MGIC Investment (MTG) 10-K2023 FY Annual report

In 2022 the GSEs each published Equitable Housing Finance Plans ("Plans"). Updated Plans were subsequently published by each GSE in April 2023. The Plans seek to advance equity in housing finance over a three-year period and include potential changes to the GSEs’ business practices and policies. Specifically relating to mortgage insurance, (1) Fannie Mae’s Plan includes the creation of special purpose credit program(s) ("SPCPs") targeted to historically underserved borrowers with a goal of lowering costs for such borrowers through lower than standard mortgage insurance requirements; and (2) Freddie Mac’s Plan includes plans to work with mortgage insurers to look for ways to lower mortgage costs, the creation of SPCPs targeted to historically underserved borrowers, and the planned purchase of loans originated through lender-created SPCPs. To the extent the business practices and policies of the GSEs regarding mortgage insurance coverage, costs and cancellation change, including more broadly than through SPCPs, such changes may negatively impact the mortgage insurance industry.

In addition to being subject to the requirements and practices of the GSEs, private mortgage insurers are subject to comprehensive, detailed regulation by state insurance departments. The insurance laws of 16 jurisdictions, including Wisconsin, MGIC's domiciliary state, require a mortgage insurer to maintain a minimum amount of statutory capital relative to the RIF (or a similar measure) in order for the mortgage insurer to continue to write new business. Additionally, in 2023 a revised Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Model Act was adopted by the NAIC. The revised Model Act includes requirements relating to, among other things: (i) capital and minimum capital requirements, and contingency reserves; (ii) restrictions on mortgage insurers’ investments in notes secured by mortgages; (iii) prudent underwriting standards and formal underwriting guidelines; (iv) the establishment of formal, internal “Mortgage Guaranty Quality Control Programs” with respect to in-force business; and (v) reinsurance and prohibitions on captive reinsurance arrangements.

Primary insurance provides mortgage default protection on individual loans and covers a percentage of the unpaid loan principal, delinquent interest and certain expenses associated with the default and subsequent foreclosure on the mortgage or sale of the underlying property (collectively, the “claim amount”). In addition to the loan principal, the claim amount is affected by the mortgage note rate and the time necessary to complete the foreclosure or sale process. The insurer generally pays the coverage percentage of the claim amount specified in the primary policy but has the option to pay 100% of the claim amount and acquire title to the property. Primary insurance is generally written on first mortgage loans secured by owner occupied "single-family" homes, which are one-to-four family homes and condominiums. Primary insurance can be written on first liens secured by non-owner occupied single-family homes, which are referred to in the home mortgage lending industry as investor loans, and on vacation or second homes. Primary coverage can be used on any type of residential mortgage loan instrument approved by the mortgage insurer.

In addition to varying with the coverage percentage, our premium rates for insurance have varied depending upon the perceived risk of a claim on the insured loan and thus have taken into account, among other things, the LTV ratio, the borrower’s credit score and DTI ratio, the number of borrowers, the property location, the mortgage term and whether the property is the borrower’s primary residence. In recent years, the mortgage insurance industry has materially reduced its use of standard rate cards, which were fairly consistent among competitors, and correspondingly increased its use of (i)"risk based pricing systems" that use a spectrum of filed rates to allow for formulaic, risk-based pricing based on multiple attributes that may be quickly adjusted within certain parameters, and (ii) customized rate plans.

Pool insurance is generally used as an additional “credit enhancement” for certain secondary market mortgage transactions. Pool insurance generally covers the amount of the loss on a defaulted mortgage loan that exceeds the claim payment under the primary coverage, if primary insurance is required on that mortgage loan, as well as the total loss on a defaulted mortgage loan which did not require primary insurance. Pool insurance may have a stated aggregate loss limit for a pool of loans and may also have a deductible under which no losses are paid by the insurer until losses on the pool of loans exceed the deductible. We have written no new pool insurance since 2008; however, for a variety of reasons, including responding to capital market alternatives to PMI and customer demands, we may write pool risk in the future. As of December 31, 2023, our direct pool RIF was $256 million ($186 million on pool policies with aggregate loss limits and $70 million on pool policies without aggregate loss limits).

The following tables reflect the percentage of primary RIF in the top 10 jurisdictions and top 10 metropolitan statistical areas at December 31, 2023.

The following table sets forth the dispersion and certain statistics associated with our primary IIF and RIF as of December 31, 2023, by year(s) of policy origination since we began operations in 1985.

The following table reflects, at the dates and by the categories indicated, the total dollar amount of primary RIF and the percentage of that primary RIF, as determined on the basis of information available on the date of mortgage origination.

A non-insurance subsidiary of ours provides contract underwriting services for lenders, pursuant to which loans are underwritten to conform to prescribed guidelines. The guidelines might be the lender's own guidelines or the guidelines of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or a non-GSE investor. These services are provided for loans that require private mortgage insurance as well as for loans that do not require private mortgage insurance.

Our employees sell our insurance products throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and Guam.

Our competition includes other mortgage insurers, governmental agencies and products designed to eliminate the need to purchase private mortgage insurance. We and other private mortgage insurers compete directly with federal and state government and quasi-governmental agencies, principally the FHA and the VA. The FHA, VA and USDA sponsor government-backed mortgage insurance programs, and it is estimated that during 2023, they accounted for a combined approximately 55.9% of the total low down payment residential mortgages which were subject to FHA, VA, USDA or primary private mortgage insurance, compared to 52.8% in 2022. For more information about the market share of the FHA and the VA, see “Overview of the Private Mortgage Insurance Industry and its Operating Environment” above.

If we are unable to compete effectively in the current or any future markets as a result of the financial strength ratings assigned to our insurance subsidiaries, our future new insurance written could be negatively affected. Our ability to participate in the non-GSE residential mortgage-backed securities market (the size of which has been limited since 2008, but may grow in the future), could depend on our ability to maintain and improve our investment grade ratings for our insurance subsidiaries. Although the current PMIERs of each of the GSEs do not require an insurer to maintain minimum financial strength ratings, the GSEs consider financial strength ratings to be important when using forms of credit enhancement other than traditional mortgage insurance.

In assigning financial strength ratings, in addition to considering the adequacy of the mortgage insurer’s capital to withstand very high claim scenarios under assumptions determined by the rating agency, we believe rating agencies review a mortgage insurer’s historical and projected operating performance, franchise risk, business outlook, competitive position, management, corporate strategy, enterprise risk management and other factors. The rating agency issuing the financial strength rating can withdraw or change its rating at any time. At the time that this annual report was finalized, the financial strength of MGIC was rated A- (with a positive outlook) by A.M. Best, A3 (with a stable outlook) by Moody’s Investors Service and A- (with a stable outlook) by Standard & Poor’s Rating Services. MGIC's Standard and Poor's Rating was upgraded to A- in January of 2024.

The Company maintains a Senior Management Oversight Committee (“SMOC”) that, at the management level, serves as its primary risk management governance organization. The SMOC oversees the Company’s ERM framework; maintains an enterprise view of risk across a set of identified key risks that may exist from time to time (see “Risk Identification and Assessment” below); and provides support and reporting to the Risk Management Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors (“RMC”). The SMOC, of which the CEO is a member, is chaired by the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer, who is the principal management liaison to the RMC.

The Company maintains a Corporate Sustainability Executive Council that, at the management level, supports the Company's on-going commitment to environmental, health and safety, corporate social responsibility, corporate governance, sustainability, and other public

policy matters relevant to the Company. In performing this general responsibility, the Council has discretion to: adopt the Company’s general strategy with respect to sustainability matters; identify current and emerging sustainability issues that may affect the Company’s business, strategy, operations, performance, or public image; make recommendations regarding policies, practices, procedures, or disclosures to address sustainability matters; oversee the Company’s internal and external reporting and disclosures surrounding sustainability matters; and advise on material concerns of shareholders or stakeholders regarding sustainability matters.

