P&C.
 
           
Thomas B. Morgan
    42     Executive Vice President–Insurance Operations since January 2003; Senior Vice President October 2000– December 2002; Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager 1997–October 2001; Director, Erie NY, Erie P&C and Flagship.
 
           
Senior Vice President
           
 
           
Douglas F. Ziegler
    55     Senior Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Investment Officer since 1993. Director, the Erie NY, Flagship and Erie P&C.
Item 11. Executive Compensation
The answer to this item is incorporated by reference to the Company’s definitive Proxy Statement relating to the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on April 18, 2006, except for the Performance Graph, which has not been incorporated herein by reference, to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of December 31, 2005.
Item 12.   Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
The information with respect to security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management and securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans, is incorporated by reference to the Company’s definitive Proxy Statement relating to the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on April 18, 2006 to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of December 31, 2005.
As of February 17, 2006, there were approximately 1,052 beneficial shareholders of record of the Company’s Class A non-voting common stock and 20 beneficial shareholders of record of the Company’s Class B voting common stock.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions
The Company’s earnings are largely generated from fees based on the direct written premium of the Exchange in addition to the direct written premium of the other members of the Property and Casualty Group. Also, the Company’s property and casualty insurance subsidiaries participate in the underwriting results of the Exchange via the pooling arrangement. As the Company’s operations are interrelated with the operations of the Exchange, the Company’s results of operations are largely dependent on the success of the Exchange. Reference is made to Note 15 of the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” in the 2005 Annual Report, for a further discussion of the financial results of the Exchange.

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Reference is also made to Note 13 of the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” in the 2005 Annual Report, for a complete discussion of related party transactions.
Information with respect to certain relationships with Company directors is incorporated by reference to the Company’s definitive Proxy Statement relating to the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on April 18, 2006 to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of December 31, 2005.
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services
The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to the Company’s definitive Proxy Statement relating to the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on April 18, 2006, to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of December 31, 2005.
Part IV
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules and Reports on Form 8-K
     (a) Financial statements, financial statement schedules and exhibits filed:
     (1) Consolidated Financial Statements
         
    Page*  
Erie Indemnity Company and Subsidiaries:
       
 
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on the Consolidated Financial Statements
    56  
 
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three years ended December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003
    57  
 
Consolidated Statements of Financial Position as of December 31, 2005 and 2004
    58  
 
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the three years ended December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003
    59  
 
Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity for the three years Ended December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003
    60  
 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
    61  
     (2) Financial Statement Schedules
         
Erie Indemnity Company and Subsidiaries:
       
 
Schedule I. Summary of Investments – Other than Investments in Related Parties
    21  
 
Schedule IV. Reinsurance
    22  
 
Schedule VI. Supplemental Information Concerning Property/Casualty Insurance Operations
    23  
All other schedules have been omitted since they are not required, not applicable or the information is included in the financial statements or notes thereto.
* Refers to the respective page of Erie Indemnity Company’s 2005 Annual Report to Shareholders. The “Consolidated Financial Statements” and “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and Auditors’ Report” thereon on pages 40 to 70 are incorporated by reference. With the exception of the portions of such Annual Report specifically incorporated by reference in this Item and Items 1, 5, 6, 7, 7a, 8 and 13, such Annual Report shall not be deemed filed as part of this Form 10-K Report or otherwise subject to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
     (3) Exhibits – See Exhibit Index on page 25 hereof.

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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
     
February 22, 2006
  ERIE INDEMNITY COMPANY
 
  (Registrant)
/s/ Jeffrey A. Ludrof
 
Jeffrey A. Ludrof, President and CEO (principal executive officer)
/s/ Jan R. Van Gorder
 
Jan R. Van Gorder, Executive Vice President, Secretary & General Counsel
/s/ Philip A. Garcia
 
Philip A. Garcia, Executive Vice President & CFO (principal financial officer)
/s/ Timothy G. NeCastro
 
Timothy G. NeCastro, Senior Vice President & Controller (principal accounting officer)
Board of Directors
         
/s/ Kaj Ahlmann
      /s/ Susan Hirt Hagen
 
       
Kaj Ahlmann
      Susan Hirt Hagen
 
       
/s/ John T. Baily
      /s/ C. Scott Hartz
 
       
John T. Baily
      C. Scott Hartz
 
       
/s/ J. Ralph Borneman, Jr.
      /s/ F. William Hirt
 
       
J. Ralph Borneman, Jr.
      F. William Hirt
 
       
/s/ Wilson C. Cooney
      /s/ Claude C. Lilly, III
 
       
Wilson C. Cooney
      Claude C. Lilly, III
 
       
/s/ Patricia Garrison-Corbin
      /s/ Jeffrey A. Ludrof
 
       
Patricia Garrison-Corbin
      Jeffrey A. Ludrof
 
       
/s/ John R. Graham
      /s/ Robert C. Wilburn
 
       
John R. Graham
      Robert C. Wilburn
 
       
/s/ Jonathan Hagen
       
 
       
Jonathan Hagen
       

20


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SCHEDULE I — SUMMARY OF INVESTMENTS OTHER THAN INVESTMENTS IN RELATED PARTIES
December 31, 2005
                         
                    Amount at which  
                    Shown in the  
    Cost or             Consolidated  
    Amortized     Fair     Statements of  
Type of Investment   Cost     Value     Financial Position  
(In Thousands)                        
Available-for-sale securities:
                       
Fixed maturities:
                       
U.S. treasuries & government agencies
  $ 9,583     $ 9,735     $ 9,735  
States & political subdivisions
    145,528       145,807       145,807  
Special revenue
    195,059       195,745       195,745  
Public utilities
    66,866       69,609       69,609  
U.S. industrial & miscellaneous
    353,843       355,719       355,719  
Mortgage-backed securities
    32,251       32,626       32,626  
Asset-backed securities
    22,117       21,717       21,717  
Foreign
    106,445       109,401       109,401  
Redeemable preferred stock
    30,628       31,851       31,851  
Equity securities:
                       
Common stock:
                       
Public utilities
    1,313       1,473       1,473  
U.S. banks, trusts & insurance companies
    10,783       12,025       12,025  
U.S. industrial & miscellaneous
    53,713       60,782       60,782  
Foreign
    18,950       21,281       21,281  
Nonredeemable preferred stock:
                       
Public utilities
    26,266       26,103       26,103  
U.S. banks, trusts & insurance companies
    64,632       66,836       66,836  
U.S. industrial & miscellaneous
    62,552       65,611       65,611  
Foreign
    11,231       12,223       12,223  
 
                 
Total fixed maturities and equity securities
  $ 1,211,760     $ 1,238,544     $ 1,238,544  
 
                 
Real estate mortgage loans
    4,885       4,885       4,885  
Limited partnerships
    141,405       153,159       153,159  
 
                 
Total investments
  $ 1,358,050     $ 1,396,588     $ 1,396,588  
 
                 

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SCHEDULE IV — REINSURANCE
                                         
                                    Percentage  
            Ceded to     Assumed             of Amount  
            Other     From Other     Net     Assumed  
(In Thousands)   Direct     Companies     Companies     Amount     to Net  
     
December 31, 2005
                                       
Premiums for the year
                                       
Property and Liability Insurance
  $ 704,366     $ 714,787     $ 226,245     $ 215,824       104.8 %
     
 
                                       
December 31, 2004
                                       
Premiums for the year
                                       
Property and Liability Insurance
  $ 699,533     $ 717,236     $ 225,905     $ 208,202       108.5 %
     
 
                                       
December 31, 2003
                                       
Premiums for the year
                                       
Property and Liability Insurance
  $ 644,286     $ 654,841     $ 202,147     $ 191,592       105.5 %
     

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SCHEDULE VI — SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION CONCERNING PROPERTY/CASUALTY INSURANCE OPERATIONS
                                 
    Deferred                      
    Policy             Discount, if        
    Acquisition     Reserves for     any deducted     Unearned  
    Costs     Unpaid Loss & LAE     from reserves*     Premiums  
(In Thousands)                                
@ 12/31/05
                               
Consolidated P&C Entities
  $ 16,436     $ 1,019,459     $ 4,582     $ 454,409  
Unconsolidated P&C Entities
    0       0       0       0  
Proportionate share of registrant & subsidiaries
    0       0       0       0  
     
Total
  $ 16,436     $ 1,019,459     $ 4,582     $ 454,409  
     
 
                               
@ 12/31/04
                               
Consolidated P&C Entities
  $ 17,112     $ 943,034     $ 4,094     $ 472,553  
Unconsolidated P&C Entities
    0       0       0       0  
Proportionate share of registrant & subsidiaries
    0       0       0       0  
     
Total
  $ 17,112     $ 943,034     $ 4,094     $ 472,553  
     
 
                               
@ 12/31/03
                               
Consolidated P&C Entities
  $ 16,761     $ 845,536     $ 3,303     $ 449,606  
Unconsolidated P&C Entities
    0       0       0       0  
Proportionate share of registrant & subsidiaries
    0       0       0       0  
     
Total
  $ 16,761     $ 845,536     $ 3,303     $ 449,606  
     
 
*   Workers’ compensation case and incurred but not reported (IBNR) loss and loss adjustment reserves were discounted at 2.5% for all years presented.

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SCHEDULE VI — SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION CONCERNING PROPERTY/CASUALTY INSURANCE OPERATIONS (CONTINUED)
                                                       
                  Loss and Loss     Adjustment Expense     Amortization              
          Net     Incurred     Related to     of Deferred     Net        
    Earned     Investment     (1)     (2)     Policy     Loss & LAE     Premiums  
    Premiums     Income     Current Year     Prior Years     Acquisition Costs     Paid     Written  
(In Thousands)    
@ 12/31/05
 
 
                                                 
Consolidated P&C Entities
 
$215,824
    $ 20,267     $ 146,312       ($5,927 )   $ 34,227     $ 126,314     $ 214,149  
Unconsolidated P&C Entities
 
0
      0       0       0       0       0       0  
Proportionate share of registrant & subsidiaries
 
0
      0       0       0       0       0       0  
 
   
Total
 
$215,824
    $ 20,267     $ 146,312       ($5,927 )   $ 34,227     $ 126,314     $ 214,149  
     
 
@ 12/31/04
                                                     
Consolidated P&C Entities
 
$208,202
    $ 22,470     $ 153,563       ($343 )   $ 34,341     $ 133,466     $ 216,398  
Unconsolidated P&C Entities
 
0
      0       0       0       0       0       0  
Proportionate share of registrant & subsidiaries
 
0
      0       0       0       0       0       0  
 
   
Total
 
$208,202
    $ 22,470     $ 153,563       ($343 )   $ 34,341     $ 133,466     $ 216,398  
 
   
 
@ 12/31/03
                                                     
Consolidated P&C Entities
 
$191,592
    $ 23,398     $ 154,816       ($1,832 )   $ 38,647     $ 134,365     $ 204,694  
Unconsolidated P&C Entities
 
0
      0       0       0       0       0       0  
Proportionate share of registrant & subsidiaries
 
0
      0       0       0       0       0       0  
 
   
Total
 
$191,592
    $ 23,398     $ 154,816       ($1,832 )   $ 38,647     $ 134,365     $ 204,694  
     

24


Table of Contents

EXHIBIT INDEX
(Pursuant to Item 601 of Regulation S-K)
         
        Sequentially
Exhibit       Numbered
Number   Description of Exhibit   Page
3.5$
  Amended and Restated By-laws of Registrant Section 2.07(a) effective September 9, 2003    
 
       
10.67@@@
  Addendum to Aggregate Excess of Loss Reinsurance Contract effective January 1, 2003 between Erie Insurance Exchange, by and through its Attorney-in-Fact, Erie Indemnity Company and Erie Insurance Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary Erie Insurance Company of New York    
 
       
10.68$$
  Addendum to Aggregate Excess of Loss Reinsurance Contract effective January 1, 2004 between Erie Insurance Exchange, by and through its Attorney-in-Fact, Erie Indemnity Company and Erie Insurance Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary Erie Insurance Company of New York    
 
       
10.69$$
  Addendum to Employment Agreement effective December 12, 2003 by and between Erie Indemnity Company and John J. Brinling, Jr.    
 
       
10.70$$
  Addendum to Employment Agreement effective December 12, 2003 by and between Erie Indemnity Company and Thomas B. Morgan    
 
       
10.71$$
  Addendum to Employment Agreement effective December 12, 2003 by and between Erie Indemnity Company and Michael J. Krahe    
 
       
10.72$$
  Addendum to Employment Agreement effective December 12, 2003 by and between Erie Indemnity Company and Jeffrey A. Ludrof    
 
       
10.73$$
  Addendum to Employment Agreement effective December 12, 2003 by and between Erie Indemnity Company and Philip A. Garcia    
 
       
10.74$$
  Addendum to Employment Agreement effective December 12, 2003 by and between Erie Indemnity Company and Jan R. Van Gorder    
 
       
10.75$$
  Addendum to Employment Agreement effective December 12, 2003 by and between Erie Indemnity Company and Douglas F. Ziegler    
 
       
10.76$$
  Insurance bonus agreement effective December 23, 2003 by and between Erie Indemnity Company and Jeffrey A. Ludrof    
 
       
10.77$$
  Insurance bonus agreement effective December 23, 2003 by and between Erie Indemnity Company and Jeffrey A. Ludrof    
 
       
10.78$$
  Insurance bonus agreement effective December 23, 2003 by and between Erie Indemnity Company and John J. Brinling, Jr.    
 
       
10.79$$
  Insurance bonus agreement effective December 23, 2003 by and between Erie Indemnity Company and Jan R. Van Gorder    
 
       
10.80$$
  Insurance bonus agreement effective December 23, 2003 by and between Erie Indemnity Company and Michael J. Krahe    
 
       
10.81$$
  Insurance bonus agreement effective December 23, 2003 by and between Erie Indemnity Company and Philip A. Garcia    

25


Table of Contents

             
        Sequentially
Exhibit       Numbered
Number   Description of Exhibit   Page
10.82$$
  Insurance bonus agreement effective December 23, 2003 by and between Erie Indemnity Company and Thomas B. Morgan        
 
           
10.83$$$
  Annual Incentive Plan effective March 2, 2004        
 
           
10.84$$$
  Long-term Incentive Plan effective March 2, 2004        
 
           
10.85
  Termination of Aggregate Excess of Loss Reinsurance Contract effective December 31, 2005 between Erie Insurance Exchange, by and through its Attorney-In-Fact, Erie Indemnity Company and Erie Insurance Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary Erie Insurance Company of New York     27  
 
           
13
  2005 Annual Report to Shareholders — Reference is made to the Annual Report furnished to the Commission, herewith     28  
 
           
14$$
  Code of Conduct        
 
           
21
  Subsidiaries of Registrant     88  
 
           
23
  Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm     89  
 
           
31.1
  Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002     90  
 
           
31.2
  Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002     91  
 
           
32
  Certifications pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002     92  
     
@@@
  Such exhibit is incorporated by reference to the like titled exhibit in the Registrant’s Form 10-Q quarterly report for the quarter ended March 31, 2003 that was filed with the Commission on April 24, 2003.
 
   
$
  Such exhibit is incorporated by reference to the like titled exhibit in the Registrant’s Form 10-Q quarterly report for the quarter ended September 30, 2003 that was filed with the Commission on October 29, 2003.
 
   
$$
  Such exhibit is incorporated by reference to the like titled exhibit in the Registrant’s Form 10-K annual report for the year ended December 31, 2003 that was filed with the Commission on March 4, 2004.
 
   
$$$
  Such exhibit is incorporated by reference to the like titled exhibit in the Registrant’s Form 10-K annual report for the year ended December 31, 2004 that was filed with the Commission on March 4, 2005.

26

EX-10.85
 

Exhibit 10.85
Erie Insurance Company and Erie Insurance Company of New York
Erie, Pennsylvania
AGGREGATE EXCESS OF LOSS REINSURANCE
ADDENDUM NO. 5
TERMINATION ADDENDUM
Amendment to the REINSURANCE CONTRACT made the first day of January, 1998, between ERIE INSURANCE EXCHANGE, by and through its Attorney-in-Fact, ERIE INDEMNITY COMPANY, of Erie, Pennsylvania, (hereafter called the “REINSURER”), and ERIE INSURANCE COMPANY and its wholly owned subsidiary ERIE INSURANCE COMPANY OF NEW YORK, both of Erie, Pennsylvania (herein referred to collectively (or individually as the context requires) as the “COMPANY”)
It is understood and agreed that this Reinsurance Contract shall be terminated on December 31, 2005, in accordance with Article 18 — Termination.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized representatives.
In Erie, Pennsylvania, this 8th day of November, 2005.
         
ATTEST:
  ERIE INSURANCE COMPANY    
 
       
/s/ Margaret Porter
  /s/ J.R. Van Gorder    
 
       
 
  J. R. Van Gorder    
 
  Sr. Exec. V.P., Secretary & General Counsel    
 
       
 
  ERIE INSURANCE COMPANY    
ATTEST:
  OF NEW YORK    
/s/ Margaret Porter
  /s/ Philip A. Garcia    
 
       
 
  Philip A. Garcia    
 
  Executive Vice President & CFO    
 
       
 
  ERIE INSURANCE EXCHANGE, by    
 
  ERIE INDEMNITY COMPANY,    
ATTEST:
  Attorney-in-Fact    
 
       
/s/ Margaret Porter
  /s/ Michael S. Zavasky    
 
       
 
  Michael S. Zavasky    
 
  Senior Vice President    

27

EX-13
 

Exhibit 13
(FOCUS 2005 LOGO)

                                                   
      Years ended December 31  
      (amounts in thousands, except per share data)  
      2005       2004       2003       2002       2001  
                               
Operating data
                                                 
Total operating revenue
    $ 1,124,950       $ 1,123,144       $ 1,048,788       $ 920,723       $ 764,938  
Total operating expenses
      900,731         884,916         820,478         705,871         600,833  
Total investment income—unaffiliated
      115,237         88,119         66,743         40,549         17,998  
Provision for income taxes
      111,733         105,140         102,237         84,886         60,561  
Equity in earnings of Erie Family Life Insurance, net of tax
      3,381         5,206         6,909         1,611         719  
                               
Net income
    $ 231,104       $ 226,413       $ 199,725       $ 172,126       $ 122,261  
                               
 
                                                 
Per share data
                                                 
Net income per share-diluted
    $ 3.34       $ 3.21       $ 2.81       $ 2.41       $ 1.71  
Book value per share—Class A common and equivalent B shares
      18.81         18.14         16.40         13.91         12.15  
Dividends declared per Class A share
      1.335         0.970         0.785         0.700         0.6275  
Dividends declared per Class B share
      200.25         145.50         117.75         105.00         94.125  
 
                                                 
Financial position data
                                                 
Investments (1)
    $ 1,452,431       $ 1,371,442       $ 1,241,236       $ 1,047,304       $ 885,650  
Recoverables from the Exchange and affiliates
      1,176,419         1,144,625         1,024,146         844,049         655,655  
Total assets
      3,101,261         2,982,804         2,756,329         2,359,545         1,985,568  
Shareholders’ equity
      1,278,602         1,266,881         1,164,170         987,372         865,255  
Cumulative number of shares repurchased at December 31
      6,438         4,548         3,403         3,403         3,196  
(1)   Includes investment in Erie Family Life Insurance Company.
(PICTURE)

28


 

(FOCUS 2005 LOGO)

The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and related notes found on pages 42–73 as they contain important information helpful in evaluating the Company’s operating results and financial condition. The discussions below also focus heavily on the Company’s three primary segments: management operations, insurance underwriting operations and investment operations. The segment basis financial results presented throughout Management’s Discussion & Analysis herein are those which management uses internally to monitor and evaluate results and are a supplemental presentation of the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Introduction
 
Erie Indemnity Company (Company) operates predominantly as a provider of management services to the Erie Insurance Exchange (Exchange). The Exchange is a reciprocal insurance exchange, which is an unincorporated association of individuals, partnerships and corporations that agree to insure one another. Each applicant for insurance to a reciprocal insurance exchange signs a subscriber’s agreement that contains an appointment of an attorney-in-fact. The Company has served since 1925 as the attorney-in-fact for the policyholders of the Exchange. As attorney-in-fact, the Company is required to perform certain services relating to the sales, underwriting and issuance of policies on behalf of the Exchange. For its services as attorney-in-fact, the Company charges a management fee calculated as a percentage, not to exceed 25%, of the direct and affiliated assumed
premiums written of the Exchange. Management fees accounted for approximately 72% of the Company’s total revenues for 2005.
The Company also operates as a property/casualty insurer through its three insurance subsidiaries. The Exchange and its property/casualty subsidiary and the Company’s three property/casualty subsidiaries (collectively, the “Property and Casualty Group”) write personal and commercial lines property/casualty coverages exclusively through independent agents. The financial position or results of operations of the Exchange are not consolidated with those of the Company. During 2005, almost 70% of the direct premiums written by the Property and Casualty Group were personal lines, while 30% were commercial lines.
The Exchange is the Company’s sole customer. The members of the Property and Casualty Group pool their underwriting results. Under the pooling agreement, the Exchange assumes 94.5% of the pool. Accordingly, the underwriting risk of the Property and Casualty Group’s business is largely borne by the Exchange, which had $3.4 billion and $2.8 billion of statutory surplus at December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively. Through the pool, the Company’s property/casualty subsidiaries currently assume 5.5% of the Property and Casualty Group’s underwriting results, and, therefore, the Company also has direct incentive to manage the insurance underwriting as effectively as possible.
The Property and Casualty Group seeks to insure standard and preferred risks primarily in private passenger automobile, homeowners and small


 
(ERIE INSURANCE GROUP ORGANIZATION CHART)

29


 

commercial lines, including worker’s compensation. The Property and Casualty Group’s sole distribution channel is its independent agency force, which consists of over 1,700 independent agencies comprised of 7,800 licensed representatives in 11 midwestern, mid-Atlantic and southeastern states (Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, NewYork, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin) and the District of Columbia. The Property and Casualty Group became licensed in the state of Minnesota in December 2004, although it has not established a definitive date to begin writing business in that state. In addition to their principal role as salespersons, the independent agents play a significant role as underwriters and service providers and are major contributors to the Property and Casualty Group’s success.
The company also owns 21.6% of the common stock of Erie Family Life Insurance (EFL), an affiliated life insurance company, of which the Exchange owns 53.5% and public shareholders, including certain of the Company’s directors, own 24.9%. The company, together with the Property and Casualty Group and EFL, collectively operate as the “Erie Insurance Group.”
For a complete discussion of all intercompany agreements, see the Transactions with Related Parties section following the Liquidity and Capital Resources section herein.
     
Overview
   
 
                         
    Years ended December 31  
    (dollars in thousands)  
    except per share data  
    2005     2004     2003  
 
Income from management operations
  $ 209,269     $ 242,592     $ 253,251  
Underwriting income(loss)
    14,950       (4,364 )     (24,941 )
Net revenue from investment operations
    118,873       93,717       74,172  
 
Income before income taxes
    343,092       331,945       302,482  
Provision for income taxes
    111,988       105,532       102,757  
 
Net income
  $ 231,104     $ 226,413     $ 199,725  
 
Net income per
share-diluted
  $ 3.34     $ 3.21     $ 2.81  
 
HIGHLIGHTS
  Net income per share–diluted increased 4.0% in 2005 due to improvements in insurance underwriting operations and investment operations.
 
  Gross margins from management operations decreased to 21.8% in 2005 from 25.1% in 2004.
  The management fee rate was 23.75% for 2005 and 23.5% from January to June 2004 and 24.0% for the remainder of 2004 (effectively 23.74% in 2004).
 
  GAAP combined ratios of the insurance underwriting operations improved to 93.1 in 2005 from 102.1 in 2004.
 
  Increase of 26.8% in net revenues from investment operations includes $10.1 million in adjustments to the market value of limited partnership investments in 2005; these adjustments were not included in income in 2004.
 
  The effective tax rate of 32.9% in 2005 was impacted by a $.7 million credit related to prior years. A $ 3.1 million benefit was recorded to the 2004 tax provision related to prior years which decreased the effective tax rate to 32.2% in 2004 from 34.7% in 2003.
 
  The Company repurchased shares of its common stock totaling $ 99.0 million in 2005 at an average price of $52.36 per share.
 
  Return on average equity declined to 18.2 for 2005 compared to 18.6 for 2004.
         
SEGMENT OVERVIEWS
       
 
 
Management operations
       
  Management fee revenues decreased .5% in 2005 compared to 2004. The two determining factors of management fee revenue are: 1) the management fee rate charged by the Company, and 2) the direct written premiums of the Property and Casualty Group. The effective management fee rate was 23.75% for 2005 and 23.74% for 2004.
 
  In 2005, the direct written premiums of the Property and Casualty Group decreased 1.0% compared to an 8.9% increase in 2004. The implementation of a personal lines price segmentation model and the continued refinement of rate classifications contributed to this decrease in premiums written, as the average premiums per policy declined. While price segmentation allows the Property and Casualty Group to provide a better correlation between the associated risk and rates charged to policyholders, the short-term impact of introducing such pricing can be disruptive to new policy growth. New policy direct written premiums of the Property and Casualty Group decreased 7.5% in 2005. The recent improvements in underwriting profitability afforded the Property and Casualty Group the ability to implement rate reductions in 2005 to allow for more attractive prices to potential new policyholders and improve the retention of existing policyholders. The impact of rate changes that were effective in 2005 resulted in a net decrease in written premiums of the Property and Casualty Group of $9.9 million. Rate reductions are planned for 2006, which will continue to lower the average premium per policy and slow premium growth of the Property and Casualty Group.
    The Property and Casualty Group continues to maintain its focus on underwriting discipline


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and profitability as well as concentrating on quality growth. With the recent improvements in underwriting profitability, the Property and Casualty Group is in a stronger financial position to compete for profitable business. The Property and Casualty Group was able to implement moderate pricing actions during 2005, many of which were rate decreases in its most significant line of business, private passenger auto, in Pennsylvania. The continued refinement and increased utilization of segmented pricing in 2006 will enable the Company to offer competitive rates to more customers, providing greater flexibility in pricing policies with varying degrees of risk. The Company plans to continue its agent appointment efforts, generating an anticipated increase of 125 new independent agents in 2006.
  The cost of management operations increased $27.3 million, or 3.8%, in 2005 compared to 2004. The increase in cost of management operations in 2005 was the result of:
    Commissions—Total commission costs were up 1.6% to $539.5 million in 2005 compared to 2004. Agent bonuses increased $24.9 million, as the bonus structure focuses on underwriting profitability, which improved dramatically over the measurement period used for the bonus formula. Normal scheduled commissions were $18.2 million lower in 2005 compared to 2004, primarily due to reduced commercial commission rates that became effective on premiums collected beginning January 1, 2005, and the 1.0% decline in direct premiums written of the Property and Casualty Group. New promotional incentive programs that began in 2005, aimed at stimulating premium growth, contributed $1.6 million in additional costs in 2005.
 
    Total costs other than commissions rose $18.9 million to $212.0 million in 2005, mostly as a result of increased personnel and underwriting costs. Personnel costs, including external contract labor, increased $13.4 million and insurance scoring costs increased $3.6 million in 2005.
 
    Personnel costs—Salaries and wages and other personnel costs of employees increased $10.2 million in 2005 driven by increased staffing levels and normal pay rate increases. Contract labor costs increased $3.2 million, primarily related to information technology projects.
 
