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Enact Holdings (ACT)
NASDAQ:ACT
Risk Overview Q4, 2024
Risk Distribution
42% Finance & Corporate
26% Legal & Regulatory
18% Production
5% Ability to Sell
5% Macro & Political
3% Tech & Innovation
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
This chart displays the stock's most recent risk distribution according to category. TipRanks has identified 6 major categories: Finance & corporate, legal & regulatory, macro & political, production, tech & innovation, and ability to sell.
Risk Change Over Time
S&P500 Average
Sector Average
Risks removed
Risks added
Risks changed
Enact Holdings Risk Factors
New Risk (0)
Risk Changed (0)
Risk Removed (0)
No changes from previous report
The chart shows the number of risks a company has disclosed. You can compare this to the sector average or S&P 500 average.
The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.
The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.
Risk Highlights Q4, 2024
Main Risk Category
Finance & Corporate
With 16 Risks
Finance & Corporate
With 16 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
38
-1
From last reportS&P 500 Average: 31
38
-1
From last reportS&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
0Risks added
1Risks removed
3Risks changed
Since Dec 2024
0Risks added
1Risks removed
3Risks changed
Since Dec 2024
Number of Risk Changed
3
+3
From last reportS&P 500 Average: 3
3
+3
From last reportS&P 500 Average: 3
See the risk highlights of Enact Holdings in the last period.
Risk Word Cloud
The most common phrases about risk factors from the most recent report. Larger texts indicate more widely used phrases.
Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 38
Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 16/38 (42%)Below Sector Average
Share Price & Shareholder Rights4 | 10.5%
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains exclusive forum provisions, which could limit our stockholders' ability to choose the judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
Genworth's continued ownership of at least 80% of our common stock may limit our ability to raise additional capital by issuing common stock to third parties.We currently join in the filing of a United States consolidated income tax return of which Genworth is the common parent (the "Genworth Consolidated Group") with our other insurance and non-insurance affiliates. As a consequence, we will pay Genworth our share of the consolidated income tax liability when we have taxable income or receive benefit for losses we contribute and which are utilized by the Genworth Consolidated Group.
As a condition to us remaining a member of the Genworth Consolidated Group, Genworth generally must continue to possess at least 80% of the total voting power and total value of our stock. For these purposes, the term "stock" does not include any stock that (i) is not entitled to vote; (ii) is limited and preferred as to dividends and does not participate in corporate growth to any significant extent; (iii) has redemption and liquidation rights which do not exceed the issue price of such stock (except for a reasonable redemption or liquidation premium) and (iv) is not convertible into another class of stock. Accordingly, while we will have the ability to raise additional capital through certain preferred stock or other means, we will be limited in our ability to raise additional capital by issuing common stock to third parties without leaving Genworth's consolidated group, which Genworth may not permit. We may also be limited pursuant to restrictions imposed by insurance regulators, GSEs and any limitations under intercompany agreements. This limitation on our ability to raise additional capital through the issuance of common stock could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Genworth's high ownership percentage risk may also impact our stock price as price volatility may be greater if the public float and trading volume of shares of our common stock are low.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3
Genworth has the ability to exert significant influence over us and our corporate decisions.Genworth continues to beneficially own at least 80% of our common stock. As a result, Genworth controls all matters requiring a stockholder vote, including: the election of directors; mergers, consolidations and acquisitions; the sale of all or substantially all of our assets and other decisions affecting our capital structure; the amendment of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws; and our winding up and dissolution. This concentration of ownership may delay, deter or prevent acts that would be favored by our other stockholders, including a change in control of us. The interests of Genworth may not always coincide with our interests or those of our other stockholders.
Also, Genworth may seek to cause us to take courses of action that, in its judgment, could enhance its investment in us, but which might involve risks to our other stockholders or adversely affect us or our other stockholders. However, any dividends or other capital transactions must be approved by our Independent Capital Committee, which is composed entirely of independent directors. We also have entered into a registration rights agreement with Genworth, which will give Genworth a right, subject to certain conditions, to require us to register the sale of our common stock beneficially owned by Genworth.
So long as Genworth continues to beneficially own more than 50% of our outstanding common stock, Genworth will have certain rights, including the right to nominate the majority of our directors. Certain of these directors may be officers or employees of Genworth or its other subsidiaries. Because of their current or former positions with Genworth or its other subsidiaries, these directors, as well as a number of our officers, own amounts of Genworth's common stock and options to purchase Genworth's common stock. Ownership interests of our directors or officers in Genworth's common stock, or service of certain of our directors as officers of Genworth or certain of Genworth's other subsidiaries, may create, or may create the appearance of, conflicts of interest when such director or officer is faced with a decision that could have different implications for the two companies.
In addition, we have entered into agreements with Genworth and its subsidiaries that provide a framework for our ongoing relationship, including a Master Agreement, a registration rights agreement, a Shared Services Agreement, an intellectual property cross license agreement and a transitional trademark license agreement. Disagreements regarding the rights and obligations of Genworth or certain of Genworth's other subsidiaries or us under each of these agreements or any renegotiation of their terms could create conflicts of interest for certain of these directors and officers, as well as actual disputes that may be resolved in a manner unfavorable to us and our other stockholders. Interruptions to or problems with services provided under the Shared Services Agreement could result in conflicts between us and Genworth or its other subsidiaries that increase our costs both for the processing of business and the potential remediation of disputes. Although we believe these agreements contain commercially reasonable terms, the terms of these agreements may prove not to be in the best interests of our future stockholders or may contain terms less favorable than those we could obtain from third parties. In addition, certain of our officers negotiating these agreements may appear to have conflicts of interest as a result of their ownership of Genworth's common stock and holdings of Genworth's equity awards.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4
Changes to the charters or practices of the GSEs, including actions or decisions to decrease or discontinue the use of mortgage insurance, could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.The requirements and practices of the GSEs impact the operating results and financial performance of GSE-approved mortgage insurers. Changes in the charters or practices of the GSEs could materially reduce the number of mortgages they purchase that are insured by us. The GSEs could be directed to make such changes by the FHFA, which was appointed as their conservator in September 2008 and has the authority to control and direct the operations of the GSEs.
With the GSEs in a prolonged conservatorship, there has been ongoing debate over the future role and purpose of the GSEs in the United States housing market. Congress may legislate, or the Administration may implement through administrative reform, structural and other changes to the GSEs and the functioning of the secondary mortgage market. There have been numerous legislative proposals intended to incrementally scale back the GSEs (such as a statutory mandate for the GSEs to transfer mortgage credit risk to the private sector) or to completely reform the United States housing finance system. Congress, however, has not enacted any legislation to date. The proposals vary as to the government's role in the housing market, and more specifically, with regard to the existence of an explicit or implicit government guarantee.
In the absence of legislation or actions by the Administration, the FHFA continues to move forward on administrative reform efforts to prepare the GSEs for the end of conservatorship, once fully and adequately capitalized. Collectively, FHFA and the United States Treasury Department (the "Treasury Department") possess significant capacity to effect administrative GSE reforms.