The Company has established enterprise-wide policies, procedures and processes to allow it to identify, assess, monitor and manage the Company’s various risks. Management of these risks is an interdepartmental endeavor, with oversight by the Chief Risk Officer and the SMOC. The Company’s Internal Audit function, which reports to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, provides independent ongoing assessments of the Company’s management of certain enterprise risks and reports its findings to the Audit Committee.

On a regular basis, the Company monitors key risks with a focus on identifying risks or changes to risks with the greatest impact on the Company's ability to accomplish its strategic goals. In addition to the ongoing monitoring, the Company also identifies key risks in a bottom up process facilitated through questionnaires and discussions during an annual compliance and risk forum with co-workers across all business functions. The results of the identification process are reported to and reviewed annually by the SMOC and presented to the RMC and/or the full Board.

We believe that mortgage credit risk is materially affected by:

We believe that, excluding other factors, claim incidence increases:

Other types of loan characteristics relating to the individual loan or borrower may also affect the risk potential for a loan. The presence of a number of higher-risk characteristics in a loan materially increases the likelihood of a claim on such a loan unless there are other characteristics to mitigate the risk.

Applications for mortgage insurance are submitted to us through both our delegated and non-delegated options. Under the delegated option, applications are submitted to us electronically and we rely upon the lender’s representations and warranties that the data submitted is true, accurate and consistent with the documents in the lender's loan origination file, when making our insurance decision. If the loan data submitted meets the underwriting requirements, a commitment to insure the loan is immediately issued. If the requirements are not met, the loan is reviewed by one of our underwriters. Non-delegated applications are submitted with documents from the lender’s loan origination file. We apply our underwriting guidelines, eligibility criteria and rating plans to determine coverage eligibility and premium rate. If the loan is eligible for coverage, we will issue a commitment to insure the loan.

Beginning in 2013, we aligned most of our underwriting requirements with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for loans that receive and are processed in accordance with certain approval recommendations from a GSE automated underwriting system. Our underwriting requirements are available on our website at http://www.mgic.com/underwriting/index.html. Our underwriters are authorized to approve loans that do not meet all of our underwriting requirements under certain circumstances.

The PMI industry experienced catastrophic losses in the mid-to-late 1980s, similar to the losses we experienced in 2007-2013. For background information about such losses in 2007-2013, as well as information about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, refer to “General – Overview of Private Mortgage Insurance Industry and its Operating Environment” above.

The claim cycle on PMI generally begins with the insurer’s receipt of notification of a delinquency on an insured loan from the loan servicer. For reporting purposes, a loan is generally considered to be delinquent when it is two or more payments past due. Most servicers report delinquent loans to us within this two month period. The incidence of delinquency is affected by a variety of factors, including macroeconomic conditions, the level of borrower income growth, unemployment, health issues, family status, the level of interest rates, rates of home price appreciation or depreciation and general borrower creditworthiness. Delinquencies that are not cured result in a claim to us. See “– Claims.” Delinquencies may be cured by the borrower bringing current the delinquent loan payments or by a sale of the property and the satisfaction of all amounts due under the mortgage. In addition, when a policy is rescinded or a claim is denied we remove the loan from our delinquency inventory.

The following table shows the number of insured primary loans, the related number of delinquent loans, the percentage of delinquent loans, and delinquency rate, as of December 31, 2019-2023.

Claims result from delinquencies that are not cured. . Whether a claim results from an uncured delinquency depends, in large part, on the borrower’s equity in the home at the time of delinquency, the borrower’s or the lender’s ability to sell the home for an amount sufficient to satisfy all amounts due under the mortgage and the willingness and ability of the borrower and lender to enter into a loan modification that provides for a cure of the delinquency. Various factors affect the frequency and amount of claims, including local home prices and employment levels, and interest rates. If a delinquency goes to claim, any renewal premiums collected to insure the loan during the time period between the last paid installment and the claim payment is returned to the servicer along with the claim payment.

Under the terms of our master policy, the lender is required to file a claim for primary insurance with us within 60 days after it has acquired title to the underlying property (typically through foreclosure). Generally, the longer the period between delinquency and claim filing, the greater the size of the claim, or “severity.” It is difficult to estimate how long it may take for current and future delinquencies that do not cure to develop into paid claims. In light of the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the impact of foreclosure moratoriums and forbearance programs, the average number of missed payments at the time a claim is received has increased.

The majority of loans we insured prior to 2014 (which represent 37% of the loans in the delinquency inventory) are covered by master policy terms that, except under certain circumstances, do not limit the number of years of accumulated interest that an insured may include in a claim. Under our current master policy terms, an insured can include accumulated interest only for the first three years the loan is delinquent.

Within 60 days after a claim has been filed and all documents required to be submitted to us have been delivered, we generally have the option to either (1) pay the coverage percentage specified for the insured loan, with the insured retaining title to the underlying property and receiving all proceeds from the eventual sale of the property , (2) pay the loss on the sale of the property if it has already been sold (calculated by subtracting the sale proceeds from the claim amount) or (3) pay 100% of the claim amount in exchange for conveyance to us of good and marketable title to the property. After we receive title to a property, we sell it for our own account. If we fail to pay a claim timely, we are subject to additional interest expense.

Claim activity is not evenly spread throughout the coverage period of a book of primary business. Relatively few claims are typically received during the first two years following issuance of coverage on a loan. The highest level of claim activity has typically occurred in the third and fourth years after the year of loan origination. Thereafter, the number of claims received has typically declined at a gradual rate, although the rate of decline can be affected by conditions in the economy, including slowing home price appreciation or home price depreciation. Moreover, when a loan is refinanced, because the new loan replaces, and is a continuation of, an earlier loan, the pattern of claims frequency for that new loan may be different from the typical pattern for other loans. Persistency, the condition of the economy, including unemployment, and other factors can affect the pattern of claim activity. For example, a weak economy can lead to claims from older books of business increasing, continuing at stable levels or experiencing a lower rate of decline. As of December 31, 2023, 67% of our primary RIF was written subsequent to December 31, 2020, 84% of our primary RIF was written subsequent to December 31, 2019, and 89% of our primary RIF was written subsequent to December 31, 2018. See “Our Products and Services – Mortgage Insurance – Primary Insurance In Force and Risk In Force by Policy Year” above.

Before paying a claim, generally we review the loan and servicing files to determine the appropriateness of the claim amount. Our insurance policies generally provide that we can reduce or deny a claim if the servicer did not comply with its obligations under our insurance policy, including the requirement to mitigate our loss by performing reasonable loss mitigation efforts or, for example, diligently pursuing a foreclosure or bankruptcy relief in a timely manner. We call such reduction of claims submitted to us "curtailments.” In each of 2023 and 2022, curtailments reduced our average claim paid by approximately 5.4% and 6.3%, respectively. The COVID-19-related foreclosure moratoriums and forbearance plans, along with increased home prices, resulted in decreased claims paid activity beginning in the second quarter of 2020. It is difficult to predict the level of curtailments that will occur in the future as loans that were subject to these foreclosure moratoriums and forbearance plans work their way through the claim process.

When reviewing the loan file associated with a claim, we may determine that we have the right to rescind coverage on the loan. In our SEC reports, we refer to insurance rescissions and denials of claims as “rescissions” and variations of this term. The circumstances in which we are entitled to rescind coverage narrowed under more restrictive policy terms beginning in 2012. As a result of revised PMIERs requirements, we have revised our master policy effective for new insurance written beginning March 1, 2020. Our ability to rescind insurance coverage has become further limited for insurance we write under the new master policy, potentially resulting in higher losses than would be the case under our previous master policies. In recent years, an immaterial percentage of claims received in a quarter have been resolved by rescissions. We do not expect future rescissions will be a significant portion of the claims we resolve over the next few years.