    Insurance scoring costs—In the latter part of 2004, the use of insurance scores was implemented in the underwriting process on new business and was part of the Company’s initiatives to focus on underwriting profitability of the Property and Casualty Group. In 2005, insurance scores were obtained for all new and renewal private passenger auto and homeowners business for underwriting and rating purposes, which resulted in increased costs of $3.6 million in 2005 compared to 2004.
Insurance underwriting operations
Contributing to the improved insurance underwriting operations, resulting in a 93.1 GAAP combined ratio, were the following factors:
    Focused management efforts on improving underwriting profitability by the Property and Casualty Group in 2005 and 2004
 
    Below normalized level of catastrophe losses during 2005
    The Property and Casualty Group was not impacted by any of the major hurricanes of 2005, including Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma
    Lower level of charges related to the reversals of recoveries under the intercompany aggregate excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement between the Company’s property/casualty insurance subsidiaries and the Exchange, which were $2.2 million in 2005, compared to $7.7 million in 2004.
Investment operations
    Net investment income increased 1.0% in 2005 compared to 2004. While certain funds were reinvested in the market, a portion of the available capital was used to repurchase Company stock of $99.0 million during 2005, compared to $54.1 million in 2004. Investment expense rose due to fees being paid to external managers of the common stock portfolio, which were hired in the fourth quarter of 2004. Also, certain taxable corporate debt securities were sold and replaced with tax-exempt municipal bonds.
 
    A one-time $10.1 million, or $.10 per share-diluted, correction was made in 2005 to record limited partnership market value adjustments which increased equity in earnings of limited partnerships. The limited partnership market value adjustment was previously recorded as a component of shareholders’ equity. The Company saw improved performance on its limited partnership private equity investments and the number of limited partnerships included in the portfolio increased in 2005.
The topics addressed in this overview are discussed in more detail in the sections that follow.
Critical accounting estimates
 
The Company makes estimates and assumptions that have a significant effect on amounts and disclosures reported in the financial statements. The most significant estimates relate to valuation of investments, reserves for property/casualty insurance unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses and retirement benefits. While management believes its estimates are appropriate, the ultimate amounts may differ from the estimates provided. The estimates and the estimating methods used are reviewed continually, and any adjustments considered necessary are reflected in current earnings.


 

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Investment valuation
Management makes estimates concerning the valuation of all investments. Except in rare cases where quoted market prices are not available, the Company values fixed maturities and equity securities based on published market prices.
The primary basis for the valuation of limited partnership interests are financial statements prepared by the general partner. Because of the timing of the preparation and delivery of these financial statements, the use of the most recently available financial statements provided by the general partners typically results in not less than a quarter delay in the inclusion of the limited partnership results in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations. The general partners use various methods to estimate fair value of unlisted debt and equity investments, property and other investments for which there is no published market. These valuation techniques may vary broadly depending on the asset class of the partnership. Due to the nature of the investments, general partners must make assumptions about the underlying companies or assets as to future performance, financial condition, liquidity, availability of capital, market conditions and other factors to determine the estimated fair value. The valuation procedures can include techniques such as cash flow multiples, discounted cash flows or the pricing used to value the entity or similar entities in recent financing transactions. The general partners’ estimate and assumption of fair value of nonmarketable securities may differ significantly from the values that could have been derived had a ready market existed. These values are not necessarily indicative of the value that would be received in a current sale and valuation differences could be significant. Upon receipt of the quarterly and annual financial statements, management performs an in-depth analysis of the valuations provided by the general partners. Management surveys each of the general partners about expected significant changes (plus or minus 10% compared to previous quarter) to valuations prior to the release of the fund’s quarterly and annual financial statements. In the event of an expected significant change, the general partner will notify the Company and the Company will evaluate the potential change.
Investments are evaluated monthly for other-than-temporary impairment loss. Some factors considered in evaluating whether or not a decline in fair value is other-than-temporary include:
    the extent and duration for which fair value is less than cost
 
    historical operating performance and financial condition of the issuer
 
    near-term prospects of the issuer and its industry based on analysts’ recommendations
 
    specific events that occurred affecting the issuer, including rating downgrades
 
    the Company’s ability and intent to retain the investment for a period of time sufficient to allow for a recovery in value.
An investment deemed impaired is written down to its estimated net realizable value. Impairment charges are included as a realized loss in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Property/casualty insurance liabilities
Reserves for property/casualty insurance unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses reflect the Company’s best estimate of future amounts needed to pay losses and related expenses with respect to insured events. The process of establishing the liability for property/casualty unpaid loss and loss adjustment expense reserves is a complex process, requiring the use of informed judgments and estimates. Reserve estimates are based on management’s assessment of known facts and circumstances, review of historical settlement patterns, estimates of trends in claims frequency and severity, legal theories of liability and other factors. Variables in the reserve estimation process can be affected by both internal and external events, such as changes in claims handling procedures, economic inflation, legal trends and legislative changes. Many of these items are not directly quantifiable, particularly on a prospective basis. There may be significant reporting lags between the occurrence of the policy event and the time it is actually reported to the insurer.
Management reviews reserve estimates on a quarterly basis. Product line data is grouped according to common characteristics. Multiple estimation methods are employed for each product line and product coverage combination analyzed at each evaluation date. Most estimation methods assume that past patterns discernible in the historical data will be repeated in the future, absent a significant change in pertinent variables. Significant changes, which are either known or reasonably projected through analysis of internal and external data, are quantified in the reserve estimates each quarter. The estimation methods chosen are those that are believed to produce the most reliable indication at that particular evaluation date for the losses being evaluated.
Using multiple estimation methods results in a reasonable range of estimates for each product line and product coverage combination. The nature of the insurance product, number of risk factors, pervasiveness of the risk factors across product lines, and interaction of risk factors all influence the size of the range of reasonable reserve estimates. Whether the risk factor is sudden or evolutionary in nature, and whether a risk factor is temporary or permanent, also influences reserve estimates. The final estimate recorded by management is a function of detailed analysis of historical trends, which is adjusted as new emerging data indicates.
The factors which may potentially cause the greatest variation between current reserve estimates and the actual future paid amounts are: unforeseen changes in statutory or case law altering the amounts to be paid on existing claim obligations; new medical procedures and/or drugs, which result in costs significantly different from the past; and claims patterns on current business that differ significantly from historical patterns.


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The Company also performs analyses to evaluate the adequacy of past reserves. Using subsequent information, the Company performs retrospective reserve analyses to test whether previously established estimates for reserves were reasonable. See also the Financial Condition section herein.
A relatively small percentage change in the estimate of net loss reserves would have impacted the Company’s operating results. For example, a hypothetical 1% increase in net loss reserves at December 31, 2005, would have resulted in a pre-tax charge of approximately $2.0 million. The Property and Casualty Group’s coverage that has the greatest potential for variation is the pre-1986 automobile catastrophic injury liability reserve. Automobile no-fault law in Pennsylvania before 1986 provided for unlimited medical benefits. The estimate of ultimate liabilities for these claims is subject to significant judgment due to variations in claimant health and mortality over time. At December 31, 2005, the range of reasonable estimates for reserves related to these claims, net of reinsurance recoverables, for both personal and commercial lines is from $188.5 million to $443.3 million for the Property and Casualty Group. The reserve carried by the Property and Casualty Group, which is management’s best estimate of this liability at this time, was $262.8 million at December 31, 2005, which is net of $127.1 million of anticipated reinsurance recoverables. The Company’s property/casualty subsidiaries share of the net automobile catastrophic injury liability reserve is $14.5 million at December 31, 2005.
Pension and postretirement health benefits
The Company’s pension plan for employees is the largest and only funded benefit plan of the Company. The Company also provides postretirement medical and pharmacy coverage for eligible retired employees and eligible dependents. The Company’s pension and other postretirement benefit obligations are developed from actuarial estimates in accordance with Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) 87, “Employers’ Accounting for Pensions,” and FAS 106, “Employers’ Accounting for Postretirement Benefits Other than Pensions.” The Company uses a consulting actuarial firm to develop these estimates. As pension and other postretirement obligations will ultimately be settled in future periods, the determination of annual expense and liabilities is subject to estimates and assumptions. With the assistance of the consulting actuarial firm, Company management reviews these assumptions annually and modifies them based on historical experience and expected future trends. Changes in the Company’s pension and other postretirement benefit obligations may occur in the future due to variances in actual results from the key assumptions made by Company management. At December 31, 2005, the fair market value of the pension assets totaled $220.5 million, which continues to exceed the accumulated
benefit obligation of $164.1 million at that date. Unrecognized actuarial gains and losses are being recognized over a 16-year period, which represents the expected remaining service life of the employee group.
Because of the amount of sensitivity in reported assets, operating results and financial position, the most critical assumptions are the discount rate and the expected long-term rate of return. For both the pension and other postretirement health benefit plans, the discount rate is estimated to reflect the prevailing market rate of a portfolio of high-quality fixed-income debt instruments that would provide the future cash flows needed to pay the projected benefits included in the benefit obligations as they become due. In determining the discount rate, management engaged the Company’s consulting actuarial firm to complete a bond-matching study in accordance with guidance provided in FAS 87 and FAS 106 and Securities and Exchange Commission Staff Accounting Bulletins. The study developed a portfolio of non-callable bonds rated AA- or better. The cash flows from the bonds were matched against the Company’s projected benefit payments in the pension plan. This bond-matching study supported the selection of a 5.75% discount rate for the 2006 pension expense. The same discount rate was selected for the postretirement health benefits. The 2005 expense was based on a discount rate assumption of 6.00%. A change of 25 basis points in the discount rate assumption, with other assumptions held constant, would have an estimated $2.1 million impact on net pension and other postretirement benefit cost in 2006, before consideration of reimbursement of affiliates.
The expected long-term rate of return for the pension plan represents the average rate of return to be earned on plan assets over the period the benefits included in the benefit obligation are to be paid. The expected long-term rate of return is less susceptible to annual revisions as there are typically not significant changes in the asset mix. The long-term rate-of-return is based on historical long-term returns for asset classes included in the pension plan’s target allocation. A reasonably possible change of 25 basis points in the expected long-term rate of return assumption, with other assumptions held constant, would have an estimated $.5 million impact on net pension benefit cost, before consideration of reimbursement from affiliates. Further information on the Company’s pension and postretirement benefit plans is provided on page 58 in Note 8.
New accounting standards
 
See Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of recently issued accounting pronouncements.


 

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Management fee revenue by state and line of business
                                                                       
      For the year ended December 31, 2005 (dollars in thousands)
                Private                 Commercial       Workers’       Commercial       All other lines  
State     Total       passenger auto       Homeowners       multi-peril       compensation       auto       of business  
 
Pennsylvania
    $ 430,863       $ 235,183       $ 70,049       $ 39,691       $ 40,712       $ 30,895       $ 14,333  
Maryland
      118,419         56,182         24,974         9,682         11,971         10,436         5,174  
Virginia
      81,913         30,748         14,044         11,394         12,640         8,509         4,578  
Ohio
      77,468         35,530         16,858         13,740         0         6,912         4,428  
North Carolina
      56,447         21,017         13,558         7,063         4,531         6,423         3,855  
West Virginia
      45,055         25,621         9,064         4,784         0         3,824         1,762  
Indiana
      38,055         17,597         10,318         3,684         2,084         2,325         2,047  
New York
      36,942         16,588         5,079         6,396         3,219         4,162         1,498  
Illinois
      22,481         7,836         4,646         3,340         3,462         1,972         1,225  
Tennessee
      18,365         5,196         3,247         3,907         2,665         2,282         1,068  
Wisconsin
      9,701         4,503         2,278         1,158         600         517         645  
District of Columbia
      4,065         947         655         888         1,061         159         355  
                                           
Total
    $ 939,774       $ 456,948       $ 174,770       $ 105,727       $ 82,945       $ 78,416       $ 40,968  
 
This table is gross of an allowance for management fees returned on mid-term cancellations and the intersegment elimination of management fee revenue.

Analysis of business segments
 
Management operations
                         
    Years ended December 31  
(dollars in thousands)   2005     2004     2003  
 
Management fee revenue
  $ 940,274     $ 945,066     $ 878,380  
                         
Service agreement revenue
    20,568       21,855       27,127  
 
Total revenue from management operations
    960,842       966,921       905,507  
                         
Cost of management operations
    751,573       724,329       652,256  
 
Income from management operations
  $ 209,269     $ 242,592     $ 253,251  
 
Gross margins
    21.8 %     25.1 %     28.0 %
                         
Effective management fee rate
    23.75 %     23.74 %     24 %
 
HIGHLIGHTS
  Effective management fee rate was 23.75% in 2005 and 23.74% in 2004
  Direct written premiums of the Property and Casualty Group decreased 1.0% in 2005
    Policies in force were 3,759,599 and 3,771,105 at December 2005 and 2004, respectively, a decrease of .3%
    Year-over-year premium per policy was $1,052 in 2005 and $1,060 in 2004, a decrease of .7%
 
    Premium rate decreases resulted in a $9.9 million decrease in written premiums in 2005
  Cost of management operations increased 3.8% with commission costs increasing 1.6% and costs other than commissions increasing 9.8%
  Agent bonuses increased $24.9 million in 2005 while commercial commission costs decreased $17.5 million
  Personnel costs increased $13.4 million, including a $3.2 million increase in external contract labor costs
Management fee revenue
Management fees represented 71.6% of the Company’s total revenues for 2005 and 73.7% and 74.4% of the Company’s total revenues for 2004 and 2003, respectively. The management fee rate set by the Company’s Board of Directors and the volume of direct written premiums of the Property and Casualty Group determine the level of management fees. Changes in the management fee rate affect the Company’s revenue and net income significantly. The management fee rate was set at 23.75% in 2005. In 2004, the management fee rate was set at 23.5% for the first six months of the year and 24.0% for the last six months of the year, effectively 23.74% for the year. In 2003, the rate was 24%. The Company’s Board of Directors set the management fee rate at 24.75% beginning January 1, 2006. If the management fee rate had been 24.75% in 2005, management fee revenue would have increased $39.6 million, or $.37 per share-diluted.
Management fees are returned to the Exchange when policyholders cancel their insurance coverage mid-term and unearned premiums are refunded to them. The


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Company maintains an allowance for management fees returned on mid-term policy cancellations that recognizes the management fee anticipated to be returned to the Exchange based on historical mid-term cancellation experience. Due to changes in the allowance, management fee revenues were increased by $.5 million in 2005, compared to being reduced by $4.1 million and $3.0 million in 2004 and 2003, respectively. The 2005 adjustment reflects a leveling off of mid-term cancellations evidenced by policy retention ratios of 88.6% at December 31, 2005, compared to 88.4% at December 31, 2004. The reduction in management fee revenues of $4.1 million in 2004 reflected higher cancellations, as anticipated with the introduction of segmented pricing, evidenced by the decrease in retention ratios from 90.2% at December 31, 2003, to 88.4% at December 31, 2004. The cash flows of the Company are unaffected by the recording of the allowances.
Management fee revenue derived from the direct written premiums of the Property and Casualty Group, before consideration of the allowance for mid-term cancellations, was $939.8 million in 2005, compared to $949.2 million in 2004. The direct written premiums of the Property and Casualty Group were $4.0 billion in 2005 and 2004, reflecting a 1.0% decrease, compared to growth of 8.9% in 2004 from $3.7 billion in 2003. The decline in growth of direct written premiums of the Property and Casualty Group in 2004 and the further decrease in 2005 reflects the impact of the decline in new policy growth and lower average premium per policy partially as a result of rate decreases. In 2004, much of the growth resulted from offsetting rate increases.
Premium production
The Property and Casualty Group’s premiums produced from new business declined as anticipated in 2005. New business premiums written in total were $369.0 million in 2005, down 7.5% from $399.0 million in 2004, and significantly lower than the $501.9 million produced in 2003. Policy retention ratios stabilized to a 12-month moving average of 88.6% in 2005, up slightly from 88.4% in 2004, after decreasing from 90.2% in 2003.
Personal lines—Personal lines new business premiums written decreased 12.4% to $246.2 million in 2005 from $281.0 million in 2004 and $333.3 million in 2003. The Property and Casualty Group’s largest personal line of business is private passenger auto for which new business premiums written decreased to $149.1 million in 2005 from $177.8 million and $218.2 million in 2004 and 2003, respectively. The 12-month moving average policy retention ratio for personal lines was 89.1%, 88.8% and 90.5% in 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively. The 12-month moving average policy retention ratio for private passenger auto was 90.0% in 2005 and 2004, and 91.6% in 2003.
During 2003 and 2004, the Property and Casualty Group implemented various initiatives to focus on underwriting profitability to control exposure growth and improve underwriting risk selection.
The Company also implemented significant rate increases in all lines. In 2005, the Company introduced the use of insurance scoring for underwriting purposes for private passenger auto and homeowners lines of business in all operating states, except Maryland. The introduction of the pricing segmentation model for personal lines, that included insurance scoring, segments policyholders into different rate classes based on the associated risks, and was a significant change from the judgment-based underwriting model previously used by the Company. Segmenting policyholders into rate classes helps insurers provide a better matching of prices and related risks. The short-term impact of segmented pricing is higher policy retention among policyholders realizing either base rate decreases or greater discounts, which reduces the premium base, and lower policy retention among policyholders whose rates rise under the new rate plan. The long-term impact should result in a more desirable pool of risks contributing to improvements in claims severity. Introducing new variables into the pricing plan should result in improvements in frequency of claims. In the long run, the plan results in better risk selection, lower loss costs and the ability to offer lower prices to consumers and attract the most favorable risks. Current personal lines market conditions reflect price stabilization, or slightly reducing rate levels. It is anticipated that the Property and Casualty Group’s 2006 pricing strategy on introducing further refinements in personal lines price segmenting will contribute to an improved competitive position in the marketplace. Many insurers in the property/casualty industry were impacted by the major hurricanes in 2005, which in turn will need to be considered in their underwriting, pricing and capital allocation decisions in 2006. These decisions may affect the pricing environment for personal lines insurance in 2006 and beyond. The regions in which the Property and Casualty Group operates were not impacted by the major hurricanes of 2005.
Commercial lines—The commercial lines new business premiums written rose 4.0% to $122.3 million in 2005 from $117.5 million in 2004, which had decreased 30.2% from $168.4 million in 2003. The 12-month moving average policy retention ratio for commercial lines was 85.2%, 85.1% and 87.3% in 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively. The Property and Casualty Group’s largest commercial lines of business, based upon written premiums, are commercial auto and workers’ compensation. During 2005, the Property and Casualty Group implemented initiatives to provide more competitive rates for higher quality workers’ compensation risks. A more formalized process of evaluating workers’ compensation accounts should allow a better alignment between rate and risk level similar to the pricing segmentation efforts in the personal lines.
While premiums per policy have decreased, these premiums are associated with more preferred risks.


 

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Premium rates and rate change impacts
The average premium per policy decreased .7% to $1,052 in 2005 from $1,060 in 2004, which had increased 8.1% in 2003. The average premium per personal lines policy decreased 1.6% while commercial lines average premiums increased .6% from 2004. In 2004, compared to 2003, the average premium per personal lines policy increased 8.6% and commercial lines average premiums increased 6.9%.
The recent improvement in underwriting results afforded the Property and Casualty Group the ability to implement rate reductions in 2005 to be more price competitive for potential new policyholders and improve retention of existing policyholders. Significant rate increases had been obtained in 2004 and 2003 to offset growing loss costs in certain lines. The Property and Casualty Group writes one-year policies. Consequently, rate actions take 12 months to be fully recognized in written premium and 24 months to be recognized fully in earned premiums. Since rate changes are realized at renewal, it takes 12 months to implement a rate change to all policyholders and another 12 months to earn the decreased or increased premiums in full. As a result, certain rate increases approved in 2004 were reflected in written premium in 2005 and some rate actions in 2005 will be reflected in 2006. The effect of all rate actions in 2005 resulted in a net decrease in written premiums of $9.9 million. Rate increases accounted for $298.3 million and $208.4 million in additional written premium for the Property and Casualty Group in 2004 and 2003. Management continuously evaluates pricing actions and estimates that those approved, filed and contemplated for filing during 2006 could reduce direct written premiums by $96.7 million in 2006.
Personal lines—The private passenger auto average premium per policy decreased 1.3% to $1,174 in 2005 from $1,190 in 2004, which had increased 6.1% from 2003. The homeowners average premium per policy decreased .5% to $543 in 2005 from $546 in 2004, compared to a 17.4% increase from $465 in 2003. The most significant rate decreases effective in 2005 were in the private passenger auto and homeowners lines of business in Pennsylvania. The most significant rate decreases approved and effective in 2006 are in the private passenger auto and homeowners lines of business in Pennsylvania and Maryland.
In August 2004, the Property and Casualty Group implemented insurance scoring for underwriting purposes for its private passenger auto and homeowners lines of business in most of its operating states in response to changing competitive market conditions. Insurance scoring has also been incorporated, along with other risk characteristics, into a rating plan with multiple pricing tiers. Segmented pricing provides the Property and Casualty Group greater flexibility in pricing policies with varying degrees of risk, which should result in more competitive rates being
offered to customers with the most favorable loss characteristics. The rating plan with multiple pricing tiers was implemented in most states on new business in March 2005 and on renewal business in April 2005.
The Property and Casualty Group has focused pricing initiatives to focus on quality growth. During July 2005, an 8% rate reduction on certain coverages for new private passenger auto policyholders with no claims or violations was effective in the majority of the states served by the Property and Casualty Group. In Tennessee and Virginia, this rate reduction for claim-free and violation-free policyholders was 6%. Other initiatives include discontinuing the surcharge placed on permitted drivers and targeting more profitable risks through the introduction of new rating variables into the pricing segmentation model for both auto and homeowners. The Property and Casualty Group is also evaluating potential new personal lines product extensions and enhancements that could be offered as well as new coverages, such as identity recovery. Also, effective January 1, 2006, additional discounts and interactions will be introduced into the pricing plan for auto and home, including number of cars and drivers in a household, discounts for policyholders who buy life insurance and for those who pay premiums up front.
Commercial lines—The commercial auto average premium per policy decreased .3% to $2,781 in 2005 from $2,790 in 2004, which had increased 4.2% from 2003. The workers’ compensation average premium per policy increased 6.7% to $6,212 in 2005 from $5,820 in 2004, which had increased 12.8% in 2003. Rate decreases approved and effective in 2006 related primarily to these two lines of business in Pennsylvania, and for commercial auto, Tennessee.
As mentioned previously, the Property and Casualty Group has been implementing initiatives focused on workers’ compensation to better align rate and risk levels, control losses and implement rate changes. Rate changes became effective in November 2005 in the state of Pennsylvania. Rate changes for workers’ compensation in all other states except Wisconsin are filed to be effective in the first half of 2006. The Property and Casualty Group is evaluating the potential of expanding its penetration of the small business market.
All lines—In 2005, the Company appointed 65 new agents, compared to 33 new agent appointments in 2004. The Company expects 125 new agent appointments in 2006. Expanding the size of the agency force will contribute to future growth as new agents build up their book of business with the Property and Casualty Group.


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Service agreement revenue
Service agreement revenue includes service charges the Company collects from policyholders for providing extended payment terms on policies written by the Property and Casualty Group. These service charges are fixed dollar amounts per billed installment. Such service charges amounted to $20.5 million, $21.1 million and $19.9 million in 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively. The Property and Casualty Group is implementing certain changes in the service charge amounts to be billed to various installment arrangements. The outcome of such changes will be dependent upon the mix of installment programs selected by policyholders. See Factors That May Affect Future Results.
Prior to March 2005, service agreement revenue also included service income received from the Exchange as compensation for the management and administration of voluntary assumed reinsurance from nonaffiliated insurers. The Company received a service fee of 6.0% of nonaffiliated assumed reinsurance premiums. These fees were minimal in 2005 and 2004 as the Exchange exited the nonaffiliated assumed reinsurance business effective December 31, 2003. Service fees totaled $7.2 million on net voluntary nonaffiliated assumed reinsurance premiums in 2003.
Cost of management operations
The cost of management operations rose 3.8% to $751.6 million in 2005, from $724.3 million in 2004, and 11.1% in 2004, from $652.3 million in 2003. In 2005, commissions costs rose 1.6% while costs other than commissions rose 9.8%. Personnel costs increased 11.7% in 2005 as a result of staffing levels and pay rate increases, as well as external labor costs related to information technology projects. The use of insurance scoring for the full year of 2005 and for all new and renewal business resulted in $3.6 million in additional costs in 2005 compared to 2004. Commissions to independent agents, which are the largest component of the cost of management operations, include scheduled commissions earned by independent agents on premiums written, accelerated commissions and agent bonuses.
                         
    Years ended December 31  
(dollars in thousands)   2005     2004     2003  
 
Scheduled and accelerated rate commissions
  $ 466,064     $ 486,860     $ 452,245  
 
                       
Agent bonuses
    71,083       46,163       24,034  
 
                       
Promotional incentives
    1,792       175       361  
 
                       
Commission effect from change in allowance for mid-term policy cancellations
    600       ( 2,000 )     ( 1,900 )
 
Total commissions
  $ 539,539     $ 531,198     $ 474,740  
 
Scheduled and accelerated rate commissions— Scheduled rate commissions were impacted by a 1.0% decrease in the direct written premiums of the Property and Casualty Group in 2005 and the reduction in certain commercial commission rates. Commercial commission rate reductions became effective January 1, 2005, for premiums collected after December 31, 2004, and resulted in a $20.5 million reduction in scheduled rate commissions in 2005.
Commission rates were reduced for certain new and renewal commercial lines business effective January 1, 2005. Thus all premiums collected after December 2004 were commissioned at the new post-January 1, 2005 rates. Commissions accrued at the end of 2004 were reduced by $5.2 million related to commissions to be paid in 2005 on uncollected 2004 policy premium.
Accelerated rate commissions are offered to some newly-recruited agents for their initial three years. Accelerated commissions were lower in 2005 as new agency appointments were curtailed for the latter part of 2004, and existing accelerated commission contracts expired. The Company slowed agency appointments in conjunction with its efforts to control exposure growth. Agent appointments resumed in 2005, with 65 new agents added, and accelerated commissions will begin to increase as new agent appointments for 2006 increase.
Agent bonuses—Agent bonuses are based on an individual agency’s property/casualty underwriting profitability over a three-year period. There is also a growth component to the bonus, paid only if the agency is profitable. The estimate for the bonus is modeled on a monthly basis using the two prior years actual underwriting data by agency combined with the current year-to-date actual data. The increase in agent bonuses in 2005 reflects the impact of improved underwriting profitability of the Property and Casualty Group in 2005 and 2004. The bonus for 2003 was lower given the less favorable underwriting results in 2003 and 2002.
Significant changes to the bonus formula were effective January 1, 2004, with the intent of rewarding truly profitable agencies. The growth component was also added. These changes and improved underwriting results in 2004 contributed to an increase in 2004 annual agent bonus expense of $22.1 million as compared to 2003. Of the 2004 increase, approximately $5.0 million related to one-time special transition rules for the new bonus.
Other costs of management operations—The cost of management operations, excluding commission costs, increased 9.8% in 2005 to $212.0 million, from $193.1 million in 2004, and 8.8% in 2004 from $177.5 million in 2003. Personnel-related costs are the second largest component in cost of management operations. The Company’s personnel costs increased 11.7% to $128.7 million in 2005, from $115.3 million in 2004, and increased 12.1% in 2004, from $102.8


37


 

million in 2003. Contributing to the increase in 2005 was a 12.2% increase in salaries and wages. This increase includes both base pay rate and staffing level increases as well as higher costs of external contract labor. Costs incurred related to external contract labor primarily related to information technology projects which increased to $6.0 million in 2005 from $2.8 million in 2004.
Also contributing to the increase in the cost of management operations were the cost of obtaining insurance scores on new and renewal personal lines business of $4.0 million during 2005. The Company began using insurance scoring in the latter half of 2004 on renewal personal lines business only and had incurred $.4 million in 2004 for insurance scores.
Insurance underwriting operations
                         
    Years ended December 31
(dollars in thousands) 2005   2004   2003  
 
Premiums earned
  $ 215,824     $ 208,202     $ 191,592  
 
Losses and loss adjustment expenses incurred
    140,386       153,220       152,984  
 
                       
Policy acquisition and other underwriting expenses
    60,488       59,346       63,549  
 
Total losses and expenses
    200,874       212,566       216,533  
 
Underwriting income (loss)
  $ 14,950     $ (4,364 )   $ (24,941 )
 


The following table reconciles the underwriting results of the Property and Casualty Group on a statutory accounting basis (SAP) to the underwriting results of the Company on a GAAP basis. The two main components of insurance underwriting operations are the direct business written by the Property and Casualty Group and the assumed reinsurance business. Because the Exchange exited the assumed reinsurance business in 2003, the only assumed reinsurance included in 2004 and 2005 is runoff activity. The detail of the Property and Casualty Group provides financial data for the direct business and the reinsurance business separately.
Reconciliation of Property and Casualty Group underwriting results to company underwriting results
                         
    Years ended December 31
(dollars in thousands)   2005     2004     2003  
 
Property and Casualty Group insurance underwriting operations (SAP basis)
                       
Direct underwriting results:
                       
Direct written premium
  $ 3,956,942     $ 3,997,330     $ 3,672,419  
 
Premium earned
    3,984,648       3,877,844       3,460,792  
Loss and loss adjustment expenses incurred
    2,561,504       2,623,731       2,808,678  
Policy acquisition and other underwriting expense
    1,100,772       1,105,028       1,023,177  
 
Total losses and expense
    3,662,276       3,728,759       3,831,855  
 
Direct underwriting income (loss)
    322,372       149,085       (371,063 )
Nonaffiliated reinsurance underwriting results—net
    49,427       (24,538 )     (32,588 )
 
Net underwriting gain (loss) (SAP Basis)
    371,799       124,547       (403,651 )
 
Erie Indemnity Company insurance underwriting operations (SAP to GAAP basis)
                       
Percent of pool assumed by Company
    5.5 %     5.5 %     5.5 %
 
 
Company preliminary underwriting income (loss):
                       
Direct
    17,730       8,200       (20,408 )
Nonaffiliated reinsurance
    2,719       (1,350 )     (1,793 )
 
Net underwriting gain (loss) (SAP basis)
    20,449       6,850       (22,201 )
Excess-of-loss premiums ceded to the Exchange
    (3,262 )     (3,628 )     (2,530 )
Excess-of-loss changes to recoveries under the agreement*
    (2,226 )     (7,740 )     6,461  
SAP to GAAP adjustments
    (11 )     154       (6,671 )
 
Company underwriting income (loss) (GAAP basis)
  $ 14,950     $ (4,364 )   $ (24,941 )
 
*   The change in the recoverable under the excess-of-loss agreement is an offset to the prior accident year loss development included in the loss and loss adjustment expenses reflected in the table.