As part of the process to potentially end the conservatorships of the GSEs, the FHFA promulgated a final rule in 2020 imposing a new capital framework on the GSEs, including risk-based and leverage capital requirements and capital buffers in excess of regulatory minimums that can be drawn down in periods of financial stress (the "Enterprise Capital Framework"). The Enterprise Capital Framework became effective on February 16, 2021. However, the GSEs will not be subject to any requirement under the Enterprise Capital Framework until the applicable compliance date. Compliance with the Enterprise Capital Framework, other than the requirements to maintain a prescribed capital conservation buffer amount ("PCCBA") and a prescribed leverage buffer amount ("PLBA"), is required on the later of (i) the date of termination of the conservatorship of a GSE and (ii) any later compliance date provided in a consent order or other transition order applicable to such GSE. FHFA contemplates that the compliance dates for the PCCBA and the PLBA will be the date of termination of the conservatorship of a GSE. The Enterprise Capital Framework's advanced approaches requirements will be delayed until a compliance date provided by a transition order applicable to such GSE. The Enterprise Capital Framework significantly increases capital requirements and reduces capital credit on CRT transactions as compared to the previous framework. This final rule could accelerate the recent diversification of the GSE's risk transfer programs to encompass a broader array of instruments beyond private mortgage insurance, which could adversely impact our business. Also, in preparation for the end of the FHFA's conservatorship of the GSEs, the FHFA promulgated a final rule, effective in 2021, that required the GSEs to develop plans that would facilitate their rapid and orderly resolution in the event FHFA is appointed as their receiver.
On January 14, 2021, the FHFA and the Treasury Department agreed to amend the preferred stock purchase agreements ("PSPAs") between the Treasury Department and each of the GSEs to increase the amount of capital each GSE may retain. Among other things, the amendments to the PSPAs limit the number of certain mortgages the GSEs may acquire with two or more prescribed risk factors, including certain mortgages with combined LTV ratios above 90%. However, on September 14, 2021, the FHFA and Treasury Department suspended certain provisions of the amendments to the PSPAs, including the limit on the number of mortgages with two or more risk factors that the GSEs may acquire. Such suspensions end six months after the Treasury Department notifies the GSEs of termination. The limit on the number of mortgages with two or more risk factors was based on the market size at the time. While we do not expect any material impact to the private mortgage market, changes in the provisions or enforcement of this rule could impact our results of operations.
On January 2, 2025, the FHFA and Treasury agreed to again amend the PSPAs between the Treasury and each of the GSEs to establish a methodical process for eventual public input on the termination of conservatorship to minimize disruption to the housing and financial markets.
The adoption of any GSE reform, whether through legislation or administrative action, could impact the current role of private mortgage insurance as credit enhancement, which would have an adverse effect on our business, revenue, results of operations and financial condition. At present, it is uncertain what role private capital, including mortgage insurance, will play in the United States residential housing finance system in the future or the impact any changes to that system could have on our business. Any changes to the charters or statutory authorities of the GSEs would require congressional action to implement. Any such changes that come to pass could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
In recent years, the FHFA has set goals for the GSEs to transfer significant portions of the GSEs' mortgage credit risk to the private sector; however, the timing of these goals could change. This mandate builds upon the goals set in recent years for the GSEs to increase the role of private capital by experimenting with different forms of transactions and structures. We participate in these CRT programs developed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The GSEs have in the past piloted and may in the future attempt to launch alternative products or transactions that compete with private mortgage insurance. To the extent these credit risk products evolve in a manner that displaces primary mortgage insurance coverage, the amount of insurance we write may be reduced. It is difficult to predict the impact of alternative CRT products that are developed to meet the goals established by the FHFA. In addition, the Enterprise Capital Framework that was promulgated on December 17, 2020 may impact the CRT programs developed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and/or the role of private mortgage insurance as credit enhancement by potentially accelerating the recent diversification of the GSEs' risk transfer programs to encompass a broader array of instruments, beyond private mortgage insurance.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also possess substantial market power, which enables them to influence our business and the mortgage insurance industry in general, the results of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Accounting & Financial Operations3 | 7.9%
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1
No assurance can be given that we will be able to return capital to our shareholders via dividends or share repurchases in the future at current levels or at all.Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2
Our business could be adversely impacted from deficiencies in our disclosure controls and procedures or internal control over financial reporting.The design and effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting may not prevent all errors, misstatements or misrepresentations. While management continually reviews the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, there can be no guarantee that our internal control over financial reporting will be effective in fully accomplishing our control objectives. Additionally, in order to comply with new accounting guidance or disclosure requirements from our regulators, we are required to interpret the rules, develop new processes and potentially generate new data, which could expose us to incremental risk. Any material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting or any other failure to maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures could result in material errors or restatements in our historical financial statements or untimely filings, which could cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, and a decline in our share price.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 3
If the models used in our business are inaccurate or there are differences and/or variability in loss development compared to our model estimates and actuarial assumptions, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.We employ models to, among other uses, price our mortgage insurance products, calculate reserves, value assets and generate projections used to estimate future pre-tax income, as well as to evaluate risk, determine internal capital requirements and perform stress testing. These models rely on estimates and projections that are inherently uncertain, may use data and/or assumptions that do not adequately reflect recent experience and relevant industry data, and may not operate as intended. The models require accurate data, including financial statements, credit reports or other financial information, and reliance on inaccurate data could result in unexpected losses, reputational damage or other effects that could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. For example, there are proposals to change the credit score landscape including the implementation of FICO 10T, changes to credit modeling from the GSEs and the elimination of medical debt from credit reporting. These proposals could limit comparability to historical data used in our models and lead to inaccurate results. In addition, if any of our models contain programming or other errors, are ineffective, use data provided by third parties that is incorrect, or if we are unable to obtain relevant data from third parties, our processes could be negatively affected. The models may prove to be less predictive than we expect for a variety of reasons, including economic conditions that develop differently than we forecast, unique conditions for which we do not have good historical comparators, unexpected economic and unemployment conditions that arise, changes in the law or in PMIERs, issues arising in the construction, implementation, interpretation or use of the models or other programs, the use of inaccurate assumptions or use of short-term financial metrics that do not reveal long-term trends. The limitations of our models may be material and could lead us to make wrong or sub-optimal decisions in aspects of our business, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
In addition, from time to time we seek to improve our actuarial and financial models, and the conversion process may result in material changes to assumptions and financial results. The models we employ are complex, which increases our risk of error in their design, implementation or use. The associated input data, assumptions and calculations, and the controls we have in place to mitigate these risks may not be effective in all cases. The risks related to our models often increase when we change assumptions and/or methodologies, add or change modeling platforms, or implement model changes under time constraints. Changes in our approach may cause us to refine or otherwise change existing assumptions and/or methodologies and thus associated product pricing and reserve levels, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Debt & Financing6 | 15.8%
Debt & Financing - Risk 1
When we are notified that an insured loan is in default, we establish loss reserves based on management's estimate of claim rates and claim sizes, which are subject to uncertainties and are based on assumptions about certain estimation parameters that may be volatile. As a result, the actual claim payments we make may materially differ from the amount of our corresponding loss reserves.Debt & Financing - Risk 2
We are a holding company, and a large majority of our assets are the equity interests in our subsidiaries. As a consequence, we depend on the ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends and make other payments and distributions to us in order to meet our obligations.We are a holding company with limited direct business operations. Our primary subsidiaries are insurance companies that own a large majority of our assets and conduct substantially all of our operations. Dividends from our subsidiaries and permitted payments to us under arrangements with our subsidiaries are our principal sources of cash to meet our obligations. These obligations include operating expenses and interest and principal on current and any future borrowings. Our subsidiaries may not be able to, or may not be permitted by regulators to, pay dividends or make distributions to enable us to meet our obligations. Each subsidiary is a distinct legal entity, which may be subject to legal and contractual restrictions that may also limit our ability to obtain cash from our subsidiaries. If the cash we receive from our subsidiaries pursuant to dividends and other arrangements is insufficient to fund any of these obligations, or if a subsidiary is unable or unwilling to pay future dividends or distributions to us to meet our obligations, we may be required to raise cash through, among other things, incurring debt (including convertible or exchangeable debt), selling assets or issuing equity.