Our loss reserving methodology incorporates our estimates of future rescissions, curtailments, and reversals of rescissions and curtailments. When we rescind coverage, we return all premiums previously paid to us under the policy and are relieved of our obligation to pay a claim under the policy. A variance between ultimate actual rescission, curtailment or reversal rates and our estimates, as a result of the outcome of litigation, settlements or other factors, could materially affect our losses.

When the insured disputes our right to rescind coverage or curtail a claim, we generally engage in discussions in an attempt to settle the dispute. If we are unable to reach a settlement, the outcome of a dispute ultimately may be determined by legal proceedings. Under ASC 450-20, until a loss associated with settlement discussions or legal proceedings becomes probable and can be reasonably estimated, we do not accrue an estimated loss. When we determine that a loss is probable and can be reasonably estimated, we record our best estimate of our probable loss.

A significant period of time typically elapses between the time when a borrower becomes delinquent on a mortgage payment, which is the event triggering a potential future claim payment by us, the reporting of the delinquency to us, the acquisition of the property by the lender (typically through foreclosure) or the sale of the property, and the eventual payment of the claim related to the uncured delinquency or a rescission. To recognize the estimated liability for losses related to outstanding reported delinquencies, we establish loss reserves by estimating the number of loans in our delinquency inventory that will result in a claim payment, which is referred to as the claim rate, and further estimating the amount of the claim payment, which is referred to as claim severity. Our loss reserve estimates are established primarily based upon historical experience, including rescission and curtailment activity. In accordance with GAAP for the mortgage insurance industry, we generally do not establish case reserves for future claims on insured loans that are not currently delinquent.

We also establish reserves to provide for the estimated costs of settling claims, general expenses of administering the claims settlement process, legal fees and other fees (“loss adjustment expenses”), and for losses and loss adjustment expenses from delinquencies that have occurred, but have not yet been reported to us (IBNR).

We have in place quota share reinsurance ("QSR") and excess of loss reinsurance ("XOL") transactions providing various amounts of coverage on our risk in force as of December 31, 2023. These transactions allow us to better manage our risk profile, because they reduce the amount of capital we are required to hold to comply with insurance regulatory requirements and the requirements of the GSEs' PMIERs. Our reinsurance strategy focuses on reinsuring our most recent or future NIW, while recapturing risk on attractive seasoned vintages.

At December 31, 2023 and 2022, approximately 60.4% and 67.9%, respectively, of our IIF was subject to quota share reinsurance ("QSR") transactions. In 2023 and 2022, approximately 86.8% and 87.4%, respectively, of our NIW was subject to QSR transactions.

The structure of the QSR transactions is a quota share of various percentages of the policies covered, with a ceding commission and a profit commission. The profit commission under our QSR Transactions also varies inversely with the level of ceded losses incurred on a “dollar for dollar” basis and can be eliminated at ceded loss levels higher than what we have experienced on our QSR Transactions

For the reinsurance coverage periods, we retain the first layer of the respective aggregate losses, and the reinsurers will then provide second layer coverage up to the outstanding reinsurance coverage amount. We retain losses in excess of the outstanding reinsurance coverage amount. The aggregate XOL reinsurance coverage decreases over a period of either 10 of 12.5 years, depending on the transaction, subject to certain conditions, as the underlying covered mortgages amortize or are repaid, or mortgage insurance losses are paid.

The Home Re Entities financed the coverages with the proceeds of the ILNs in an aggregate amount equal to the initial reinsurance coverage amounts. Each ILN is non-recourse to any of our assets. The proceeds of the ILNs, which were deposited into reinsurance trusts for our benefit, will be the source of reinsurance claim payments to us and principal repayments on the ILNs.

At December 31, 2023, the fair value of our investment portfolio was approximately $5.7 billion. In addition, at December 31, 2023, our total assets included approximately $364 million of cash and cash equivalents. At December 31, 2023, approximately $918 million of investments and cash and cash equivalents was held by our parent company, and the remainder was held by our subsidiaries, primarily MGIC.

As of December 31, 2023, approximately 92% of our investment portfolio (excluding cash and cash equivalents) was managed by two external investment managers, although we maintain overall control of investment policy and strategy. We maintain direct management of the remainder of our investment portfolio. Unless otherwise indicated, the remainder of the discussion regarding our investment portfolio refers to our investment portfolio only and not to cash and cash equivalents.

Our management is responsible for the execution of our investment strategy and compliance with the adopted investment policies, and review of investment performance and strategy with the Securities Investment Committee of the Board of Directors on a quarterly basis.

Our current strategy for the investment portfolio emphasizes the following: preservation of PMIERs assets, limiting portfolio volatility, maximizing total return with an emphasis on yield, and providing sufficient liquidity with minimal realized losses to meet expected and unexpected obligations. Consequently, our investment portfolio consists almost entirely of high-quality, investment grade, fixed income securities. Our investment portfolio strategy considers tax efficiency. The mix of tax-exempt municipal securities in our investment portfolio will be dependent upon their value, relative to taxable equivalent securities, determined in part by federal statutory tax rates. Our investment policies and strategies are subject to change depending upon regulatory, economic and market conditions and our existing or anticipated financial condition and operating requirements.

At December 31, 2023, the sectors represented in our investment portfolio were as shown in the table below:

We have no derivative financial instruments in our investment portfolio. Securities with stated maturities due within up to one year, after one year and up to five years, after five years and up to ten years, and after ten years, represented 11%, 26%, 30%, and 14%, respectively, of the total fair value of our fixed income investment securities. Asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities are not included in these maturity categories as the expected maturities may be different from the stated maturities depending upon the periodic payments during the life of the security. Asset-backed securities represent 13% of the investment portfolio (CLOs represent 6%, CMBS represent 4% and other asset-backed securities represent 3%). GNMA and other agency mortgage-backed securities represent 7% of the investment portfolio. Our pre-tax yield was 3.7%, 3.0%, and 2.5% for 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively, and our after-tax yield was 3.0%, 2.5%, and 2.1% for 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

Our ten largest holdings at December 31, 2023 appear in the table below:

We are subject to comprehensive, detailed regulation by state insurance departments. These regulations are principally designed for the protection of our insured policyholders, rather than for the benefit of investors. Although their scope varies, state insurance laws generally grant broad supervisory powers to agencies or officials to examine insurance companies and enforce rules or exercise discretion affecting almost every significant aspect of the insurance business.

In general, regulation of our subsidiaries’ businesses relates to:

Wisconsin, our domiciliary state, has adopted the Risk Management and Own Risk and Solvency Assessment Act, which requires, among other things, that we conduct an Own Risk and Solvency Assessment ("ORSA"), at least annually, to assess the material risks associated with our business and our current and estimated projected future solvency position; and maintain a risk management

framework to assess, monitor, manage and report on material risks. Wisconsin has also adopted the annual enterprise risk reporting, group capital calculation, and "Corporate Governance Disclosure" requirements of the NAIC Model Act.

The insurance laws of 16 jurisdictions, including Wisconsin, our domiciliary state, require a mortgage insurer to maintain a minimum amount of statutory capital relative to the RIF (or a similar measure) in order for the mortgage insurer to continue to write new business. We refer to these requirements as the “State Capital Requirements.” While they vary among jurisdictions, currently the most common State Capital Requirements allow for a maximum risk-to-capital ratio of 25 to 1. Wisconsin does not regulate capital by using a risk-to-capital measure but instead requires a minimum policyholder position. MGIC's “policyholder position” includes its net worth or surplus and its contingency reserve.

At December 31, 2023, MGIC’s risk-to-capital ratio was 10.2 to 1, below the maximum allowed by the jurisdictions with State Capital Requirements, and its policyholder position was $3.6 billion above the required MPP of $2.2 billion.

Mortgage insurance premium rates are subject to state regulation to protect policyholders against the adverse effects of excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory rates and to encourage competition in the insurance marketplace. Any increase in premium rates must be justified, generally on the basis of the insurer’s loss experience, expenses and future trend analysis. The general mortgage default experience may also be considered. Premium rates are subject to review and challenge by state regulators.