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    Years ended December 31
    2005   2004   2003
 
Company GAAP combined ratio(1)
    93.1       102.1 (3)     113.0  
P&C Group statutory combined ratio
    90.5       95.6       109.5  
P&C Group statutory combined ratio, excluding catastrophes
    90.0       93.7       104.4  
P&C Group adjusted statutory combined ratio(2)
    85.7       90.1       103.3  
P&C Group adjusted statutory combined ratio, excluding catastrophes
    85.2       88.2       98.2  
 
                       
Loss ratio points from prior accident year reserve development —(redundancy) deficiency—statutory basis
    (1.9 )     (1.5 )     1.6  
Loss ratio points from salvage and subrogation recoveries collected—statutory basis
    (1.5 )     (1.5 )     (1.5 )
 
Total loss ratio points from prior accident years— statutory basis
    (3.4 )     (3.0 )     0.1  
 
(1)   The GAAP combined ratio represents the ratio of losses, loss adjustment, acquisition and other underwriting expenses incurred to premiums earned. The GAAP combined ratios of the Company are different than the results of the Property and Casualty Group due to certain GAAP adjustments and the effects of the excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement between the Company’s property/casualty insurance subsidiaries and the Exchange.
 
(2)   The adjusted statutory combined ratio removes the profit component of the management fee earned by the Company.
 
(3)   For 2004, the less favorable GAAP combined ratio, as compared to the statutory combined ratio, was driven by $7.7 million of charges recorded by the Company’s property/casualty insurance subsidiaries under the intercompany excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement, resulting in a variance of 3.7 GAAP combined ratio points.

Direct underwriting results
                         
    Years ended December 31
(dollars in thousands)   2005   2004   2003
 
SAP Basis
                       
 
                       
Property and Casualty Group direct underwriting income (loss)
  $ 322,372     $ 149,085     $ (371,063 )
Percent of pool assumed by Company
    5.5 %     5.5 %     5.5 %
 
Company direct underwriting income (loss), before adjustments
  $ 17,730     $ 8,200     $ (20,408 )
 
P&C Group Direct business only combined ratio
    91.6 %     95.4 %     109.8 %
 
HIGHLIGHTS
  Low level of catastrophe losses contributed only .5 points to the combined ratio (1.9 points in 2004 and 5.2 points in 2003). Normalized catastrophes for the Property and Casualty Group are 5.0 combined ratio points
 
  Favorable development of prior accident years improved combined ratio by 1.5 points in 2005; however, an increase to the pre-1986 automobile catastrophe injury liability reserves contributed 1.2 points to the combined ratio, resulting in a net favorable development of .3 combined ratio points
 
  Pre-1986 automobile catastrophe injury liability reserves were increased in 2005, contributing 1.2 points to combined ratio, net of estimated reinsurance recoverables
The improvement in 2005 and 2004 underwriting results on direct business were the result of initiatives implemented in 2004 to help offset increased claim severity and control exposure growth. Additionally, the Property and Casualty Group experienced positive development on losses of prior accident years on a direct basis of $11.0 million in 2005 and $71.6 million


39


 

in 2004, compared to adverse development on losses of prior accident years of $4.2 million in 2003. While still favorable in 2005, the development of the direct business prior accident years deteriorated as a result of an increase in the pre-1986 automobile catastrophe injury liability reserves. The Property and Casualty Group increased these reserves by $47 million (net of ceded recoveries) as a result of re-estimations on these claims during the second half of 2005, which took into account updated trends with respect to ongoing attendant care costs for claimants. Catastrophe losses of the Property and Casualty Group were $21.1 million, $73.3 million and $182.7 million in 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively.
The 2003 underwriting losses on direct business resulted primarily from continued increases in claims severity and increased catastrophe losses. Claims severity rose in 2003 in certain lines of business at rates much higher than general inflation. While loss reserves continued to grow in 2004, this growth was a reflection of increases in exposure, not deterioration in prior year reserves.
Development of direct loss reserves
The Company’s 5.5% share of the Property and Casualty Group’s positive development on losses for prior accident years was $.6 million in 2005, which includes the effects of the Company’s share of the increase in the automobile catastrophe liability reserve of $2.6 million. The Company’s share of positive development on losses for prior accident years was $3.9 million in 2004, compared to its share of adverse development on losses for prior accident years of $0.2 million in 2003. The positive development on losses of prior accident years in 2005 was experienced primarily in the commercial multi-peril and the private passenger auto uninsured motorists lines of business. In 2004, certain unusual and significant claims emerged that related to prior years and were factored into the trend analysis for 2005. However, these trends did not continue into 2005, which led to an improvement in prior accident year loss reserves. The Company employed specialty claims units in Pennsylvania to focus on uninsured motorists claims to improve claims handling and control severity.
The positive development on losses of prior accident years in 2004 was experienced primarily in the homeowners and commercial multi-peril lines of business. Generally, the Company experienced improving loss development trends, which were reflected in the new estimate of prior year reserves. Contributing to the improving loss development on prior accident year losses was the implementation of new claims tools, such as new property loss estimation software, which has helped in controlling property claims severity. Additionally, property adjusters received extensive third-party training in property
claims estimating in 2004. Property occurrences make up a majority of the claims in the homeowners line of business and approximately half of the commercial multi-peril claims.
Catastrophe losses
Catastrophes are an inherent risk of the property/ casualty insurance business and can have a material impact on the Company’s insurance underwriting results. In addressing this risk, the Company employs what it believes are reasonable underwriting standards and monitors its exposure by geographic region. The Property and Casualty Group maintains property catastrophe reinsurance coverage from unaffiliated insurers (see page 39). The Company’s property/ casualty insurance subsidiaries’ all-lines excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement with the Exchange was purchased to mitigate the effect of catastrophe losses on the Company’s financial position. The excess-of-loss agreement was not renewed for the 2006 accident year due to the proposed pricing for the coverage as well as the loss profile of the Property and Casualty Group. The Property and Casualty Group maintains sufficient property catastrophe coverage from unaffiliated reinsurers and no longer participates in the assumed reinsurance business, which lowers the variability of the underwriting results of the Property and Casualty Group.
There was no impact on the Property and Casualty Group’s underwriting results from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita or Wilma during 2005. During 2005, 2004 and 2003, the Company’s share of catastrophe losses, as defined by the Property and Casualty Group, amounted to $1.2 million, $4.0 million and $10.0 million, respectively. The 2004 catastrophe losses were largely driven by Hurricane Ivan, which affected the states of North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The 2003 Property and Casualty Group catastrophe losses were primarily due to Hurricane Isabel, which affected the states of North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. For the Company, these 2003 catastrophe losses were offset with recoveries recorded under the intercompany excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement. Catastrophe losses in 2005 contributed .5 points to the Company’s GAAP combined ratio, compared to 1.9 points in 2004 and 5.2 points in 2003.


40


 

Reinsurance underwriting results
                         
    Years ended December 31
(dollars in thousands)   2005   2004   2003
 
SAP Basis
                       
Company insurance underwriting operations:
                       
Nonaffiliated reinsurance
  $ 2,719     $ (1,350 )   $ (1,793 )
 
Affiliated reinsurance
                       
Premiums ceded to Exchange
    (3,262 )     (3,628 )     (2,530 )
Change to recoveries under the excess-of-loss agreement
    (2,226 )     (7,740 )     6,461  
 
Affiliated reinsurance
  $ (5,488 )   $ (11,368 )   $ 3,931  
 
HIGHLIGHTS
  Assumed loss reserves related to September 11, 2001, were reduced by $42 million of which the Company’s share was $2.3 million. Reversal of previously recorded recoveries under the intercompany excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement resulted in no material financial impact
 
  Termination of the intercompany excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement effective December 31, 2005, for the 2006 accident year
The Company’s property/casualty insurance subsidiaries’ nonaffiliated reinsurance business includes its share of the Property and Casualty Group’s
voluntary and involuntary assumed reinsurance business and ceded reinsurance business. The Exchange exited the voluntary assumed reinsurance business as of December 31, 2003, to allow the Property and Casualty Group to focus on its core business and lessen its underwriting exposure. In 2005 and 2004, only runoff activity of the assumed reinsurance business remains. The effects of the excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement between the Company’s property/casualty insurance subsidiaries and the Exchange is also reflected in the reinsurance business when looking at the Company’s results on a segment basis. The excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement is not subject to the intercompany pooling agreement.
Assumed loss reserves related to September 11th
During 2005, the Property and Casualty Group’s estimate of assumed loss and loss adjustment expenses related to the September 11, 2001, event was reduced by $42 million. While the Company’s share of this reduction was $2.3 million (see Financial Condition for further discussion), this reserve change triggered a $2.2 million reduction in recoveries due to the Company under the aggregate excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement for the 2001 accident year. The net effect of this World Trade Center reserve activity to the Company was a $.1 million reduction in expense in 2005.


Aggregate excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement
(Charges) Recoveries by accident year are as follows:
                                                         
(dollars in thousands)                                                   Total
Calendar   Accident year   (charges)
    year   2004   2003   2002   2001   2000   1999   recoveries
 
2005
  $ 0     $ 0     $ 0     $ (1,881 )   $ 41     $ (386 )   $ (2,226 )
2004
          (6,012 )     (33 )     (1,637 )     (488 )     430       (7,740 )
2003(1)
          6,012       (1,969 )     2,645       (57 )     (170 )     6,461  
2002
                2,002       2,176       2,213       2,424       8,815  
2001
                      6,506       0       735       7,241  
2000
                            0       0       0  
 
(1)    During calendar year 2003, the $6.0 million in recoveries from the 2003 accident year included the recoveries of losses incurred from Hurricane Isabel.

41


 

The charges and recoveries under the excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement are recorded to the Company’s loss and loss adjustment expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Included in the 2005 net changes to recoveries under the excess-of-loss agreement of $2.2 million are charges for unexpired accident years of $1.5 million plus charges of $.7 million related to the commutations of the 1999 and 2000 accident years. In accordance with the agreement, commutation of an accident year occurs five years after the accident year expires. The unpaid loss recoverable related to the 1999 accident year of $3.4 million was settled in March 2005. The present value of the estimated losses from the 1999 accident year, or $3.0 million, was settled with the Exchange and cash was paid by the Company’s property/casualty insurance subsidiaries resulting in a charge to the Company of $.4 million.
The $2.0 million unpaid loss recoverable related to the 2000 accident year was settled in December 2005. The present value of these estimated losses from the 2000 accident year, or $1.7 million, was settled with the Exchange by the Company’s property/casualty insurance subsidiaries resulting in a charge to the Company of $.3 million. Cash payment of the present value of these losses will occur in the first quarter of 2006.
The purpose of the excess-of-loss agreement was to reduce the variability of earnings and thereby reduce the adverse effects on the results of operations of EIC and EINY in a given year if the frequency or severity of claims were substantially higher than historical averages. The Property and Casualty Group did not renew the excess-of-loss agreement for the 2006 accident year. While the excess-of-loss agreement was not renewed for 2006, the unexpired accident years of 2001 through 2005 will be settled and losses will be commuted as the 60-month periods expire. The Company has the option of purchasing the coverage for future accident year periods.
Policy acquisition and other underwriting expenses
Policy acquisition and other underwriting expenses of the Property and Casualty Group include the management fee to the Company of $939.8 million, $949.2 million and $881.4 million in 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively. The amount presented on the Company’s Statements of Operations as management fee revenue reflects the elimination of intercompany management fee revenue between the Erie Insurance Company, the Erie Insurance Company of New York and the Company, and the allowance for mid-term policy cancellations.
Investment operations
                         
    Years ended December 31
(dollars in thousands)   2005   2004   2003
 
Net investment income
  $ 61,555     $ 60,988     $ 58,298  
 
Net realized gains on investments
    15,620       18,476       10,445  
 
Equity in earnings of EFL
    3,636       5,598       7,429  
 
Equity in earnings (losses) of limited partnerships
    38,062       8,655       ( 2,000 )
 
 
Net revenue from investment operations
  $ 118,873     $ 93,717     $ 74,172  
 
HIGHLIGHTS
  Equity on earnings of limited partnerships increased dramatically to $38.1 million in 2005, from $8.7 million in 2004
 
  Earnings of limited partnerships reflects a correction in accounting for the market value adjustment which increased earnings by $10.1 million in 2005
 
  Funds used to repurchase Company stock amounted to $99.0 million in 2005 compared to $54.1 million in 2004
Net investment income increased 1.0% in 2005 and 4.6% in 2004. Included in net investment income are primarily interest and dividends on the Company’s fixed maturity and equity security portfolios. Net investment income in 2005 remained at a comparable level to 2004 as the Company continued to repurchase shares of its common stock under its three-year stock repurchase program, which diverted some available funds away from the investment market. The stock repurchase program runs from 2004 through 2006. Increases in investments in taxable bonds contributed to the growth in net investment income in 2004 and 2003. However, declines in overall market yields caused a lower growth rate in 2004 investment income compared to 2003.
Net revenue from investment operations increased in 2004 compared to 2003 largely due to the increase in realized gains on investments attributable to the sale of common stock securities in conjunction with the conversion to the use of external equity managers.
Limited partnership earnings pertain to investments in U.S. and foreign private equity, real estate and mezzanine debt partnerships. Private equity and mezzanine debt limited partnerships generated earnings of $20.3 million and $4.3 million in 2005 and 2004, respectively, compared to losses of $5.3 million in 2003. Real estate limited partnerships reflected


42


 

earnings of $7.7 million, $4.4 million and $3.3 million in 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively. Impairment charges on limited partnerships were $1.2 million and $5.0 million in 2004 and 2003, respectively. The components of equity in earnings of limited partnerships, including the valuation adjustments to record limited partnerships at fair value, for the years ended December 31 are as follows:
                       
(dollars in thousands)   2005   2004   2003
 
Private equity
  $ 16,732     $ 2,324   $ (3,983 )
Real estate
    7,657       4,350     3,349  
Mezzanine debt
    3,530       1,981     (1,366 )
Valuation adjustments
    10,143       0     0  
 
Total equity in earnings of limited partnerships
  $ 38,062     $ 8,655   $ (2,000 )
 
Valuation adjustments are recorded to reflect the fair value of limited partnerships. These adjustments are recorded as a component of equity in earnings of limited partnerships in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The limited partnership market value adjustment was previously recorded as a component of shareholders’ equity.
The Company’s performance of its fixed maturities and equity securities, compared to selected market indices, is presented below.
Pre-tax annualized returns
         
    Two years ended December 31, 2005
 
Fixed maturities—corporate
    3.83 %
Fixed maturities—municipal
    2.90  
Preferred stock
    5.04  
Common stock(1)
    6.58  
Other indices:
       
Lehman Brothers— U.S. Aggregate
    3.38 %
S&P500 Composite Index
    7.85  
 
 
(1) Return is net of fees to external managers.
Financial condition
Investments
The Company’s investment strategy takes a long-term perspective emphasizing investment quality, diversification and superior investment returns. Investments are managed on a total return approach that focuses on current income and capital appreciation. The Company’s investment strategy also provides for liquidity to meet the short- and long-term commitments of the Company. At December 31, 2005 and 2004, the Company’s investment portfolio of investment-grade bonds, common stock, investment-
grade preferred stock and cash and cash equivalents represents 40.3% and 39.4%, respectively, of total assets. These investments provide the liquidity the Company requires to meet the demands on its funds.
Distribution of investments
                                 
    Carrying value at December 31
(dollars in thousands)   2005   %   2004   %
 
Fixed maturities
  $ 972,210       70     $ 974,512       74  
 
Equity securities:
                               
Preferred stock
    170,774       12       143,851       11  
Common stock
    95,560       6       58,843       4  
 
Limited partnerships
    153,159       11       130,464       10  
 
Real estate mortgage loans
    4,885       1       5,044       1  
 
Total investments
  $ 1,396,588       100 %   $ 1,312,714       100 %
 
The Company continually reviews the investment portfolio to evaluate positions that might incur other-than-temporary declines in value. For all investment holdings, general economic conditions and/or conditions specifically affecting the underlying issuer or its industry, including downgrades by the major rating agencies, are considered in evaluating impairment in value. In addition to specific factors, other factors considered in the Company’s review of investment valuation are the length of time the market value is below cost and the amount the market value is below cost.
There is a presumption of impairment for common equity securities and equity limited partnerships when the decline is, in management’s opinion, significant and of an extended duration. The Company considers market conditions, industry characteristics and the fundamental operating results of the issuer to determine if sufficient objective evidence exists to refute the presumption of impairment. When the presumption of impairment is confirmed, the Company will recognize an impairment charge to operations. Common stock impairments are included in realized losses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
For fixed maturity and preferred stock investments, the Company individually analyzes all positions with emphasis on those that have, in management’s opinion, declined significantly below cost. The Company considers market conditions, industry characteristics and the fundamental operating results of the issuer to determine if the decline is due to changes in interest rates, changes relating to a decline in credit quality, or other issues affecting the investment. A charge is recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for positions that have experienced other-than-temporary impairments due to credit quality or other factors, or for which it is not the intent of the Company to hold the position until recovery has occurred.


43


 

(DIVERSIFICATION OF FIXED MATURITIES PIE CHART)
Fixed maturities
Under its investment strategy, the Company maintains a fixed maturities portfolio that is of high quality and well diversified within each market sector. This investment strategy also achieves a balanced maturity schedule in order to moderate investment income in the event of interest rate declines in a year in which a large amount of securities could be redeemed or mature. The fixed maturities portfolio is managed with the goal of achieving reasonable returns while limiting exposure to risk.
The Company’s fixed maturity investments include 96.1% of high-quality, marketable bonds and redeemable preferred stock, all of which were rated at investment-grade levels (above Ba1/BB+) at December 31, 2005. Included in this investment-grade category are $435.1 million, or 44.8%, of the highest quality bonds and redeemable preferred stock rated Aaa/AAA or Aa/AA or bonds issued by the United States government. Generally, the fixed maturities in the Company’s portfolio are rated by external rating agencies. If not externally rated, they are rated by the Company on a basis consistent with that used by the rating agencies. Management classifies all fixed maturities as available-for-sale securities, allowing the Company to meet its liquidity needs and provide greater flexibility for its investment managers to appropriately respond to changes in market conditions or strategic direction.
Securities classified as available-for-sale are carried at market value with unrealized gains and losses net of deferred taxes included in shareholders’ equity. At December 31, 2005, the net unrealized gain on fixed maturities, net of deferred taxes, amounted to $6.4 million, compared to $22.9 million at December 31, 2004.
(QUALITY OF FIXED MATURITIES PIE CHART)
 
  As rated by Standard & Poor’s or Moody’s Investor’s Service, Inc.
Equity securities
The Company’s equity securities consist of common stock and nonredeemable preferred stock. Investment characteristics of common stock and nonredeemable preferred stock differ substantially from one another. The Company’s nonredeemable preferred stock portfolio provides a source of highly predictable current income that is competitive with investment-grade bonds. Nonredeemable preferred stocks generally provide for fixed rates of return that, while not guaranteed, resemble fixed income securities and are paid before common stock dividends. Common stock provides capital appreciation potential within the portfolio. Common stock investments inherently provide no assurance of producing income because dividends are not guaranteed.
(DIVERSIFICATION OF EQUITY SECURITIES PIE CHART)
(1) Common stock (2) Nonredeemable preferred stock
The Company’s equity securities are carried on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position at market value. At December 31, 2005, the net unrealized gain on equity securities, net of deferred taxes, amounted to $11.0 million, compared to $17.4 million at December 31, 2004.
Limited partnership investments
The Company’s limited partnership investments include U.S. and foreign private equity, real estate and mezzanine debt investments. During 2005, limited partnership investments increased $22.7 million to $153.2 million. Mezzanine debt and real estate limited partnerships, which comprise 57.9% of the total limited partnerships, produce a more predictable earnings stream while private equity limited partnerships, which comprise 42.1% of the total limited partnerships, tend to provide a less predictable earnings stream but the potential for greater long-term returns.
Liabilities
Property/casualty loss reserves
Loss reserves are established to account for the estimated ultimate costs of loss and loss adjustment expenses for claims that have been reported but not yet settled and claims that have been incurred but not reported.


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Loss and loss adjustment expense reserves are presented on the Company’s Statements of Financial Position on a gross of reinsurance basis for EIC, EINY and EIPC. The property/casualty insurance subsidiaries of the Company wrote about 17% of the direct property/casualty premiums of the Property and Casualty Group in 2005. Under the terms of the Property and Casualty Group’s quota share and intercompany pooling arrangement, a significant portion of these reserve liabilities are recoverable. Recoverable amounts are reflected as an asset on the Company’s Statements of Financial Position. The direct and assumed loss and loss adjustment expense reserves by major line of business and the related amount recoverable under the intercompany pooling arrangement and excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement are presented below:
                 
    As of December 31  
(dollars in thousands)   2005     2004  
 
Gross reserve liability
               
Personal:
               
Private passenger auto
  $ 413,118     $ 400,609  
Catastrophic injury
    123,875       86,239  
Homeowners
    23,995       22,798  
Other personal
    6,978       6,322  
Commercial:
               
Workers’ compensation
    231,858       216,808  
Commercial auto
    83,688       78,646  
Commercial multi-peril
    65,891       63,118  
Catastrophic injury
    468       454  
Other commercial
    15,894       15,288  
Reinsurance
    53,694       52,752  
 
Gross reserves
    1,019,459       943,034  
Reinsurance recoverables*
    828,447       765,914  
 
Net reserve liability
  $ 191,012     $ 177,120  
 
* Includes $827.1 million in 2005 and $765.0 million in 2004 due from the Exchange.
As discussed previously, loss and loss adjustment expense reserves are developed using multiple estimation methods that result in a range of estimates for each product coverage combination. The estimate recorded is a function of detailed analysis of historical trends and management expectations of future events and trends. The product coverage that has the greatest potential for variation is the pre-1986 automobile catastrophic injury liability reserve. The range of reasonable estimates for the pre-1986 automobile catastrophic injury liability reserve, net of reinsurance recoverables, for both personal and commercial lines is from $188.5 million to $443.3 million for the Property and Casualty Group. The reserve carried by the Property and Casualty Group, which is management’s best estimate of this liability at this time, was $262.8 million at December 31, 2005, which is net of $127.1 million of anticipated reinsurance recoverables. The reserve carried by the Property and Casualty Group at December 31, 2004, was $200.0 million, which was net of $95.8 million of anticipated reinsurance recoverables. The majority of the increase during 2005
was the result of higher cost expectations of future attendant care services as a result of the settlement of class action litigation involving attendant care liabilities. The Company’s property/casualty subsidiaries share of the net automobile catastrophic injury liability reserve is $14.5 million at December 31, 2005.
The potential variability in these reserves can be primarily attributed to automobile no-fault claims incurred prior to 1986. The automobile no-fault law in Pennsylvania at that time provided for unlimited medical benefits. There are currently 392 claimants requiring lifetime medical care of which 77 involve catastrophic injuries. The estimation of ultimate liabilities for these claims is subject to significant judgment due to variations in claimant health over time.
It is anticipated that these automobile no-fault claims will require payments over approximately the next 40 years. The impact of medical cost inflation in future years is a significant variable in estimating this liability over 40 years. A 100-basis point change in the medical cost inflation assumption would result in a change in net liability for the Company of $2.6 million. Claimants’ future life expectancy is another significant variable. The life expectancy assumption underlying the estimate reflects experience to date. Actual experience, different than that assumed, could have a significant impact on the reserve estimate. The Company’s share of the automobile catastrophic injury claim payments made was $.6 million and $.4 million during 2005 and 2004, respectively.
During the third quarter of 2005, the Property and Casualty Group re-evaluated its estimate of assumed loss and loss adjustment expense reserves estimated for the September 11, 2001, event. Based on that assessment, the Property and Casualty Group reduced its World Trade Center reserves by $42 million as of September 2005. The original $150 million estimated total loss and loss adjustment expense estimate was based on uncertainties, including cedant reserve estimates, the potential of retrocessional spirals, undeveloped claims and the uncertainty of legal actions. As a result of this reserve re-estimate, the Property and Casualty Group’s total loss and loss adjustment expense estimate for the World Trade Center claims are estimated at $107 million. As of the third quarter 2005, four years subsequent to the date of the event, most of the reported claims have been property losses which are short-tailed and have developed since 2001 providing more known data. Only one claim was identified as being exposed to a retrocessional spiral, which results when there are multiple levels of reinsurers, and has the potential to increase the Company’s obligation. Factoring in this loss experience, and a thorough review of all contracts, supported the reduction in the World Trade Center reserve. The most critical factor in the estimation of these losses is whether the destruction of the World Trade Center Towers will be considered a single event or two separate events. The Company believes the current reserves should be sufficient to absorb the potential development that may occur


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should the destruction of the World Trade Center Towers be considered two separate events. At December 2005, the Property and Casualty Group’s estimated total loss exposure includes $29 million related to the coverage disputes with respect to the number of events.
Impact of inflation
 
Property/casualty insurance premiums are established before losses and loss adjustment expenses, and the extent to which inflation may impact such expenses are known. Consequently, in establishing premium rates, the Company attempts to anticipate the potential impact of inflation.
Quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk
 
The Company is exposed to potential loss from various market risks, including changes in interest rates, equity prices, foreign currency exchange rate risk and credit risk.
Interest rate risk
The Company’s exposure to interest rates is concentrated in the fixed maturities portfolio. The fixed maturities portfolio comprises 69.6% of invested assets at December 31, 2005 and 2004. The Company does not hedge its exposure to interest rate risk since it has the capacity and intention to hold the fixed maturity positions until maturity. The Company calculates the duration and convexity of the fixed maturities portfolio each month to measure the price sensitivity of the portfolio to interest rate changes. Duration measures the relative sensitivity of the fair value of an investment to changes in interest rates. Convexity measures the rate of change of duration with respect to changes in interest rates. These factors are analyzed monthly to ensure that both the duration and convexity remain in the targeted ranges established by management.
Principal cash flows and related weighted-average interest rates by expected maturity dates for financial instruments sensitive to interest rates are as follows:
                 
    As of December 31, 2005
    Principal   Weighted average
(dollars in thousands)   cash flows   interest rate
 
Fixed maturities, including note from EFL:
           
2006
  $ 83,351       5.2 %
2007
    61,664       5.2  
2008
    96,083       4.9  
2009
    96,015       4.8  
2010
    81,885       4.8  
Thereafter
    554,173       5.8  
 
Total
  $ 973,171          
 
Market value
  $ 997,210          
 
                 
    As of December 31, 2004
    Principal   Weighted average
(dollars in thousands)   cash flows   interest rate
 
Fixed maturities, including notes from EFL:
           
2005
  $ 59,294       5.9 %
2006
    76,236       4.5  
2007
    79,242       4.6  
2008
    100,742       4.7  
2009
    100,834       4.9  
Thereafter
    557,643       5.9  
 
Total
  $ 973,991          
 
Market value
  $ 1,014,512          
 
Actual cash flows may differ from those stated as a result of calls, prepayments or defaults. The Company received payment from EFL during December 2005 for a $15 million surplus note, due for repayment, resulting in only the remaining $25 million surplus note with EFL included in the principal cash flows as of December 31, 2005.
A sensitivity analysis is used to measure the potential loss in future earnings, fair values or cash flows of market-sensitive instruments resulting from one or more selected hypothetical changes in interest rates and other market rates or prices over a selected period. In the Company’s sensitivity analysis model, a hypothetical change in market rates is selected that is expected to reflect reasonably possible changes in those rates. The following pro forma information is presented assuming a 100-basis point increase in interest rates at December 31 of each year and reflects the estimated effect on the fair value of the Company’s fixed maturity investment portfolio. The Company used the modified duration of its fixed maturity investment portfolio to model the pro forma effect of a change in interest rates at December 31, 2005 and 2004.
Fixed maturities interest-rate sensitivity analysis
100-basis point rise in interest rates
                 
    As of December 31  
(dollars in thousands)   2005     2004  
 
Current market value
  $ 997,210     $ 1,014,512  
Change in market value (1)
    ( 35,325 )     (37,251 )
 
Pro forma market value
  $ 961,885     $ 977,261  
 
Modified duration (2)
    3.9       4.2  
 
(1)   The change in market value is calculated by taking the negative of the product obtained by multiplying (i) modified duration by (ii) change in interest rates by (iii) market value of the portfolio.
 