The payment of dividends and other distributions by our insurance subsidiaries is dependent on, among other things, their financial condition and operating performance, corporate law restrictions, insurance laws and regulations and maintaining adequate capital to meet the requirements mandated by PMIERs. In general, dividends and distributions are required to be submitted to an insurer's domiciliary department of insurance for review. In addition, insurance regulators may prohibit the payment of dividends and distributions, or other payments by the insurance subsidiaries (such as a payment under an agreement or for employee or other services, including expense reimbursements) if they determine that such payment could be adverse to policyholders. Accordingly, there can be no assurances that insurance regulators will approve payment of a dividend or distribution or other transfers of assets to us by our insurance subsidiaries.
Our liquidity and capital position are highly dependent on the performance of our subsidiaries and their ability to pay future dividends and distributions to us as anticipated. The evaluation of future dividend sources and our overall liquidity plans are subject to current and future market conditions, the regulatory landscape and business performance.
Debt & Financing - Risk 3
Interest rates and changes in rates could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.Changed
Rising interest rates generally reduce the volume of new mortgage originations and refinances. A decline in the volume of new or refinance mortgage originations would have an adverse effect on our NIW, which may in turn decrease our earned premiums. Higher interest rates can lead to an increase in defaults as borrowers at risk of default will find it harder to qualify for a replacement loan. The significant increases in mortgage rates during 2022 and 2023 caused a decline in the mortgage insurance market, which reduced our NIW. This impact is offset by higher persistency on our existing insured loans since the prevailing market interest rate is above the loan interest rate of the majority of our portfolio. This trend continued into 2024, but future rate changes and the impact on our premium and NIW is difficult to predict.
Declining interest rates historically increase the rate at which borrowers refinance their existing mortgages, thereby resulting in cancellations of the mortgage insurance covering existing loans. Declining interest rates can contribute to home price appreciation, which may provide borrowers with the option of cancelling mortgage insurance coverage earlier than we anticipate when we price that coverage. Lower primary persistency rates can result in reduced IIF and earned premiums, which could have a significant adverse impact on our results of operations.
In addition, interest rate fluctuations could also have an adverse effect on the results of our investment portfolio. In the current period of elevated interest rates, the market value of our lower yielding instruments has declined, driving substantial unrealized losses in our portfolio. While we intend to hold these securities until maturity so as to realize their book value, pressure to sell securities in an unrealized loss position could drive realized losses and impact future earnings. This impact is partially offset by higher yields on new securities purchased. During periods of declining market interest rates, the interest we receive on variable interest rate investments decreases. In addition, during those periods, we reinvest the cash we receive as interest or return of principal on our investments in lower-yielding high-grade instruments or in lower-credit investment grade instruments to maintain comparable returns. Issuers of fixed-income securities may also decide to prepay their obligations in order to borrow at lower market rates, which exacerbates the risk that we have to invest the cash proceeds of these securities in lower-yielding or lower-credit investment grade instruments. See "Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk" for additional information about interest rate risk.
Debt & Financing - Risk 4
CRT transactions may not be available, affordable or adequate to protect us against losses.As part of our overall risk and capital management strategy, we use CRT transactions which enable our mortgage insurance business to transfer risks in exchange for some of the associated economic benefits and, as a result, improve our PMIERs and other regulatory RTC measurements and manage risk to within our anticipated tolerance level. See "Business-Credit Risk Transfer."
The availability and cost of CRT transactions may be impacted by conditions beyond our control, such as general market conditions, changes in regulation, higher rates of unemployment or a significant negative impact on the United States housing market. In the future, we may be unable to obtain new transactions on acceptable terms or at all. Absent the availability and affordability to enter into new CRT transactions, our ability to obtain PMIERs or statutory credit for new transactions could be adversely impacted or could require us to make capital contributions to maintain regulatory capital requirements.
Additionally, many of the CRT transactions we execute expose us to credit risk in the event of default of our counterparties or a change in collateral value. For instance, traditional reinsurance does not relieve us of our direct liability to our policyholders, even when the reinsurer is liable to us. Accordingly, we bear credit risk with respect to our reinsurers. A reinsurer's insolvency, inability or unwillingness to make payments under the terms of its reinsurance agreement with us could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. Collateral is often posted by the counterparty to offset this risk; however, we bear the risk that the collateral declines in value or otherwise is inadequate to fully compensate us in the event of a default.
Debt & Financing - Risk 5
We may be unable to maintain or increase the capital needed in our business in a timely manner, on anticipated terms or at all, including through improved business performance, CRT transactions, securities offerings or otherwise, in each case as and when required.We may require incremental capital to support our growth and to meet regulatory or GSE capital requirements, to comply with rating agency criteria to maintain ratings, to repay our debt and to operate and meet unexpected cash flow obligations. If we need additional capital in the future, we may not be able to fund or raise the required capital as and when required and the amount of capital required may be higher than anticipated. Our inability to fund or raise the capital required in the anticipated timeframes and on the anticipated terms, including the refinancing of existing debt, could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition, including causing us to reduce our business levels or be subject to a variety of regulatory actions.
Additionally, the implementation of any further CRT transactions or other transactions with third parties to provide additional capital depends on a number of factors, including but not limited to: market conditions, necessary third-party approvals (including approval by regulators and the GSEs) and other factors that are outside of our control. Therefore, we cannot be sure we will be able to successfully implement these actions on the timetable and terms acceptable to us or at all or achieve the anticipated benefits. We also cannot be sure we will be able to meet any additional capital requirements imposed by regulators or the GSEs. See "-CRT transactions may not be available, affordable or adequate to protect us against losses" and "-If we are unable to continue to meet the requirements mandated by PMIERs, or any additional restrictions which may be imposed on us by the GSEs, we may not be eligible to write new insurance on loans acquired by the GSEs, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition."
In order to preserve certain tax benefits it obtains from consolidation, Genworth is expected to hold at least 80% of our common stock. Thus, our ability to raise additional capital by issuing stock to third parties will be limited. See "-Genworth's continued ownership of at least 80% of our common stock may limit our ability to raise additional capital by issuing common stock to third parties."