Mortgage insurers are generally single-line companies, restricted to writing residential mortgage insurance business only. Although we, as an insurance holding company, are prohibited from engaging in certain transactions with MGIC or our other insurance subsidiaries without submission to and, in some instances, prior approval by applicable insurance departments, we are not subject to insurance company regulation on our non-insurance businesses.

The CFPB’s rules implementing laws that require mortgage lenders to make ability-to-pay determinations prior to extending credit affect the characteristics of loans being originated and the volume of loans available to be insured. We are uncertain whether the CFPB will issue any other rules or regulations that affect our business. Such rules and regulations could have a material adverse effect on us.

We are also indirectly, but significantly, impacted by regulations affecting purchasers of mortgage loans, such as the GSEs, and regulations affecting governmental insurers, such as the FHA and the VA, and lenders. Private mortgage insurers, including MGIC, are highly dependent upon federal housing legislation and other laws and regulations to the extent they affect the demand for private mortgage insurance and the housing market generally. From time to time, those laws and regulations have been amended in ways that affect competition from government agencies. Proposals are discussed from time to time by Congress and certain federal agencies to reform or modify the FHA and the Government National Mortgage Association, which securitizes mortgages insured by the FHA.

Mortgage insurance generally may be considered to be a “settlement service” for purposes of RESPA under applicable regulations. Subject to certain exceptions, in general, RESPA prohibits any person from giving or receiving any “thing of value” pursuant to an agreement or understanding to refer settlement services.

HOPA provides for the automatic termination, or cancellation upon a borrower’s request, of private mortgage insurance upon satisfaction of certain conditions. For more information, see "Our Products and Services" in Item 1.B.

FCRA imposes restrictions on the permissible use of credit report information. FCRA has been interpreted by some Federal Trade Commission staff and federal courts to require mortgage insurance companies to provide “adverse action” notices to consumers in the event an application for mortgage insurance is declined or offered at less than the best available rate for the loan program applied for on the basis of a review of the consumer’s credit.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve Board, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation have uniform guidelines on real estate lending by insured lending institutions under their supervision. The guidelines specify that a residential mortgage loan originated with a loan-to-value ratio of 90% or greater should have appropriate credit enhancement in the form of mortgage insurance or readily marketable collateral, although no depth of coverage percentage is specified in the guidelines.

Lenders are subject to various laws, including the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Community Reinvestment Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, TILA, HOPA, the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act, FCRA, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and the Fair Housing Act. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are subject to various laws, including laws relating to government sponsored enterprises, which may impose obligations or create incentives for increased lending to low and moderate income persons, or in targeted areas.

There can be no assurance that other federal laws and regulations affecting these institutions and entities will not change, or that new legislation or regulations will not be adopted which will adversely affect the private mortgage insurance industry.

MGIC conducts an annual engagement survey to gauge co-worker sentiment and connection to company values. Based on the survey results, we identify and share with our Board of Directors and executive leadership areas of strength and opportunity. For transparency, these strengths and opportunities are shared with all co-workers, and leaders at all levels of the company are expected to play an active role in taking meaningful action in response. The annual engagement survey is complemented by additional quantitative, qualitative and passive listening mechanisms, ranging from new hire surveys to CEO-led focus groups.

We make available, free of charge, our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file these materials with the SEC. The reports and amendments are accessible at the “Reports & Filings” link on our website (http://mtg.mgic.com). The inclusion of our website address in this report is an inactive textual reference only and is not intended to include or incorporate by reference the information on our website into this report.

The substantial majority of our new insurance written ("NIW") is for loans purchased by the GSEs; therefore, the business practices of the GSEs greatly impact our business. In 2022 the GSEs each published Equitable Housing Finance Plans ("Plans"). Updated Plans were subsequently published by each GSE in April 2023. The Plans seek to advance equity in housing finance over a three-year period and include potential changes to the GSEs’ business practices and policies. Specifically relating to mortgage insurance, (1) Fannie Mae’s Plan includes the creation of special purpose credit program(s) ("SPCPs") targeted to historically underserved borrowers with a goal of lowering costs for such borrowers through lower than standard mortgage insurance requirements; and (2) Freddie Mac’s Plan includes plans to work with mortgage insurers to look for ways to lower mortgage costs, the creation of SPCPs targeted to historically underserved borrowers, and the planned purchase of loans originated through lender-created SPCPs. To the extent the business practices and policies of the GSEs regarding mortgage insurance coverage, costs and cancellation change, including more broadly than through SPCPs, such changes may negatively impact the mortgage insurance industry and our financial results.

While we have established policies and procedures to comply with applicable laws and regulations, many such laws and regulations are complex and it is not possible to predict the eventual scope, duration or outcome of any reviews or investigations nor is it possible to predict their effect on us or the mortgage insurance industry.

We have in place QSR and XOL reinsurance transactions providing various amounts of coverage on our risk in force as of December 31, 2023. Refer to Part 1, Note 4 – “Reinsurance” and Part 1, Item 2 “Consolidated Results of Operations – Reinsurance Transactions” of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, for more information about coverage under our reinsurance transactions. The reinsurance transactions reduce the tail-risk associated with stress scenarios. As a result, they reduce the risk-based capital that we are required to hold to support the risk and they allow us to earn higher returns on risk-based capital for our business than we would without them. However, market conditions impact the availability and cost of reinsurance. Reinsurance may not always be available to us, or available only on terms or at costs that we consider unacceptable. If we are not able to obtain reinsurance we will be required to hold additional capital to support our risk in force.

Reinsurance transactions subject us to counterparty risk, including the financial capability of the reinsurers to make payments for losses ceded to them under the reinsurance agreements. As reinsurance does not relieve us of our obligation to pay claims to our policyholders, our inability to recover losses from a reinsurer could have a material impact on our results of operations and financial condition.

The GSEs may change the credit they allow under the PMIERs for risk ceded under our reinsurance transactions. If the GSEs were to reduce the credit that we receive for reinsurance under the PMIERs, it could result in decreased returns absent an increase in our premium rates. An increase in our premium rates to adjust for a decrease in reinsurance credit may lead to a decrease in our NIW and net income.

We employ proprietary and third-party models for a wide range of purposes, including the following: projecting losses, premiums, expenses, and returns; pricing products (through our risk-based pricing system); determining the techniques used to underwrite insurance; estimating reserves; evaluating risk; determining internal capital requirements; and performing stress testing. These models rely on estimates, projections, and assumptions that are inherently uncertain and may not always operate as intended. This can be especially true when extraordinary events occur, such as wars, periods of extreme inflation, pandemics, or environmental disasters related to changing climatic conditions. In addition, our models are being continuously updated over time. Changes in models or model assumptions could lead to material changes in our future expectations, returns, or financial results. The models we employ are complex, which could increase our risk of error in their design, implementation, or use. Also, the associated input data, assumptions, and calculations may not always be correct or accurate and the controls we have in place to mitigate these risks may not be effective in

all cases. The risks related to our models may increase when we change assumptions, methodologies, or modeling platforms. Moreover, we may use information we receive through enhancements to refine or otherwise change existing assumptions and/or methodologies.

As part of our business, we maintain large amounts of confidential and proprietary information both on our own servers and those of cloud computing services. This includes personal information of consumers and our employees. Personal information is subject to an increasing number of federal and state laws and regulations regarding privacy and data security, as well as contractual commitments. Any failure or perceived failure by us, or by the vendors with whom we share this information, to comply with such obligations may result in damage to our reputation, financial losses, litigation, increased costs, regulatory penalties or customer dissatisfaction.

All information technology systems are potentially vulnerable to damage or interruption from a variety of sources, including by cyber attacks, such as those involving ransomware. We regularly defend against threats to our data and systems, including malware and computer virus attacks, unauthorized access, system failures and disruptions. Threats have the potential to jeopardize the information processed and stored in, and transmitted through, our computer systems and networks and otherwise cause interruptions or malfunctions in our operations, which could result in damage to our reputation, financial losses, litigation, increased costs, regulatory penalties or customer dissatisfaction. We could be similarly affected by threats against our vendors and/or third-parties with whom we share information.