(2)   Modified duration is a measure of a portfolio’s sensitivity to changes in interest rates. It is interpreted as the approximate percentage change in the market value of a portfolio for a certain basis point change in interest rates.


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Equity price risk
The Company’s portfolio of marketable equity securities, which is carried on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position at estimated fair value, has exposure to price risk, the risk of potential loss in estimated fair value resulting from an adverse change in prices. The Company does not hedge its exposure to equity price risk inherent in its equity investments. The Company’s objective is to earn competitive relative returns by investing in a diverse portfolio of high-quality, liquid securities. Portfolio holdings are diversified across industries and among exchange traded small- to large-cap stocks. The Company measures risk by comparing the performance of the marketable equity portfolio to benchmark returns such as the S&P 500.
The Company’s portfolio of limited partnership investments has exposure to market risks, primarily relating to the financial performance of the various entities in which they invested. The limited partnership portfolio comprises 11% of total invested assets at December 31, 2005. These investments consist primarily of equity and mezzanine investments in small, medium and large companies and in real estate. The Company achieves diversification within the limited partnership portfolio by investing in 88 partnerships that have 1,501 distinct investments. The Company reviews at least quarterly the limited partnership investments by sector, geography and vintage year. These limited partnership investments are diversified to avoid concentration in a particular industry or geographic area. The Company performs extensive research prior to investment in these partnerships.
Foreign currency risk
The Company has foreign currency risk in the limited partnership and common equity portfolio. The limited partnership portfolio includes approximately $21.6 million of partnerships that are denominated in Euros, $2.6 million denominated in Japanese yen and $4.0 million denominated in British pounds sterling (pounds). The Company also is exposed to foreign currency risk through commitments to Euro-, yen- and pound-denominated partnerships of approximately $25.4 million, $14.1 million and $1.2 million, respectively. The foreign currency risk in the partnerships and the commitments due, denominated in Euros, yens and pounds, are partially offsetting. This risk is not hedged, although the Euro, yen and pound rates are monitored daily and the Company may decide to hedge all or some of the partnership-related foreign currency risk at some time in the future. The Company has additional foreign currency exposure through common stock investments of $13.6 million in seven different currencies which are not hedged.
Credit risk
The Company’s objective is to earn competitive returns by investing in a diversified portfolio of securities. The Company’s portfolios of fixed maturity securities, nonredeemable preferred stock, mortgage loans and, to a lesser extent, short-term investments are subject to credit risk. This risk is defined as the potential loss in market value resulting from adverse changes in the borrower’s ability to repay the debt. The Company manages this risk by performing upfront underwriting analysis and ongoing reviews of credit quality by position and for the fixed maturity portfolio in total. The Company does not hedge the credit risk inherent in its fixed maturity investments.
The Company is also exposed to a concentration of credit risk with the Exchange. See the section, “Transactions and Agreements with Related Parties,” for further discussion of this risk.
Liquidity and capital resources
 
Liquidity
Liquidity is a measure of an entity’s ability to secure enough cash to meet its contractual obligations and operating needs. The Company’s major sources of funds from operations are the net cash flow generated from management operations, the net cash flow from Erie Insurance Company’s and Erie Insurance Company of New York’s 5.5% participation in the underwriting results of the reinsurance pool with the Exchange, and investment income from affiliated and nonaffiliated investments.
The Company generates sufficient net positive cash flow from its operations to fund its commitments and build its investment portfolio, thereby increasing future investment returns. The Company maintains a high degree of liquidity in its investment portfolio in the form of readily marketable fixed maturities, equity securities and short-term investments. Net cash flows provided by operating activities for the years ended December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003, were $301.1
million, $257.7 million and $246.6 million, respectively.
With respect to the management fee, funds are received generally from the Exchange on a premiums-collected basis. The Company has a receivable from the Exchange and affiliates related to the management fee receivable from premiums written, but not yet collected, as well as the management fee receivable on premiums collected in the current month. The Company pays nearly all general and administrative expenses on behalf of the Exchange and other affiliated companies. The Exchange generally reimburses the Company for these expenses on a paid basis each month.


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Management fee and other cash settlements due at December 31 from the Exchange were $194.8 million and $207.2 million in 2005 and 2004, respectively. A receivable from EFL for cash settlements totaled $3.9 million at December 31, 2005, compared to $4.3 million at December 31, 2004. The receivable due from the Exchange for reinsurance recoverable from unpaid loss and loss adjustment expenses and unearned premium balances ceded to the intercompany reinsurance pool rose 6.7% to $952.7 million from $893.1 million at December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively. This increase is the result of corresponding increases in direct loss reserves, loss adjustment expense reserves of the Company’s property/casualty insurance subsidiaries that are ceded to the Exchange under the intercompany pooling agreement. Total receivables from the Exchange represented 12.7% of the Exchange’s assets at December 31, 2005, and 13.3% at December 31, 2004.
Cash flows provided by operating activities were positively impacted in 2005 by the reduction in certain commercial commission rates, which became effective January 1, 2005. Commissions paid during 2005 decreased $9.2 million compared to 2004. Salaries and wages paid during the year increased due to a 2.9% increase in staffing levels, as well as for external contract labor costs. Pension funding and employee benefits paid decreased as there was no contribution made to the employee pension plan in 2005 compared to a $7.7 million contribution in 2004. The Company has generally contributed the maximum deductible amount to its pension plan for employees under IRS Code Section 404(a)(1). In 2005, the maximum contribution was zero, therefore no contribution could be made by the Company to the plan. The Company expects to make a $7.5 million contribution to its pension plan in 2006. Payments for agent bonuses increased in 2005 as a result of changes in the agent bonus program. The Company’s expected agent bonus payout in 2006 related to the period ended in 2005 is $70.2 million.
Cash used in investing activities in 2005 reflects an increase in limited partnership activity. The number of limited partnership investments grew to 88 partnerships at December 2005 from 72 at December 2004. During 2004, sales of equity securities were higher as the Company liquidated certain of its internally managed equity securities to allow external managers to manage the portfolio. This process was completed during 2005. Overall, cash used in investing activities is lower than 2004, as some available funds were used to repurchase shares of the Company’s outstanding common stock during the year.
Proceeds from the sales, calls and maturities of fixed maturity positions totaled $348.0 million, $263.4 million and $359.0 million in 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively. The higher sales transactions of fixed maturities in 2005 was related to some repositioning of the investment portfolio from taxable corporate debt securities to tax-exempt municipal bonds.
Dividends paid to shareholders totaled $81.9 million, $55.1 million and $49.0 million in 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively. As part of its capital management activities in 2004, the Company increased its Class A shareholder quarterly dividend for 2005 by 51% to $.325 per share from $.215 per share. The Class B shareholder quarterly dividend was increased from $32.25 to $48.75, also a 51% increase. This change in dividends increased the Company’s 2005 payout by $26.8 million from the prior dividend level. This action was approved by the Company’s Board of Directors in December 2004 considering, among other factors, the Company’s strong financial results, capital levels and return on capital targets. Based on the share market price at the time of the decision, the new dividend results in a dividend yield of about 2.5%. There are no regulatory restrictions on the payment of dividends to the Company’s shareholders, although there are state law restrictions on the payment of dividends from the Company’s subsidiaries to the Company. The Company increased the 2006 dividends by 10.8%.
The Company also continues to use its capital to repurchase outstanding shares under its current three-year, $250 million repurchase plan. The plan allows the Company to repurchase up to $250 million of its Class A common stock from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2006. In 2005, 1.9 million shares were repurchased at a total cost of $99.0 million. The Company intends to be active in repurchasing shares in 2006; however, the Company is unable to estimate the number of shares that will be repurchased during a specified period. Approximately $97.0 million of outstanding repurchase authority remains under the plan at December 31, 2005.
On February 21, 2006, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a continuation of the current stock repurchase program allowing the Company to repurchase an additional $250 million of its Class A common stock through December 31, 2009.
Contractual obligations
Cash outflows are variable because the fluctuations in settlement dates for claims payments vary and cannot be predicted with absolute certainty. While volatility in claims payments could be significant for the Property and Casualty Group, the effect on the Company of this volatility is mitigated by the intercompany reinsurance pooling arrangement. The exposure for large loss payments is also mitigated by the Company’s excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement with the Exchange. The cash flow requirements for claims have not historically been significant to the Company’s liquidity. Based on a historical 15-year average, about 50% of losses and loss adjustment expenses included in the reserve are paid out in the subsequent 12-month period and approximately 89% is paid out within a five-year period. Losses that are paid out after that five-year period are comprised of such long-tail lines as workers’ compensation and auto bodily injury. Such payments are reduced by recoveries under the intercompany reinsurance pooling agreement.


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The Company has certain obligations and commitments to make future payments under various contracts. As of December 31, 2005, the aggregate obligations were:
                                         
    Payments due by period
            Less than   1-3   3-5    
(dollars in thousands)   Total   1 year   years   years   Thereafter
 
Fixed obligations:
                                       
Limited partnership commitments
  $ 243,186     $ 42,947     $ 74,385     $ 112,582     $ 13,272  
Other commitments
    40,532       18,001       19,556       2,537       438  
Operating leases—vehicles
    17,353       5,313       9,118       2,922       0  
Operating leases—real estate
    10,203       3,287       4,907       2,009       0  
Operating leases—computer
    6,011       3,145       2,866       0       0  
Financing arrangements
    860       385       475       0       0  
 
Fixed contractual obligations
    318,145       73,078       111,307       120,050       13,710  
Gross loss and loss expense reserves
    1,019,459       509,730       299,721       99,907       110,101  
 
Gross contractual obligations
  $ 1,337,604     $ 582,808     $ 411,028     $ 219,957     $ 123,811  
 
Gross contractual obligations net of estimated reinsurance recoverables and reimbursements from affiliates are as follows:
                                         
    Payments due by period
            Less than   1-3   3-5    
(dollars in thousands)   Total   1 year   years   years   Thereafter
 
Gross contractual obligations
  $ 1,337,604     $ 582,808     $ 411,028     $ 219,957     $ 123,811  
Estimated reinsurance recoverables
    827,917       413,959       243,408       81,136       89,414  
Estimated reimbursements from affiliates
    54,983       21,973       27,105       5,565       340  
 
Net contractual obligations
  $ 454,704     $ 146,876     $ 140,515     $ 133,256     $ 34,057  
 
The limited partnership commitments included in the table above will be funded as required for capital contributions at any time prior to the agreement expiration date. The commitment amounts are presented using the expiration date as the factor by which to age when the amounts are due. At December 31, 2005, the total commitment to fund limited partnerships that invest in private equity securities is $86.5 million, real estate activities $108.7 million and mezzanine debt of $48.0 million. The Company expects to have sufficient cash flows from operations and from positive cash flows generated from existing limited partnership investments to meet these partnership commitments.
The other commitments include various agreements for service, including such things as computer software, telephones, and maintenance. The Company has operating leases for 16 of its 23 field offices that are operated in the states in which the Property and Casualty Group does business and three operating leases for warehousing facilities and remote office locations. One of the branch locations is leased from EFL. The computer operating leases are for computer equipment and were entered into in conjunction with the Company’s recent technology initiatives. The total of these obligations, including the financing arrangement, is $75.0 million, of which $55.0 million will be reimbursed to the Company from its affiliates.
Not included in the table above are the obligations for the Company’s unfunded benefit plans, including the Supplemental Employee Retirement Plan (SERP) for its executive and senior management and the directors’ retirement plan. The recorded accumulated benefit
obligations for these plans at December 31, 2005, is $17.2 million. The Company expects to have sufficient cash flows from operations to meet the future benefit payments as they become due. See also Footnote 8 in the notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Off-balance sheet arrangements
Off-balance sheet arrangements include those with unconsolidated entities that may have a material current or future effect on the financial condition or results of operations of the Company, including material variable interests in unconsolidated entities that conduct certain activities. There are no off-balance sheet obligations related to the variable interest the Company has in the Exchange. Any liabilities between the Exchange and the Company are recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position of the Company. The Company has no other material off-balance sheet obligations or guarantees.
Financial ratings
The property/casualty insurers of the Company are rated by rating agencies that provide insurance consumers with meaningful information on the financial strength of insurance entities. Higher ratings generally indicate financial stability and a strong ability to pay claims. The ratings are generally based upon factors relevant to policyholders and are not directed toward return to investors. The insurers of the Erie Insurance Group are currently rated by A.M. Best Company as follows:
         
Erie Insurance Exchange
    A+  
Erie Insurance Company
    A+  
Erie Insurance Property and Casualty Company
    A+  


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Erie Insurance Company of New York
    A+  
Flagship City Insurance
    A+  
Erie Family Life Insurance
    A    
According to A.M. Best, a Superior rating (A+) is assigned to those companies that, in A.M. Best’s opinion, have achieved superior overall performance when compared to the standards established by A.M. Best and have a superior ability to meet their obligations to policyholders over the long term. The A (Excellent) rating of EFL continues to affirm its strong financial position, indicating that EFL has an excellent ability to meet its ongoing obligations to policyholders. By virtue of its affiliation with the Property and Casualty Group, EFL is typically rated one financial strength rating lower than the property/casualty companies by A.M. Best Company. The insurers of the Erie Insurance Group are also rated by Standard & Poor’s, but this rating is based solely on public information. Standard & Poor’s rates these insurers Api, “strong.” Financial strength ratings continue to be an important factor in evaluating the competitive position of insurance companies.
Regulatory risk-based capital
The standard set by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) for measuring the solvency of insurance companies, referred to as Risk-Based Capital (RBC), is a method of measuring the minimum amount of capital appropriate for an insurance company to support its overall business operations in consideration of its size and risk profile. The RBC formula is used by state insurance regulators as an early warning tool to identify, for the purpose of initiating regulatory action, insurance companies that potentially are inadequately capitalized. In addition, the formula defines minimum capital standards that will supplement the current system of low fixed minimum capital and surplus requirements on a state-by-state basis. At December 31, 2005, the companies comprising the Property and Casualty Group all had RBC levels substantially in excess of levels that would require regulatory action.
Transactions and agreements with related parties
 
Board oversight
The Company’s Board of Directors (Board) has broad oversight responsibility over intercompany relationships within Erie Insurance Group. As a consequence, the Board must make decisions or take actions that are not solely in the interest of the Company’s shareholders, but balance these interests in these separate fiduciary duties such as:
  the Company’s Board sets the management fee rate paid by the Exchange to the Company,
 
  the Company’s Board of Directors determines the participation percentages of the intercompany pooling agreement, and
 
  the Company’s Board approves the annual shareholders’ dividend, and
  the Company’s Board ratifies other significant intercompany activity, for example any new cost-sharing agreements.
If the Board determines that the Exchange’s surplus requires strengthening, it could decide to reduce the management fee rate, change the Company’s property/ casualty insurance subsidiaries’ intercompany pooling participation percentages or reduce the shareholder dividends level in any given year. The Board could also decide, under such circumstances, that the Company should provide capital to the Exchange, although there is no legal obligation to do so. The Board, however, recognizes that the long-term financial strength of the Exchange enures to the benefit of the Company.
The Board of the Company is also the Board for EFL.
Intercompany agreements
Pooling: Members of the Property and Casualty Group participate in an intercompany reinsurance pooling agreement. Under the pooling agreement, all insurance business of the Property and Casualty Group is pooled in the Exchange. The Erie Insurance Company and Erie Insurance Company of New York share in the underwriting results of the reinsurance pool through retrocession. Since 1995, the Board of Directors has set the allocation of the pooled underwriting results at 5.0% participation for Erie Insurance Company, 0.5% participation for Erie Insurance Company of New York and 94.5% participation for the Exchange.
Excess-of-loss reinsurance: From 1997 through December 2005, the Company’s property/casualty insurance subsidiaries had in effect an all-lines aggregate excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement with the Exchange which was excluded from the intercompany pooling agreement. The excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement limited the amount of sustained ultimate net losses in any applicable accident year for the Erie Insurance Company and Erie Insurance Company of New York. Company management set the terms for this excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement, obtaining third party quotes in setting the premium, determining the loss level at which the excess agreement becomes effective and the portion of ultimate net loss to be retained by each of the companies. The Property and Casualty Group did not renew this coverage for the 2006 accident year.
Technology development: The Erie Insurance Group undertook a program of information technology initiatives to develop eCommerce capabilities which began in 2001. In connection with this program, the Company and the Property and Casualty Group entered into a Cost-Sharing Agreement for Information Technology Development (“Agreement”). The Agreement describes how member companies of the Erie Insurance Group share certain costs to be incurred for the development and maintenance of new Internet-enabled property/casualty agency interface, policy administration and customer relationship management systems. Costs are shared under the Agreement in the same proportion as the underwriting results of the Property and Casualty Group are shared. The Agreement confers ownership of the certain systems being developed under the Agreement to the Exchange


50


 

and grants the Company’s property/casualty insurance subsidiaries a perpetual right to use the system. The financial terms and conditions of the Company’s eventual use of the system have not, as yet, been determined, and could have an impact on the Company’s future earnings.
Leased property: The Exchange leases certain office facilities to the Company on a year-to-year basis. Rents are determined considering returns on invested capital and building operating and overhead costs. Rental costs of shared facilities are allocated based on square footage occupied.
Intercompany cost allocation
Company management makes judgments affecting the financial condition of the Erie Insurance Group companies, including the allocation of shared costs between the companies. Management must determine that allocations are consistently made in accordance with intercompany agreements, the attorney-in-fact agreements with the policyholders of the Exchange and applicable insurance laws and regulations.
While allocation of costs under these various agreements requires management judgment and interpretation, such allocations are performed using a consistent methodology, which in management’s opinion, adheres to the terms and intentions of the underlying agreements.
Intercompany receivables
                                 
(dollars in thousands)       Percentage           Percentage
            of total           of total
            Company           Company
    2005   assets   2004   assets
 
Reinsurance recoverable from and ceded unearned premiums to the Exchange
  $ 952,705       30.7 %   $ 893,137       29.9 %
 
                               
Other receivables from the Exchange and affiliates (management fees, costs & reimbursements)
    198,714       6.4       211,488       7.1  
 
                               
Notes receivable from EFL
    25,000       .8       40,000       1.3  
 
 
                               
Total intercompany receivables
  $ 1,176,419       37.9 %   $ 1,144,625       38.3 %
 
The Company has significant receivables from the Exchange that result in a concentration of credit risk. These receivables include unpaid losses and unearned premiums ceded to the Exchange under the intercompany pooling agreement and from management services performed by the Company for the Exchange. Credit risks related to the receivables from the Exchange are evaluated periodically by Company management. Reinsurance contracts do not relieve the Company from its primary obligations to policyholders if the Exchange were unable to satisfy
its obligation. The Company collects its reinsurance recoverable amount generally within 30 days of actual settlement of losses.
The Company also has a receivable from the Exchange for management fees and costs paid by the Company on behalf of the Exchange. The Company also pays certain costs for, and is reimbursed by, EFL. Since the Company’s inception, it has collected these amounts due from the Exchange and EFL in a timely manner (generally within 120 days).
The Company has a surplus note for $25 million with EFL that is payable on demand on or after December 31, 2018. A second surplus note for $15 million was repaid by EFL to the Company on December 30, 2005. EFL paid interest to the Company on the surplus notes totaling $2.7 million in both 2005 and 2004 and $1.6 million during 2003. No other interest is charged or received on these intercompany balances due to the timely settlement terms and nature of the items.
Factors that may affect future results
 
Financial condition of the Exchange
The Company has a direct interest in the financial condition of the Exchange because management fee revenues are based on the direct written premiums of the Exchange and the other members of the Property and Casualty Group. Additionally, the Company participates in the underwriting results of the Exchange through the pooling arrangement in which the Company’s insurance subsidiaries have 5.5% participation. A concentration of credit risk exists related to the unsecured receivables due from the Exchange for certain fees, costs and reimbursements.
To the extent that the Exchange incurs underwriting losses or investment losses resulting from declines in the value of its marketable securities, the Exchange’s policyholders’ surplus would be adversely affected. If the surplus of the Exchange were to decline significantly from its current level, the Property and Casualty Group could find it more difficult to retain its existing business and attract new business. A decline in the business of the Property and Casualty Group would have an adverse effect on the amount of the management fees the Company receives and the underwriting results of the Property and Casualty Group in which the Company has 5.5% participation. In addition, a decline in the surplus of the Exchange from its current level would make it more likely that the management fee rate would be reduced.
Insurance premium rate actions
The changes in premiums written attributable to rate changes of the Property and Casualty Group directly affects underwriting profitability of the Property and Casualty Group, the Exchange and the Company. In 2005, the industry trend has been for insurers to maintain or reduce rate levels. Rate reductions have been implemented and additional reductions are being sought by the Property and Casualty Group in 2006 to recognize improved underwriting results and to be more price competitive. Pricing actions contemplated


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or taken by the Property and Casualty Group are subject to various regulatory requirements of the states in which these insurers operate. The pricing actions already implemented, or to be implemented through 2006, will also have an effect on the market competitiveness of the Property and Casualty Group’s insurance products. Such pricing actions, and those of competitors, could affect the ability of the Company’s agents to sell and/or renew business. Management estimates that pricing actions approved, contemplated or filing and awaiting approval through 2005, could reduce premium for the Property and Casualty Group by $96.7 million in 2006.
The Property and Casualty Group continues refining its pricing segmentation model for private passenger auto and homeowners lines of business. The new rating plan includes significantly more pricing segments than the former plan, providing the Company greater flexibility in pricing for policyholders with varying degrees of risk. Insurance scoring is among the most significant risk factors the Company has recently incorporated into the rating plan. Refining pricing segmentation should enable the Company to provide more competitive rates to policyholders with varying risk characteristics, as risks can be more accurately priced over time.
The continued introduction of new pricing variables could impact retention of existing policyholders and could affect the Property and Casualty Group’s ability to attract new policyholders.
Policy growth
Premium levels attributable to growth in policies in force of the Property and Casualty Group directly affects the profitability of management operations of the Company. The recent focus on underwriting discipline and implementation of the new rate classification plan through the pricing segmentation model have resulted in a reduction in new policy sales and policy retention ratios, as expected. The continued growth of the policy base of the Property and Casualty Group is dependent upon its ability to retain existing and attract new policyholders. A lack of new policy growth or the inability to retain existing customers could have an adverse effect on the growth of premium levels for the Property and Casualty Group.
Premium service charges
Effective for policies renewing on or after January
1, 2006, paid in installments, the service charge assessed policyholders will increase from $3 to $5 per installment. Also effective for policies renewing on or after January 1, 2006, paid using the direct debit payment method, the service charges will be eliminated. The financial impact this will have on the Company cannot be determined since the payment plan policyholders will choose cannot be predicted. However, if the number and mix of policyholders currently using the installment plans and the direct debit program were to remain the same, premium service charges would increase approximately $7.5 million in 2006, and $13 million on an annual basis once fully realized in subsequent years.
Catastrophe losses
The Property and Casualty Group conducts business in 11 states and the District of Columbia, primarily in the mid-Atlantic, midwestern and southeastern portions of the United States. A substantial portion of the business is private passenger and commercial automobile, homeowners and workers’ compensation insurance in Ohio, Maryland, Virginia and, particularly, Pennsylvania. As a result, a single catastrophe occurrence or destructive weather pattern could materially adversely affect the results of operations and surplus position of the members of the Property and Casualty Group. Common catastrophe events include severe winter storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, wind and hail storms. In its homeowners line of insurance, the Property and Casualty Group is particularly exposed to an Atlantic hurricane, which might strike the states of North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. The Property and Casualty Group maintains a property catastrophe reinsurance treaty to mitigate the future potential catastrophe loss exposure. The property catastrophe reinsurance coverage in 2005 provided coverage of up to 95% of a loss of $400 million in excess of the Property and Casualty Group’s loss retention of $200 million per occurrence. This agreement was renewed for 2006 under the terms of coverage of up to 95% of a loss of $400 million in excess of the Property and Casualty Group’s loss retention of $300 million per occurrence.
Incurred But Not Reported (IBNR) losses
The Property and Casualty Group is exposed to new claims on previously closed files and to larger than historical settlements on pending and unreported claims. The Company is exposed to increased losses by virtue of its 5.5% participation in the intercompany reinsurance pooling agreement with the Exchange. The Company exercises professional diligence to establish reserves at the end of each period that are fully reflective of the ultimate value of all claims incurred. However, these reserves are, by their nature, only estimates and cannot be established with absolute certainty.
The product coverage that has the greatest potential for variation is the pre-1986 automobile catastrophic injury liability reserve, as automobile no-fault law in Pennsylvania at that time provided for unlimited medical benefits. The estimation of ultimate liabilities for these claims is subject to significant judgment due to variations in claimant health and mortality over time. Actual experience, different than that assumed, could have a significant impact on the reserve estimates.
Information technology development
A comprehensive program of eCommerce initiatives being undertaken by the Erie Insurance Group began in 2001. Early in the program, substantial advancements in the organization’s internal infrastructure were put in place, providing the enabling foundation for implementing advanced technology, including operating environments and Web-based applications.