Debt & Financing - Risk 6
A decrease in the volume of Low Down Payment Loan originations or an increase in the volume of mortgage insurance cancellations could result in a decline in our revenue.We provide mortgage insurance primarily for Low Down Payment Loans. Factors that could lead to a decrease in the volume of Low Down Payment Loan originations include, but are not limited to:
- an increase in home mortgage interest rates;- limitations on the tax benefits of home ownership and mortgage interest;- implementation of more rigorous mortgage lending regulation, such as under the Dodd-Frank Act;- a decline in economic conditions generally, or in conditions in regional and local economies;- events outside of our control, including natural and man-made disasters and pandemics adversely affecting housing markets and home buying;- the level of consumer confidence, which may be adversely affected by economic instability, war or terrorist events;- an increase in the price of homes relative to income levels;- a lack of housing supply at lower home prices;- adverse population trends, including lower homeownership rates;- high rates of home price appreciation, which for refinancings affect whether refinanced loans have LTV ratios that require mortgage insurance; and - changes in government housing policy encouraging loans to FTHBs.
A decline in the volume of Low Down Payment Loan originations would reduce the demand for mortgage insurance and, therefore, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The length of time insurance remains in-force is an important determinant of our mortgage insurance revenues. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and many other mortgage investors generally permit a borrower to ask the loan servicer to cancel the borrower's obligation to pay for mortgage insurance when the principal amount of the mortgage falls below 80% of the home's value. Furthermore, HOPA provides a right for a borrower, so long as the borrower meets other criteria, to request cancellation of private mortgage insurance from their lender either on the date the LTV ratio of the mortgage is first scheduled to reach 80% of its original value or the date on which the LTV ratio of the mortgage reaches 80% of the original value based on actual payments. Likewise, under HOPA, there is an obligation for lenders to automatically terminate a borrower's obligation to pay for mortgage insurance coverage once the LTV ratio reaches 78% of the original value. Factors that tend to reduce the length of time our mortgage insurance remains in-force include:
- declining interest rates, which may result in the refinancing of the mortgages underlying our mortgage insurance coverage with new mortgage loans that may not require mortgage insurance or that we do not insure;- customer concentration levels with certain customers that actively market refinancing opportunities to their existing borrowers;- significant appreciation in the value of homes, which causes the unpaid balance of the mortgage to decrease below 80% of the value of the home and enables the borrower to request cancellation of the mortgage insurance; and - changes in mortgage insurance cancellation requirements or procedures of the GSEs or under applicable law.
Changes in the methodology by which servicers determine the cancellation dates of mortgage insurance under HOPA, GSE requirements or otherwise, including as a result of changes in law or regulation, GSE rules or guidance, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our persistency rates on primary mortgage insurance were 83%, 85% and 80% for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Elevated persistency in 2022 through 2024 was primarily a result of the higher interest rate environment in response to inflationary pressures. A decrease in persistency generally would reduce the amount of our IIF and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. However, higher persistency on certain higher risk products could have a material adverse effect if claims generated by such products increase.
Corporate Activity and Growth3 | 7.9%
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1
Our risk management programs may not be effective in identifying or adequate in controlling or mitigating the risks we face.Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2
If we are unable to effectively manage risks in our investment portfolio, it could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.Income from our investment portfolio is a source of cash to support our operations and make claims payments. If we or our investment managers improperly structure our investments to meet those future liabilities or we have unexpected losses, including losses resulting from the forced liquidation of investments before their maturity, we may be unable to meet those obligations. Our investments and investment policies are subject to state insurance laws, which results in our portfolio being predominantly limited to highly rated fixed maturity securities. Despite this, our investment portfolio is subject to credit risks that could lead to realized losses. As interest rates have risen, this has led to a significant increase in unrealized losses in our investment portfolio. While we have the intent and ability to hold securities until maturity, changing conditions requiring the sale of these investments and recognition of losses may occur.
We report fixed maturity securities at fair value on our consolidated balance sheets. These securities represent the majority of our total cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and invested assets. Estimates of fair values for fixed maturity securities are obtained primarily from industry-standard pricing methodologies utilizing market observable inputs. For our less liquid securities, such as our privately placed securities, we utilize independent market data to employ alternative valuation methods commonly used in the financial services industry to estimate fair value. Valuation methods may be complex and may also require estimation, thereby resulting in values that are less certain and may vary significantly from the value at which the investments may be ultimately sold. The methodologies, estimates and assumptions we use in valuing our investment securities evolve over time and are subject to different interpretation (including based on developments in relevant accounting literature), all of which can lead to changes in the value of our investment securities. Rapidly changing and unanticipated interest rate movements, as well as external macroeconomic, credit and equity market conditions could materially impact the valuation of investment securities as reported within our consolidated financial statements, and the period-to-period changes in value could vary significantly, including decreases in value.
We may be forced to change our investments or investment policies depending upon regulatory, economic and market conditions and our existing or anticipated financial condition, including the tax position, of our business. As a result, our investment objectives may not be achieved, which could, in addition to the risks described above, have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 3
The terms of our arrangements with Genworth may be more favorable than we will be able to obtain from an unaffiliated third party.Genworth or certain other of Genworth's subsidiaries currently perform or support many corporate functions for our operations, including, but not limited to, investment management, information technology services and certain administrative services (such as finance, human resources and employee benefit administration). Our Shared Services Agreement with Genworth provides us continued access to certain of these services. We negotiated these arrangements with Genworth or certain of Genworth's other subsidiaries in the context of a parent-subsidiary relationship. We cannot ensure that these services will be sustained at the same levels or that we would be able to replace such services in a timely manner or on comparable terms.
Specific services provided under the Shared Services Agreement may be terminated by either party for convenience with at least one hundred eighty (180) days' prior written notice to the other party. If Genworth or Genworth's subsidiaries cease to provide services pursuant to the terms of our existing agreements, our costs of procuring services from third parties may increase. As a standalone company, we may be unable to obtain such goods and services at comparable prices or on terms as favorable as those provided by Genworth. Other agreements with Genworth or certain of Genworth's other subsidiaries also govern the relationship between us and Genworth or certain of Genworth's other subsidiaries and provide for the allocation of certain expenses. They also contain terms and provisions that may be more favorable than terms and provisions we might have obtained in arm's length negotiations with unaffiliated third parties. These operational risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 10/38 (26%)Above Sector Average
Regulation5 | 13.2%
Regulation - Risk 1
Adverse rating agency actions may result in a loss of business and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.Regulation - Risk 2
Changes in regulations that adversely affect the insurance markets in which we operate could affect our operations significantly and could reduce the demand for our products.In addition to the general regulatory risks described under "-Our business is extensively regulated and changes in regulation may reduce our profitability and limit our growth," we are also affected by various additional regulations, particularly those that relate to our mortgage insurance operations.
Federal and state regulations affect the scope of our competitors' operations, which influences the size of the mortgage insurance market and the intensity of the competition. This competition includes not only other private mortgage insurers, but also federal and state governmental and quasi-governmental agencies, principally the FHA and the VA, which are governed by federal regulations. Increases in the maximum loan amount that the FHA can insure, and reductions in the mortgage insurance premiums the FHA charges, can reduce the demand for private mortgage insurance. Decreases in the maximum loan amounts the GSEs will purchase or guarantee, increases in GSE fees or decreases in the maximum LTV ratio for loans the GSEs will purchase can also reduce demand for private mortgage insurance. See "-Changes to the charters or practices of the GSEs, including actions or decisions to decrease or discontinue the use of mortgage insurance, could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition." Legislative, regulatory and administrative changes could cause demand for private mortgage insurance to decrease.