Globally, attacks are expected to continue accelerating in both frequency and sophistication with increasing use by actors of tools and techniques that may hinder the Company’s ability to identify, investigate and recover from incidents. Such attacks may also increase as a result of retaliation by threat actors against actions taken by the U.S. and other countries in connection with wars and other global events. The Company operates under a hybrid workforce model and such model may be more vulnerable to security breaches.

While we have information security policies and systems in place to secure our information technology systems and to prevent unauthorized access to or disclosure of sensitive information, there can be no assurance with respect to our systems and those of our third-party vendors that unauthorized access to the systems or disclosure of the sensitive information, either through the actions of third parties or employees, will not occur. Due to our reliance on information technology systems, including ours and those of our customers and third-party service providers, and to the sensitivity of the information that we maintain, unauthorized access to the systems or disclosure of the information could adversely affect our reputation, severely disrupt our operations, result in a loss of business and expose us to material claims for damages and may require that we provide free credit monitoring services to individuals affected by a security breach.

Should we experience an unauthorized disclosure of information or a cyber attack, including those involving ransomware, some of the costs we incur may not be recoverable through insurance, or legal or other processes, and this may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

From time to time, in response to market conditions, we change the types of loans that we insure. We also may change our underwriting guidelines, including by agreeing with certain approval recommendations from a GSE automated underwriting system. We also make exceptions to our underwriting requirements on a loan-by-loan basis and for certain customer programs. Our underwriting requirements are available on our website at http://www.mgic.com/underwriting/index.html.

Even when home prices are stable or rising, mortgages with certain characteristics have higher probabilities of claims. As of December 31, 2023, mortgages with these characteristics in our primary risk in force included mortgages with LTV ratios greater than 95% (16%), mortgages with borrowers having FICO scores below 680 (7%), including those with borrowers having FICO scores of 620-679 (6%), mortgages with limited underwriting, including limited borrower documentation (1%), and mortgages with borrowers having DTI ratios greater than 45% (or where no ratio is available) (18%), each attribute is determined at the time of loan origination. Loans with more than one of these attributes accounted for 5% of our primary risk in force as of December 31, 2023, and 4% of our primary risk in force as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021. When home prices increase, interest rates increase and/or the percentage of our NIW from purchase transactions increases, our NIW on mortgages with higher LTV ratios and higher DTI ratios may increase. Our NIW on mortgages with LTV ratios greater than 95% was 12% in 2023 and 2022. Our NIW on mortgages with DTI ratios greater than 45% was 26% in 2023 and 21% in 2022.

Financial strength ratings, which various rating agencies publish as independent opinions of an insurer's financial strength and ability to meet ongoing insurance and contract obligations, are important to maintaining public confidence in our mortgage insurance coverage and our competitive position. PMIERs requires approved insurers to maintain at least one rating with a rating agency acceptable to the respective GSEs. Downgrades in our financial strength ratings could materially affect our business and results of operations, including in the ways described below:

Our investment portfolio is an important source of revenue and is our primary source of claims paying resources. Although our investment portfolio consists mostly of highly-rated fixed income investments, our investment portfolio is affected by general economic conditions and tax policy, which may adversely affect the markets for credit and interest-rate-sensitive securities, including the extent and timing of investor participation in these markets, the level and volatility of interest rates and credit spreads and, consequently, the value of our fixed income securities. Prevailing market rates have increased for various reasons, including inflationary pressures, which has reduced the fair value of our investment portfolio holdings relative to their amortized cost. The value of our investment portfolio may also be adversely affected by ratings downgrades, increased bankruptcies, and credit spreads widening. In addition, the collectability and valuation of our municipal bond portfolio may be adversely affected by budget deficits, and declining tax bases and revenues experienced by state and local municipalities. Our investment portfolio also includes commercial mortgage-backed securities, collateralized loan obligations, and asset-backed securities, which could be adversely affected by declines in real estate valuations, increases in unemployment, geopolitical risks and/or financial market disruption, including more restrictive lending conditions and a heightened collection risk on the underlying loans. As a result of these matters, we may not achieve our investment objectives and a reduction in the market value of our investments could have an adverse effect on our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

We carry certain financial instruments at fair value and disclose the fair value of all financial instruments. Valuations use inputs and assumptions that are not always observable or may require estimation; 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. For additional information about the methodologies, estimates and assumptions we use in determining the fair value of our investments refer to Note 3 of Item 8 in Part II our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 - "Fair Value Measurements."

Federal budget deficit concerns and the potential for political conflict over the U.S. government’s debt limit may increase the possibility of a default by the U.S. government on its debt obligations, related credit-rating downgrades, or an economic recession in the United States. Many of our investment securities are issued by the U.S. government and government agencies and sponsored entities. As a result of uncertain domestic political conditions, including potential future federal government shutdowns, the possibility of the federal government defaulting on its obligations due to debt ceiling limitations or other unresolved political issues, investments in financial instruments issued or guaranteed by the federal government pose liquidity risks. Any potential downgrades by rating agencies in long-term sovereign credit ratings, as well as sovereign debt issues facing the governments of other countries, could have a material adverse impact on financial markets and economic conditions worldwide.

At December 31, 2023, we had approximately $918 million in cash and investments at our holding company and our holding company’s long-term debt obligations were $650 million in aggregate principal amount. Annual debt service on the long-term debt obligations outstanding as of December 31, 2023, is approximately $34 million.

None.

MGIC’s Information Security Program includes information security policies, annual risk assessments and analyses, threat monitoring and alerting, vulnerability management, incident response, and data loss prevention controls. With this program, MGIC seeks to prevent, detect, and respond to unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of confidential information.

MGIC’s Information Risk Management (IRM) team is responsible for safeguarding the organization's information assets, data, and technology infrastructure from security threats and vulnerabilities. The IRM team’s primary focus is the protection of the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive information and compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards.

Various aspects of the Information Security Program are subject to periodic audit by the Company’s Internal Audit department or third-party professionals engaged by the Internal Audit department. Such audits vary from year-to-year but are generally focused on compliance with stated control activities, standards, and internal policies, as well as maintaining the integrity and independence of the audit process. Cybersecurity risk reviews such as SOC2, SOX controls, Penetration Tests, and regulatory controls are conducted by independent third parties.

The Information Security Program also incorporates a vendor due diligence process that is designed to evaluate whether a vendor or third-party service provider that receives confidential data meets MGIC’s information security governance, risk, and compliance requirements. The process includes assessing and managing the cyber risks associated with engaging third-party vendors and reviewing their information security practices.

In the event of a suspected or threatened cybersecurity incident, the Company’s Chief Information Security Officer (“CISO”) determines whether to activate the Company’s Cyber Incident Response Team (“CIRT”), composed of different subject matter experts from applicable domains such as network, infrastructure, and application areas in order to evaluate the technical issues relative to the incident. The CIRT is overseen by the CISO. If necessary, the CIRT may engage third-party cybersecurity experts to evaluate and/or remediate the incident. In the event that the CIRT confirms that the incident relates to a cybersecurity incident or compromise of MGIC’s computer systems, the CISO will notify the General Counsel, who will advise the Chief Executive Officer ("CEO"), who is a member of the Board of Directors. In addition to advising the CEO, the General Counsel will also convene an established committee whose members include the General Counsel, Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President of Investor Relations, and Chief Accounting Officer in order to determine if the event is a material cybersecurity incident so as to trigger an Item 1.05 filing on Form 8-K. If a determination is made that the event is material, or if the CEO or General Counsel otherwise determines it advisable, the CEO or General Counsel, or a delegate thereof, shall notify the Chairman of the Board, Lead Independent Director, and Chairpersons of the Board’s Business Technology and Transformation Committee (the “BTTC”) and Audit Committee.