52


 

ERIEConnection®, the central policy administration and agent interface application under development in the eCommerce program, has not progressed as originally expected. Development costs have substantially exceeded estimates made in 2002. Target delivery dates established in 2002 have generally not been met. While functional as a personal lines rating and policy administration system, the agency interface component of ERIEConnection® has generally not met the Company’s or agents’ expectations for ease of use. The Company has postponed further deployment of the system until such usability issues are resolved. Estimates of the costs for alternative approaches to improve the agency interface for ease of use needed to facilitate future deployment and the timetable for deployment continue to be analyzed and developed. Through December 31, 2005, the total costs incurred for the development of the ERIEConnection® application amounted to approximately $100 million. This amount includes approximately $10 million related to the development of an alternative agent interface approach which has been abandoned.
During 2005, all independent agencies were migrated to a common, Windows XP-based agency interface platform called DSpro®. Previously, many agencies interfaced with the Company utilizing a DOS-based platform that was commercially unsupportable, while some were on the Windows XP platform. While this more stable Windows XP platform does not interface to ERIEConnection®, this migration mitigated the risk of business interruption posed by the DOS system and gives the Company the time necessary to thoroughly research and plan for its future interface development and rollout strategy using ERIEConnection®. In the first quarter 2006, the Company is implementing broadband connectivity with most agencies through DSpro®.
Since the substantial majority of the costs for program development are borne by the Exchange, the Company’s operating results are not expected to be materially impacted in the near term by ERIEConnection® development decisions. However, the financial terms and conditions of the Company’s eventual use of the ERIEConnection® system have not, as yet, been determined, and could have an impact on the Company’s future earnings. In addition, the Property and Casualty Group’s ability to attract new policyholders, which bears significantly on the Company’s management fee revenue, is directly influenced by the Company’s independent agent decisions to place business with the Property and Casualty Group. To the extent that technological capabilities of alternative carriers represented by the Company’s agents are greater than those of the Property and Casualty Group, the Property and Casualty Group’s sales could be adversely affected, thereby reducing the Company’s management fee.
It is also possible that the development of the ERIEConnection® system could be abandoned, which would require a charge to the Company’s earnings of $2.0 million.
Terrorism
The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002, which established a federal program for commercial/property casualty losses resulting from foreign acts of terrorism, originally scheduled to expire on December 31, 2005, was extended through December 31, 2007. The Act continues to require commercial insurers to make terrorism coverage available for commercial property/
casualty losses, including workers’ compensation. Commercial auto, burglary/theft, surety, professional liability and farmowners multiple-peril are no longer included in the program. Industry deductible levels were increased and an “event trigger” was added providing that in the case of a certified act of terrorism occurring after March 31, 2006, no federal compensation shall be paid by the Secretary of Treasury unless aggregate industry losses exceed $50 million for the rest of 2006 and $100 million in 2007. The federal government will pay 90% of covered terrorism losses above insurer retention levels in 2006 and 85% of covered terrorism losses in 2007.
The Erie Insurance Group is continuing to take the steps necessary to comply with the Act by providing notices to commercial policyholders disclosing the premium, if any, attributable to coverage for acts of terrorism, as defined in the Act, and disclosing federal participation in payment of terrorism losses. Terrorism coverage is not excluded under the majority of the Property and Casualty Group commercial property/ casualty policies. Other than workers’ compensation, which incur charges consistent with state law, premium charges for terrorism coverage are currently applied only for a small number of new and renewal commercial policies where deemed appropriate based upon individual risk factors and characteristics. Appropriate disclosure notices are provided in accordance with the Act.
Personal lines are not included under the protection of the Act and state regulators have not approved exclusions for acts of terrorism on personal lines policies. The Property and Casualty Group is exposed to terrorism losses for personal lines. While the Property and Casualty Group is exposed to terrorism losses in commercial lines and workers’ compensation, these lines are afforded a limited backstop above insurer deductibles for foreign acts of terrorism under the federal program. The Property and Casualty Group has no personal lines terrorist coverage in place. The Property and Casualty Group could incur large losses if future terrorism attacks occur.
“Safe Harbor” Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Certain forward-looking statements contained herein involve risks and uncertainties. These statements include certain discussions relating to management fee revenue, cost of management operations, underwriting, premium and investment income volume, business strategies, profitability and business relationships and the Company’s other business activities during 2005 and beyond. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “predict,” “potential” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s current views about future events, are based on assumptions and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from those anticipated in those statements. Many of the factors that will determine future events or achievements are beyond our ability to control or predict.


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(FOCUS 2005)
The direct written premiums of the Property and Casualty Group have a direct impact on the Company’s management fee revenue and, consequently, the Company’s management operations. Below is a summary of direct written premiums of the Property and Casualty Group by state and line of business.
                         
    Years ended December 31
    2005   2004   2003
 
Premiums written as a percent of total by state:
                       
Pennsylvania
    45.9 %     46.3 %     46.6 %
Maryland
    12.6       12.4       12.0  
Virginia
    8.7       8.3       8.2  
Ohio
    8.2       8.6       8.8  
North Carolina
    6.0       5.8       5.9  
West Virginia
    4.8       4.8       4.7  
Indiana
    4.1       4.3       4.4  
New York
    3.9       3.8       3.8  
Illinois
    2.4       2.5       2.5  
Tennessee
    2.0       1.9       1.9  
Wisconsin
    1.0       0.9       0.8  
District of Columbia
    0.4       0.4       0.4  
 
Total direct premiums written
    100.0 %     100.0 %     100.0 %
 
Premiums written by line of business:
                       
Personal
                       
Automobile
    48.6 %     49.7 %     51.1 %
Homeowners
    18.6       18.4       16.8  
Other
    2.5       2.4       2.3  
 
Total personal
    69.7 %     70.5 %     70.2 %
Commercial
                       
Commercial multi-peril
    11.3 %     10.9 %     10.9 %
Workers’ compensation
    8.8       8.6       8.8  
Automobile
    8.3       8.2       8.4  
Other
    1.9       1.8       1.7  
 
Total commercial
    30.3 %     29.5 %     29.8 %
 
The growth rate of policies in force and policy retention trends can impact the Company’s management and insurance operating segments. Below is a summary of each by line of business for the Property and Casualty Group business.
                         
    Years ended December 31  
(amounts in thousands)   2005     2004     2003  
 
Policies in force:
                       
Personal lines
    3,281       3,297       3,273  
Commercial lines
    479       474       470  
 
Total policies in force
    3,760       3,771       3,743  
 
Policy retention percentages:
                       
Personal policy retention percentages
    89.1 %     88.8 %     90.5 %
Commercial policy retention percentages
    85.2       85.1       87.3  
Total policy retention percentages
    88.6       88.4       90.2  
 

54


 

(REPORT OF MANAGEMENT)
Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting of Erie Indemnity Company, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f). Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of Erie Indemnity Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on our evaluation under the framework in Internal Control—Integrated Framework, management has concluded that Erie Indemnity Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2005.
Management’s assessment of the effectiveness of Erie Indemnity Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2005, has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which is included herein.
         
-s- Jeffrey A. Ludrof
  -s- Philip A. Garcia   -s- Timothy G. NeCastro
Jeffrey A. Ludrof
  Philip A. Garcia   Timothy G. NeCastro
President and
  Executive Vice President and   Senior Vice President and
Chief Executive Officer
  Chief Financial Officer   Controller
February 16, 2006
  February 16, 2006   February 16, 2006
(REPORT OF INDEPENDENT)

To the Board of Directors and Shareholders
Erie Indemnity Company
Erie, Pennsylvania
We have audited management’s assessment, included in the accompanying Report of Management on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting, that Erie Indemnity Company maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2005, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the COSO criteria). Erie Indemnity Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on management’s assessment and an opinion on the effectiveness of the company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained
in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, evaluating management’s assessment, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely


55


 

detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
In our opinion, management’s assessment that Erie Indemnity Company maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2005, is fairly stated, in all material respects, based on the COSO criteria. Also, in our opinion, Erie Indemnity Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2005, based on the COSO criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated statements of financial position of Erie Indemnity Company as of December 31, 2005 and 2004, and the related consolidated statements of operations, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2005, of Erie Indemnity Company and our report dated February 16, 2006, (except Note 11, as to which the date is February 21, 2006) expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
(ERNST & YOUNG LLP)
Cleveland, Ohio
February 16, 2006


(REPORT OF INDEPENDENT)
To the Board of Directors and Shareholders
Erie Indemnity Company
Erie, Pennsylvania
We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of financial position of Erie Indemnity Company and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2005 and 2004, and the related consolidated statements of operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2005. These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Erie Indemnity Company and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2005 and 2004, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2005, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the Standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the effectiveness of Erie Indemnity Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2005, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated February 16, 2006, expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
(ERNST & YOUNG LLP)
Cleveland, Ohio
February 16, 2006,
except for Note 11, as to which the date is
February 21, 2006,

56


 

(CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS)
                         
    Years ended December 31
(dollars in thousands, except per share data)   2005   2004   2003
 
Operating revenue
                       
Management fee revenue, net
  $ 888,558     $ 893,087     $ 830,069  
Premiums earned
    215,824       208,202       191,592  
Service agreement revenue
    20,568       21,855       27,127  
 
Total operating revenue
    1,124,950       1,123,144       1,048,788  
 
 
                       
Operating expenses
                       
Cost of management operations
    710,237       684,491       616,382  
Losses and loss adjustment expenses incurred
    140,385       153,220       152,984  
Policy acquisition and other underwriting expenses
    50,109       47,205       51,112  
 
Total operating expenses
    900,731       884,916       820,478  
 
 
                       
Investment income—unaffiliated
                       
Investment income, net of expenses
    61,555       60,988       58,298  
Net realized gains on investments
    15,620       18,476       10,445  
Equity in earnings (losses) of limited partnerships
    38,062       8,655       (2,000 )
 
Total investment income—unaffiliated
    115,237       88,119       66,743  
 
Income before income taxes and equity in earnings of Erie Family Life Insurance
    339,456       326,347       295,053  
Provision for income taxes
    (111,733 )     (105,140 )     (102,237 )
Equity in earnings of Erie Family Life Insurance, net of tax
    3,381       5,206       6,909  
 
 
                       
Net income
  $ 231,104     $ 226,413     $ 199,725  
 
Net income per share—basic
                       
Class A common stock
  $ 3.69     $ 3.54     $ 3.09  
 
Class B common stock
  $ 558.34     $ 539.88     $ 474.19  
 
Net income per share—diluted
  $ 3.34     $ 3.21     $ 2.81  
 
Weighted average shares outstanding 
                       
Basic :
                       
 
Class A common stock
    62,392,860       63,508,873       64,075,506  
 
Class B common stock
    2,843       2,877       2,884  
 
Diluted shares
    69,293,649       70,492,292       71,094,167  
 
See accompanying notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

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(CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION)
(dollars in thousands, except per share data)
                 
    As of December 31
    2005   2004
 
Assets        
Investments
               
Fixed maturities at fair value (amortized cost of $962,320 and $939,280, respectively)
  $ 972,210     $ 974,512  
Equity securities at fair value (cost of $249,440 and $175,860, respectively)
    266,334       202,694  
Limited partnerships (cost of $141,405 and $116,097, respectively)
    153,159       130,464  
Real estate mortgage loans
    4,885       5,044  
 
Total investments
    1,396,588       1,312,714  
Cash and cash equivalents
    31,666       50,061  
Accrued investment income
    13,131       12,480  
Premiums receivable from policyholders
    267,632       275,721  
Federal income taxes recoverable
    15,170       3,331  
Reinsurance recoverable from Erie Insurance Exchange on unpaid losses
    827,126       764,950  
Ceded unearned premiums to Erie Insurance Exchange
    125,579       128,187  
Notes receivable from Erie Family Life Insurance
    25,000       40,000  
Other receivables from Erie Insurance Exchange and affiliates
    198,714       211,488  
Reinsurance recoverable from non-affiliates
    1,321       964  
Deferred policy acquisition costs
    16,436       17,112  
Equity in Erie Family Life Insurance
    55,843       58,728  
Securities lending collateral
    30,831       0  
Prepaid pension costs
    38,720       50,860  
Other assets
    57,504       56,208  
 
Total assets
  $ 3,101,261     $ 2,982,804  
 
Liabilities and shareholders’ equity
               
 
Liabilities
               
Unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses
  $ 1,019,459     $ 943,034  
Unearned premiums
    454,409       472,553  
Commissions payable and accrued
    200,459       179,284  
Securities lending collateral
    30,831       0  
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
    34,885       33,016  
Deferred executive compensation
    24,447       19,069  
Deferred income taxes
    6,538       24,122  
Dividends payable
    22,172       20,612  
Employee benefit obligations
    29,459       24,233  
 
Total liabilities
    1,822,659       1,715,923  
 
Shareholders’ equity
               
Capital stock:
               
Class A common, stated value $.0292 per share; authorized 74,996,930 shares; 67,600,800 and 67,540,800 shares issued, respectively; 61,162,682 and 62,992,841 shares outstanding, respectively
    1,972       1,970  
Class B common, convertible at a rate of 2,400 Class A shares for one Class B share; stated value $70 per share; 2,833 and 2,858 shares authorized, issued and outstanding, respectively
    198       200  
Additional paid-in capital
    7,830       7,830  
Accumulated other comprehensive income
    21,681       58,611  
Retained earnings
    1,501,798       1,354,181  
 
Total contributed capital and retained earnings
    1,533,479       1,422,792  
 
Treasury stock, at cost, 6,438,118 and 4,547,959 shares respectively
    (254,877 )     (155,911 )
 
Total shareholders’ equity
    1,278,602       1,266,881  
 
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
  $ 3,101,261     $ 2,982,804  
 
See accompanying notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

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(CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS)
(dollars in thousands)
                         
    Years ended December 31
    2005   2004   2003
 
Cash flows from operating activities
                       
Management fee received
  $ 891,965     $ 882,893     $ 813,963  
Service agreement fee received
    20,334       21,789       26,427  
Premiums collected
    214,592       189,904       193,443  
Settlement of commutation received from Exchange
    3,031       0       0  
Net investment income received
    66,274       64,268       62,370  
Limited partnership distributions
    71,718       37,165       21,266  
Dividends received from Erie Family Life Insurance
    1,799       1,799       1,717  
Salaries and wages paid
    (95,408 )     (83,263 )     (78,586 )
Pension funding and employee benefits paid
    (10,184 )     (21,250 )     (30,624 )
Commissions paid to agents
    (471,492 )     (480,685 )     (438,699 )
Agents bonuses paid
    (46,883 )     (24,163 )     (18,436 )
General operating expenses paid
    (85,333 )     (80,211 )     (70,971 )
Losses and loss adjustment expenses paid
    (126,314 )     (133,466 )     (134,365 )
Other underwriting and acquisition costs paid
    (8,269 )     (8,908 )     (11,196 )
Income taxes paid
    (124,749 )     (108,127 )     (89,692 )
 
Net cash provided by operating activities
    301,081       257,745       246,617  
 
Cash flows from investing activities
                       
Purchase of investments:
                       
Fixed maturities
    (372,979 )     (363,232 )     (503,859 )
Equity securities
    (155,141 )     (135,386 )     (32,860 )
Limited partnerships
    (75,279 )     (41,352 )     (36,659 )
Sales/maturities of investments:
                       
Fixed maturity sales
    232,617       140,745       207,008  
Fixed maturity calls/maturities
    115,422       122,661       152,001  
Equity securities
    95,676       124,008       52,043  
Return on limited partnerships
    6,164       2,396       1,848  
Purchase of property and equipment
    (2,003 )     (2,689 )     (2,658 )
Net collections on agent loans
    1,942       2,023       1,057  
 
Net cash used in investing activities
    (153,581 )     (150,826 )     (162,079 )
 
Cash flows from financing activities
                       
Increase (decrease) in collateral from securities lending
    30,831       (34,879 )     (9,037 )
Redemption of securities lending collateral
    (30,831 )     34,879       9,037  
Dividends paid to shareholders
    (81,929 )     (55,120 )     (49,021 )
Payment of note from Erie Family Life Insurance
    15,000       0       0  
Issuance of note to Erie Family Life Insurance
    0       0       (25,000 )
Purchase of treasury stock
    (98,966 )     (54,051 )     0  
 
Net cash used in financing activities
    (165,895 )     (109,171 )     (74,021 )
 
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents
    (18,395 )     (2,252 )     10,517  
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year
    50,061       52,313       41,796  
 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year
  $ 31,666     $ 50,061     $ 52,313  
 
See accompanying notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

59


 

(CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY)
                                                                 
    (dollars in thousands, except per share data)  
                            Accumulated                          
    Total                     other     Class A     Class B              
    shareholders’     Comprehensive     Retained     comprehensive     common     common     Additional     Treasury  
    equity     income     earnings     income     stock     stock     paid-in capital     stock  
 
Balance, January 1, 2003
  $ 987,372             $ 1,040,547     $ 38,685     $ 1,967     $ 203     $ 7,830     $ (101,860 )
 
                                                               
Comprehensive income:
                                                               
Net income
    199,725     $ 199,725       199,725                                          
Unrealized appreciation of investments, net of tax
    27,732       27,732               27,732                                  
Minimum pension liability adjustment, net of tax
    (15 )     (15 )             (15 )                                
 
                                                             
Comprehensive income
          $ 227,442                                                  
 
                                                             
Conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares
                                  2       (2 )                
Dividends declared:
                                                               
Class A $.785 per share
    (50,304 )             (50,304 )                                        
Class B $117.75 per share
    (340 )             (340 )                                        
 
Balance, December 31, 2003
    1,164,170               1,189,628       66,402       1,969       201       7,830       (101,860 )
 
                                                               
Comprehensive income:
                                                               
Net income
    226,413     $ 226,413       226,413                                          
Unrealized depreciation of investments, net of tax
    (7,793 )     (7,793 )             (7,793 )                                
Minimum pension liability adjustment, net of tax
    2       2               2                                  
 
                                                             
Comprehensive income
          $ 218,622                                                  
 
                                                             
Purchase of treasury stock
    (54,051 )                                                     (54,051 )
Conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares
                                  1       (1 )                
Dividends declared:
                                                               
Class A $.97 per share
    (61,442 )             (61,442 )                                        
Class B $145.50 per share
    (418 )             (418 )                                        
 
Balance, December 31, 2004
    1,266,881               1,354,181       58,611       1,970       200       7,830       (155,911 )
 
                                                               
Comprehensive income:
                                                               
Net income
    231,104     $ 231,104       231,104                                          
Unrealized depreciation of investments, net of tax
    (36,933 )     (36,933 )             (36,933 )                                
Minimum pension liability adjustment, net of tax
    3       3               3                                  
 
                                                             
Comprehensive income
          $ 194,174                                                  
 
                                                             
Purchase of treasury stock
    (98,966 )                                                     (98,966 )
Conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares
                                  2       (2 )                
Dividends declared:
                                                               
Class A $1.335 per share
    (82,918 )             (82,918 )                                        
Class B $200.25 per share
    (569 )             (569 )                                        
 
Balance, December 31, 2005
  $ 1,278,602             $ 1,501,798     $ 21,681     $ 1,972     $ 198     $ 7,830     $ (254,877 )
See accompanying notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

60


 

(NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS)

Note 1.
Nature of business
 
Erie Indemnity Company (Company), formed in 1925, is the attorney-in-fact for the subscribers of Erie Insurance Exchange (Exchange), a reciprocal insurance exchange. The Company performs certain services for the Exchange relating to the sales, underwriting and issuance of policies on behalf of the Exchange and earns a management fee for these services. The Exchange is a Pennsylvania-domiciled property/ casualty insurer rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best. The Exchange is the 23rd largest property/casualty insurer in the United States based on 2004 net premiums written for all lines of business. The Exchange and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Flagship City Insurance Company (Flagship) and the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries, Erie Insurance Company (EIC), Erie Insurance Company of New York (EINY) and the Erie Insurance Property and Casualty Company (EIPC), comprise the Property and Casualty Group. The Property and Casualty Group is a regional insurance group operating in 11 midwestern, mid-Atlantic, and southeastern states and the District of Columbia. The Property and Casualty Group primarily writes personal auto insurance, which comprises 48.5% of its direct premiums. The Company also owns 21.6% of the common stock of the Erie Family Life Insurance Company (EFL), an affiliated life insurance company. The Company, together with the Property and Casualty Group and EFL, operate collectively as the Erie Insurance Group (the Group).
Note 2.
Recent accounting pronouncements
 
In November 2005, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Staff Position (FSP) FAS 115-1 and FAS 124-1, “The Meaning of Other-Than-Temporary Impairment and its Application to Certain Investments.” This FSP nullifies the requirements of measurement and recognition in paragraphs 10–18 of Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) Issue 03-1, of the same name, carries forward the disclosure requirements included in Issue 03-1 and references existing other-than-temporary impairment guidance. This final FSP is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2005. The Company had previously adopted the disclosure requirements of EITF 03-1, which were unchanged by this final FSP. Management does not anticipate a change in policy that would significantly impact the Company’s financial condition or results of operations.
The Accounting Standards Executive Committee issued Statement of Position (SOP) 05-1, “Accounting by Insurance Enterprises for Deferred Acquisition Costs in Connection With Modifications or Exchanges of Insurance Contracts,” in September 2005, which is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15,
2006, with earlier adoption encouraged. The SOP provides guidance on accounting for deferred acquisition costs on internal replacements of insurance contracts that are modifications to product features that occur by the exchange of a contract for a new contract. Insurance contracts issued by the Property and Casualty Group include nonintegrated contract features as defined in the SOP, or those that provide coverage that is underwritten and priced only for that incremental insurance coverage and do not result in reunderwriting or repricing of other components of the contract. Nonintegrated contract features do not change the existing base contract and do not require further evaluation under the SOP. This SOP has no impact on the Company’s financial condition or results of operations.
In December 2004, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (FAS) No. 123(R), “Share-Based Payment, an amendment of FASB Statements No. 123 and 95.” FAS 123(R) addresses the accounting for transactions in which an enterprise exchanges its valuable equity instruments for employee services. It also addresses transactions in which an enterprise incurs liabilities that are based on the fair value of the enterprise’s equity instruments or that may be settled by the issuance of those equity instruments in exchange for employee services. The cost of employee services received in exchange for equity instruments would be measured based on the grant-date fair value of those instruments. That cost would be recognized as compensation expense over the requisite service period (often the vesting period). For employees that become eligible to retire during an explicit service period, compensation cost would be recognized over the period through the date that the employee first becomes eligible to retire and is no longer required to provide service to earn the award. If vesting of share-based payments accelerates upon an employee’s retirement, this should be accrued at the date of retirement. Alternatively, an award may continue to vest after retirement, even though the employee no longer is providing services to the employer. FAS 123(R) is effective for periods beginning after June 15, 2005. The implementation of FAS 123(R) will have minimal impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows, as the Company does not settle the cost of employee services through the issuance of equity instruments.
Note 3.
Significant accounting policies
 
Basis of presentation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) that differ from statutory accounting practices prescribed or permitted for insurance companies by regulatory authorities. See also Note 17.


61


 

Principles of consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The 21.6% equity ownership of EFL is not consolidated but accounted for under the equity method of accounting.
Reclassifications
Certain amounts reported in prior years have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s financial statement presentation.
Use of estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Investments and cash equivalents
Fixed maturities consist of bonds, notes and redeemable preferred stock. Fixed maturities are classified as available for sale and are reported at fair value, with unrealized investment gains and losses, net of income taxes, charged or credited directly to shareholders’ equity in accumulated other comprehensive income. Market value of fixed maturities are determined based upon quoted market prices or dealer quotes. If quoted market prices or dealer quotes are not available, valuation is based on discounted expected cash flows using market rates commensurate with the credit quality and maturity of the investment. Also included in fixed maturities are mortgage-backed securities, which are amortized using the constant effective yield method based on anticipated prepayments and the estimated economic life of the securities. If actual prepayments differ significantly from anticipated prepayments, the effective yield is recalculated to reflect actual payments to date and anticipated future payments. The net investment in the security is adjusted to the amount that would have existed had the new effective yield been applied since the acquisition of the security, with the corresponding adjustment included as part of investment income.
Equity securities, which include common and nonredeemable preferred stocks, are classified as available for sale and carried at fair value based on quoted market prices. Changes in fair values of equity securities, net of income tax, are charged or credited directly to shareholders’ equity in accumulated other comprehensive income.
Limited partnerships include U.S. and foreign private equity, real estate and mezzanine debt investments. The private equity limited partnerships invest primarily in small- to medium-sized companies. Limited partnerships are recorded using the equity method, which is the Company’s share of the reported value of the partnership.
Realized gains and losses on sales of investments are recognized in income based upon specific identification of the investments sold on the trade date. Interest and dividend income is recorded as earned. The amortized cost of debt securities is adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts to lowest yield. Such amortization is included in investment income.
All investments are evaluated monthly for other-than-temporary impairment loss. Some factors considered in evaluating whether or not a decline in fair value is other-than-temporary include:
  the extent and duration to which fair value is less than cost;
 
  historical operating performance and financial condition of the issuer;
 
  near term prospects of the issuer and its industry based on analysts recommendations;
 
  specific events that occurred affecting the issuer, including a ratings downgrade; and
 
  the Company’s ability and intent to hold the investment for a period of time sufficient to allow for a recovery in value.
An investment that is deemed impaired is written down to its estimated net realizable value. Impairment charges are included as realized losses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Securities lending program
The Company engages in securities lending activities from which it generates investment income from the lending of certain of its investments to other institutions for short periods of time. The Company receives marketable securities as collateral equal to at least 102% of the market value of the loaned securities. The Company maintains full ownership rights to the securities loaned and, accordingly, the loaned securities remain classified as investments of the Company.
The Company shares a portion of the interest charged on lent securities with the third party custodian and the borrowing institution. In accordance with FAS 140, “Accounting for Transfers and Servicing of Financial Assets and Extinguishments of Liabilities,” the Company recognizes the receipt of the collateral held by the third party custodian and the obligation to return the collateral on its Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.


62


 

Deferred policy acquisition costs
Amounts which vary with, and are primarily related to, the production of new and renewal insurance policies, primarily commissions, are deferred and amortized pro rata over the policy periods in which the related premiums are earned. Deferred acquisition costs are reviewed to determine if they are recoverable from future income, and if not, are charged to expense. Future investment income attributable to related premiums is taken into account in measuring the recoverability of the carrying value of this asset. Amortization expense, included in policy acquisition and other underwriting expenses, was $34.2 million, $34.3 million and $38.6 million in 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively.
Insurance liabilities
The liability for losses and loss adjustment expenses represent estimated provisions for both reported and unreported claims and related expenses. The reserves are adjusted regularly based on experience. Reserve estimates are based on management’s assessment of known facts and circumstances, review of historical settlement patterns, estimates of trends in claims severity, frequency, legal theories of liability and other factors. Multiple estimation methods are employed for each product line, which results in a range of reasonable estimates for each product line. Loss reserves are set at full expected cost except for workers’ compensation loss reserves, which have been discounted using an interest rate of 2.5%. Unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position were reduced by $4.6 million and $4.1 million at December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively, due to discounting. The reserves for losses and loss adjustment expenses are reported net of receivables for salvage and subrogation of $6.7 million at both December 31, 2005 and 2004.
The reserve for losses and loss adjustment expenses is necessarily based on estimates and, while management believes the amount is appropriate, the ultimate liability may be more or less than the amounts provided. The methods for making such estimates and for establishing the resulting liability are continually reviewed. The effects of changes in such estimated reserves are included in the results of operations in the period in which the estimates are changed. Changes in the estimated reserves recorded as of period end may be material to the result of operations and financial condition in future periods.
Reinsurance
Premiums earned and losses and loss adjustment expenses incurred are presented net of reinsurance activities in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Reinsurance premiums are recognized as revenue on a pro-rata basis over the policy term. Gross losses and expenses incurred are reduced for amounts expected to be recovered under reinsurance agreements. Estimated reinsurance recoverables and receivables for ceded unearned premiums are recorded as assets with liabilities recorded for related unpaid losses and expenses and unearned premiums in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position. See the discussion of the intercompany reinsurance pooling arrangement in Note 13.
Recognition of management fee revenue
In exchange for providing sales, underwriting, and policy issuance services, the Company earns management fees from the Exchange. The management fee revenue is calculated as a percentage of the direct written premium of the Property and Casualty Group. The Exchange issues policies with annual terms only. Management fees are recorded as revenue upon policy issuance or renewal, as substantially all of the services required to be performed by the Company have been satisfied at that time. Certain activities are performed and related costs are incurred by the Company subsequent to policy issuance in connection with the services provided to the Exchange; however, these activities are deemed to be inconsequential and perfunctory.
Although the Company is not required to do so under the subscriber’s agreement with the Exchange, it forgives the management fee charged the Exchange when mid-term policy cancellations occur. The Company estimates mid-term policy cancellations and records a related allowance which is adjusted quarterly. The effect of recording changes in this estimated allowance increased the Company’s management fee revenue by $.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2005. Management fee revenue was reduced by $4.1 million and $3.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2004 and 2003, respectively, due to changes in the allowance.
Recognition of premium revenues and losses
Property and liability premiums are recognized as revenue on a pro-rata basis over the policy term. Unearned premiums represent the unexpired portion of premiums written. Losses and loss adjustment expenses are recorded as incurred. Premiums earned and losses and loss adjustment expenses incurred are reflected net of amounts ceded to the Exchange on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. See also Note 16.