Additionally, the FHFA's Enterprise Capital Framework imposes a capital framework on the GSEs, including risk-based and leverage capital requirements and capital buffers in excess of regulatory minimums that can be drawn down in periods of financial distress. However, the GSEs will not be subject to any requirement under the Enterprise Capital Framework until the applicable compliance date. Compliance with the Enterprise Capital Framework, other than the requirements to maintain a PCCBA and a PLBA, is required on the later of (i) the date of termination of the conservatorship of a GSE and (ii) any later compliance date provided in a consent order or other transition order applicable to such GSE. FHFA contemplates that the compliance dates for the PCCBA and the PLBA will be the date of termination of the conservatorship of a GSE. The Enterprise Capital Framework's Advanced Approaches requirements will be delayed until a compliance date provided by a transition order applicable to such GSE. The Enterprise Capital Framework significantly increases capital requirements and reduces capital credit on CRT transactions as compared to the previous framework. The final rule could cause the GSEs to increase their guarantee pricing in order to meet the new capital requirements. If the GSEs increase their guarantee pricing in order to meet the higher capital requirements, that increase could have a negative impact on the private mortgage insurance market and our business. Furthermore, higher GSE capital requirements could ultimately lead to increased costs to borrowers for GSE loans, which in turn could shift the market away from the GSEs to the FHA or lender portfolios. Such a shift could result in a smaller market size for private mortgage insurance. This rule could also accelerate the diversification of the GSEs' risk transfer programs to encompass a broader array of instruments beyond private mortgage insurance, which could adversely impact our business.
As a credit enhancement provider in the residential mortgage lending industry, we are also subject to compliance with or otherwise impacted by various federal and state consumer protection and insurance laws, including RESPA, the Fair Housing Act of 1968 (the "Fair Housing Act"), HOPA, FCRA and others. Changes in these laws or regulations, changes in the appropriate regulator's interpretation of these laws or regulations or heightened enforcement activity could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Dodd-Frank Act Risk Retention
The Dodd-Frank Act also requires an originator or issuer to retain a specified percentage of the credit risk exposure on securitized mortgages that do not meet the definition of a QRM.
As required by the Dodd-Frank Act, in 2015 the Federal Banking Agencies, the FHFA, the SEC and HUD adopted a joint final rule implementing the QRM rules that aligns the definition of a QRM with that of a QM. In December 2019, the Federal Banking Agencies initiated a review of certain provisions of the risk retention rule, including the QRM definition. Among other things, the review allows the Federal Banking Agencies to consider the QRM definition in light of any changes to the QM definition under the QM Rule adopted by the CFPB, which would include the final rule promulgated by the CFPB on December 29, 2020. If the QRM definition is changed in a manner that is unfavorable to us, such as to require a large down payment for a loan to qualify as a QRM, without giving consideration to mortgage insurance in computing LTV ratios, the attractiveness of originating and securitizing loans with lower down payments may be reduced, which may adversely affect the future demand for mortgage insurance.
Basel III
Since 1988, the Basel Committee has worked to develop international benchmarks for assessing banks' capital adequacy requirements. In 2005, the Basel Committee issued Basel II, which, among other things, sets forth capital treatment of mortgage insurance purchased and held on balance sheet by banks in respect of their origination and securitization activities (including in bank regulation, the standards for a prudentially underwritten mortgage, with 50% risk weighting for high loan-to-value mortgages covered with mortgage insurance). Following the financial crisis of 2008, the Basel Committee issued Basel III that established RBC and leverage capital requirements for most United States banking organizations (although banks with less than $10 billion in total assets may choose to comply with an alternative community bank leverage ratio framework established by the Federal Banking Agencies in 2019).
If further revisions to the Basel III Rules increase the capital requirements of banking organizations with respect to the residential mortgages we insure or do not provide sufficiently favorable treatment for the use of mortgage insurance purchased in respect of a bank's origination and securitization activities, it could adversely affect the demand for mortgage insurance. In 2013, the U.S. federal banking regulators confirmed the role of mortgage insurance as a component of prudential bank regulation for high loan-to-value mortgages. More recently, in July of 2023, the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency proposed for comment the Basel III Endgame rule. Under the proposed rule, commercial banks with total assets greater than $100 billion would no longer receive the 50% capital relief for high loan-to-value portfolio loans with mortgage insurance. If adopted as proposed, this rule could decrease the demand for mortgage insurance. The federal banking regulators are currently in the review process, and with the change in Administration on January 20, 2025, the outcome, content and timing of the final rule are unclear.
Regulation - Risk 3
Inability to maintain sufficient regulatory capital could result in restrictions or prohibitions on our doing business or impact our financial strength ratings, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition.We are required by certain states and other regulators to maintain certain RTC ratios and other capital standards. The statutory capital adequacy ratio for our U.S. mortgage insurers is known as the RTC ratio, of which the numerator consists of RIF and the denominator consists of the sum of (i) statutory surplus and (ii) the statutory contingency reserve. In addition, PMIERs include financial requirements for mortgage insurers to do business with the GSEs under which a mortgage insurer's "Available Assets" (generally only the most liquid assets of an insurer) must meet or exceed "Minimum Required Assets" (which are based on an insurer's RIF and are calculated from tables of factors with several risk dimensions and are subject to a floor amount).
If we fail to maintain the required minimum capital level in a state where we write business, we would generally be required to immediately stop writing new business in the state until we re-establish the required level of capital or receive a waiver of the requirement from the state's insurance regulator, or until we have established an alternative source of underwriting capacity acceptable to the regulator. Should we exceed required RTC levels in the future, we would seek required regulatory and GSE forbearance and approvals or seek approval for the utilization of alternative insurance vehicles. However, there can be no assurance if, and on what terms, such forbearance and approvals may be obtained. Enact Re could suffer similar restrictions if it breaches Bermudian capital requirements.
Further, the financial strength ratings of our insurance subsidiaries are significantly influenced by their statutory surplus amounts, statutory contingency reserve amounts (if applicable) and capital adequacy ratios. In any particular year, statutory surplus amounts, statutory contingency reserve amounts, and the RTC ratio may increase or decrease depending on a variety of factors, most of which are outside of our control, including, but not limited to, the following:
- the amount of statutory income or losses generated by our insurance subsidiaries (which itself is sensitive to equity market and credit market conditions);- the amount of insurance we onboard;- the amount of additional capital our insurance subsidiaries must hold to support business growth;- changes in statutory accounting or reserve requirements applicable to our insurance subsidiaries;- our ability to access capital markets to provide reserve and surplus relief;- changes in equity market levels;- the value of certain fixed-income and equity securities in our investment portfolio;- changes in the credit ratings of investments held in our portfolio;- the value of certain derivative instruments;- changes in interest rates;- credit market volatility; and - changes to the maximum permissible RTC ratio.
An adverse change in our RTC ratio or our ability to meet other minimum regulatory requirements could cause rating agencies to downgrade our financial strength ratings, which could have an adverse impact on our ability to write and retain business and could cause regulators to take regulatory or supervisory actions with respect to our business, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and business. For further discussion on the importance of ratings, see "-Adverse rating agency actions may result in a loss of business and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition."