To our knowledge, there have been no cybersecurity incidents that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect the Company.

If a cybersecurity incident were to occur, it could affect our operations, results of operations, or financial condition as described in our Risk Factors titled “Information technology system failures or interruptions may materially impact our operations and/or adversely affect our financial results” and “We could be materially adversely affected by a cybersecurity breach or failure of information security controls."

The CISO partners with the Company’s Risk Department to promote alignment of cybersecurity risk management strategy with the broader risk management strategy for the organization. The integration of information security into the overall enterprise risk management framework enables collaboration on the identification, assessment, mitigation and monitoring of cybersecurity risks that have the potential to materially impact the operation of the Company.

The Risk Management Committee of the Board coordinates with the Board and other Board committees regarding the assignment to the Board and Committees of oversight responsibilities for all identified key risks to the Company. Risks related to cybersecurity are overseen by the BTTC. The BTTC monitors cybersecurity risks associated with both internal and external actors, including third-party vendors and service providers. Additional information about the BTTC’s role in overseeing risks related to cybersecurity and information technology generally can be found in the Committee’s Charter at mtg.mgic.com/corporate-governance/highlights.

The CISO provides quarterly updates about the Company’s cybersecurity program to the BTTC. Updates may include topics such as management’s efforts to identify and monitor risks, investments to improve the Company’s detection and response systems, the results of risk assessments, compliance with controls, vendor oversight, strategic technology planning, and if necessary, the status of any new, ongoing, or prior cybersecurity incident. The CISO also periodically attends the BTTC meetings.

The Company’s current CISO, Jennifer Westphal, is responsible for assessing and managing the material risks posed by cybersecurity threats. Ms. Westphal has over 25 years of experience in information technology, with 18 of those years focused on cybersecurity. Ms. Westphal has been with the Company for more than ten years and was promoted to the position of CISO in January 2021. Prior to 2021, Ms. Westphal served as the Deputy CISO and before that, as the Director of Information Risk Management.

At December 31, 2023, we had no office space leases in the United States that require monthly rental payments.

We own our headquarters facility located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which contains approximately 220,000 square feet of space.

Not Applicable.

Certain information with respect to our executive officers as of February 21, 2024 is set forth below:

Mr. Mattke has served as our Chief Executive Officer since 2019. Before then, he had been the Company’s Chief Financial Officer from 2014 to 2019, and its Controller from 2009 to 2014. He joined the Company in 2006. Prior to his becoming Controller, he was Assistant Controller of MGIC beginning in 2007 and prior to that was a manager in MGIC’s accounting department. Before joining MGIC, Mr. Mattke was with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Company’s independent registered accounting firm.

Mr. Miosi has served as our President and Chief Operating Officer since 2019. Before then, he had been Executive Vice President – Business Strategy and Operations since 2017. He served as Senior Vice President – Business Strategy and Operations of MGIC from 2015 to 2017, and Vice President – Marketing from 2004 to 2015. Mr. Miosi joined the company in 1988 and has also held a variety of leadership positions in the operations, technology and marketing divisions.

Mr. Colson has served as our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since 2019. Before then, he had been MGIC's Vice President – Finance during 2019 and its Assistant Treasurer from 2016 to 2019. He joined MGIC in 2014 and prior to becoming Assistant Treasurer, he held positions in its Risk Management Department. Before joining MGIC, Mr. Colson was with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Company’s independent registered accounting firm.

Ms. Maggio joined the Company in 2018 and has served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary since then. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Maggio had been Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Retail Properties of America, Inc. from 2016 to 2018, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (SHR) from 2012 to 2015, and in various other leadership roles with SHR since joining that firm in 2000. Prior to joining SHR, Ms. Maggio had been in private legal practice from 1994-2000.

Mr. Thompson has served as MGIC's Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer since 2019. Before then, he had been Interim Chief Risk Officer during 2019, and Vice President Credit Policy and Pricing from 2016 to 2019. He joined MGIC in 1998 and prior to being named Vice President Credit Policy and Pricing, he held several management positions in its Risk Management Department, including Vice President – Risk Management from 2000 to 2016. On November 6, 2023, Mr. Thompson provided notice of his intent to retire, effective March 22, 2024. Mr. Colson will assume responsibility for overseeing the Risk Management Department upon Mr. Thompson's retirement.

Mr. Candelmo has served as MGIC's Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer since 2019. He joined MGIC in 2014 as its Vice President – Chief Technology Officer. Prior to joining MGIC, Mr. Candelmo had been Senior Vice President of Enterprise Information Services with SunTrust Bank since 2008. Prior to joining SunTrust, Mr. Candelmo had held various other leadership roles within the information technology discipline.

The following is a discussion and analysis of the financial conditions and results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, including comparisons between 2023 and 2022. Comparisons between 2022 and 2021 have been omitted from this Form 10-K, but can be found in "Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the SEC.

As discussed under “Forward Looking Statements and Risk Factors” in Item 1A of Part 1 of this Report, actual results may differ materially from the results contemplated by forward looking statements. We are not undertaking any obligation to update any forward looking statements or other statements we may make in the following discussion or elsewhere in this document even though these statements may be affected by events or circumstances occurring after the forward looking statements or other statements were made. Therefore, no reader of this document should rely on these statements being current as of any time other than the time at which this document was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Through MGIC, the principal subsidiary of MGIC Investment Corporation, we serve lenders throughout the United States helping families achieve homeownership sooner by making affordable low-down-payment mortgages a reality through the use of private mortgage insurance. At December 31, 2023 MGIC had $293.5 billion of primary IIF.

Net income for 2023 was $712.9 million (2022: $865.3 million) and diluted income per share was $2.49 (2022: $2.79). The decrease in net income is primarily due to an increase in losses incurred and a decrease in net premiums earned. This was partially offset by an increase in investment income, net of expenses, a decrease in loss on debt extinguishment, and a decrease in our provision for income taxes. Diluted income per share decreased primarily due to a decrease in net income, partially offset by a decrease in the number of diluted weighted average shares outstanding.

Adjusted net operating income for 2023 was $724.4 million (2022: $904.8 million) and adjusted net operating income per diluted share was $2.53 (2022: $2.91). The decrease in adjusted net operating income in 2023 compared to 2022 is primarily due to a decrease in net income. The decrease in 2023 adjusted net operating income per diluted share compared to 2022 is primarily due to a decrease in adjusted net operating income, partially offset by a decrease in the number of diluted weighted average shares outstanding.

Premiums earned for 2023 were $952.6 million, compared with $1,007.1 million for the same period last year. The decrease in premiums earned compared with the prior year is primarily due to an increase in ceded premiums that was the result of a decrease in the profit commission earned on our QSR Transactions.

Net investment income in 2023 was $214.7 million, compared with $167.5 million in the prior year. The increase in net investment income was due to an increase of 80 basis points in the average investment yield.

Losses incurred, net were $(20.9) million, compared with $(254.6) million for the prior year. While new delinquency notices added $187.7 million to losses incurred in 2023, our re-estimation of loss reserves on previously received delinquency notices resulted in favorable development of $208.5 million. In 2022, new delinquency notices added approximately $149.6 million to losses incurred, offset by re-estimation of loss reserves on previously received delinquency notices resulted in favorable development of $404.1 million. The favorable development for both periods primarily resulted from a decrease in the expected claim rate on previously received delinquencies. Home price appreciation experienced in recent years has allowed some borrowers to cure their delinquencies through the sale of their property.

Our provision for income taxes decreased to $189.3 million in 2023 compared to $224.7 million in 2022 primarily due to a decrease in income before tax. Our effective tax rate for 2023 was 21.0% compared to 20.6% for 2022.

Home purchases decreased in 2023, compared to 2022, due to higher interest rates and higher home prices. Higher interest rates also resulted in decreased refinance activity during 2023. This led to a decrease in our NIW, to $46.1 billion in 2023 compared to $76.4 billion in 2022.