63


 

Recognition of service agreement revenue
Included in service agreement revenue are service charges the Company collects from policyholders for providing multiple payment plans on policies written by the Property and Casualty Group. Service charges, which are flat dollar charges for each installment billed beyond the first installment, are recognized as revenue when each additional billing is rendered to the policyholder.
Prior to March 2005, service agreement revenue also included service income received from the Exchange as compensation for the management of voluntary assumed reinsurance from nonaffiliated insurers. The service fee revenue, calculated as 6% of nonaffiliated assumed reinsurance premiums written, was recognized in the period in which the related premium was earned since the Company’s services extended to that same period. The Exchange exited the assumed reinsurance business effective December 31, 2003. The service agreement remained in effect while existing contracts expired throughout 2004 and was terminated effective March 31, 2005.
Agent bonus estimates
Agent bonuses are based on an individual agency’s property/casualty underwriting profitability and also include a component for growth in agency current and prior two year property/casualty premiums, if the agencies are profitable. The estimate for agent bonuses, which are based on the performance over 36 months, is modeled on a monthly basis using actual underwriting data by agency for the two prior years combined with the current year-to-date actual data and projected underwriting data for the remainder of the current year. At December 31 of each year, the Company uses actual data available and records an accrual based on expected payment amount. The estimated incurred agent bonus at December 31, 2005, is $71.1 million. The 2004 and 2003 agent bonus amounts incurred were $46.2 million and $24.0 million, respectively. These costs are included in the cost of management operations in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Income taxes
Provisions for income taxes include deferred taxes resulting from changes in cumulative temporary differences between the tax basis and financial statement basis of assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for the effects of changes in tax laws and rates on the date of enactment. In the fourth quarter of 2003, the Company recorded an adjustment to deferred income taxes to recognize future tax obligations which will arise when earnings from the Company’s equity investment in
EFL are distributed. The deferred tax provision was computed assuming undistributed earnings of EFL in excess of the Company’s basis would be distributed in the form of dividends. The one-time non-cash charge of $3.2 million to record these deferred taxes reduced net income per share-diluted by $.05 in 2003.
Stock-based compensation
The Company has a long-term incentive plan (LTIP) from which restricted stock awards are issued to executive management that are settled in Company stock. The Company does not issue stock, but instead purchases stock in the open market to settle these obligations. The Company currently applies the FAS 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation,” fair value method of accounting for stock-based employee awards. Under this method, compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and recognized ratably over the three-year performance period. The fair value of the restricted stock is measured at the market price of a share of the Company’s Class A common stock on the grant date. The effects of changes in the stock price are recognized as compensation expense over the performance period. The LTIP does not include an acceleration of vesting clause. Therefore, if an employee retired prior to the close of the plan’s three-year performance period, vesting would cease at the end of the year in which they retire.
Note 4.
Earnings per share
 
Basic earnings per share is calculated under the two-class method which allocates earnings to each class of stock based on its dividend rights. Weighted average shares used in the Class A basic earnings per share calculation were 62.4 million in 2005, 63.5 million in 2004 and 64.1 million in 2003. Class B shares used in the basic earnings per share calculation were 2,843 shares, 2,877 shares and 2,884 shares in 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively. Class B shares are convertible into Class A at a conversion ratio of 2,400 to 1. The computation of diluted earnings per share reflects the effect of potentially dilutive outstanding employee stock-based awards under the long-term incentive plan. See also Note 9. The total weighted average number of Class A equivalent shares outstanding (including conversion of Class B shares) was 69.3 million, 70.5 million and 71.1 million during 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively.


64


 

The following table reconciles the numerators and denominators of the basic and diluted per-share computations for each of the years ended December 31. (See Note 9 for a description of the restricted stock awards not yet vested.)
                         
    For the years ended December 31
(net income amounts in thousands)   2005   2004   2003
 
Basic:
                       
Allocated net income—Class A
  $ 229,517     $ 224,861     $ 198,357  
Class A shares of common stock
    62,392,860       63,508,873       64,075,506  
 
Class A earnings per share—basic
  $ 3.69     $ 3.54     $ 3.09  
 
Allocated net income—Class B
  $ 1,587     $ 1,552     $ 1,368  
Class B shares of common stock
    2,843       2,877       2,884  
 
Class B earnings per share—basic
  $ 558.34     $ 539.88     $ 474.19  
 
Diluted:
                       
Net income
  $ 231,104     $ 226,413     $ 199,725  
Class A shares of common stock
    62,392,860       63,508,873       64,075,506  
Assumed conversion of class B common stock and restricted stock awards
    6,900,789       6,983,419       7,018,661  
 
Class A shares of common and equivalent shares
    69,293,649       70,492,292       71,094,167  
 
Earnings per share—diluted
  $ 3.34     $ 3.21     $ 2.81  
 
Note 5.
Investments
 
The following tables summarize the cost and market value of available-for-sale securities at December 31, 2005 and 2004:
                                 
(in thousands)           Gross   Gross    
    Amortized   unrealized   unrealized   Estimated
December 31, 2005   cost   gains   losses   fair value
 
Fixed maturities
                               
U. S. treasuries and government agencies
  $ 9,583     $ 204     $ 52     $ 9,735  
States and political subdivisions
    145,528       1,383       1,104       145,807  
Special revenue
    195,059       1,816       1,130       195,745  
Public utilities
    66,866       3,077       334       69,609  
U. S. industrial and miscellaneous
    353,843       5,889       4,013       355,719  
Mortgage-backed securities
    32,251       788       413       32,626  
Asset-backed securities
    22,117       43       443       21,717  
Foreign
    106,445       3,772       816       109,401  
 
Total bonds
    931,692       16,972       8,305       940,359  
Redeemable preferred stock
    30,628       1,340       117       31,851  
 
Total fixed maturities
    962,320       18,312       8,422       972,210  
 
Equity securities
                               
Common stock:
                               
Public utilities
    1,313       160       0       1,473  
U. S. banks, trusts and insurance companies
    10,783       1,528       286       12,025  
U. S. industrial and miscellaneous
    53,713       8,668       1,599       60,782  
Foreign
    18,950       2,712       381       21,281  
Nonredeemable preferred stock:
                               
Public utilities
    26,266       285       448       26,103  
U. S. banks, trusts and insurance companies
    64,632       2,432       228       66,836  
U. S. industrial and miscellaneous
    62,552       3,523       464       65,611  
Foreign
    11,231       1,033       41       12,223  
 
Total equity securities
  $ 249,440     $ 20,341     $ 3,447     $ 266,334  
 

65


 

                                 
(in thousands)           Gross   Gross    
    Amortized   unrealized   unrealized   Estimated
December 31, 2004   cost   gains   losses   fair value
 
Fixed maturities
                               
U. S. treasuries and government agencies
  $ 11,850     $ 412     $ 69     12,193  
States and political subdivisions
    80,508       2,515       164       82,859  
Special revenue
    125,083       3,407       137       128,353  
Public utilities
    66,927       4,708       52       71,583  
U. S. industrial and miscellaneous
    429,793       14,953       1,669       443,077  
Mortgage-backed securities
    48,504       772       390       48,886  
Asset-backed securities
    21,596       76       286       21,386  
Foreign
    125,590       9,628       312       134,906  
 
Total bonds
    909,851       36,471       3,079       943,243  
Redeemable preferred stock
    29,429       1,949       109       31,269  
 
Total fixed maturities
    939,280       38,420       3,188       974,512  
 
Equity securities
                               
Common stock:
                               
Public utilities
    992       11       0       1,003  
U. S. banks, trusts and insurance companies
    6,197       2,334       50       8,481  
U. S. industrial and miscellaneous
    34,120       13,136       171       47,085  
Foreign
    2,245       57       28       2,274  
Nonredeemable preferred stock:
                               
Public utilities
    21,373       1,939       59       23,253  
U. S. banks, trusts and insurance companies
    43,605       3,401       2       47,004  
U. S. industrial and miscellaneous
    55,096       4,667       88       59,675  
Foreign
    12,232       1,730       43       13,919  
 
Total equity securities
  $ 175,860     $ 27,275     $ 441     202,694  
 

The amortized cost and estimated fair value of fixed maturities at December 31, 2005, by remaining contractual term to maturity, are shown below. Mortgage-backed securities are allocated based on their stated maturity dates. Actual cash flows may differ from those presented as a result of calls, prepayments or defaults.
                 
    Amortized   Estimated
(in thousands)   cost   fair value
 
Due in one year or less
  $ 88,040     $ 87,857  
Due after one year through five years
    334,109       333,063  
Due after five years through ten years
    351,622       359,076  
Due after ten years
    188,549       192,214  
 
Total fixed maturities
  $ 962,320     $ 972,210  
 


66


 

Fixed maturities and equity securities in a gross unrealized loss position are as follows. Data is provided by length of time securities were in a gross unrealized loss position:
                                                         
    Less than 12 months   12 months or longer   Total    
    Fair   Unrealized   Fair   Unrealized   Fair   Unrealized   Number of
(in thousands)   value   losses   value   losses   value   losses   holdings
 
December 31, 2005
                                                       
Fixed maturities
                                                       
U.S. treasuries and government agencies
  $ 5,615     $ 40     $ 257     $ 12     $ 5,872     $ 52       7  
States and political subdivisions
    88,553       907       5,035       197       93,588       1,104       40  
Special revenue
    108,565       992       6,284       138       114,849       1,130       52  
Public utilities
    20,215       220       2,877       114       23,092       334       13  
U.S. industrial & miscellaneous
    106,403       1,766       68,585       2,247       174,988       4,013       100  
Mortgage-backed securities
    6,889       92       12,194       321       19,083       413       15  
Asset-backed securities
    2,903       97       12,420       346       15,323       443       7  
Foreign
    21,103       398       13,973       418       35,076       816       17  
 
Total bonds
    360,246       4,512       121,625       3,793       481,871       8,305       251  
Redeemable preferred stock
    5,018       117       0       0       5,018       117       1  
 
Total fixed maturities
    365,264       4,629       121,625       3,793       486,889       8,422       252  
 
Equity securities
                                                       
Common stock
    20,858       2,095       2,280       171       23,138       2,266       84  
Nonredeemable preferred stock
    35,567       764       8,022       417       43,589       1,181       19  
 
Total equity securities
    56,425       2,859       10,302       588       66,727       3,447       103  
 
Total fixed maturities and equity securities
  $ 421,689     $ 7,488     $ 131,927     $ 4,381     $ 553,616     $ 11,869       355  
 

67


 

                                                         
    Less than 12 months   12 months or longer   Total  
    Fair   Unrealized   Fair   Unrealized   Fair   Unrealized   Number of
(in thousands)   value   losses   value   losses   value   losses   holdings
 
December 31, 2004
                                                       
Fixed maturities
                                                       
U.S. treasuries and government agencies
  $ 1,014     $ 12     $ 1,934     $ 57     $ 2,948     $ 69       3  
States and political subdivisions
    15,798       131       1,467       33       17,265       164       8  
Special revenue
    19,098       137       0       0       19,098       137       7  
Public utilities
    11,828       52       0       0       11,828       52       5  
U.S. industrial & miscellaneous
    133,339       1,396       11,737       273       145,076       1,669       69  
Mortgage-backed securities
    13,879       200       7,021       190       20,900       390       13  
Asset-backed securities
    17,700       277       918       8       18,618       285       7  
Foreign
    26,156       215       1,865       98       28,021       313       13  
 
Total bonds
    238,812       2,420       24,942       659       263,754       3,079       125  
Redeemable preferred stock
    3,052       109       0       0       3,052       109       1  
 
Total fixed maturities
    241,864       2,529       24,942       659       266,806       3,188       126  
 
Equity securities
                                                       
Common stock
    12,985       249       0       0       12,985       249       66  
Nonredeemable preferred stock
    17,628       149       1,352       43       18,980       192       10  
 
Total equity securities
    30,613       398       1,352       43       31,965       441       76  
 
Total fixed maturities and equity securities
  $ 272,477     $ 2,927     $ 26,294     $ 702     $ 298,771     $ 3,629       202  
 
The fixed maturity investments with continuous unrealized losses for less than 12 months were primarily due to the impact of higher market interest rates rather than a decline in credit quality of the specific issuers. Of the fixed maturities that are below amortized cost for less than 12 months, securities that were investment-grade had a fair value of $357.7 million at December 31, 2005. These fixed maturities had unrealized losses as of December 31, 2005, of $4.3 million.
The remaining fair value of fixed maturities below amortized cost for less than 12 months of $7.6 million at December 31, 2005, were non-investment grade securities and had unrealized losses of $.4 million. Comprising this amount are three issuers, all of which were downgraded to non-investment grade credits in 2005. These three issuers are in the automotive and
auto financing industries. The Company is monitoring the financial condition of these three issuers. An impairment charge of $.3 million was recorded for one of these securities to write it down to its estimated market value in 2005. It is possible that these securities may be further impaired resulting in realized losses in future periods.
There are $121.6 million in investment-grade fixed maturity securities at fair value that at December 31, 2005, had been below amortized cost for 12 months or longer. These fixed maturities had unrealized losses as of December 31, 2005, of $3.8 million. All of these securities were investment grade at December 31, 2005. These unrealized losses are due to higher market interest rates and greater spread requirements in the market in general and are not related to the credit quality of specific issuers.


68


 

Investment income net of expenses was generated from the following portfolios for the years ended December 31 as follows:
                         
(in thousands)   2005     2004     2003  
 
Fixed maturities
  $ 50,222     $ 49,601     $ 46,366  
Equity securities
    10,847       10,440       10,598  
Cash equivalents and other
    2,113       2,003       2,040  
 
Total investment income
    63,182       62,044       59,004  
Less: investment expenses
    1,627       1,056       706  
 
Investment income, net of expenses
  $ 61,555     $ 60,988     $ 58,298  
 
Following are the components of net realized gains on investments as reported in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Included in 2005 gross realized losses are impairment charges of $2.9 million and $1.6 million related to fixed maturities and equity securities, respectively. The fixed maturity impairment charges related to bonds in the automotive industry. The equity securities that were impaired were in the consumer products, automotive and technology sectors. There were no impairment charges in 2004. Included in the 2003 gross realized losses are impairment charges of $2.3 million and $3.7 million related to fixed maturities and equity securities, respectively. The impairment charges related to bonds in the financial and retail sectors and charges related to equity securities were in the energy sector.
                         
    Years ended December 31  
(in thousands)   2005     2004     2003  
 
Fixed maturities
                       
Gross realized gains
  $ 7,231     $ 6,855     $ 15,589  
Gross realized losses
    (6,097 )     (524 )     (3,952 )
 
Net realized gains
    1,134       6,331       11,637  
 
Equity securities
                       
Gross realized gains
    19,517       14,175       4,602  
Gross realized losses
    (5,031 )     (2,030 )     (5,794 )
 
Net realized gains (losses)
    14,486       12,145       (1,192 )
 
Net realized gains on investments
  $ 15,620     $ 18,476     $ 10,445  
 
Change in difference between fair value and cost of investments:
                         
 
    Years ended December 31  
(in thousands)   2005     2004     2003  
 
Fixed maturities
  $ (25,342 )   $ (9,480 )   $ 12,520  
Equity securities
    (9,940 )     (10,231 )     18,580  
 
 
    (35,282 )     (19,711 )     31,100  
Deferred taxes on unrealized (losses) gains of fixed maturities and equity securities
    12,349       6,899       (10,885 )
 
Change in net unrealized (losses) gains
  $ (22,933 )   $ (12,812 )   $ 20,215  
 
Limited partnerships are recorded using the equity method. The components of equity in earnings (losses) of limited partnerships as reported in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31 are as follows:
                         
(in thousands)   2005     2004     2003  
 
Private equity
  $ 16,732     $ 2,324     $ (3,983 )
Real estate
    7,657       4,350       3,349  
Mezzanine debt
    3,530       1,981       (1,366 )
Valuation adjustments
    10,143       0       0  
 
Total equity in earnings (losses) of limited partnerships
  $ 38,062     $ 8,655     $ (2,000 )
 
During 2005, the Company made a correction to its treatment of unrealized gains and losses on limited partnerships. This correction resulted in an increase to second quarter 2005 pre-tax income of $14.2 million, or an increase to net income per share-diluted of $.13 to record changes in the fair value of limited partnerships to equity in earnings or losses of limited partnerships in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. The Company had previously reflected unrealized gains and losses on limited partnerships in shareholders’ equity in accumulated other comprehensive income. Included in the pre-tax adjustment was $9.4 million of unrealized gains related to 2004 and prior years, or $.09 per share-diluted. While there was an earnings impact related to this adjustment, there was no impact on the Company’s shareholders’ equity.
Impairment charges in which the decline in value of limited partnerships is considered other-than-temporary by management are included in the related category in the table above. Included in the private equity partnership net earnings or losses are impairment charges of $1.2 million and $5.0 million for 2004 and 2003, respectively. Included in the 2003 mezzanine debt partnership losses is an impairment charge of $2.5 million from partnerships concentrated in the facility resources, textile and food and beverage industries.


69


 

See also Note 19 for investment commitments related to partnerships.
The Company participates in a program whereby marketable securities from its investment portfolio are lent to independent brokers or dealers based on, among other things, their creditworthiness in exchange for collateral initially equal to at least 102% of the value of the securities on loan and is thereafter maintained at a minimum of 100% of the market value of the securities loaned. The market value of the securities on loan to each borrower is monitored daily by the third party custodian and the borrower is required to deliver additional collateral if the market value of the collateral falls below 100% of the market value of the securities on loan.
The Company had loaned securities included as part of its invested assets with a market value of $30.0 million at December 31, 2005. The Company had no loaned securities at December 31, 2004. The Company has incurred no losses on the securities lending program since the program’s inception.
Cash equivalents are principally comprised of investments in bank money market funds and approximate fair value.
         
Note 6.
       
 
Comprehensive income
       
 
The components of changes to comprehensive income follow for the years ended December 31:
                         
                 
(in thousands)   2005     2004     2003  
 
Unrealized holding (losses) gains on securities arising during period
  $ (41,199 )   $ 6,487     $ 53,110  
Less: gains included in net income
    (15,620 )     (18,476 )     (10,445 )
 
Net unrealized holding (losses) gains arising during period
    (56,819 )     (11,989 )     42,665  
Income tax benefit (liability) related to unrealized gains or losses
    19,886       4,196       (14,933 )
 
Net (depreciation) appreciation of investments
    (36,933 )     (7,793 )     27,732  
 
Minimum pension liability adjustment (See Note 8)
    4       3       (23 )
Income tax (liability) benefit related to pension adjustment
    (1 )     (1 )     8  
 
Net minimum pension liability adjustment
    3       2       (15 )
 
Change in other comprehensive income, net of tax
  $ (36,930 )   $ (7,791 )   $ (27,717 )
 
The components of accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax, as of December 31 are as follows:
                 
(in thousands)   2005   2004
 
Accumulated net
               
appreciation of investments
  $ 21,720     $ 58,653  
Accumulated minimum
               
pension liability adjustment
    (39 )     (42 )
 
Accumulated other
               
comprehensive income
  $ 21,681     $ 58,611  
 
         
Note 7.
       
 
Equity in Erie Family Life Insurance
       
 
The Company owns 21.6% of EFL’s common shares outstanding, which is accounted for using the equity method of accounting. EFL is a Pennsylvania-domiciled life insurance company operating in 10 states and the District of Columbia. EFL’s undistributed earnings accounted for under the equity method and included in the Company’s retained earnings as of December 31, 2005 and 2004, are $51.6 million and $49.9 million, respectively.
The following represents condensed financial information for EFL on a U.S. GAAP basis:
                         
    Years ended December 31  
(in thousands)   2005     2004     2003  
 
Revenues
  $ 148,876     $ 149,833     $ 149,973  
Benefits and expenses
    124,561       104,541       102,668  
Income before income taxes
    24,315       45,292       47,305  
Net income
    16,539       29,632       32,487  
Comprehensive (loss) income
    (7,242 )     24,281       46,313  
Dividends paid to shareholders
    8,316       8,222       7,938  
 
                 
    As of December 31  
(in thousands)   2005     2004  
 
Investments
  $ 1,498,099     $ 1,466,579  
Total assets
    1,776,360       1,661,440  
Liabilities
    1,520,390       1,389,912  
Accumulated other comprehensive income
    15,471       39,252  
Total shareholders’ equity
    255,970       271,528  
 
The Company’s share of EFL’s unrealized appreciation of investments, net of tax, reflected in EFL’s shareholders’ equity, is $3.3 million and $8.5 million at December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively. Dividends paid to the Company totaled $1.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2005 and 2004, and $1.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2003.


70


 

         
Note 8.
       
 
Benefit plans
       
 
The liabilities for the plans described in this note are presented in total for all employees of the Group, before allocations to related entities. The gross liability for the pension and postretirement benefit plans is presented in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position as employee benefit obligations with amounts expected to be recovered from the Company’s affiliates included in other assets. The remaining liabilities not separately presented in this note are presented in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position as accounts payable and accrued expenses.
The Company’s pension plans consist of: 1) a noncontributory defined benefit pension plan covering substantially all employees of the Company, 2) an unfunded supplemental employee retirement plan (SERP) for its executive and senior management and 3) an unfunded pension plan for certain of its outside directors. The pension plans provide benefits to covered individuals satisfying certain age and service requirements. The defined benefit pension plan and SERP provide benefits through a final average earnings formula and a percent of average monthly compensation formula, respectively. The benefit provided under the pension plan for outside directors
equals the annual retainer fee at the date of retirement. The outside directors’ plan has been frozen since 1997.
The Company also provides postretirement health benefits in the form of medical and pharmacy health plans for eligible retired employees and eligible dependents. To be eligible for benefits, an employee must be at least 60 years old when separating from service and have 15 years of continuous full-time service. The benefits are provided from retirement date to age 65. Actuarially determined costs are recognized over the period the employee provides service to the Company.
The Company pays the obligations when due for those benefit plans that are unfunded.
The following tables summarize the funded status, obligations and amounts recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position for the Company’s plans. The Company uses a December 31 measurement date for its pension and postretirement health benefit plans. The projected benefit obligation is presented below for the pension plans and the accumulated benefit obligation is presented for the postretirement health benefit plan.
The accumulated benefit obligation of the Company’s pension plans was $181.3 million and $150.4 million at December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively.


                                 
                    Postretirement  
    Pension plans     health benefit plan  
(in thousands)   2005     2004     2005     2004  
 
Change in benefit obligation
                               
Benefit obligation at January 1
  $ 241,641     $ 212,713     $ 12,628     $ 11,367  
Service cost
    14,564       13,236       1,259       968  
Interest cost
    14,576       12,949       968       708  
Amendments
    221       296       (290 )     (730 )
Actuarial loss
    15,603       3,512       6,108       566  
Benefits paid
    (1,628 )     (1,065 )     (638 )     (251 )
 
Benefit obligation at December 31
  $ 284,977     $ 241,641     $ 20,035     $ 12,628  
 
Change in plan assets
                               
Fair value of plan assets at January 1
  $ 203,071     $ 181,714     $     $  
Actual return on plan assets
    18,996       14,673              
Employer contributions
    70       7,749              
Benefits paid
    (1,628 )     (1,065 )            
 
Fair value of plan assets at December 31
  $ 220,509     $ 203,071     $     $  
 
Reconciliation of funded status
                               
Funded status at December 31
  $ (64,468 )   $ (38,570 )   $ (20,035 )   $ (12,628 )
Unrecognized net actuarial loss
    82,699       72,305       9,055       3,273  
Unrecognized prior service cost
    3,463       3,942       (1,253 )     (1,071 )
 
Net amount recognized
  $ 21,694     $ 37,677     $ (12,233 )   $ (10,426 )
 
Amounts recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position consist of
                               
Prepaid benefit cost (defined benefit plan)
  $ 38,720     $ 50,860     $     $  
Accrued benefit liability
    (17,226 )     (13,807 )     (12,233 )     (10,426 )
Intangible asset
    140       560              
Accumulated other comprehensive income
    60       64              
 
Net amount recognized
  $ 21,694     $ 37,677     $ (12,233 )   $ (10,426 )
 
Accrued benefit liability
    17,226       13,807       12,233       10,426  
Reimbursements from affiliates included in other assets
    (7,845 )     (6,309 )     (6,576 )     (5,424 )
 
Net accrued benefit liability
  $ 9,381     $ 7,498     $ 5,657     $ 5,002  
 

71


 

The 2005 actuarial loss in the pension plan was due to a change in the discount rate assumption used to estimate the benefit obligation from 6.00% in 2004 to 5.75% in 2005. The postretirement health benefit plan’s actuarial loss was principally due to changes in the mortality and discount rate assumptions, offset by actual plan experience that was better than the experience used to estimate 2005 expense.
Previously, a single health care plan was offered for all employees. Effective January 1, 2005, two alternative health plan options were offered to employees which required increased employee cost-sharing. This plan change resulted in a decrease in the per-capita medical costs under the postretirement health benefit plan.
For pension plans with an accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets (SERP and the plan for outside directors), the aggregate projected benefit obligation and the aggregate accumulated benefit obligation were $30.4 million and $17.2 million, respectively, at
December 31, 2005, and $26.5 million and $13.8 million, respectively, at December 31, 2004. As these plans are unfunded, consequently, there are no plan assets.
The accrued benefit liability of $17.2 million and $13.8 million at December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively, relates principally to the SERP plan. The intangible asset relates entirely to the SERP plan.
The Company’s funding policy regarding the employee pension plan is to contribute amounts sufficient to meet ERISA funding requirements plus such additional amounts as may be determined to be appropriate, subject to IRS funding limits. In 2005, the Company’s contribution to the pension plan was limited by IRS funding limits. The Company expects to contribute approximately $7.5 million to the employee pension plan in 2006. The following table summarizes the components of net benefit expense recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31:


                                                 
                            Postretirement  
    Pension plans     health benefit plan  
(in thousands)   2005     2004     2003     2005     2004     2003  
 
Net periodic benefit cost
                                               
Service cost
  $ 14,564     $ 13,236     $ 10,045     $ 1,259     $ 968     $ 715  
Interest cost
    14,576       12,949       11,096       968       708       595  
Expected return on plan assets
    (17,382 )     (16,996 )     (16,553 )                  
Amortization of prior service cost
    700       901       885       (108 )     (53 )     (50 )
 
                                               
Recognized net actuarial loss
    3,595       3,205       811       326       154       54  
Amortization of unrecognized initial net asset
    0       0       (234 )                  
 
Net periodic benefit cost
  $ 16,053     $ 13,295     $ 6,050     $ 2,445     $ 1,777     $ 1,314  
 

A portion of the net periodic benefit cost for the pension plans and the postretirement health benefit plan is borne by the Exchange and EFL. The Company was reimbursed approximately 51% from the Exchange and EFL during 2005 and approximately 50% in both 2004 and 2003.
Assumptions and health care cost trend rate sensitivity
                 
    2005     2004  
 
Assumptions used to determine benefit obligations
Employee pension plan:                
Discount rate
    5.75 %     6.00 %
Expected return on plan assets
    8.25       8.25  
Rate of compensation increase
    4.75 *     5.00  
SERP:
               
Discount rate
    5.75 %     6.00 %
Rate of compensation increase
    6.00-7.25       6.00-7.25  
Postretirement health benefit plan:                
Discount rate
    5.75 %     6.00 %
 
*   Rate of compensation increase is age-graded. An equivalent single compensation increase rate of 4.75% would produce similar results.
                 