These regulations are principally designed for the protection of policyholders rather than for the benefit of investors. Any proposed or future legislation or NAIC initiatives, if adopted, may be more restrictive on our ability to conduct business than current regulatory requirements or may result in higher costs or increased statutory capital and reserve requirements. Further, because laws and regulations can be complex and sometimes inexact, there is also a risk that any particular regulator's or enforcement authority's interpretation of a legal, accounting or reserving issue may change over time to our detriment or expose us to different or additional regulatory risks. The application of these regulations and guidelines by insurers involves interpretations and judgments that may differ from those of state insurance departments. We cannot provide assurance that such differences of opinion will not result in regulatory, tax or other challenges to the actions we have taken to date. The result of those potential challenges could require us to increase levels of statutory capital and reserves or incur higher operating costs and/or have implications on certain tax positions.
Enact Re is subject to Bermudian capital regulation, and its inability to comply with minimum capital standards could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and business.
Regulation - Risk 4
Our business is extensively regulated and changes in regulation may reduce our profitability and limit our growth.Our insurance operations are subject to a wide variety of laws and regulations and are extensively regulated. State insurance laws regulate most aspects of our U.S. business, and our U.S. domiciled insurance subsidiaries are regulated by the insurance departments of the states in which they are domiciled and licensed. Enact Re is subject to Bermudian law and is regulated by the BMA. Failure to comply with applicable regulations or to obtain or maintain appropriate authorizations or exemptions under any applicable laws could result in restrictions on our ability to conduct business or engage in activities regulated in one or more jurisdictions in which we operate and could subject us to fines, injunctions and other sanctions that could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, the nature and extent of regulation could materially change, which may result in additional costs associated with compliance with any such changes, or changes to our operations, either of which may have a material adverse effect on our business.
Insurance regulatory authorities have broad administrative powers, which include, but are not limited to:
- licensing companies and agents to transact business;- regulating certain premium rates;- reviewing and approving policy forms;- regulating discrimination in pricing, coverage terms and unfair trade and claims practices, including payment of inducements;- establishing and revising statutory capital and reserve requirements and solvency standards;- evaluating enterprise risk to an insurance company;- approving changes in control of insurance companies;- restricting the payment of dividends and other transactions between affiliates;- regulating the types, amounts and valuation of investments; and - restricting, pursuant to state monoline restrictions, the types of insurance products that may be offered.
Insurance regulators and the NAIC regularly re-examine existing laws and regulations, which may lead to modifications to SAP, interpretations of existing laws and the development of new laws and regulations applicable to insurance companies and their products.
Among other things, Section 8 of RESPA generally precludes mortgage insurers from paying referral fees to mortgage lenders for the referral of mortgage insurance business. This limitation also can prohibit providing services or products to mortgage lenders free of charge, charging fees for services that are lower than their reasonable or fair market value, and paying fees for services that mortgage lenders provide that are higher than their reasonable or fair market value, in exchange for the referral of mortgage insurance business. The insurance law provisions of many states also prohibit or restrict paying for the referral of insurance business and provide various mechanisms to enforce this prohibition.
In addition, the use of risk-based pricing systems by the private mortgage insurance industry that establish premium rates based on more attributes than previously considered may result in increased state and/or federal scrutiny of premium rates. The increased use of algorithms, artificial intelligence and data and analytics in the industry may also lead to additional regulatory scrutiny related to other matters such as discrimination in pricing and underwriting, data privacy and access to insurance.
A substantial legal liability or a significant regulatory action against us could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. It is possible that we could become subject to future investigations, regulatory actions, lawsuits, or enforcement actions, which could cause us to incur legal costs and, if we were found to have violated any laws or regulations, require us to pay fines and damages, result in injunctions and incur other sanctions, perhaps in material amounts. Increased regulatory scrutiny and any resulting investigations or legal proceedings could result in new legal precedents and industry-wide regulations or practices that could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, results of operations and financial condition. We cannot predict the ultimate outcomes of any future investigations, regulatory actions or legal proceedings.
Regulation - Risk 5
If we are unable to continue to meet the requirements mandated by PMIERs, or any additional restrictions which may be imposed on us by the GSEs, we may not be eligible to write new insurance on loans acquired by the GSEs, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.In furtherance of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's respective charter requirements, each GSE adopted PMIERs effective December 31, 2015. PMIERs has since been amended on several occasions.
PMIERs includes financial requirements for mortgage insurers under which a mortgage insurer's "Available Assets" (generally only the most liquid assets of an insurer) must meet or exceed "Minimum Required Assets" (which are based on an insurer's RIF and are calculated from tables of factors with several risk dimensions and are subject to a floor amount) and otherwise generally establish when a mortgage insurer is qualified to issue coverage that will be acceptable to the respective GSE for acquisition of high LTV mortgages. The amount of capital that EMICO may be required to maintain the "Minimum Required Assets" as defined in PMIERs, and operate our business is dependent upon, among other things: (i) the way PMIERs are applied and interpreted by the GSEs and the FHFA; (ii) future PMIERs amendments; (iii) the future performance of the housing market; (iv) our generation of earnings in our business, "Available Assets" and "Minimum Required Assets," reducing RIF and reducing delinquencies as anticipated, and writing anticipated amounts and types of new mortgage insurance business; and (v) our overall financial performance, capital and liquidity levels. More particularly, our ability to continue to meet the PMIERs financial requirements and maintain a prudent amount of capital in excess of those requirements, given the dynamic nature of asset valuations and requirement changes over time, is dependent upon, among other things: (i) our ability to complete CRT transactions on our anticipated terms and timetable, which, as applicable, are subject to market conditions, third-party approvals and other actions (including approval by the GSEs), and other factors that are outside of our control and (ii) our ability to contribute holding company cash or other sources of capital to satisfy the portion of the financial requirements that are not satisfied through these transactions. See "-CRT transactions may not be available, affordable or adequate to protect us against losses." The GSEs may amend or waive PMIERs at their discretion, and also have broad discretion to interpret PMIERs, which could impact the calculation of our "Available Assets" and/or "Minimum Required Assets."
Although we believe we have sufficient capital as required under PMIERs and we remain an approved insurer, there can be no assurance these conditions will continue. The GSEs require EMICO not to exceed a maximum ratio of RIF to statutory capital ("RTC ratio") of 18:1 or they reserve the right to reevaluate the amount of PMIERs credit for reinsurance and other CRT transactions available under PMIERs indicated in their approval letters. There can be no assurance we will continue to meet the conditions contained in the GSE letters approving credit for reinsurance and other CRT transactions against PMIERs financial requirements. Freddie Mac has also imposed additional requirements on our option to commute these reinsurance agreements. Both GSEs reserved the right to periodically review the reinsurance transactions for treatment under PMIERs. If we are unable to continue to meet the requirements mandated by PMIERs, or any additional restrictions which may be imposed on us by the GSEs, whether because the GSEs amend them or the GSEs' interpretation of the financial requirements requires us to hold amounts of capital that are higher than planned or otherwise, we may not be eligible to write new insurance on loans acquired by the GSEs, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Additionally, compliance with PMIERs requires us to seek the GSEs' prior approval before taking many actions, including implementing certain new products or services and entering into inter-company agreements, among others. PMIERs' prior approval requirements could prohibit, materially modify or delay us in our intended course of action. The GSEs may modify or change their interpretation of terms they require us to include in our mortgage insurance coverage for loans purchased by them, requiring us to modify our terms of coverage or operational procedures to remain an approved insurer, and such changes could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition. It is possible the GSEs could, at their discretion, require additional limitations and/or conditions on our activities and practices that are not currently in PMIERs for us to remain an approved insurer.
