FACO First Acceptance Corporation (QX)

NASHVILLE, TN, February 26, 2013 -- First Acceptance Corporation (NYSE: FAC) today reported its financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2012.

Operating Results

Revenues for the three months ended December 31, 2012 were $55.1 million, compared with $49.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2011. Income before income taxes for the three months ended December 31, 2012 was $0.2 million, compared with loss before income taxes of $25.7 million for the three months ended December 31, 2011. Income before income taxes for the three months ended December 31, 2012 included favorable development of $1.8 million for losses occurring in prior fiscal years, while the loss before income taxes for the three months ended December 31, 2011 included a goodwill impairment charge of $21.1 million, or $0.45 per share on a diluted basis, and unfavorable development of $4.6 million for losses occurring in prior periods. Net income for the three months ended December 31, 2012 was $0.1 million, or $0.00 per share on a diluted basis, compared with net loss of $25.8 million, or $0.55 per share on a diluted basis, for the three months ended December 31, 2011.

Revenues for the year ended December 31, 2012 were $228.1 million, compared with $205.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. Loss before income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2012 was $9.0 million, compared with loss before income taxes of $84.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. The loss before income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2012 included the recognition of a net realized gain on investments of $3.2 million, or $0.08 per share on a diluted basis, and unfavorable development of $4.0 million for losses occurring in prior fiscal years, while the loss before income taxes for the same period in the prior year included goodwill and intangible assets impairment charges of $73.5 million, or $0.99 per share on a diluted basis, unfavorable development of $3.1 million for losses occurring in prior fiscal years, charges of $1.7 million incurred in connection with the separation of certain executive officers during March 2011 (comprised of $1.3 million in accrued severance and benefits and a $0.4 million non-cash charge related to the vesting of certain stock awards) and $0.4 million of other-than-temporary impairment charges on investments. Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2012 was $9.0 million, or $0.22 per share on a diluted basis, compared with net loss of $84.5 million, or $1.76 per share on a diluted basis, for year ended December 31, 2011.

Premiums earned for the three months ended December 31, 2012 were $46.1 million, compared with $40.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2011. Premiums earned for the year ended December 31, 2012 were $185.6 million, compared with $167.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. This improvement was primarily due to an increase in the number of policies in force ("PIF") from 141,862 at December 31, 2011 to 145,938 at December 31, 2012, which we attribute to the continued sales, marketing, customer interactions and product initiatives. Such factors led to a higher close ratio resulting in an increase in new policies sold on a year-over-year basis.

Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense Ratio. The loss and loss adjustment expense ratio was 73.4 percent for the three months ended December 31, 2012, compared with 81.0 percent for the three months ended December 31, 2011. The loss and loss adjustment expense ratio was 79.8 percent for the year ended December 31, 2012, compared with 77.5 percent for the year ended December 31, 2011. We experienced favorable development of $1.8 million related to the three months ended December 31, 2012, compared with unfavorable development of $4.6 million for the three months ended December 31, 2011. We experienced unfavorable development related to prior fiscal years of $4.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, compared with unfavorable development of $3.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. The unfavorable development for the year ended December 31, 2012 was primarily related to the strengthening of loss and loss adjustment expense reserves. Loss development was primarily related to higher than expected severity for ­­­­­­­Florida personal injury protection claims and for Georgia bodily injury claims in older accident years. Loss adjustment expense development was primarily related to higher than expected legal expenses for bodily injury claims for accident years 2010 and prior. The unfavorable development for the year ended December 31, 2011 included amounts related to the settlement of claims for extra-contractual damages.

Excluding the development related to prior fiscal years, the loss and loss adjustment expense ratios for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011 were 77.7 percent and 75.6 percent, respectively. The year-over-year increase in the loss and loss adjustment expense ratio was primarily due to higher loss driven by an increase in frequency experienced during the second quarter of 2012 and higher expected severity for bodily injury claims.