    2005     2004  
 
Assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost
Employee pension plan:                
Discount rate
    6.00 %     6.00 %
Expected return on plan assets
    8.25       8.25  
Rate of compensation increase
    4.75 *     5.00  
SERP:
               
Discount rate
    6.00 %     6.00 %
Rate of compensation increase
    6.00-7.25       6.00-7.25  
Postretirement health benefit plan:
               
Discount rate
    6.00 %     6.00 %
                 
    2005     2004  
 
Assumed health care cost trend rates
Health care cost trend rate assumed for next year
    10.0 %     9.0 %
Rate to which the cost trend rate is assumed to decline (the ultimate trend rate)
    5.0 %     5.0 %
Year that the rate reaches the ultimate trend rate
    2011       2009  


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The discount rate used to determine net periodic pension and postretirement benefit costs for 2006 will be 5.75% compared to 6.00% used for 2005. The rate was modeled by management in a bond-matching study that compared projected pension plan benefit flows to the cash flows from a comparable portfolio of fixed maturity instruments which yielded approximately 5.75%. The employee pension plan’s expected long-term rate of return on assets is based on historical long-term returns for the asset classes included in the employee pension plan’s target asset allocation. In 2005, the Company’s consulting pension actuarial firm completed an experience study which supported the use of an age-graded scale for the rate of compensation increase, which correlates a participant’s age to their rate of compensation increase.
The December 31, 2005, accumulated postretirement health benefit obligation was based on a 9.0% increase in the cost of covered health care benefits during 2005. Assumed health care cost trend rates have a significant effect on the amounts reported for the health care plans. A 100-basis point change in assumed health care cost trend rates would have the following effects:
                 
    100-basis   100-basis  
    point   point
(in thousands)   increase   decrease  
 
Effect on total of service and interest cost
  $ 387   $ (322 )  
 
               
Effect on postretirement health benefit obligation
    2,970     (2,520 )  
The following benefit payments, which reflect expected future service, as appropriate, are expected to be paid:
                 
    Pension     Postretirement  
(in thousands)   benefits     health benefits  
 
2006
  $ 2,425     $ 410  
2007
    3,164       482  
2008
    4,087       542  
2009
    5,039       759  
2010
    6,216       1,001  
Years 2011-2015
    53,062       7,662  
Pension plan assets
The SERP and pension plan for outside directors are unfunded. The employee pension plan is a funded plan with asset allocation by asset category as follows:
                                 
    Plan assets at December 31  
Asset category           2005             2004  
 
Equity securities
            62.5 %             58.9 %
Debt securities
                               
Due beyond one year
    35.9 %             34.3 %        
Due within one year
    .8 %     36.7 %     6.2 %     40.5 %
 
                           
Other
            .8 %             .6 %
 
                           
Total
            100.0 %             100.0 %
 
Equity securities included 60,000 shares of Company Class A common stock, with market values of $3.2 million (1.5% of total plan assets), at both December 31, 2005 and 2004. Dividends paid on these shares were less than $.1 million for 2005 and 2004.
Also included in equity securities are 69,750 shares of EFL common stock at December 31, 2005 and 2004, with market values of $1.9 million (.9% of total plan assets) and $2.2 million (1.0% of total plan assets), respectively. Dividends paid on these shares were less than $.1 million for 2005 and 2004.
The employee pension plan’s investment strategy is based on an understanding that:
  equity investments are expected to outperform debt investments over the long term;
 
  the potential volatility of short-term returns from equities is acceptable in exchange for the larger expected long-term returns;
 
  a portfolio structured across investment styles and markets (both domestic and foreign) reduces volatility.
As a result, the employee pension plan’s asset allocation will include a broadly diversified allocation among equity, debt and other investments. The target percentage range for asset categories is:
         
    2005  
    target  
Asset category   allocation  
 
Equity securities
    40% — 65 %
Debt securities
    35% — 60 %
Other
     0% —   5 %
 
Employee savings plan
The Company has a qualified 401(k) savings plan for its employees. Eligible participants are permitted to make contributions to the plan up to the Internal Revenue Service limit. The Company match is 100% of the participant contributions up to 3% of compensation and 50% of participant contributions over 3% and up to 5% of compensation. All full-time and regular part-time employees are eligible to participate in the plan. The Company’s matching contributions to the plan were $7.7 million, $7.2 million and $6.6 million in 2005, 2004, and 2003, respectively, before reimbursements from affiliates. The Company’s matching contributions after reimbursements from affiliates were $3.2 million, $2.9 million, and $2.6 million in 2005, 2004, and 2003, respectively. Employees are only permitted to invest employer-matching contributions in the Class A common stock of the Company. The plan acquires shares in the open market necessary to meet the obligations of the plan. Plan participants held .1 million Company Class A shares at December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003.


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Health and dental benefits
The Company has self-funded health care plans for all of its employees and eligible dependents. Estimated unpaid claims incurred are accrued as a liability at December 31, 2005 and 2004. Operations were charged $30.9 million, $32.1 million and $28.3 million in 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively, for the cost of health and dental care provided under these plans before reimbursements from affiliates. Beginning January 1, 2005, the Company offered new health plan alternatives which increased employee cost-sharing. The charges after reimbursement from affiliates were $14.1 million in 2005 and 2004, and $12.5 million in 2003.
         
Note 9.
       
 
Incentive plans and deferred compensation
       
 
The Company has separate annual and long-term incentive plans for executive and senior management and regional vice presidents of the Company. The Company also makes available several deferred compensation plans for executive and senior management and certain outside directors.
Annual incentive plan
The annual incentive plan is a bonus plan that annually pays cash bonuses to executive, senior and regional vice presidents of the Company.
Pre-2004 Plan—Prior to 2004, incentives under the annual incentive plan were based on growth in written premiums and the underwriting results of the Property and Casualty Group compared to a peer group of property/casualty companies that wrote predominately personal lines insurance and were rated A++ by A.M. Best.
Post-2004 Plans— Beginning in 2004, the incentives under the plan are based on the achievement of certain predetermined performance targets. These targets are established by the Executive Compensation and Development Committee of the Board and can include various financial measures. The 2005 incentives were based on the adjusted operating ratio and the growth in direct written premiums of the Property and Casualty Group.
The cost of the plan is charged to operations as the compensation is earned over the performance period of one year. The amount charged to expense for the annual incentive plan bonus before reimbursement from affiliates was $4.1 million, $4.4 million and $1.8 million for 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively. After reimbursements from affiliates, the Company’s expense was $2.8 million, $2.9 million and $1.2 million for 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively.
Long-term incentive plan
The long-term incentive plan (LTIP) of the Company is a restricted stock award plan designed to reward executive, senior and regional vice presidents who can have a significant impact on the performance of the Company with long-term compensation that is settled in Company stock.
Pre-2004 Plan— Prior to 2004, awards were determined based on the achievement of predetermined Company financial performance goals compared to the actual growth in retained earnings of the Company.
Post-2004 Plans— Beginning in 2004, the award is based on the level of achievement of objective measures of performance over a three-year period as compared to a peer group of property/casualty companies that write predominately personal lines insurance. The 2005 award was based on the adjusted combined ratio and the growth in direct written premiums and total return on invested assets of the adjusted property/casualty operations of the Erie Insurance Group compared to a peer group of companies. Because the award is based on a comparison to results of a peer group over a three-year period, the estimated award is based on estimates of results for the remaining performance period. This estimate is subject to variability if the results of the Company or peer group are substantially different than those results projected by the Company.
The Company cannot issue new stock or stock from treasury to settle the compensation award obligations under the LTIP, but instead must purchase Company stock on the open market. The restricted stock awards are granted at the beginning of a three-year performance period. The maximum number of shares which may be earned under the post-2004 LTIP plan by any single participant during any one calendar year is limited to .25 million shares. The aggregate number of Class A common stock that may be issued pursuant to awards granted under the LTIP is 1.0 million shares. A liability is recorded and compensation expense is recognized ratably over the performance period. For performance periods beginning before 2004, the stock awards vest ratably over a three-year vesting period subsequent to the three-year performance period. For performance periods beginning in 2004, stock awards are considered vested at the end of the performance period.
At December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003, the unvested outstanding restricted shares under the LTIP totaled 73,471 shares, 75,399 shares and 68,176 shares, respectively, with average grant prices of $52.65, $46.83 and $39.47, respectively. The change in market value of stock from the date of award under the LTIP and the balance sheet date is charged or credited to operations. The compensation cost charged to operations for these restricted stock awards after corporate federal income tax, was $3.9 million,


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$2.1 million, and $1.6 million for the years ending December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively, after reimbursements from affiliates.
The following table shows the number of shares awarded and not yet vested at December 31, 2005. There were no forfeitures in any of the performance periods presented.
                 
    Weighted     Number  
Long-term   average     of  
incentive plan   grant price     shares  
 
2001-2003
               
Performance period
               
Awarded
  $ 39.47       33,859  
Shares vested
            23,284  
 
             
Shares not yet vested
            10,575  
 
             
 
               
2002-2004
               
Performance period
               
Awarded
  $ 46.84       40,517  
Shares vested
            15,230  
 
             
Shares not yet vested
            25,287  
 
             
 
               
2003-2005
               
Performance period
               
Awarded
  $ 51.15       39,870  
Shares vested
            2,261  
 
             
Shares not yet vested
            37,609  
 
             
 
               
 
Restricted shares not yet vested at December 31, 2005
            73,471  
 
Deferred compensation plans
The deferred compensation plans are arrangements for executive and senior vice presidents of the Company whereby the participants can elect to defer a portion of their compensation until separation from services to the Company. Those participating in the plans select hypothetical investment funds for their deferrals and are credited with the hypothetical returns generated. The deferred compensation plan for directors allows them to defer director and meeting fees. Directors participating in the plan select hypothetical investment funds for their deferrals and are credited with the hypothetical returns generated. The Company does not match any deferrals to the director plan.
The awards, payments, deferrals and liabilities under the deferred compensation, annual and long-term incentive plans for officers and directors, were as follows for the years ended December 31. The gross liabilities are presented separately in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position, while reimbursements from affiliates are included in other assets.
                         
(in thousands)   2005     2004     2003  
 
Plan awards, employer match and hypothetical earnings
                       
Long-term incentive plan awards
  $ 5,814     $ 3,039     $ 2,036  
Annual incentive plan awards
    4,145       4,394       1,703  
Deferred compensation plan, employer match and hypothetical earnings
    1,188       1,718       1,154  
 
Total plan awards and earnings
  $ 11,147     $ 9,151     $ 4,893  
 
 
                       
Total plan awards paid
  $ 6,088     $ 3,108     $ 4,572  
 
Compensation deferred under the plans
  $ 496     $ 551     $ 842  
 
Distributions from the deferred compensation plans
  $ (177 )   $ (458 )   $ (309 )
 
Gross incentive plan and deferred compensation liabilities
  $ 24,447     $ 19,069     $ 12,933  
 
Reimbursements from affiliates
    3,958       3,091       1,722  
 
Net incentive plan and deferred compensation liabilities
  $ 20,489     $ 15,978     $ 11,211  
 
Stock compensation plan for outside directors
The Company has a stock compensation plan for its outside directors. The purpose of this plan is to further align the interests of directors with shareholders by providing for a portion of annual compensation for the directors’ services in shares of the Company’s Class A common stock. Each director vests in the grant 25% every three months over the course of a year. Dividends paid by the Company are reinvested into each director’s account with additional shares of the Company’s Class A common stock. The Company accounts for grants under the stock compensation plan for outside directors under the fair value method as defined in FAS 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation.” The annual charge related to this plan, net of reimbursement, totaled $.3 million for each of the years 2005, 2004 and 2003. The implementation of FAS 123(R), “Share Based Compensation,” will have minimal impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.


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Note 10.
 
Income taxes
 
The provision for income taxes consists of the following for the years ended December 31:
                         
(in thousands)   2005     2004     2003  
 
Federal income taxes:
                       
Currently due
  $ 112,655     $ 104,274     $ 101,288  
Deferred
    (922 )     866       949  
 
Total
  $ 111,733     $ 105,140     $ 102,237  
 
A reconciliation of the provision for income taxes with amounts determined by applying the statutory federal income tax rates to pretax income is as follows:
                         
(in thousands)   2005     2004     2003  
 
Income tax at statutory rates
  $ 118,810     $ 114,222     $ 103,269  
Tax-exempt interest
    (4,013 )     (2,726 )     (2,601 )
Dividends received deduction
    (2,727 )     (2,636 )     (3,010 )
Other
    (337 )     (3,720 )     4,579  
 
Provision for income taxes
  $ 111,733     $ 105,140     $ 102,237  
 
Temporary differences and carryforwards, which give rise to deferred tax assets and liabilities, are as follows for the years ended December 31:
                 
(in thousands)   2005     2004  
 
Deferred tax assets
               
Loss reserve discount
  $ 5,630     $ 5,504  
Unearned premiums
    7,490       7,607  
Net allowance for service fees and premium cancellations
    2,923       2,872  
Other employee benefits
    8,277       6,525  
Alternative minimum tax carryforwards
    0       1,761  
Write-downs of impaired securities
    1,393       1,592  
Limited partnerships
    4,027       3,847  
Other
    1,659       1,481  
 
Total deferred tax assets
  $ 31,399     $ 31,189  
 
Deferred tax liabilities
               
Deferred policy acquisition costs
  $ 5,752     $ 5,989  
Unrealized gains on investments
    9,354       26,432  
Pension and other benefits
    10,164       15,467  
Equity interest in EFL
    3,619       3,490  
Limited partnerships
    3,550       0  
Depreciation
    2,241       976  
Other
    3,257       2,957  
 
Total deferred tax liabilities
    37,937       55,311  
 
Net deferred income tax liability
  $ 6,538     $ 24,122  
 
The Company, as a corporate attorney-in-fact for a reciprocal insurer, is not subject to state corporate taxes, as the Property and Casualty Group pays gross premium taxes. In 2004, the Company underwent an audit by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for the years 2002 and 2001. The Company recorded a reduction in income tax expense of $3.1 million as a result of related audit adjustments, the most significant of which was an additional deduction related to the pension plan that had a favorable impact on the Company’s tax position. The adjustment was recorded as part of the current tax position and had a $.04 benefit to net income per share—diluted in the fourth quarter of 2004.
     
Note 11.
   
 
Capital stock
   
 
 
Class A and B shares
   
Holders of Class B shares may, at their option, convert their shares into Class A shares at the rate of 2,400 Class A shares for each Class B share. During the year 2005, a total of 25 Class B shares were converted to 60,000 Class A shares. In 2004, 20 Class B shares were converted to 48,000 Class A shares. There is no provision for conversion of Class A shares to Class B shares and Class B shares surrendered for conversion cannot be reissued. Each share of Class A common stock outstanding at the time of the declaration of any dividend upon shares of Class B common stock shall be entitled to a dividend payable at the same time, at the same record date, and in an amount at least equal to 2/3 of 1.0% of any dividend declared on each share of Class B common stock. The Company may declare and pay a dividend in respect to Class A common stock without any requirement that any dividend be declared and paid in respect to Class B common stock. Sole voting power is vested in Class B common stock except insofar as any applicable law shall permit Class A common stock to vote as a class in regards to any changes in the rights, preferences and privileges attaching to Class A common stock.
In 2004, the Company increased both its Class A and Class B quarterly dividends by 51%. The annualized dividends increased the Company’s payout for 2005 by approximately $27 million. The increase in quarterly shareholder dividends beginning in January 2006 was 10.8% for both Class A and Class B shareholders.
Stock repurchase plan
The current stock repurchase program allows the Company to repurchase up to $250 million of its outstanding Class A common stock from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2006. Treasury shares are recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position at cost. Shares repurchased during 2005 totaled 1.9 million at a total cost of $99.0 million. Cumulative shares repurchased under the currently authorized repurchase plan through 2005 totaled 3.0 million at a total cost of $153.0 million, or $50.41 per share.
On February 21, 2006, the Board of Directors approved a continuation of the current stock repurchase program allowing an additional $250 million of Company Class A Common stock to be repurchased through December 31, 2009.


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Note 12.
Unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses
 
The following table provides a reconciliation of beginning and ending loss and loss adjustment expense liability balances for the Company’s wholly-owned property/casualty insurance subsidiaries:
                         
(in thousands)   2005   2004   2003
 
Total unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses at January 1, gross
  $ 943,034     $ 845,536     $ 717,015  
Less reinsurance recoverables
    765,563       687,819       577,917  
 
Net balance at January 1
    177,471       157,717       139,098  
 
Incurred related to:
                       
Current accident year
    146,312       153,563       154,816  
Prior accident years
    (5,927 )     (343 )     (1,832 )
 
Total incurred
    140,385       153,220       152,984  
 
Paid related to:
                       
Current accident year
    72,352       75,371       83,043  
Prior accident years
    53,962       58,095       51,322  
 
Total paid
    126,314       133,466       134,365  
 
Net balance at December 31
    191,542       177,471       157,717  
Plus reinsurance recoverables
    827,917       765,563       687,819  
 
Total unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses at December 31, gross
  $ 1,019,459     $ 943,034     $ 845,536  
 
The 2005 net incurred losses and loss adjustment expenses of $5.9 million related to prior accident years are the result of positive development of personal auto and commercial multi-peril attributable to an improvement in actual claims severity compared to historical trends.
Note 13.
Related party transactions
 
Management fee
A management fee is charged to the Exchange for services provided by the Company under subscriber’s agreements with policyholders of the Exchange. The fee is a percentage of direct written premium of the Property and Casualty Group. This percentage rate is adjusted periodically by the Company’s Board of Directors but cannot exceed 25%. The management rate charged the Exchange was 23.75% in 2005. In 2004, the management fee rate charged the Exchange was 23.5% in the first half of 2004 and 24% during the second half of 2004. The management fee rate was 24% during 2003. The Board of Directors elected to set the fee at 24.75% beginning January 1, 2006.
There is no provision for termination of the Company’s appointment as attorney-in-fact and the appointment is not affected by a policyholder’s disability or incapacity.
Service agreement revenue
Service agreement revenue previously included service income received from the Exchange as compensation for the management of voluntary assumed reinsurance from nonaffiliated insurers. Service agreement fee revenue amounted to $.8 million and $7.2 million in 2004 and 2003, respectively.
Intercompany reinsurance pooling agreement
EIC, EIPC, Flagship and EINY have an intercompany reinsurance pooling agreement with the Exchange, whereby these companies cede all of their direct property/casualty insurance to the Exchange, except for the annual premium under the all-lines aggregate excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement discussed below. EIC and EINY then assume 5% and 0.5%, respectively, of the total of the Exchange’s insurance business (including the business assumed from EIC and EINY). The participation percentages are determined by the Board of Directors. Intercompany accounts are settled by payment within 30 days after the end of each quarterly accounting period. The purpose of the pooling agreement is to spread the risks of the members of the Property and Casualty Group by the different lines of business they underwrite and geographic regions in which each operates. This agreement may be terminated by any party as of the end of any calendar year by providing not less than 90 days advance written notice.
Aggregate excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement
Through 2005, EIC and EINY had in effect an all-lines aggregate excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement with the Exchange. The purpose of the excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement was to reduce the variability of earnings and thereby reduce the adverse effects on the results of operations of EIC and EINY in a given year if the frequency or severity of claims were substantially higher than historical averages. The excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement was not renewed for the 2006 accident year due to the proposed pricing for the coverage as well as the loss profile of the Property and Casualty Group. The Property and Casualty Group maintains sufficient property catastrophe coverage from unaffiliated reinsurers and no longer participates in the assumed reinsurance business.
This excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement limited EIC’s and EINY’s retained share of ultimate net losses in any applicable accident year. The excess-of-loss agreement provided that once EIC and EINY sustained ultimate net losses, excluding losses from terrorism, nuclear, biological and chemical events, in any applicable accident year that exceeded an amount equal to 72.5% of EIC’s and EINY’s net premium earned in that period, the Exchange would be liable for 95% of the amount of such excess, up to but not exceeding, an amount equal to 95% of 15% of EIC and EINY’s net premium


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earned. Losses equal to 5% of the net ultimate net loss in excess of the retention under the contract were retained net by EIC and EINY. The contract permitted loss recoverables only when claims were paid. The contract also required that any unpaid loss recoverables be commuted 60 months after an annual period expired. This reinsurance treaty was excluded from the intercompany pooling agreement. The annual premium was subject to a minimum premium of $3.0 million in 2005. The annual premium paid to the Exchange for the agreement totaled $3.3 million, $3.6 million and $2.5 million in 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively.
Included in the 2005 net charges of $2.2 million are charges under the agreement of $1.5 million plus net charges of $.7 million related to the commutations of the 1999 and 2000 accident year. The unpaid loss recoverable related to the 1999 accident year of $3.4 million was settled in March 2005. The present value of the estimated losses from the 1999 accident year, or $3.0 million, was settled with the Exchange and cash payment made by the Company’s property/ casualty insurance subsidiaries resulting in a charge to the Company of $.4 million. The $2.0 million unpaid loss recoverable related to the 2000 accident year was settled in December 2005. The present value of these estimated losses from the 2000 accident year, or $1.7 million, was settled with the Exchange by the Company’s property/casualty insurance subsidiaries resulting in a charge to the Company of $.3 million. The cash will be paid for settlement of the 2000 accident year in the first quarter of 2006.
                 
         Accident year
(in thousands)   1999   2000
 
Loss recoverables
  $ 3,419     $ 2,038  
Settlement of loss recoverables at present value
    (3,033 )     (1,710 )
 
Net charge related to commutation
  $ 386     $ 328  
 
Total charges of $7.7 million were recorded under the excess-of-loss reinsurance agreement during 2004, of which $6.0 million related to the reversal of previously recorded recoverables for the 2003 accident year. Recoveries recorded during 2003 totaled $6.5 million.
While the excess-of-loss agreement was not renewed for 2006, the remaining open accident years under the agreement, 2001 through 2005, will be settled and losses will be commuted as the 60 months expire.
eCommerce program and related information technology infrastructure
The Erie Insurance Group undertook a series of initiatives to develop its capabilities to transact business electronically, which began in 2001. In connection with this program, referred to as eCommerce, the Company and the Property and Casualty Group entered into a Cost Sharing Agreement for Information Technology Development (Agreement). The Agreement describes how member companies of the Erie Insurance Group will share the costs to be incurred for the development
and maintenance of new Internet-enabled property/ casualty agency interface, policy administration and customer relationship management systems (ERIEConnection® system).
The Agreement provides that the development cost of the application systems and the directly related enabling technology costs, such as required infrastructure and architectural tools, will be shared among the Property and Casualty Group in a manner consistent with the sharing of insurance transactions under the existing intercompany pooling agreement. Certain other costs of the eCommerce program are related to information technology hardware, networks and upgrades to technology platforms and are not included under the Agreement. These costs are included in the cost of management operations in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The amounts incurred by the property/casualty subsidiaries of the Company have not been material.
Expense allocations
The claims handling services of the Exchange are performed by personnel who are entirely dedicated to and paid for by the Exchange from its own policyholder revenues. The Exchange’s claims function and its management and administration are exclusively the responsibility of the Exchange and not a part of the service the Company provides under the subscriber’s agreement. Likewise, personnel who perform activities within the life insurance operations of EFL are paid for by EFL from its own policyholder revenues. However, the Company is the legal entity that employs personnel on behalf of the Exchange and EFL and functions as a common paymaster for all employees. Common overhead expenses included in the expenses paid for by the Company are allocated based on appropriate utilization statistics (employee count, square footage, vehicle count, project hours, etc.) specifically measured to accomplish proportional allocations. Executive compensation is allocated based on each executive’s primary responsibilities (management services, property/casualty claims operations, EFL operations and investment operations). Management believes the methods used to allocate common overhead expenses among the affiliated entities are reasonable.
Payments on behalf of related entities
The Company makes certain payments for the account of the Group’s related entities. The Company, in making these payments, is acting as the common paymaster. Cash transfers are settled monthly.
The amounts of these cash settlements for Company payments made for the account of related entities were as follows for the years ended December 31:
                         
(in thousands)   2005     2004     2003  
 
Erie Insurance Exchange
  $ 265,359     $ 237,842     $ 217,794  
Erie Family Life Insurance
    35,556       28,925       26,081  
 
Total cash settlements
  $ 300,915     $ 266,767     $ 243,875  
 


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Office leases
The Company occupies certain office facilities owned by the Exchange and EFL. The Company leases office space on a year-to-year basis from the Exchange. Rent expenses under these leases totaled $10.3 million, $11.4 million and $11.8 million in 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively. The Company has a lease commitment until 2008 with EFL for a branch office. Rentals paid to EFL under this lease totaled $.3 million in each of the years 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively.
Notes receivable from EFL
The Company is due $25 million from EFL in the form of a surplus note that was issued in 2003. The note may be repaid only out of unassigned surplus of EFL. Both principal and interest payments are subject to prior approval by the Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner. The note bears an annual interest rate of 6.70% and will be payable on demand on or after December 31, 2018, with interest scheduled to be paid semi-annually. EFL paid interest to the Company totaling $1.7 million in 2005 and 2004 and $.6 million in 2003.
On December 30, 2005, EFL repaid its $15 million surplus note that was payable to the Company on December 31, 2005. Prior approval was received from the Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner authorizing repayment of the surplus note. EFL paid interest on this note to the Company totaling $1.0 million in each of the years 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively.
Note 14.
Receivables from Erie Insurance Exchange and concentrations of credit risk
 
Financial instruments could potentially expose the Company to concentrations of credit risk, including unsecured receivables from the Exchange. A large majority of the Company’s revenue and receivables are from the Exchange and affiliates. See also Note 15.
The Company has a receivable due from the Exchange for reinsurance recoverable from unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses and unearned premium balances ceded under the intercompany pooling arrangement totaling $952.7 million and $893.1 million at December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively. Management fee and expense allocation amounts due from the Exchange were $194.8 million and $207.2 million at December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively. The receivable from EFL for expense allocations totaled $3.9 million at December 31, 2005, compared to $4.3 million at December 31, 2004.
Premiums due from policyholders of the Company’s wholly-owned property/casualty insurance subsidiaries equaled $267.6 million and $275.7 million at December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively. A significant amount of these receivables are ceded to the Exchange as part of the intercompany pooling agreement and are included in reinsurance recoverables on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position. See also Note 16.
Note 15.
Variable interest entity
 