Additional requirements or conditions imposed by the GSEs could limit our operating flexibility and the areas in which we may write new business and may adversely impact our competitive position and our business, the ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends and our ability to pay down debts.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities1 | 2.6%
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1
We may suffer losses in connection with litigation, regulatory proceedings or other actions.Taxation & Government Incentives3 | 7.9%
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1
If we leave the Genworth Consolidated Group, we may be required to pay more income tax in the future.Changed
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 2
We are jointly and severally liable for any U.S. federal income taxes owed by the Genworth Consolidated Group for taxable periods in which we are a member of the group.We are currently a member of the Genworth Consolidated Group. As a result, we are jointly and severally liable for the U.S. federal income taxes owed by the group for periods in which we are a member of the group. For any taxable periods for which we are included in the Genworth Consolidated Group for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we could be liable in the event that any income tax liability was incurred but was not discharged by Genworth or any other member of the group. Genworth, however, will be responsible for any taxes for which we are jointly and severally liable solely by reason of filing a combined, consolidated or unitary return with Genworth under the Tax Allocation Agreement.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 3
Changes in tax laws could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, results of operations or financial condition.Various tax regulations require the preparation of complex computations, significant judgments and estimates in interpreting their respective provisions. These aspects are inherently difficult to interpret and apply, and the Treasury Department, the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") and other standard-setting bodies could interpret these aspects differently than us. In addition, these departments could issue guidance on how provisions of tax regulations should be applied or administered that could be different from our interpretation. Therefore, even though we believe we have applied tax laws and regulations appropriately in our financial statements, it is possible that we have interpreted and applied the rules differently than expected by these authoritative bodies. Likewise, changes in tax laws or regulations may be proposed or enacted that could adversely affect our overall tax liability and results of operations or financial condition. Changes in tax laws and regulations that impact our customers and counterparties or the economy may also impact our results of operations and financial condition. There can be no assurance that changes in tax laws or regulations will not materially and/or adversely affect our effective tax rate, tax payments, results of operations and financial condition.
We are subject to regular review and audit by tax authorities as well as subject to the prospective and retrospective effects of changing tax regulations and legislation. The ultimate tax outcome may materially differ from the tax amounts recorded in our consolidated financial statements and may materially affect our income tax provision, net income (loss), cash flows or operations.
There was no U.S. federal income tax-related legislation or administrative guidance issued in 2024 that had a significant impact on our results of operations or financial condition. Effective January 1, 2023, the U.S. federal government enacted the Inflation Reduction Act which, among other things, implemented a 15% corporate alternative minimum tax ("CAMT") based on adjusted financial statement income and imposed a 1% excise tax on corporate stock repurchases. The enactment of the CAMT did not have a material impact on our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024 or 2023. Excise tax incurred on our share repurchases is recorded as part of the cost basis of the treasury stock acquired and not reported as part of income tax expense, and it did not have a material impact on our financial position for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
On December 27, 2023, the Government of Bermuda enacted the Corporate Income Tax Act 2023 ("CIT"). Starting January 1, 2025, the CIT imposed a new 15% corporate income tax on in-scope entities that are resident in Bermuda or that have a Bermuda permanent establishment, without regard to any assurances that had previously been given pursuant to the Exempted Undertakings Tax Protection Act 1966. Because Enact Re is subject to U.S. federal income tax on its income we do not anticipate this will have a material impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations.
Environmental / Social1 | 2.6%
Environmental / Social - Risk 1
We collect, process, store, share, disclose and use consumer information and other data, and an actual or perceived failure to protect such information and data or respect users' privacy could damage our reputation and brand and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.Production
Total Risks: 7/38 (18%)Above Sector Average
Manufacturing1 | 2.6%
Manufacturing - Risk 1
If servicers fail to adhere to appropriate servicing standards or experience disruptions to their businesses, our losses could increase.Employment / Personnel2 | 5.3%
Employment / Personnel - Risk 1
If we are unable to attract, on-board, retain and motivate qualified employees or senior management, our business, results of operations and financial condition may be adversely impacted.Employment / Personnel - Risk 2
We could be affected by issues impacting Genworth in a way that could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, liquidity and prospects.Changed
We remain a part of Genworth's family of businesses. Therefore, our customers, third-party service providers, credit providers and other persons may continue to associate us with Genworth's reputation and services, as well as its capital base and financial strength.
Genworth depends on us as a source of liquidity and to create value for its shareholders. Genworth's strategy includes maintaining the self-sustainability of its legacy United States life insurance companies and advancing its aging care growth initiatives. While Genworth has improved its financial position and made significant progress on its strategic priorities in recent years, it cannot be sure it will be able to successfully execute on its strategic growth initiatives and plans to effectively address its business challenges.
Additionally, we may be subject to reputational harm if Genworth or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates becomes subject to litigation or otherwise damages its reputation or business prospects, including as result of a data breach or cybersecurity event. Any of these events could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Genworth's challenges in its long-term care insurance business, or other financial or operational difficulties, may also be attributed to us by investors and may have an adverse effect on the perception of our common stock as an investment. Additionally, any downgrade or negative outlook of Genworth's ratings may negatively impact our ratings by certain ratings agencies whose rating protocols and group rating methodologies require adverse ratings actions in cases of parent or sister company rating downgrades or adverse rating actions. See "-Adverse rating agency actions may result in a loss of business and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition."
We are not responsible for Genworth's indebtedness and we are currently predominately capitalized and funded independently of Genworth. If Genworth is unable to raise sufficient proceeds to satisfy its obligations as they come due, or Genworth were to default on its outstanding indebtedness, or Genworth were to become subject to insolvency or other similar proceedings, we would not expect such events to result directly in an event of default or an insolvency event for us. However, any such event or the risk (or perceived risk) that any such proceedings could involve us, could negatively affect our ratings, our reputation, our business, our liquidity and results of operations, and could therefore have a negative effect on our ability to repay our own indebtedness, including the $750 million aggregate principal amount Senior Notes due 2029 (the "2029 Notes"), or otherwise could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and prospects.
Supply Chain1 | 2.6%
Supply Chain - Risk 1
We rely upon third-party vendors who may be unable or unwilling to meet their obligations to us.Costs3 | 7.9%
Costs - Risk 1
The premiums we agree to charge for our mortgage insurance coverage may not adequately compensate us for the risks and costs associated with the coverage we provide.Costs - Risk 2
Our delegated underwriting program may subject our mortgage insurance business to unanticipated claims.We enter into agreements with our customers that commit us to insure loans made by them using our pre-established guidelines for delegated underwriting. Delegated underwriting represented approximately 71% and 70% of our total NIW by loan count for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Once we accept a customer into our delegated underwriting program, we generally insure a loan originated by that customer without validating the accuracy of the data submitted by the customer, investigating the loan file for fraud, or confirming that the customer followed our pre-established delegated underwriting guidelines. Under this program, a customer could commit us to insure a material number of loans that would fail our pre-established guidelines for delegated underwriting but pass our model and certain gating criteria before we discover the problem and terminate that customer's delegated underwriting authority. Although coverage on such loans may be rescindable or otherwise limited under the terms of our master policies, the burden of establishing the right to rescind or deny coverage lies with the insurer. To the extent that our customers exceed their delegated underwriting authorities, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
Costs - Risk 3
The amount of mortgage insurance we write could decline significantly if alternatives to private mortgage insurance are used or lower coverage levels of mortgage insurance are selected.There are a variety of alternatives to private mortgage insurance that may reduce the amount of mortgage insurance we write. These alternatives include:
- originating mortgages that consist of two simultaneous loans, known as "simultaneous seconds," comprising a first mortgage with an LTV ratio of 80% and a simultaneous second mortgage for the excess portion of the loan, instead of a single mortgage with an LTV ratio of more than 80%;- using government mortgage insurance programs;- holding mortgages in the lenders' own loan portfolios and self-insuring;- using programs, such as those offered by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, requiring lower mortgage insurance coverage levels;- originating and securitizing loans in MBS whose underlying mortgages are not insured with private mortgage insurance, or which are structured so that the risk of default lies with the investor, rather than a private mortgage insurer; and - using risk-sharing insurance programs, credit default swaps or similar instruments, instead of private mortgage insurance, to transfer credit risk on mortgages.