In December 2011, we completed the process of implementing new scored pricing programs. We believe these new scored pricing programs provide us with greater pricing segmentation and improve our pricing relative to the risk we are insuring. Approximately 74 percent of our current PIF have been underwritten using these new scored pricing programs.

We perform state-by-state reviews of all insurance pricing programs on a quarterly basis and alter rates as we believe necessary. In response to the increases in our loss ratio during recent quarters, we implemented rate increases on most of our non-scored pricing programs during the first quarter and for our scored pricing programs in most states during the second and third quarters. The full benefit of these rate actions will not be fully realized until all customers renew their policies under the new rates, typically six months from the date of rate change implementation.

Expense Ratio. The expense ratio was 26.4 percent for the three months ended December 31, 2012, compared with 30.5 percent for the three months ended December 31, 2011. The expense ratio was 26.7 percent for the year ended December 31, 2012, compared with 29.4 percent for the year ended December 31, 2011. Excluding the severance and related benefits charges noted above, the expense ratio for the year ended December 31, 2011 was 28.6 percent.

Combined Ratio. The combined ratio was 99.8 percent for the three months ended December 31, 2012, compared with 111.5 percent for the three months ended December 31, 2012. The combined ratio was 106.5 percent for the year ended December 31, 2012, compared with 106.9 percent for year ended December 31, 2011. Excluding the severance and related benefits charges noted above, the combined ratio for the year ended December 31, 2011 was 106.1 percent.

About First Acceptance Corporation

We are a retailer, servicer and underwriter of non-standard personal automobile insurance based in Nashville, Tennessee. We currently write non-standard personal automobile insurance in 12 states and are licensed as an insurer in 13 additional states. Non-standard personal automobile insurance is made available to individuals who are categorized as "non-standard" because of their inability or unwillingness to obtain standard insurance coverage due to various factors, including payment history, payment preference, failure in the past to maintain continuous insurance coverage, driving record and/or vehicle type, and in most instances who are required by law to buy a minimum amount of automobile insurance. At February 26, 2013, we leased and operated 368 retail locations, staffed with employee-agents. Our employee-agents primarily sell non-standard personal automobile insurance products underwritten by us, as well as certain commissionable ancillary products and other insurance products. In select markets, we are testing the sale of automobile insurance underwritten by third party carriers. We are able to complete the entire sales process over the phone or through our consumer-based website. In addition to our retail, website and call center sales, we also sell our products through 13 retail locations operated by independent agents. Additional information about First Acceptance Corporation can be found online at acceptanceinsurance.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements, which have been included in reliance on the "safe harbor" provisions of the federal securities laws, involve risks and uncertainties. Investors are hereby cautioned that these statements may be affected by important factors, including, among others, the factors set forth under the caption "Risk Factors" in Item 1A. of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual operations and results may differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

FIRST ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(in thousands, except per share data)

FIRST ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands, except per share data)

FIRST ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
Supplemental Data
 (Unaudited)

PREMIUMS EARNED BY STATE

COMBINED RATIOS (INSURANCE OPERATIONS)

POLICIES IN FORCE

The following tables present total PIF for the insurance operations segregated by policies that were sold through our open and closed retail locations as well as our independent agents, call center and website. For our retail locations, PIF are further segregated by (i) new and renewal and (ii) liability-only or full coverage. New policies are defined as those policies issued to both first-time customers and customers who have reinstated a lapsed or cancelled policy. Renewal policies are those policies which renewed after completing their full uninterrupted policy term. Liability-only policies are defined as those policies including only bodily injury (or no-fault) and property damage coverages, which are the required coverages in most states. For comparative purposes, the PIF data with respect to closed retail locations for each of the periods presented below includes all retail locations closed at December 31, 2012.

NUMBER OF RETAIL LOCATIONS

  Retail location counts are based upon the date that a location commenced or ceased writing business.

RETAIL LOCATIONS BY STATE

SOURCE:  First Acceptance Corporation

INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT:  
Michael J. Bodayle
615.844.2885

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