The Exchange is a variable interest entity because of the absence of decision-making capabilities by the equity owners (subscribers) of the Exchange. The Company holds a variable interest in the Exchange, however, the Company does not qualify as the primary beneficiary under Financial Accounting Standards Interpretation 46, “Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities.” The Company has a significant interest in the financial condition of the Exchange because management fee revenues, which accounted for 71.6% of the Company’s 2005 total revenues, are based on the direct written premiums of the Exchange and the other members of the Property and Casualty Group. Additionally, the Company participates in the underwriting results of the Exchange through the pooling arrangement in which the Company’s insurance subsidiaries have a 5.5% participation. Finally, a concentration of credit risk exists related to the unsecured receivables due from the Exchange for certain fees, costs and reimbursements.
The financial statements of the Exchange are prepared in accordance with Statutory Accounting Principles (SAP) required by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Accounting Practices and Procedures Manual, as modified to include prescribed or permitted practices of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Exchange does not, nor is it required to, prepare financial statements in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Financial statements prepared under SAP generally provide a more conservative approach than under GAAP. Under SAP, the principle focus is on the solvency of the insurer in order to protect the interests of the policyholders. Some significant differences between SAP and GAAP include the following:
*   Fixed maturities and short-term investments are valued at amortized cost or the lower of amortized cost or market under SAP. The SAP valuations are dependent upon the ERIE designation prescribed to the investment by the NAIC. GAAP requires these securities be valued at fair value;
 
*   SAP recognizes expenses when incurred and does not allow for the establishment of deferred policy acquisition cost assets;
 
*   Statutory deferred tax calculations limit the amount of deferred tax assets that can be recorded and deferred taxes are direct charges or credits to surplus;
 
*   GAAP requires the establishment of an asset for the estimated salvage and subrogation that will be recovered in the future. Under SAP, a company may establish this recoverable, but is not required to do so. The Exchange does not establish estimated salvage and subrogation recoveries;
 
*   As prescribed by the Insurance Department of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Exchange records in its statutory basis financial statements,


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    unearned subscriber fees (fees to attorney-in-fact) as deductions from unearned premium reserve and charges current operations on a pro-rata basis over the periods covered by the policies.
The selected financial data below is derived from the Exchange’s financial statements prepared in accordance with SAP. In the opinion of management, all adjustments consisting only of normal recurring accruals, considered necessary for a fair presentation, have been included. The condensed financial data set forth below represents the Exchange’s share of underwriting results after accounting for intercompany pool transactions.
Selected financial data of the Exchange
Condensed statutory statements of operations
                         
      Years ended December 31  
(in thousands)   2005     2004     2003  
 
Premiums earned
  $ 3,762,260     $ 3,672,486     $ 3,372,308  
Losses and loss adjustment expenses
    2,371,660       2,502,313       2,772,940  
Insurance underwriting and other expenses*
    996,357       1,013,846       955,377  
Dividends to policyholders
    25,004       14,692       16,788  
Other expense
    12,778       13,305       11,189  
 
Total underwriting operations expenses
    3,405,799       3,544,156       3,756,294  
 
Net underwriting gain (loss)
    356,461       128,330       ( 383,986 )
 
Net investment income
    370,977       282,388       232,677  
Net realized gains
    438,487       162,905       734,848  
 
Total investment income
    809,464       445,293       967,525  
 
Net income before federal income tax
    1,165,925       573,623       583,539  
Federal income tax expense
    379,563       180,824       142,106  
 
Net income
  $ 786,362     $ 392,799     $ 441,433  
 
 
*   Includes management fees and service fees paid or accrued to the Company
Condensed statutory statements of financial position
                 
      As of December 31  
(in thousands)   2005     2004  
 
Assets
               
Fixed maturities
  $ 4,534,116     $ 4,399,458  
Equity securities:
               
Common stock
    1,736,538       1,508,664  
Preferred stock
    648,301       550,090  
Limited partnerships
    599,745       567,089  
Real estate mortgage loans
    10,533       10,859  
Real estate
    35,277       36,305  
Cash and cash equivalents
    299,160       125,933  
Surplus note from EFL
    20,000       0  
Other assets
    33,945       1,049  
 
Total invested assets
    7,917,615       7,199,447  
Premiums receivable
    981,844       1,002,818  
Federal income taxes recoverable
    76,217       0  
Deferred income taxes
    17,518       0  
Other assets
    77,069       67,497  
 
Total assets
  $ 9,070,263     $ 8,269,762  
 
Liabilities
               
Loss and LAE reserves
  $ 3,549,128     $ 3,436,246  
Unearned premium reserves
    1,509,636       1,536,890  
Accrued liabilities
    629,749       400,375  
Deferred income taxes
    0       92,193  
 
Total liabilities
    5,688,513       5,465,704  
 
Total policyholders’ surplus
    3,381,750       2,804,058  
 
Total liabilities and policyholders’ surplus
  $ 9,070,263     $ 8,269,762  
 
The Exchange’s Policyholders’ surplus increased 20.6% during 2005, primarily as a result of improved underwriting results and increased net investment income.


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Common equity securities represent a significant portion of the Exchange’s investment portfolio and surplus and are exposed to price risk, volatility of the capital markets and general economic conditions. Common stock investments made up approximately 51% and 54% of the Exchange’s statutory surplus at December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively. The common stock portfolio has been diversified and all of the portfolio is now managed by external equity managers.
The Exchange had realized and unrealized capital gains on its common stock portfolio of $105.2 million and $60 million for the years ended December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively. Net proceeds from the sale of common stock investments were $969.9 million in 2005, which included $447.5 million in realized capital gains compared to proceeds of $381.4 million in 2004, which included $137.4 million in realized capital gains.
The weighted average current price to 12-months earnings ratio of the Exchange’s common stock portfolio was 21.08 and 20.85 at December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively. The Standard & Poors composite price to trailing 12-months earnings ratio was 17.39 at December 31, 2005, and 20.24 at December 31, 2004.
If the surplus of the Exchange were to decline significantly from its current level, the Property and Casualty Group could find it more difficult to retain its existing business and attract new business. A decline in the business of the Property and Casualty Group would have an adverse effect on the amount of the management fees the Company receives and the underwriting results of the Property and Casualty Group in which the Company has a 5.5% participation. In addition, a decline in the surplus of the Exchange from its current level would make it more likely that the management fee rate received by the Company would be reduced.
Condensed statutory statements of cash flows
                         
    Years ended December 31  
(in thousands)   2005     2004     2003  
 
Cash flows from operating activities        
 
                       
Premiums collected net of reinsurance
  $ 3,754,392     $ 3,748,540     $ 3,473,030  
Net investment income received
    385,153       293,517       236,656  
Miscellaneous expense
    (12,778 )     (13,305 )     (11,188 )
Losses paid
    (1,929,867 )     (1,993,342 )     (2,029,696 )
Management fee and expenses paid
    (1,336,369 )     (1,325,798 )     (1,237,829 )
Dividends to policyholders
    (22,652 )     (16,409 )     (13,892 )
Income taxes (paid) recovered
    (477,469 )     (313,840 )     171,881  
 
Net cash provided by operating activities
    360,410       379,363       588,962  
 
 
                       
Cash flows from investing activities
                       
Proceeds from investment sales and maturities
    3,316,424       2,032,622       4,370,411  
Purchases of investments
    (3,748,296 )     (2,797,488 )     (4,501,440 )
 
Net cash used in investing activities
    (431,872 )     (764,866 )     (131,029 )
 
 
                       
Cash flows from financing activities
                       
Payments on borrowings
    0       (55 )     (53 )
Other cash provided (applied)
    244,689       (101,480 )     (341,711 )
 
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
    244,689       (101,535 )     (341,764 )
 
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
    173,227       (487,038 )     116,169  
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year
    125,933       612,971       496,802  
 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year
  $ 299,160     $ 125,933     $ 612,971  
 


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Note 16.
Reinsurance
 
Reinsurance contracts do not relieve the Property and Casualty Group from its primary obligations to policyholders. A contingent liability exists with respect to reinsurance recoverables in the event reinsurers are unable to meet their obligations under the reinsurance agreements.
During 2003, the Property and Casualty Group replaced coverage previously provided by individual facultative contracts with reinsurance treaties. One of the agreements was a property risk excess-of-loss reinsurance treaty on commercial property risks that provided coverage of 100% of a loss of $20 million in excess of the Property and Casualty Group’s loss retention of $5 million per risk. There was a limit of $40 million per any one loss occurrence. This agreement was terminated as of December 31, 2003. Since January 1, 2004, the Property and Casualty Group has acquired facultative reinsurance on all risks in excess of $25 million in property limits.
The Company maintains an umbrella excess-of-loss reinsurance treaty covering commercial and personal catastrophe liability risks. In 2005, this treaty provided coverage of 60% of a specified loss amount in excess of the loss retention of $1 million per occurrence. The specified maximum loss amount for the commercial and personal catastrophe liability was $9 million and $4 million, respectively. This treaty was renewed, effective January 1, 2006, at coverage of 90%, all other limits remaining the same. The specified maximum loss amounts remained the same for commercial and personal catastrophe liabilities.
The Property and Casualty Group maintains a property catastrophe treaty to mitigate future potential catastrophe loss exposure. During 2005, this reinsurance treaty provided coverage of up to 95% of a loss of $400 million in excess of the Property and Casualty Group’s loss retention of $200 million per occurrence. This agreement was renewed for 2006 to provide coverage of up to 95% of a loss of $400 million in excess of the Property and Casualty Group’s loss retention of $300 million per occurrence.
The Property and Casualty Group exited the assumed reinsurance business effective December 31, 2003. While certain expenses will continue to be incurred until all related claims are settled, only nominal premiums were generated in 2004 and 2005. Loss reserves for unaffiliated assumed reinsurance of the Property and Casualty Group was $177 million at December 31, 2005.
The following tables summarize insurance and reinsurance activities of the Company’s property/ casualty insurance subsidiaries. See also Note 13 for a discussion of the intercompany reinsurance pooling agreement with the Exchange.
                         
    Years ended December 31  
(in thousands)   2005     2004     2003  
 
Premiums earned
                       
 
                       
Direct
  $ 704,366     $ 699,533     $ 644,286  
 
Assumed from nonaffiliates and intercompany pool
    226,245       225,905       202,147  
 
Ceded to Erie Insurance Exchange
    ( 714,787 )     ( 717,236 )     ( 654,841 )
 
Assumed from Erie Insurance Exchange
    215,824       208,202       191,592  
 
 
                       
Losses and loss adjustment expenses incurred
 
Direct
  $ 499,262     $ 510,260     $ 512,740  
 
Assumed from nonaffiliates and intercompany pool
    152,534       169,870       175,360  
 
Ceded to Erie Insurance Exchange
    ( 511,411 )     ( 526,910 )     ( 535,116 )
 
Assumed from Erie Insurance Exchange
    140,385       153,220       152,984  
 
Note 17.
Statutory information
 
Accounting principles used to prepare statutory financial statements differ from those used to prepare financial statements under U.S. GAAP. The statutory financial statements of EIPC and EIC are prepared in accordance with accounting practices prescribed and permitted by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department. EINY prepares its statutory financial statements in accordance with accounting practices prescribed and permitted by the New York Insurance Department. Prescribed SAP include state laws, regulations and general administration rules, as well as a variety of publications from the NAIC.
Consolidated shareholders’ equity, including amounts reported by the Company’s property/casualty insurance subsidiaries on the statutory basis, was $1.3 billion at both December 31, 2005 and 2004. Consolidated net income, including amounts reported by the Company’s property/casualty insurance subsidiaries on a statutory basis, was $233.4 million, $228.6 million and $200.0 million for 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively.
The minimum statutory capital and surplus requirements under Pennsylvania and New York law for the Company’s stock property/casualty subsidiaries amounts to $10.0 million. The Company’s subsidiaries total statutory capital and surplus significantly exceed these minimum requirements, totaling, $184.4 million at December 31, 2005. The Company’s subsidiaries risk-based capital levels significantly exceed the minimum requirements.


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Cash and securities with carrying values of $3.6 million were deposited by the Company’s property/casualty insurance subsidiaries with regulatory authorities under statutory requirements as of December 31, 2005 and 2004.
The amount of dividends the Company’s Pennsylvania-domiciled property/casualty subsidiaries, EIC and EIPC, can pay without the prior approval of the Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner is limited by Pennsylvania regulation to not more than the greater of: (a) 10% of its statutory surplus as reported on its last annual statement, or (b) the net income as reported on its last annual statement. The amount of dividends that the Erie Insurance Company’s New York-domiciled property/casualty subsidiary, EINY, can pay without the prior approval of the New York Superintendent of Insurance is limited to the lesser of: (a) 10% of its statutory surplus as reported on its last annual statement, or (b) 100% of its adjusted net investment income during such period. At December 31, 2005, the maximum dividend the Company could receive from its property/casualty insurance subsidiaries was $25.2 million. No dividends were paid to the Company from its property/casualty insurance subsidiaries in 2005, 2004 or 2003.
The amount of dividends EFL, a Pennsylvania-domiciled life insurer, can pay to its shareholders without the prior approval of the Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner is limited by statute to the greater of: (a) 10% of its statutory surplus as regards policyholders as shown on its last annual statement on file with the commissioner, or (b) the net income as reported for the period covered by such annual statement, but shall not include pro-rata distribution of any class of the insurer’s own securities. Accordingly, the Company’s share of the maximum dividend payout which may be made in 2006 without prior Pennsylvania Commissioner approval is $4.0 million. Dividends declared to the Company totaled $1.8 million in 2005.
Note 18.
Supplementary data on cash flows
 
A reconciliation of net income to net cash provided by operating activities as presented in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows is as follows:
                         
    Years ended December 31  
(in thousands)   2005     2004     2003  
 
Cash flows from operating activities
                       
 
Net income
  $ 231,104     $ 226,413     $ 199,725  
 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
                       
 
Depreciation and amortization
    36,855       37,317       41,816  
 
Deferred income tax (benefit) expense
    (922 )     866       949  
 
Realized gain on investments
    (15,620 )     (18,476 )     (10,445 )
 
Equity in (earnings) losses from limited partnerships
    (38,062 )     (8,655 )     2,000  
 
Net amortization of bond premium
    2,742       1,664       1,124  
 
Undistributed earnings of Erie Family Life Insurance
    (1,837 )     (3,800 )     (5,712 )
 
Deferred compensation
    4,631       2,987       1,392  
 
Limited partnership distributions
    71,718       37,165       21,266  
 
Increase in receivables from the Exchange and reinsurance recoverable
    (39,062 )     (129,726 )     (182,598 )
 
Increase in prepaid expenses and other assets
    (37,201 )     (38,984 )     (34,017 )
 
Increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses
    28,454       30,530       26,081  
 
Increase in loss reserves
    76,425       97,498       128,521  
 
(Decrease) increase in unearned premiums
    (18,144 )     22,946       56,515  
 
Net cash provided by operating activities
  $ 301,081     $ 257,745     $ 246,617  
 


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Note 19.

Commitments
 
The Company has contractual commitments to invest up to $243.2 million related to its limited partnership investments at December 31, 2005. These commitments will be funded as required by the partnerships’ agreements which principally expire in 2010. At December 31, 2005, the total remaining commitment to fund limited partnerships that invest in private equity securities is $86.5 million, real estate activities is $108.7 million and mezzanine debt securities is $48.0 million. The Company expects to have sufficient cash flows from operations to meet these partnership commitments.
The Company is involved in litigation arising in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management, the effects, if any, of such litigation are not expected to be material to the Company’s consolidated financial condition, cash flows or operations.
Note 20.

Segment information
 
The Company operates its business as three reportable segments—management operations, insurance underwriting operations and investment operations. Accounting policies for segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies, with the exception of the management fee revenues received from the property/casualty insurance subsidiaries. These revenues are not eliminated in the segment detail below, as management bases its decisions on the segment presentation. See also Note 3. Assets are not allocated to the segments but rather are reviewed in total by management for purposes of decision-making. No single customer or agent provides 10% or more of revenues for the Property and Casualty Group.
The Company’s principal operations consist of serving as attorney-in-fact for the Exchange, which constitute its management operations. The Company operates in this capacity solely for the Exchange. The Company’s insurance underwriting operations arise through direct business of its property/casualty insurance subsidiaries and by virtue of the pooling agreement between its subsidiaries and the Exchange, which includes assumed reinsurance from nonaffiliated domestic and foreign sources. The Exchange exited the assumed reinsurance business effective December 31, 2003, and therefore reinsurance-nonaffiliates includes only run-off activity of the assumed reinsurance business in 2004 and 2005. Insurance provided in the insurance underwriting operations consists of personal and commercial lines and is sold by independent agents. Personal lines are marketed to individuals and commercial lines are marketed to small- and medium-sized businesses. The performance of the personal lines and commercial lines is evaluated based upon the underwriting results as determined under SAP for the total pooled business of the Property and Casualty Group.
Company management evaluates profitability of its management operations segment principally on the gross margin from management operations, while profitability of the insurance underwriting operations segment is evaluated principally based on the combined ratio. Investment operations performance is evaluated by Company management based on appreciation of assets, rate of return and overall return.


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Summarized financial information for these operations is presented below.
                         
    Years ended December 31
(in thousands)   2005     2004     2003  
 
Management operations
                       
Operating revenue
                       
Management fee revenue
  $ 940,274     $ 945,066     $ 878,380  
Service agreement revenue
    20,568       21,855       27,127  
 
Total operating revenue
    960,842       966,921       905,507  
Cost of management operations
    751,573       724,329       652,256  
 
Income before income taxes
  $ 209,269     $ 242,592     $ 253,251  
 
Net income from management operations
  $ 140,388     $ 164,436     $ 165,495  
 
Insurance underwriting operations        
Operating revenue
                       
Premiums earned:
                       
Personal lines
  $ 153,859     $ 148,935     $ 132,093  
Commercial lines
    65,605       62,647       56,248  
Reinsurance—nonaffiliates
    (378 )     250       5,781  
Reinsurance—affiliate
    (3,262 )     (3,630 )     (2,530 )
 
Total premiums earned
    215,824       208,202       191,592  
 
Operating expenses
                       
Losses and expenses:
                       
Personal lines
    144,953       143,458       147,927  
Commercial lines
    56,732       59,726       67,413  
Reinsurance—nonaffiliates
    (3,037 )     1,642       7,654  
Reinsurance—affiliate
    2,226       7,740       (6,461 )
 
Total losses and expenses
    200,874       212,566       216,533  
 
Income (loss) before income taxes
  $ 14,950     $ (4,364 )   $ (24,941 )
 
Net income (loss) from insurance underwriting operations
  $ 10,029     $ (2,958 )   $ (16,296 )
 
                         
    Years ended December 31  
(in thousands)   2005     2004     2003  
 
Investment operations
                       
Investment income, net of expenses
  $ 61,555     $ 60,988     $ 58,298  
Net realized gains on investments
    15,620       18,476       10,445  
Equity in earnings (losses) of limited partnerships
    38,062       8,655       ( 2,000 )
 
Income before income taxes and before equity in earnings of EFL
  $ 115,237     $ 88,119     $ 66,743  
 
Net income from investment operations
  $ 77,306     $ 59,729     $ 43,617  
 
Equity in earnings of EFL, net of tax
  $ 3,381     $ 5,206     $ 6,909  
 
Reconciliation of reportable segment revenues and operating expenses to the Consolidated Statements of Operations
Segment revenues
  $ 1,176,666     $ 1,175,123     $ 1,097,099  
Elimination of intersegment management fee revenues
    ( 51,716 )     ( 51,979 )     ( 48,311 )
 
Total operating revenue
  $ 1,124,950     $ 1,123,144     $ 1,048,788  
 
Segment operating expenses
  $ 952,447     $ 936,895     $ 868,789  
Elimination of intersegment management fee expenses
    ( 51,716 )     ( 51,979 )     ( 48,311 )
 
Total operating expenses
  $ 900,731     $ 884,916     $ 820,478  
 
The intersegment revenues and expenses that are eliminated in the Consolidated Statements of Operations relate to the Company’s property/casualty insurance subsidiaries 5.5% share of the management fees paid to the Company.


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Note 21.

Quarterly results of operations (unaudited)
 
                                 
    First     Second     Third     Fourth  
(in thousands, except per share data)   quarter     quarter     quarter     quarter  
 
2005
                               
Operating revenue
  $ 276,171     $ 299,915     $ 287,551     $ 261,313  
Operating expenses
    ( 212,461 )     ( 233,373 )     ( 233,688 )     ( 221,209 )
Investment income—unaffiliated
    22,076       45,775       24,552       22,834  
 
Income before income taxes and equity in earnings of EFL
  $ 85,786     $ 112,317     $ 78,415     $ 62,938  
 
Net income
  $ 57,771     $ 76,168     $ 53,005     $ 44,160  
 
Net income per share:(*)
                               
Class A—basic
  $ .91     $ 1.21     $ .84     $ .72  
Class B—basic
    138.84       183.89       128.01       107.45  
Diluted
    .83       1.10       .76       .66  
Comprehensive income
    37,455       73,969       42,250       40,500  
 
2004
                               
Operating revenue
  $ 265,911     $ 298,326     $ 291,083     $ 267,824  
Operating expenses
    ( 211,176 )     ( 234,556 )     ( 224,414 )     ( 214,770 )
Investment income—unaffiliated
    17,957       20,100       19,499       30,563  
 
Income before income taxes and equity in earnings of EFL
  $ 72,692     $ 83,870     $ 86,168     $ 83,617  
 
Net income
  $ 49,572     $ 56,955     $ 58,566     $ 61,320  
 
Net income per share:(*)
                 
Class A—basic
  $ .77     $ .89     $ .92     $ .96  
Class B—basic
    117.87       135.81       139.84       146.36  
Diluted
    .70       .81       .83       .87  
Comprehensive income
    62,630       23,878       73,689       58,425  
 
 
 
(*)   The cumulative sum of quarterly basic and diluted net income per share amounts may not equal total basic and diluted net income per share for the year due to differences in weighted average shares and equivalent shares outstanding for each of the periods presented.
2005
Includes a $14.2 million second quarter correction to record unrealized gains and losses on limited partnerships to equity in earnings or losses of limited partnerships in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. This correction increased net income per share-diluted by $.13, of which $.09 per share-diluted related to 2004 and prior years.
2004
Includes a $5.2 million fourth quarter adjustment to recognize reduced commercial commission rates to be paid in 2005 on premiums yet to be collected at December 31, 2004.
Reflects a fourth quarter adjustment of $3.1 million to record a tax benefit as a result of an IRS audit of 2002 and 2001.


86


 

(FOCUS 2005 LOGO)

Common stock prices
 
The Class A non-voting common stock of the Company trades on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol “ERIE.” The following sets forth the range of closing high and low trading prices by quarter as reported by the NASDAQ Stock Market.
Class A trading price
 
                                 
    2005     2004  
    Low     High     Low     High  
 
First quarter
  $ 51.33     $ 54.39     $ 41.75     $ 48.26  
Second quarter
    50.15       54.83       43.92       49.29  
Third quarter
    52.14       54.66       45.32       51.29  
Fourth quarter
    51.79       53.34       47.79       53.00  
 
No established trading market exists for the Class B voting common stock.
The Company’s 401(k) plan for employees permits participants to invest a portion of the Company’s contributions to the plan in shares of Erie Indemnity Class A common stock. The plan’s trustee is authorized to buy Erie Indemnity Company Class A common stock on behalf of 401(k) plan participants. Plan participants held 126,451 and 112,698 Company Class A shares at December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively.
The Company has a stock repurchase plan that was authorized at the end of 2003, allowing the Company to repurchase up to $250 million of its outstanding Class A common stock through December 31, 2006. The Company may purchase the shares from time to time in the open market or through privately negotiated transactions, depending on prevailing market conditions and alternative uses of the Company’s capital. Shares repurchased during 2005 totaled 1,890,159 at a total cost of $99.0 million. Cumulative shares repurchased under the plan since inception was 3,035,224 at a total cost of $153.0 million.
On February 21, 2006, the Company’s Board of Directors reauthorized a $250 million stock repurchase program. The reauthorized stock repurchase program is effective once the available funds from the current repurchase program are expended, and continues through December 31, 2009.
Common stock dividends
 
The Company historically has declared and paid cash dividends on a quarterly basis at the discretion of the Board of Directors. The payment and amount of future dividends on the common stock will be determined by the Board of Directors and will depend on, among other things, earnings, financial condition and cash requirements of the Company at the time such payment is considered, and on the ability of the Company to receive dividends from its subsidiaries, the amount of which is subject to regulatory limitations. Dividends declared for each class of stock during 2005 and 2004 are as follows:

Dividends declared:
                 
    Class A     Class B  
2005   share     share  
 
First quarter
  $ .325     $ 48.75  
Second quarter
    .325       48.75  
Third quarter
    .325       48.75  
Fourth quarter
    .360       54.00  
 
Total
  $ 1.335     $ 200.25  
 
                 
    Class A     Class B  
2004   share     share  
 
First quarter
  $ .215     $ 32.25  
Second quarter
    .215       32.25  
Third quarter
    .215       32.25  
Fourth quarter
    .325       48.75  
 
Total
  $ .970     $ 145.50  
 
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company serves as the Company’s transfer agent and registrar.


87

EX-21
 

Exhibit 21
SUBSIDIARIES OF REGISTRANT
Registrant owns 100% of the outstanding stock of the following companies:
       
Name   State of Formation  
Erie Insurance Property & Casualty Company
  Pennsylvania  
 
Erie Insurance Company
  Pennsylvania  
 
EI Holding Corp.
  Delaware  
 
EI Service Corp.
  Pennsylvania  
 
Erie Insurance Company of New York - Wholly owned by Erie Insurance Company
  New York  

88

EX-23
 

Exhibit 23
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Annual Report (Form 10-K) of Erie Indemnity Company of our report dated February 16, 2006 (except Note 11, as to which the date is February 21, 2006), included in the 2005 Annual Report to Shareholders of Erie Indemnity Company.
Our audit also included the 2005 and 2004 financial statement schedules of Erie Indemnity Company listed in Item 15(a). These schedules are the responsibility of the Erie Indemnity Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion based on our audits. In our opinion the consolidated financial statement schedules when considered in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole, present fairly in all material respects the information set forth therein.
/s/ Ernst & Young, LLP
February 21, 2006
Cleveland, Ohio

89

EX-31.1
 

Exhibit 31.1
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PURSUANT TO SECTION 302
OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Jeffrey A. Ludrof, certify that:
1.   I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Erie Indemnity Company for the year ended December 31, 2005;
2.   Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4.   The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
  a.   Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
 
  b.   Designed such internal control over financial reporting or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designated under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
 
  c.   Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
 
  d.   Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5.   The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of registrant’s board of directors:
  a.   All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting, which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
 
  b.   Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
Date: February 22, 2006
         
 
  /s/ Jeffrey A. Ludrof    
 
       
 
  Jeffrey A. Ludrof, President & CEO    

90

EX-31.2
 

Exhibit 31.2
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
PURSUANT TO SECTION 302
OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Philip A. Garcia, certify that:
1.   I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Erie Indemnity Company for the year ended December 31, 2005;
2.   Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4.   The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
  a.   Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
 
  b.   Designed such internal control over financial reporting or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designated under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
 
  c.   Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
 
  d.   Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5.   The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of registrant’s board of directors:
  a.   All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting, which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
 
  b.   Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
Date: February 22, 2006
         
 
  /s/ Philip A. Garcia    
 
       
 
  Philip A. Garcia, Executive Vice President & CFO    

91

EX-32
 

Exhibit 32
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
We, Jeffrey A. Ludrof, Chief Executive Officer of the Erie Indemnity Company (Company), and Philip A. Garcia, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, 18 U.S.C. § 1350, that:
  (1)   The Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the annual period December 31, 2005 (the “Report”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m); and
 
  (2)   The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
     
/s/ Jeffrey A. Ludrof
   
 
Jeffrey A. Ludrof
   
President & Chief Executive Officer
   
 
   
/s/ Philip A. Garcia
   
 
Philip A. Garcia
   
Executive VP & Chief Financial Officer
   
February 22, 2006
A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906, or other document authenticating, acknowledging, or otherwise adopting the signature that appears in typed form within the electronic version of this written statement required by Section 906, has been provided to Erie Indemnity Company and will be retained by Erie Indemnity Company and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

92