If one or more of the alternatives described above, or new alternatives that enter the market, are chosen over private mortgage insurance, our revenues could be adversely impacted. The loss of business in general or the specific loss of more profitable business could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Additionally, we compete with the FHA and the VA, as well as certain local-and state-level housing finance agencies. Separately, the GSEs compete with us through certain of their risk-sharing insurance programs. Those competitors may establish pricing terms and business practices that may be influenced by motives such as advancing social housing policy or stabilizing the mortgage lending industry. Those motives may not be consistent with maximizing return on capital or other profitability measures. In addition, those governmental enterprises typically do not have the same capital requirements or costs of capital that we and other mortgage insurance companies have and therefore may have financial flexibility in their pricing and capacity that could put us at a competitive disadvantage. In the event that one of these enterprises determines to change prices significantly or alter the terms and conditions of its mortgage insurance or other credit enhancement products in furtherance of social or other goals rather than a profit or risk management motive, we may be unable to compete in that market effectively. This could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. See "-Changes to the charters or practices of the GSEs, including actions or decisions to decrease or discontinue the use of mortgage insurance, could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition."
Ability to Sell
Total Risks: 2/38 (5%)Below Sector Average
Competition1 | 2.6%
Competition - Risk 1
Competition within the mortgage insurance industry could result in the loss of market share, loss of customers, lower premiums, wider credit guidelines and other changes that could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.Demand1 | 2.6%
Demand - Risk 1
Changes in the composition of our business or undue concentration by customer or geographic region may adversely affect us by increasing our exposure to loss of business or adverse performance of a small segment of our portfolio.Macro & Political
Total Risks: 2/38 (5%)Below Sector Average
Economy & Political Environment1 | 2.6%
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1
A deterioration in economic conditions, a severe recession or a decline in home prices may adversely affect our loss experience.Natural and Human Disruptions1 | 2.6%
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1
The occurrence of natural or man-made disasters or public health emergencies, including pandemics and disasters caused or exacerbated by climate change, could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.Tech & Innovation
Total Risks: 1/38 (3%)Below Sector Average
Cyber Security1 | 2.6%
Cyber Security - Risk 1
Our computer systems may fail or be compromised, and unanticipated problems could materially adversely impact our disaster recovery systems and business continuity plans, which could damage our reputation, impair our ability to conduct business effectively and materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.
FAQ
What are “Risk Factors”?
Risk factors are any situations or occurrences that could make investing in a company risky.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that publicly traded companies disclose their most significant risk factors. This is so that potential investors can consider any risks before they make an investment.
They also offer companies protection, as a company can use risk factors as liability protection. This could happen if a company underperforms and investors take legal action as a result.
It is worth noting that smaller companies, that is those with a public float of under $75 million on the last business day, do not have to include risk factors in their 10-K and 10-Q forms, although some may choose to do so.
How do companies disclose their risk factors?
Publicly traded companies initially disclose their risk factors to the SEC through their S-1 filings as part of the IPO process.
Additionally, companies must provide a complete list of risk factors in their Annual Reports (Form 10-K) or (Form 20-F) for “foreign private issuers”.
Quarterly Reports also include a section on risk factors (Form 10-Q) where companies are only required to update any changes since the previous report.
According to the SEC, risk factors should be reported concisely, logically and in “plain English” so investors can understand them.
How can I use TipRanks risk factors in my stock research?
Use the Risk Factors tab to get data about the risk factors of any company in which you are considering investing.
You can easily see the most significant risks a company is facing. Additionally, you can find out which risk factors a company has added, removed or adjusted since its previous disclosure. You can also see how a company’s risk factors compare to others in its sector.
Without reading company reports or participating in conference calls, you would most likely not have access to this sort of information, which is usually not included in press releases or other public announcements.
A simplified analysis of risk factors is unique to TipRanks.
What are all the risk factor categories?
TipRanks has identified 6 major categories of risk factors and a number of subcategories for each. You can see how these categories are broken down in the list below.
1. Financial & Corporate
- Accounting & Financial Operations - risks related to accounting loss, value of intangible assets, financial statements, value of intangible assets, financial reporting, estimates, guidance, company profitability, dividends, fluctuating results.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights – risks related to things that impact share prices and the rights of shareholders, including analyst ratings, major shareholder activity, trade volatility, liquidity of shares, anti-takeover provisions, international listing, dual listing.
- Debt & Financing – risks related to debt, funding, financing and interest rates, financial investments.
- Corporate Activity and Growth – risks related to restructuring, M&As, joint ventures, execution of corporate strategy, strategic alliances.
2. Legal & Regulatory
- Litigation and Legal Liabilities – risks related to litigation/ lawsuits against the company.
- Regulation – risks related to compliance, GDPR, and new legislation.
- Environmental / Social – risks related to environmental regulation and to data privacy.
- Taxation & Government Incentives – risks related to taxation and changes in government incentives.
3. Production
- Costs – risks related to costs of production including commodity prices, future contracts, inventory.
- Supply Chain – risks related to the company’s suppliers.
- Manufacturing – risks related to the company’s manufacturing process including product quality and product recalls.
- Human Capital – risks related to recruitment, training and retention of key employees, employee relationships & unions labor disputes, pension, and post retirement benefits, medical, health and welfare benefits, employee misconduct, employee litigation.
4. Technology & Innovation
- Innovation / R&D – risks related to innovation and new product development.
- Technology – risks related to the company’s reliance on technology.
- Cyber Security – risks related to securing the company’s digital assets and from cyber attacks.
- Trade Secrets & Patents – risks related to the company’s ability to protect its intellectual property and to infringement claims against the company as well as piracy and unlicensed copying.
5. Ability to Sell
- Demand – risks related to the demand of the company’s goods and services including seasonality, reliance on key customers.
- Competition – risks related to the company’s competition including substitutes.
- Sales & Marketing – risks related to sales, marketing, and distribution channels, pricing, and market penetration.
- Brand & Reputation – risks related to the company’s brand and reputation.
6. Macro & Political
- Economy & Political Environment – risks related to changes in economic and political conditions.
- Natural and Human Disruptions – risks related to catastrophes, floods, storms, terror, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic/COVID-19.
- International Operations – risks related to the global nature of the company.
- Capital Markets – risks related to exchange rates and trade, cryptocurrency.