The strong credit quality of our insurance portfolio reflects several years of favorable housing fundamentals and in our view, generally favorable risk characteristics on our recently insured loans. Our insurance in force was relatively flat during the year as a result of a lower NIW, offset by increased annual persistency.

The private mortgage insurance industry is highly competitive and is expected to remain so. We believe that we currently compete with other private mortgage insurers based on premium rates, underwriting requirements, financial strength (including based on credit or financial strength ratings), customer relationships, name recognition, reputation, strength of management teams and field organizations, the ancillary products and services provided to lenders, and the effective use of technology and innovation in the delivery and servicing of our mortgage insurance products.

In recent years, the industry has materially reduced its use of standard rate cards, which were fairly consistent among competitors, and correspondingly increased its use of (i) "risk-based pricing systems" that use a spectrum of filed rates to allow for formulaic, risk-based pricing based on multiple attributes that may be quickly adjusted within certain parameters, and (ii) customized rate plans. We monitor various competitive and economic factors while seeking to balance both profitability and market share considerations in developing our pricing strategies.

In 2018, the GSEs initiated secondary mortgage market programs with loan level mortgage default coverage provided by various (re)insurers that are not mortgage insurers governed by PMIERs, and that are not selected by the lenders. These programs, which currently account for a small percentage of the low down payment market, compete with traditional private mortgage insurance and, due to differences in policy terms, they may offer premium rates that are below prevalent single premium lender-paid mortgage insurance ("LPMI") rates. We participate in these programs from time to time.

PMI also competes against government mortgage insurance programs such as the FHA, VA, and USDA, primarily for lower FICO score business. The combined market share of primary mortgage insurance written by government programs continues to exceed that written by PMI in both 2023 and 2022.

We operate under the requirements of the PMIERs of the GSEs in order to insure loans delivered to or purchased by them. The PMIERs include financial requirements as well as business, quality control and certain transactional approval requirements. The financial requirements of the PMIERs require a mortgage insurer’s "Available Assets" (generally only the most liquid assets of an insurer) to equal or exceed its "Minimum Required Assets" (which are based on an insurer's book of risk in force, calculated from tables of factors with several risk dimensions, reduced for credit given for risk ceded under reinsurance transactions, and subject to a floor amount). Based on our application of PMIERs, MGIC's Available Assets under PMIERs totaled $5.8 billion, an excess of $2.4 billion over its Minimum Required Assets at December 31, 2023.

Our outlook for 2024 should be viewed against the backdrop of the business environment discussed above.

Our NIW is affected by total mortgage originations, the percentage of total mortgage originations using private mortgage insurance (the "PMI penetration rate"), and our market share within the PMI industry. As of January 2024, the total average mortgage origination forecasts from Fannie Mae and the MBA indicate mortgage originations of $2.0 trillion in 2024, compared to an estimated $1.6 trillion in 2023. Both purchase originations and refinance transactions are forecasted to increase in 2024 when compared to 2023. We are expecting NIW to increase slightly in 2024 compared to 2023.

The widespread use of risk based pricing systems by the PMI industry makes it more difficult to compare our rates to those offered by our competitors. We may not be aware of industry rate changes until we observe that our volume of NIW has changed. In addition, business under customized rate plans is awarded by certain customers for only limited periods of time. As a result, our NIW may fluctuate more than it had in the past.

Our direct premiums written and earned are impacted by our IIF during the period and our in force premium yield, both of which are expected to be relatively flat in 2024 when compared to 2023. Premiums earned are also impacted by the amount of accelerated premiums from single premium policy cancellations, which generally decrease as refinance activity decreases. Our unearned premium decreased to $157.8 million at December 31, 2023 from $195.3 million at December 31, 2022.

Our net premiums written and earned are primarily impacted by the changes in the direct premiums written and earned noted above and by the amount of premiums we cede under our quota share and excess of loss reinsurance transactions. The amount of premiums we cede in 2024 will be affected by any changes in our reinsurance coverage. Premiums we cede under our quota share transactions are also impacted by the profit commission we receive. The amount of profit commission is variable year-to-year and is dependent on the amount of losses incurred ceded. In 2023, compared to 2022, the increase in ceded losses incurred decreased the profit commission we received, resulting in higher ceded premiums. Increases in ceded losses incurred will benefit our losses incurred line, but will result in lower profit commission and higher ceded premiums.

Net investment income is a material contributor to our results of operations. We expect net investment income in 2024 to increase in comparison to 2023, primarily due to higher average investment yields. The amount of investment income will be impacted by the

change in the yield we can earn on investments and the level of invested assets. The level of invested assets will primarily be impacted by the amount of cash we expect to use in financing activities relative to our cash from operations. The magnitude of any change in our invested asset level will be subject to the timing of our financing activities.

Losses incurred, net is impacted by the level of new delinquency notices. Generally, on our primary business, the highest claim frequency years have been the third and fourth year after loan origination. As of December 31, 2023, 67% of our primary RIF was written subsequent to December 31, 2020, 84% of our primary RIF was written subsequent to December 31, 2019, and 89% of our primary RIF was written subsequent to December 31, 2018. The pattern of claim frequency can be affected by many factors, including annual persistency and deteriorating economic conditions.

Our claims paid activity slowed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic primarily due to forbearance and foreclosure moratoriums put in place, and it has not yet appreciably increased from those suppressed levels. Home price appreciation experienced in recent years has allowed some borrowers to cure their delinquencies through the sale of their property. In addition, an increase in third party property sales prior to claim settlement, has resulted in a decrease in the average claim paid on the claims we do receive. We expect net losses and LAE paid to increase; however, the magnitude and timing of the increases are uncertain.

We expect underwriting and operating expenses, net to be modestly lower in 2024 compared to 2023.

We expect our 2024 effective tax rate to be approximately 21%.

The ability of MGIC to pay dividends is restricted by insurance regulation. Amounts in excess of prescribed limits are deemed “extraordinary” and may not be paid if disapproved by the OCI. A dividend is extraordinary when the proposed dividend amount, plus dividends paid in the twelve months preceding the dividend payment date exceed the ordinary dividend level. In 2024, MGIC can pay $64 million of ordinary dividends without OCI approval, before taking into consideration dividends paid in the preceding twelve months. In 2023 and 2022, MGIC paid a cash and/or investment security dividend of $600 million and $800 million, respectively, to our holding company. Future dividend payments from MGIC to the holding company will continue to be determined in consultation with the board.

In the first and second quarters of 2023, we paid quarterly cash dividends of $0.10 per share to shareholders which totaled $58.8 million. In the third and fourth quarters of 2023, we paid quarterly cash dividends of $0.115 per share which totaled $65.3 million. On January 23, 2024, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend to holders of the company's common stock of $0.115 per share payable on March 5, 2024, to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 15, 2024. We expect to continue to make dividend payments to shareholders in 2024.

Repurchases may be made from time to time on the open market (including through 10b5-1 plans) or through privately negotiated transactions. The repurchase programs may be suspended for periods or discontinued at any time. We repurchased approximately 21.7 million shares in 2023 using approximately $340.6 million of holding company resources. In 2022, we repurchased approximately 27.8 million shares of our common stock using approximately $385.7 million of holding company resources. In 2024, we expect share repurchase programs will remain our primary means of returning capital to shareholders.

The following table shows details of our share repurchase programs.

We must comply with a GSE's PMIERs to be eligible to insure loans delivered to or purchased by that GSE. The PMIERs include financial requirements, as well as business, quality control and certain transaction approval requirements. The PMIERs provide that the GSEs may amend any provision of the PMIERs or impose additional requirements with an effective date specified by the GSEs. If MGIC ceases to be eligible to insure loans purchased by one or both of the GSEs, it would significantly reduce the volume of our NIW, the substantial majority of which is for loans delivered to or purchased by the GSEs.

The financial requirements of the PMIERs require a mortgage insurer’s “Available Assets” (generally only the most liquid assets of an insurer) to equal or exceed its “Minimum Required Assets” (which are based on an insurer’s book of risk in force and are calculated from tables of factors with several risk dimensions, reduced for credit given for risk ceded under reinsurance transactions, and subject to a floor amount). Based on our interpretation of the PMIERs as of December 31, 2023, MGIC’s Available Assets totaled $5.8 billion, or $2.4 billion in excess of its Minimum Required Assets.

The PMIERs generally require us to hold significantly more Minimum Required Assets for delinquent loans than for performing loans and the Minimum Required Assets required to be held increases as the number of payments missed on a delinquent loan increases.

The FHFA has been the conservator of the GSEs since 2008 and has the authority to control and direct their operations. Given that the Director of the FHFA is removable by the President at will, the agency's agenda, policies and actions are influenced by the then-current administration. The increased role that the federal government has assumed in the residential housing finance system through the GSE conservatorships may increase the likelihood that the business practices of the GSEs change, including through administration changes and actions. Such changes could have a material adverse effect on us.

It is uncertain what role the GSEs, FHA and private capital, including private mortgage insurance, will play in the residential housing finance system in the future. The timing and impact on our business of any resulting changes is uncertain. Many of the proposed changes would require Congressional action to implement and it is difficult to estimate when Congressional action would be final and how long any associated phase-in period may last.

The insurance laws of 16 jurisdictions, including Wisconsin, our domiciliary state, require a mortgage insurer to maintain a minimum amount of statutory capital relative to its RIF (or a similar measure) in order for the mortgage insurer to continue to write new business. We refer to these requirements as the “State Capital Requirements.” While they vary among jurisdictions, the most common State Capital Requirements allow for a maximum risk-to-capital ratio of 25 to 1. A risk-to-capital ratio will increase if (i) the percentage decrease in capital exceeds the percentage decrease in insured risk, or (ii) the percentage increase in capital is less than the percentage increase in insured risk. Wisconsin does not regulate capital by using a risk-to-capital measure but instead requires a MPP. MGIC's "policyholder position" includes its net worth or surplus and its contingency reserve.

At December 31, 2023, MGIC’s risk-to-capital ratio was 10.2 to 1, below the maximum allowed by the jurisdictions with State Capital Requirements, and its policyholder position was $3.6 billion above the required MPP of $2.2 billion. The calculation of our risk-to-capital ratio and MPP reflect full credit for the risk ceded under our reinsurance transactions. It is possible that under the revised State Capital Requirements discussed below, MGIC will not be allowed full credit for the risk ceded under such transactions. If MGIC is not allowed an agreed level of credit under either the State Capital Requirements or the PMIERs, MGIC may terminate the reinsurance transactions, without penalty.

Our investment portfolio is composed principally of investment grade fixed income securities. The principal factors that influence investment income are the size of the portfolio and its yield. As measured by amortized cost (which excludes changes in fair value, such as from changes in interest rates), the size of the investment portfolio is mainly a function of cash generated from (or used in) operations, such as net premiums written, investment income, net claim payments and expenses, and cash provided by (or used for) non-operating activities, such as debt or stock issuances or repurchases, and dividends.

Certain activities that we do not consider being part of our fundamental operating activities may also impact our results of operations and are described below.

Gains and losses on debt extinguishment result from discretionary activities that are undertaken to enhance our capital position and / or improve our debt profile. Extinguishing our outstanding debt obligations early through these discretionary activities may result in losses primarily driven by the payment of consideration in excess of our carrying value, and the write off of unamortized debt issuance costs on the extinguished portion of the debt.

In general, the majority of any underwriting profit that a book generates occurs in the early years of the book, with the largest portion of any underwriting profit realized in the first year following the year the book was written. Subsequent years of a book may result in either underwriting profit or underwriting losses. This pattern of results typically occurs because relatively few of the incurred losses on delinquencies that a book will ultimately experience typically occur in the first few years of the book, when premium revenue is highest, while subsequent years are affected by declining premium revenues, as the number of insured loans decreases (primarily due to loan prepayments) and increasing losses. The typical pattern is also a function of premium rates generally resetting to lower levels after ten years. The state of the economy, local housing markets and various other factors may result in delinquencies not following the typical pattern.

As part of our business, we maintain large amounts of confidential and proprietary information both on our own servers and those of cloud computing services. This includes personal information of consumers and our employees. Personal information is subject to an increasing number of federal and state laws and regulations regarding privacy and data security, as well as contractual commitments. Any failure or perceived failure by us, or by the vendors with whom we share this information, to comply with such obligations may result in damage to our reputation, financial losses, litigation, increased costs, regulatory penalties or customer dissatisfaction.

All information technology systems are potentially vulnerable to damage or interruption from a variety of sources, including by cyber attacks, such as those involving ransomware. We regularly defend against threats to our data and systems, including malware and computer virus attacks, unauthorized access, system failures and disruptions. Threats have the potential to jeopardize the information processed and stored in, and transmitted through, our computer systems and networks and otherwise cause interruptions or malfunctions in our operations, which could result in damage to our reputation, financial losses, litigation, increased costs, regulatory penalties or customer dissatisfaction. We could be similarly affected by threats against our vendors and/or third-parties with whom we share information.

Globally, attacks are expected to continue accelerating in both frequency and sophistication with increasing use by actors of tools and techniques that may hinder the Company’s ability to identify, investigate and recover from incidents. Such attacks may also increase as a result of retaliation by threat actors against actions taken by the U.S. and other countries in connection with wars and other global events. The Company operates under a hybrid workforce model and such model may be more vulnerable to security breaches.

While we have information security policies and systems in place to secure our information technology systems and to prevent unauthorized access to or disclosure of sensitive information, there can be no assurance with respect to our systems and those of our third-party vendors that unauthorized access to the systems or disclosure of the sensitive information, either through the actions of third parties or employees, will not occur. Due to our reliance on information technology systems, including ours and those of our customers and third-party service providers, and to the sensitivity of the information that we maintain, unauthorized access to the systems or disclosure of the information could adversely affect our reputation, severely disrupt our operations, result in a loss of business and expose us to material claims for damages and may require that we provide free credit monitoring services to individuals affected by a security breach.

Should we experience an unauthorized disclosure of information or a cyber attack, including those involving ransomware, some of the costs we incur may not be recoverable through insurance, or legal or other processes, and this may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

We believe that use of the Non-GAAP measures of adjusted pre-tax operating income (loss), adjusted net operating income (loss) and adjusted net operating income (loss) per diluted share facilitate the evaluation of the company's core financial performance thereby providing relevant information to investors. These measures are not recognized in accordance with GAAP and should not be viewed as alternatives to GAAP measures of performance.

Although adjusted pre-tax operating income (loss) and adjusted net operating income (loss) exclude certain items that have occurred in the past and are expected to occur in the future, the excluded items represent items that are: (1) not viewed as part of the operating performance of our primary activities; or (2) impacted by both discretionary and other economic or regulatory factors and are not necessarily indicative of operating trends, or both. These adjustments, along with the reasons for their treatment, are described below. Trends in the profitability of our fundamental operating activities can be more clearly identified without the fluctuations of these adjustments. Other companies may calculate these measures differently. Therefore, their measures may not be comparable to those used by us.

Our NIW is affected by the total mortgage originations, the percentage of total mortgage originations using PMI, and our market share within the PMI industry.

The total amount of mortgage originations is generally influenced by the level of new and existing home sales, interest rates, the percentage of homes purchased for cash, and the level of refinance activity. PMI market share of total mortgage originations is influenced by the mix of purchase and refinance originations. PMI market share is also impacted by the market share of total originations of the FHA, VA, USDA, and other alternatives to mortgage insurance, including GSE programs that may reduce or eliminate the demand for mortgage insurance.

The total estimated mortgage insurance volume is shown below.